Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Flexural behavior of the continental lithosphere in Italy - Constraints imposed by gravity and deflection data

A procedure is developed that systematically matches observations of plate flexure and gravity anomalies at simple convergent boundaries to the bestfitting two-dimensional flexural geometry obtained by a thin elastic sheet of specified elastic strength. The procedure allows analytical solution for three independent variables, one of which is the initial (preflexure) elevation of the reference surface and two of which are related to the vertical forces and bending moments that act on the plate. Application to four profiles constructed across the Apennine convergent system in Italy shows that the observed depth of the basal Pliocene surface (which marks the base of the foredeep basin) and the observed Bouguer gravity anomalies can be fit by a two-dimensional elastic plate model with an effective elastic thickness of about 20 km on three profiles and about 10 km on the fourth profile. The initial elevation, prior to flexure, is determined to have been about 1000 m below sealevel on all profiles. Large bending moments and/or vertical shear forces are required to act at the effective plate ends in order to maintain the observed deflection (moments between 0.5×1017 and 3×1017 N, and shear forces between + 3×1012 and −3×1012 N/m). Gravity modelling indicates that, on the two northernmost profiles, these terminal forces can not be supplied by a static mass at crustal depths and suggests that, on all four profiles, the terminal forces are supplied by anomalously dense material present at depths of 75–150 km beneath and west of the west coast of Italy. This dense material probably corresponds to westward-subducted lithosphere of the Adriatic plate, extending from the northern Apennines to the southern Apennines and Calabria. This study suggests that in subduction systems, like the Apennines, that are characterized by backarc extension, forces acting on subducted lithosphere at depth can be expressed at the surface in the geometry of the foredeep basin that forms adjacent to the subduction zone.
Altered muscle satellite cell activation following 16 weeks of resistance training in young men

21 Skeletal muscle satellite cells (SC) play an important role in muscle adaptation. In untrained 22 individuals, SC content and activation status has been observed to increase in response to a 23 single bout of exercise. Muscle fiber characteristics change considerably when resistance 24 exercise is performed chronically, but whether training status affects the activity of SC in 25 response to a single bout of exercise remains unknown. We examined the changes in SC content 26 and activation status following a single bout of resistance exercise, prior to and following a 16wk 27 progressive resistance training (RT) program in fourteen young (25±3yr) men. Before and after 28 RT, percutaneous biopsies from the vastus lateralis muscle were taken prior to a single bout of 29 resistance exercise and after 24 and 72h of post-exercise recovery. Muscle fiber size, 30 capillarization, and SC response were determined by immunohistochemistry. Following RT, 31 there was a greater activation of SC after 24h in response to a single bout of resistance exercise 32 (Pre:1.4±0.3,24h:3.1±0.3 Pax7 + /MyoD + cells/100 fibers) as compared to before RT 33 (Pre:1.4±0.3,24h:2.2±0.3 Pax7 + /MyoD + cells/100 fibers, p<0.05); no difference was observed 34 72h post-exercise. Following 16wk of RT, MyoD mRNA expression increased from basal to 24h 35 after the single bout of exercise ( p <0.05); this change was not observed prior to training. 36 Individual capillary-to-fiber ratio (C/F i ) increased in both type I (1.8±0.3 to 2.0±0.3 C/F i , 37 p <0.05) and type II (1.7±0.3 to 2.2±0.3 C/F i , p <0.05) fibers in response to RT. Following RT, 38 enhanced activation of SC in response to resistance exercise is accompanied by increases in 39 muscle fiber capillarization. 40 quantification
Complementing TLS Point Clouds by Dense Image Matching

The complementation of terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) by photogrammetric acquisition techniques enables the exploitation of two different measurement principles. TLS with distance measurements can be used for acquiring large-scale point clouds at medium range distances, while image-based surface reconstruction methods enable flexible acquisition with high precision at short distances. Within this paper, an automatic procedure for the combination of photogrammetry and laser scanning is presented. Synthetic images derived from the laser scanning point clouds are used together with camera images in a common Structure-from- Motion (SfM) process. This enables an automatic registration of multiple laser scans. Furthermore, surface information can also be derived from the imagery using dense image matching methods. While the laser scanning data provides the missing scale information, the imagery can complement the dataset to fill gaps, occlusions or to resolve small details. Consequently, large datasets can be.
The Face–Time Continuum

Aging influences how a person is perceived on multiple dimensions (e.g., physical power). Here we examined how facial structure informs these evolving social perceptions. Recent work examining young adults’ faces has revealed the impact of the facial width-to-height ratio (fWHR) on perceived traits, such that individuals with taller, thinner faces are perceived to be less aggressive, less physically powerful, and friendlier. These perceptions are similar to those stereotypically associated with older adults. Examining whether fWHR might contribute to these changing perceptions over the life span, we found that age provides a shifting context through which fWHR differentially impacts aging-related social perceptions (Study 1). In addition, archival analyses (Study 2) established that fWHR decreases across age, and a subsequent study found that fWHR mediated the relationship between target age and multiple aging-related perceptions (Study 3). The findings provide evidence that fWHR decreases across age and influences stereotypical perceptions that change with age.
Mixed-Media Filter System for Removal of Multiple Contaminants from Urban Storm Water: Large-Scale Laboratory Testing

