Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Long‐term daily monitoring of Saharan dust load over ocean using Meteosat ISCCP‐B2 data: 2. Accuracy of the method and validation using Sun photometer measurements

The accuracy of a method for long-term monitoring of the desert aerosol optical thickness over the oceans using Meteosat low-resolution images, presented in a companion paper, is ossessed. We present Sun photometer measurements of aerosol optical thickness and Angstrom w. :*,elength exponent obtained in 1986-1994 at different sites and seasons in the tropical Atlantic and northwestern Mediterranean. Results suggest that in the absence of dust outbreak the optical effects of the marine aerosol are dominated by continental anthropogenic sulphates in the Mediterranean Sea and by continental desert dust in the tropical Atlantic. We rely on this data set to constrain the desert aerosol model used in the Meteosat data inversion. We obtain the best agreement between Meteosat- and Sun-photometer-derived aerosol optical thickness with a size distribution typical of background desert aerosol and a refractive index of 1.50 - i 0.010. The main theoretical uncertainties on the desert aerosol optical thickness estimated from Meteosat are due to the sensor calibration and to the radiometric sensitivity. Comparison of Meteosat-derived esf*2ates of the desert aerosol optical thickness with independent Sun photometer measurements ext hits a maximum dispersion of 25%.
EFFECTS OF HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION ON WATER QUALITY AND QUANTITY IN AN EPHEMERAL STREAM IN THE AUSTIN, TEXAS, AREA

Grab samples collected during the construction of a freeway in southwestern Travis County, Texas, indicate that suspended solids are the most important constituent present in stormwater runoff from the construction corridor. Despite the presence of an extensive system of temporary controls (primarily silt fences), the concentration of suspended solids in Danz Creek increased at least fivefold during and immediately after storm events. Other solids-related parameters, such as turbidity and iron, also increased. Despite the high concentrations of suspended solids, no permanent change in the channel resulting from runoff during construction was obvious. The effects of construction on Danz Creek were temporary, and similar to that reported in the literature for other rivers and streams. Monitoring of a small ephemeral stream allowed documentation of changes in water quality and quantity resulting from highway runoff that would not be apparent in larger watersheds. The paved surfaces and storm sewer system combined to increase both the total volume and maximum flow rate of the creek. Even small storm events were sufficient to generate runoff below the highway right-of-way. Stormwater runoff from the highway caused increases in suspended solids, oil and grease, and zinc in Danz Creek. These constituents are commonly found in highway runoff. Although the increases were substantial, the resulting water quality was well within levels appropriate for aquatic life or at concentrations commonly reported for streams during the elevated flows following storm events in undeveloped watersheds. Because of the nature of the surrounding land use, ambient concentrations of many constituents in the creek were higher than those in the runoff from the new highway.
Spatial patterns in the length of the sea ice season in the Southern Ocean, 1979–1986

The length of the sea ice season summarizes in one number the ice coverage conditions for an individual location for an entire year. It becomes a particularly valuable variable when mapped spatially over a large area and examined for regional and interannual differences, as is done here for the Southern Ocean over the years 1979–1986, using the satellite passive microwave data of the Nimbus 7 scanning multichannel microwave radiometer. Three prominent geographic anomalies in ice season lengths occur consistently in each year of the data set, countering the general tendency toward shorter ice seasons from south to north: (1) In the Weddell Sea the tendency is toward shorter ice seasons from southwest to northeast, reflective of the cyclonic ice/atmosphere/ocean circulations in the Weddell Sea region. (2) Directly north of the Ross Ice Shelf anomalously short ice seasons occur, lasting only 245–270 days, in contrast to the perennial ice coverage at comparable latitudes in the southern Bellingshausen and Amundsen Seas and in the western Weddell Sea. The short ice season off the Ross Ice Shelf reflects the consistently early opening of the ice cover each spring, under the influence of upwelling along the continental slope and shelf and atmospheric forcing from winds blowing off the Antarctic continent. (3) In the southern Amundsen Sea, anomalously short ice seasons occur adjacent to the coast, owing to the frequent existence of coastal polynyas off the many small ice shelves bordering the sea. Least squares trends in the ice season lengths over the 1979–1986 period are highly coherent spatially, with overall trends toward shorter ice seasons in the northern Weddell and Bellingshausen seas and toward longer ice seasons in the Ross Sea, around much of East Antarctica, and in a portion of the south central Weddell Sea.
Soil development

The aim of the work was to propose a new methodological approach that relates soil microbial functional diversity to soil development under different moisture regimes. As soil evolution proceeds through an increasing niche separation we expect a link between functional diversity and soil development. Shannon’s (H) and Gini (D) diversity indices were calculated using eight enzyme activities (  -cellobiohydrolase, N-acetyl- -glucosaminidase,  - glucosidase,  -glucosidase, acid phosphatase, arylsulfatase, xylosidase and butyrate esterase) in order to assess functional diversity at different scales, from soil horizons (α-diversity) to soil profiles (β-diversity) under different moisture regime (γ-diversity) and belonging to different taxonomic levels. In addition, the ratio of acid phosphatase to chitinase was calculated as a potential index of soil development. Eight soil profiles were selected: four in Northwestern Italian Alps or Northern Apennines with Udic soil moisture regimes (Typic Haplocryod, Mollic Haplocryept, Lithic
Refractive errors in infants with retinopathy of prematurity treated using laser or anti-vascular endothelial growth factor monotherapy

Background: Infants treated for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) could develop visually significant refractive errors. In this study, we report pre-treatment refractive errors in premature infants with treatment-requiring ROP treated using laser or anti-VEGF monotherapy and compare the components of post-treatment refractive error values between the two treatment groups at different follow-up timepoints. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed 360 eyes of 181 premature infants with treatment-requiring ROP who were referred to Farabi Eye Hospital, Tehran, Iran between March 2020 and April 2021. Of the 360 eyes, 195 received laser monotherapy (laser treatment group) and 165 received an intravitreal anti-VEGF injection (anti-VEGF therapy group). All included eyes underwent pre- and post-treatment cycloplegic refraction. Cycloplegia was induced for each infant by instilling a mixed eye drop containing 1% tropicamide, 2.5% phenylephrine, and 0.5% tetracaine (in equal volumes) in each eye three times at five-minute intervals. Cycloplegic refraction was performed 30 minutes after the third instillation. Results: The mean (standard deviation [SD]) gestational age (GA) and birth weight (BW) of the infants were 29.0 (2.0) weeks and 1241.0 (403.0) g, respectively. The male-to-female ratio in the entire study cohort was 107 (59.1%) / 74 (40.9%), whereas the ratios in the anti-VEGF therapy group and laser treatment group were 47 (56.6%) / 36 (43.4%) and 60 (61.2%) / 38 (38.8%), respectively. The pre-treatment assessment revealed that 218 (60.6%) eyes were hyperopic, 112 (31.1%) were myopic, and 30 (8.3%) were emmetropic. In the anti-VEGF therapy group, 87 (52.7%) eyes were hyperopic, 63 (38.2%) were myopic, and 15 (9.1%) were emmetropic. In the laser treatment group, 131 (67.2%) eyes were hyperopic, 49 (25.1%) were myopic, and 15 (7.7%) were emmetropic. The mean (SD) spherical refractive error and spherical equivalent of refractive error (SEQ) at the 1-week, 1-month, and > 6-month post-treatment follow-up timepoints; the mean cylindrical refractive error at the 3-month post-treatment timepoint; and the mean SEQ at the time of ROP regression were significantly different between the treatment groups (all P < 0.05). The rate of anisometropia increased significantly from 3.4% at baseline to 9.2% at the 6-month post-treatment follow-up timepoint (P < 0.05). Conclusions: In this study, the most common pre-treatment refractive status of all included eyes with treatment-requiring ROP and eyes in each treatment group was hyperopia, followed by myopia and emmetropia. At the more than 6-month post-treatment follow-up, cycloplegic refraction revealed that the laser-treated eyes were significantly more hyperopic than the anti-VEGF-treated eyes, a finding similar to the pre-treatment refraction results. Further studies of same cohort with a longer follow-up period and a control group are needed to determine the real-world effect of each treatment modality on the refractive statuses of children treated for ROP.
Thermal and unroofing history of a thick, tilted Basin-and-Range crustal section in the Tortilla Mountains, Arizona