AbstractUrban storm water runoff consists of unacceptable levels of nutrients and heavy metals, and a mixed-media filter system is proposed to treat such storm water with multiple contaminants. In this study, a two-dimensional filter simulation test apparatus was constructed to examine the effectiveness of mixed media for the removal of multiple contaminants from synthetic storm water. The mixed media, selected based on several series of batch and column experiments in previous studies, consisted of a mixture of calcite, zeolite, sand, and iron filings. The mixed media was tested for removal of coexisting nitrate, phosphate, Ni, Cu, Cd, Cr, Pb, and Zn at concentrations and conditions relevant for typical urban storm water. Results show that the mixed-media filter was able to maintain high flow rates without any clogging issues, with an average hydraulic conductivity around 30 cm/min. No significant initial release or final desorption of the contaminants was observed. The filter system proved effective fo.
Structure and Instability of the Ekman Spiral in the Presence of Surface Gravity Waves

Abstract The physical processes responsible for maintaining the mixed layer am examined by considering the velocity structure. The low-frequency Ekman response in the interior of unstratified mixed layers is much less sheared than is predicted using eddy viscosity models that reproduce the temperature structure. However, the response is more sheared than predicted by models that parameterize the mixed layer as a slab. An explanation is sought by considering the effect of an infinite train of surface gravity waves on the mean Ekman spiral. For some realistic conditions, the Ekman spiral predicted by assuming small-scale diffusion alone is strongly unstable to Langmuir cells driven by wave-current interaction. In the Northern Hemisphere, these cells are oriented to the right of the wind, the result of a balance between maximizing the wave-current forcing, maximizing the efficiency of this forcing in producing cells, and minimizing the crosscell shear. The cells are capable of replacing small-scale turbulent.
Distribution of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and hexachlorocyclohexane in urban soils and risk assessment

This study deals with the distribution of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs) and hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) in urban soils, their possible sources and probabilistic human and environmental health risk. The average concentrations of total HCHs and total DDTs in the soils were in the range of 0.56-8.52 mg kg –1 and 0.54-37.42 mg kg –1 , respectively, which were lower than guideline limits. The compositional analysis of HCH isomers reflects contaminations from recent usage. However, isomeric ratios between DDT, DDE and DDD, indicate anaerobic degradation of DDT and contaminations from aged DDT. Human and environmental health risk assessment was carried out by the estimation of lifetime average daily dose (LADD), incremental life time cancer risk (ILCR) and non carcinogenic health hazard quotient (HQ). LADD of total pesticides (HCH and DDT) for human adults and children was ranged between 3.3x10 –9 -6.6x10 –8 mg kg –1 d –1 and 1.7x10 –8 -3.4x10 –7 mg kg –1 d –1 , respectively. The cumulative ILCR for adults and children was ranged from 5.1x10 –9 to 4.6x10 –8 and 2.6x10 –8 to 2.4x10 –7 , respectively. The HQ was ranged between 1.8x10 –6 - 1.4x10 –4 and 9.5x10 –6 -7.2x10 –4 , respectively for adults and children. These estimated ILCR and HQ were within the safe acceptable limits, indicating negligible risk to the residents of the study area.
Bromine oxide in the mid‐latitude marine boundary layer

We report direct observations of bromine oxide (BrO) in the mid‐latitude marine boundary layer (MBL), using long‐path Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS). The measurements were made at the Mace Head observatory on the west coast of Ireland. Over six days of observations, the BrO concentration varied from below the detection limit (≈0.8 parts per trillion (ppt)) at night, to a maximum daytime concentration of 6.5 ppt. At the average daytime concentration of 2.3 ppt, BrO causes significant O3 depletion in the MBL through catalytic cycles involving the iodine oxide and hydroperoxy radicals, and also oxidises dimethyl sulfide much more rapidly than the hydroxyl radical. A post‐sunrise pulse of BrO was observed, consistent with the build up of photolabile precursors produced by heterogeneous reactions on sea‐salt aerosol during the previous night. This indicates that significant bromine activation occurs over the open ocean.
Natural biogeochemical cycle of mercury in a global three‐dimensional ocean tracer model