We estimate here a geothermal gradient of only 17 ± 5°C km−1 for the tilted Grayback fault block in southeastern Arizona when extension began ∼25 Ma. This gradient is lower than preextension gradients estimated elsewhere in the Basin and Range, is only about 50% of typical gradients in the Basin and Range today, and needs to be accounted for in models of continental extension. The Grayback block exposes a 12-km-thick crustal section of Proterozoic and Cretaceous granitoids, which was tilted 90° during extension between 25 and 15 Ma. Zircon fission-track ages decrease structurally downward (westward) across the block and were all within a zone of partial track annealing prior to tilting and quenching. The zircon age gradient suggests that the 220°–240°C isotherm migrated downward 5–6 km during Paleogene erosion and regional cooling. Apatite fission-track ages decrease westward from ∼83 Ma in the structurally highest crystalline rocks to ∼24 Ma at ∼6-km paleodepth and then to ∼15 Ma another 6 km farther west. Track-length analysis confirms that apatites above the break in slope in age at ∼5.7-km paleodepth resided in a zone of partial annealing prior to tilting, and deeper apatites record rapid cooling upon tilting and unroofing beginning ∼25 Ma. At that time the 110 ± 10°C isotherm determined by the depth at which tracks in apatite were fully erased was at a basement paleodepth of ∼5.7 km, and the 220 ± 30°C isotherm as estimated from zircon data resided at a pretilting basement depth of ∼12.15 km. From consistent values of paleogeothermal gradient for two depth intervals we estimate the pretilt gradient was 17 ± 5°C km−1. From 25 to 15 Ma the rotating Grayback block cooled rapidly as higher, westward moving blocks unroofed it tectonically at a rate of ∼1 km m.y. −1.
Frequency of Malpresentation in Patients Presenting with Polyhydramnios during Pregnancy at Tertiary Care Hospital

OBJECTIVES To determine the frequency of malpresentation in pregnant women with polyhydramnios. METHODOLOGY This Cross-Sectional Study was conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, from March 2021 to September 2021. A total of 175 pregnant women with polyhydramnios were included in the study. Ultrasound was done to make a diagnosis of malpresentation. RESULTSThe age range of pregnant women in this study was from 18-40 years with a mean age of 31.137±3.67 years, mean gestational age of 34.022±2.78 weeks, mean parity of 2.537±1.69 and mean AFI level was 29.017±2.32 cm. A previous history of malpresentation was seen in 25.7% of patients. Malpresentation was observed in 10.3% of patients. The previous history of malpresentation and polyhydramnios had strong statistical significance with current malpresentation (p<0.01). CONCLUSION With the timely diagnosis of polyhydramnios with documentation on ultrasound by an expert radiologist and clinical examination by a gynaecologist, malpresentation can be reduced significantly by prompt treatment.
Late Quaternary Temperature Variability in the Benguela Current System Derived from Alkenones