We implement mercury (Hg) biogeochemistry in the offline global 3‐D ocean tracer model (OFFTRAC) to investigate the natural Hg cycle, prior to any anthropogenic input. The simulation includes three Hg tracers: dissolved elemental (Hg0aq), dissolved divalent (HgIIaq), and particle‐bound mercury (HgPaq). Our Hg parameterization takes into account redox chemistry in ocean waters, air‐sea exchange of Hg0, scavenging of HgIIaq onto sinking particles, and resupply of HgIIaq at depth by remineralization of sinking particles. Atmospheric boundary conditions are provided by a global simulation of the natural atmospheric Hg cycle in the GEOS‐Chem model. In the surface ocean, the OFFTRAC model predicts global mean concentrations of 0.16 pM for total Hg, partitioned as 80% HgIIaq, 14% Hg0aq, and 6% HgPaq. Total Hg concentrations increase to 0.38 pM in the thermocline/intermediate waters (between the mixed layer and 1000 m depth) and 0.82 pM in deep waters (below 1000 m), reflecting removal of Hg from the surface to the subsurface ocean by particle sinking followed by remineralization at depth. Our model predicts that Hg concentrations in the deep North Pacific Ocean (>2000 m) are a factor of 2–3 higher than in the deep North Atlantic Ocean. This is the result of cumulative input of Hg from particle remineralization as deep waters transit from the North Atlantic to the North Pacific on their ~2000 year journey. The model is able to reproduce the relatively uniform concentrations of total Hg observed in the old deep waters of the North Pacific Ocean (observations: 1.2 ± 0.4 pM; model: 1.1 ± 0.04 pM) and Southern Ocean (observations: 1.1 ± 0.2 pM; model: 0.8 ± 0.02 pM). However, the modeled concentrations are factors of 5–6 too low compared to observed concentrations in the surface ocean and in the young water masses of the deep North Atlantic Ocean. This large underestimate for these regions implies a factor of 5–6 anthropogenic enhancement in Hg concentrations.
Impact of placental malaria on maternal, placental and foetal cord responses and its role in pregnancy outcomes in women from Blue Nile State, Sudan

Sequestration of Plasmodium falciparum infected cells in the placenta results in placental malaria (PM). It activates a mother's immune cells and induces secretion of in�ammatory cytokines, which might in�uence pregnancy outcomes. This study aims to investigate the in�ammatory environment in maternal peripheral, placental, and umbilical cord blood in response to PM and the extent to which this may in�uence maternal haemoglobin levels and birth weight
Controls on CH4 emissions from a northern peatland

We examined the controls on summer CH4 emission from five sites in a peatland complex near Thompson, Manitoba, Canada, representing a minerotrophic gradient from bog to rich fen at wet sites, where the water table positions ranged from −10 to −1 cm. Average CH4 flux, determined by static chambers on collars, ranged from 22 to 239 mg CH4−C m−2 d−1 and was related to peat temperature. There was an inverse relationship between water table position and CH4 flux: higher water tables led to smaller fluxes. The determination of anaerobic CH4 production and aerobic CH4 consumption potentials in laboratory incubations of peat samples was unable to explain much of the variation in CH4 flux. Average net ecosystem exchange of CO2 ranged from 1.4 to 2.5 g CO2−C m−2 d−1 and was strongly correlated with CH4 flux; CH4 emission averaged 4% of CO2 uptake. End‐of‐season sedge biomass was also strongly related to CH4 flux, indicating the important role that vascular plants play in regulating CH4 flux. Determination of isotopic signatures in peat pore water CH4 revealed average δ13C values of between −50 and −73‰ and δD of between −368 and −388‰. Sites with large CH4 emission rates also had high CO2 exchange rates and enriched δ13C CH4 signatures, suggesting the importance of the acetate fermentation pathway of methanogenesis. Comparison of δD and δ13C signatures in pore water CH4 revealed a slope shallow enough to suggest that oxidation is not an important overall control on CH4 emissions at these sites, though it appeared to be important at one site. Analysis of 14C in pore water CH4 showed that most of the CH4 was of recent origin with percent of modern carbon values of between 112 and 128%. The study has shown the importance of vascular plant activities in controlling CH4 emissions from these wetland sites through influences on the availability of fresh plant material for methanogenesis, rhizospheric oxidation, and plant transport of CH4.
Elastoviscoplastic micromechanical modeling of the transient creep of ice

A salient feature of the rheology of isotropic polycrystalline ices is the decrease of the strain rate by more than 2 orders of magnitude during transient creep tests to reach a secondary creep regime at a strain which is systematically of ∼1%. We use a recent (so-called “affine”) version of the self-consistent mean-field theory to model the elastoviscoplastic behavior of ice. The model aims at bridging scales between the rheology of single grain and the one of polycrystals by evaluating the intergranular interactions. It takes into account the long-term memory effects, which manifests itself by the fact that local stress and strain rate in grains depend on the whole mechanical history of the polycrystal. It is shown that the strong hardening amplitude during the transient creep is entirely explained by the stress redistribution within the specimen, from an almost uniform stress distribution upon instantaneous loading (purely elastic response) to strong interphase and intraphase heterogeneities in the stationary regime (purely viscoplastic response). The experimental hardening kinetic is much too slow to be explained by the same process; it is attributed to the hardening of hard glide slip systems (prismatic slip) in the transient regime. Moreover, the model very well reproduces the permanent creep rate of several highly anisotropic specimens of the Greenland Ice Core Project ice core (pronounced crystallographic textures), when accounting for a single-grain rheology that well matches the experimental one. Our results are consistent with recent findings concerning dislocation dynamics in ice.
Stream and Fluvial Plain Ground Water Interactions: Rescaling Hydrogeologic Thought