Three sediment cores on a transect across the continental slope off Namibia at about 23°S were investigated for alkenone-derived past sea-surface temperature (SST) and total organic carbon (TOC) content. These records are used to reconstruct variations of surface circulation, coastal upwelling, and paleoproductivity in the northern Benguela Current System for the last 150,000 yr. The SST record most distant from the coast resembles a SST pattern typical of the pelagic ocean, with the lowest SST at full-glacial periods and the highest SST during the Eemian and the Holocene. In contrast to the modern conditions where annual mean SST decreases toward the coast, the shelf-edge SST record has the most prominent warm anomalies of about 2°C during isotope stages 2 and 6 compared with the open ocean. The glacial SST minimum in the record close to the shelf is observed between 50,000 and 35,000 yr B.P., while the record midway along the transect shows intermediate temperature conditions between the offshore and nearshore records. The causal process for the warm anomalies under full ice-age conditions close to the coast may be similar to that of recent “Benguela Niño events” that originate from perturbations in the tradewind system over the western tropical Atlantic. During these events the Angola–Benguela Front, located at about 16°S, weakens and intensive southward protrusions of tropical water masses extend into the nearshore upwelling area as far as 25°S. Thus, the two nearshore records primarily responded to variations in the time-integrated balance between upwelling intensity and southward protrusions of anomalously warm and nutrient-poor Angolan surface waters, as indicated by the good anticorrelation of SST and TOC content. Accordingly, surface water cooling off Namibia over the last 150,000 yr was most intense during stage 3 due to strong winds that worked in favor of upwelling and a decrease of Angolan warm water influence.
Peer pressure and self-statement mechanism to mitigate management behavior in budgetary slack: An experimental approach

This study evaluates the susceptibility of management (especially management accountants) in creating budgetary slack by violating company policies. Reducing the creation of budgetary slack was evaluated by the relationship of the effects of peer pressure and perceived self-statement mechanisms within the scope of each social ethical dimension. Experimental results with 133 management accountants show that social and ethical friction can reduce the creation of budgetary slack by emphasizing peer pressure and self-assessment mechanisms. All experimental subjects could not violate company policy and it was proven by decreasing budgetary slack when faced with conditions without peer pressure and without a self-assessment mechanism. This finding provides evidence that budgetary slack is created when management is fully involved in setting the company's budget without any control from colleagues or leaders. The importance of social ethics in budgeting is raised by collegiate decisions in the team and creates a self-assessment mechanism for managers. Thus, resistance to creating budgetary slack can be increased and managers are held accountable for making budgetary decisions.
LATERAL RESISTANCE OF MARINE PIPELINES ON SAND

Within a wider research investigation of lateral stability of marine pipelines, a geotechnical investigation was carried out to examine lateral resistance to movement. It included extensive full-scale tests on a nominal 10 inch pipe on sand, under a range of loading conditions designed to simulate the loading history of a pipeline on the seabed. The results showed that the lateral resistance is actually higher than is generally assumed. The effect is particularly marked when the loading is cyclic with increasing amplitude, and when the pipe is partially embedded in the seabed.
The Effect of Gene Editing by CRISPR-Cas9 of miR-21 and the Indirect Target MMP9 in Metastatic Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer (PCa) has a high prevalence and represents an important health problem, with an increased risk of metastasis. With the advance of CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing, new possibilities have been created for investigating PCa. The technique is effective in knockout oncogenes, reducing tumor resistance. MMP9 and miR-21 target genes are associated with PCa progression; therefore, we evaluated the MMP-9 and miR-21 targets in PCa using the CRISPR-Cas9 system. Single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) of MMP9 and miR-21 sequences were inserted into a PX-330 plasmid, and transfected in DU145 and PC-3 PCa cell lines. MMP9 and RECK expression was assessed by qPCR, WB, and IF. The miR-21 targets, integrins, BAX and mTOR, were evaluated by qPCR. Flow cytometry was performed with Annexin5, 7-AAD and Ki67 markers. Invasion assays were performed with Matrigel. The miR-21 CRISPR-Cas9-edited cells upregulated RECK, MARCKS, BTG2, and PDCD4. CDH1, ITGB3 and ITGB1 were increased in MMP9 and miR-21 CRISPR-Cas9-edited cells. Increased BAX and decreased mTOR were observed in MMP9 and miR-21 CRISPR-Cas9-edited cells. Reduced cell proliferation, increased apoptosis and low invasion in MMP9 and miR-21 edited cells was observed, compared to Scramble. CRISPR-Cas9-edited cells of miR-21 and MMP9 attenuate cell proliferation, invasion and stimulate apoptosis, impeding PCa evolution.
Meteorological characteristics and potential causes of the 2007 flood in sub‐Saharan Africa