Management of near‐channel ground water and surface water to maintain stream health and flood plain ecological function requires hydrogeologists to refocus their conceptual models of water exchange between the aquifer and stream. The high hydraulic conductivity fluvial plain directs ground water flow down‐plain where it exchanges with the stream channel creating gaining, losing, flow‐through, and parallel‐flow reaches. The resulting complex flow system requires consideration when profiles representing ground water flowpaths are constructed. In addition to interaction at the scale of the fluvial plain, exchange of ground water and surface water within and immediately adjacent to the stream channel creates hyporheic zones. The physical and bio‐geochemical extent of these zones depends on the head distribution and ground water flow directions, stream hydraulics, and channel bed conditions, and magnitudes and distributions of hydrogeologic parameters. Simulated conceptualizations of flow dynamics caused by slight increases in hydraulic potentials at the surface water‐stream bed interface indicate stream‐ground water mixing could occur to a depth of 1.7 m below the channel. Rescaling of traditional hydrogeologic approaches to include the fluvial plain and channel scale will result in opportunities to expand hydrogeologic research and participate in interdisciplinary research teams attempting to decipher and manage fluvial systems.
Lateral Stresses Observed in Two Simple Shear Apparatus

Two simple shear apparatus (SSA), the Cambridge University SSA Mk7 and an NGI type, were used to compare the radial stresses developed in the NGI‐type SSA with the horizontal normal stresses on the plane perpendicular to the plane of shear deformation and the intermediate principal effective stresses as measured in the Cambridge University SSA Mk7. These stresses are often assumed to be equal. Monotonic and cyclic simple shear tests were conducted on dense and loose Leighton Buzzard sand at constant applied vertical load. Comparison of results from these tests in the two SSA shows that the radial stresses are equal to neither the horizontal normal stresses nor the intermediate principal effective stresses. These radial stresses do not appear to be valuable in calculating the stress state of a specimen in the NGI‐type SSA. The values of intermediate principal effective stress ratio and the horizontal stress ratio reached at peak stress ratio (maximum shear stress/vertical) in monotonic tests on sand in its.
A perturbed hydrological cycle during Oceanic Anoxic Event 2

The Late Cretaceous Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 (OAE2; ca. 94 Ma) was one of the largest global carbon cycle perturbations during the Phanerozoic. OAE2 represents an important, although extreme, case study for modern trends because widespread anoxia and enhanced organic carbon burial during OAE2 were linked to exceptionally warm climates and high atmospheric CO 2 concentrations. However, the consequences of this warmth for the hydrological cycle remain poorly understood, hampering our understanding of its impact on biogeochemical cycles during this greenhouse episode. Here we show evidence for changes in the hydrological cycle during OAE2 based on combined geochemical and palynological data for the stratigraphically expanded coastal OAE2 succession at Bass River, located on the New Jersey shelf (Ocean Drilling Program Leg 174AX), eastern United States. Paleothermometry, based on TEX86, indicates sea-surface warming at the onset of OAE2 and a subsequent pronounced cooling event. Palynological data show that these changes in temperature were associated with strong variations in precipitation and runoff. We suggest that an acceleration of the hydrological cycle during OAE2 played a key role in supplying nutrients to coastal waters and enhancing stratification, thus contributing to the development of ocean anoxia.
Simple climatic indices for the Tropical Atlantic Ocean and some applications

Two indices related to the sea surface temperature (SST) variability in the tropical Atlantic are proposed. One index describes the SST averaged over the whole basin (30°N to 20°S, 60°W to 15°E), and the other illustrates a meridional dipole between the northern and southern hemispheres. The computational method for obtaining these indices is intentionally kept simple, the objective being to reproduce the signature of the main results previously provided from more complicated statistical analyses. Monthly time series for both indices are produced from 1964 up to the present time. The whole basin index exhibits principally a sustained warming which has intensified since about 1975, and it has a significant periodicity close to that of the quasi-biennial oscillation. The dipole index exhibits a decadal-scale variation, and its building up seems to be related to other worldwide climatic changes, as for instance El Nino / Southern Oscillation extreme episodes, rainfall variabilities over the Brazilian Nordeste and African Sahel.