In August and September 2007 media and aid organizations reported on a severe flood in large parts of sub‐Saharan Africa caused by a sequence of extreme rain events. However, the reporting was partly controversial and much was speculated about how unusual the flood event was. Here, we analyse various observational data sets in order to assess and to compare the spatio‐temporal characteristics and intensity of the flood and the associated rain events. The return times are estimated from daily precipitation time series at fine spatial resolution, and the potential causes are disclosed in a global and regional context.
Sea and lake surface temperature retrieval from Landsat thermal data in Northern Germany

Landsat thermal data are employed to derive lake and sea surface temperatures. The limitations of this approach are obvious, since the calculation of surface temperatures based solely on image data requires at least two thermal bands to compensate the atmospheric influence which is mainly caused by water vapour absorption. However, the 1 km spatial resolution of currently available multi‐band thermal satellite sensors (NOAA‐AVHRR, MODIS) is often not appropriate for lake and coastal zone applications. Therefore, it is worthwhile investigating the accuracy which can be obtained with single‐band thermal data using radiosonde information of the atmospheric water vapour column from meteorological stations in the study area. In addition, standard atmospheres from the MODTRAN code were considered that are based on seasonal climatologic values of water vapour, e.g. mid‐latitude summer, mid‐latitude winter, etc. The study area of this investigation comprises various lakes and coastal zones of the Baltic Sea in NE Germany. Landsat‐7 ETM+ imagery of nine acquisition dates was selected covering the time span from February to November 2000. Results of derived lake and sea surface temperatures were compared with in situ measurements and with an empirical model of the Deutscher Wetterdienst (Germany's National Meteorological Service, DWD). RMS deviations of 1.4 K were obtained for the satellite‐derived lake surface temperatures with respect to in situ measurements and 2.2 K with respect to the empirical DWD model. RMS deviations of 1.6 K were obtained with respect to in situ bulk temperatures in coastal zones of the Baltic Sea. This level of agreement can be considered as satisfactory given the principal constraints of this approach. A better accuracy can only be obtained with high spatial resolution (<100 m) multi‐band thermal instruments delivering imagery on an operational basis.
Geodetic analysis of dike intrusion and motion of the magma reservoir beneath the summit of Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii: 1970–1985

We use leveling and trilateration data collected on Kilauea volcano to constrain the location of deformation sources caused by magma accumulation, intrusion, and eruption. For the 13 inflationary epochs examined, combinations of an expanding point source and one or two opening rectangular dislocations mimic inflation of the summit reservoir and formation of dike(s), respectively. The combined model adequately accounts for the deformation data and is consistent with the seismicity observed during each epoch. For 10 deflationary epochs, however, the data require only a contracting point source. Confidence in these results is gained by noting that locations of the sources of both inflation and deflation are coincident, within the observed uncertainties of the data, the function of network geometry, and the inversion procedure. It appears, therefore, that magma accumulation at Kilauea volcano may be characterized by the growth of dikes during inflation of the summit reservoir. Drainage of the reservoir, on the other hand, is not accompanied by significant closure of dikes. In contrast to previous studies (e.g., Fiske and Kinoshita, 1969; Dvorak et al., 1983) that do not include the dislocation (or dike growth) component of summit magma accumulation and concluded that the source of inflation migrates over a 5 km2 area, we find that a single magmatic reservoir source accounts for data collected during all inflationary and deflationary epochs, results, which compare favorably with those obtained from the point ellipsoid model, can be used to estimate the distribution of stresses within the volcano in the near field of the source.
Atmospheric Predictability of Seasonal, Annual, and Decadal Climate Means and the Role of the ENSO Cycle: A Model Study

Abstract The characteristics of extratropical low-frequency variability are examined using a comprehensive atmospheric general circulation model. A large experiment consisting of 13 45-yr-long integrations forced by prescribed sea surface temperature (SST) variations is analyzed. The predictability of timescales of seasonal to decadal averages is evaluated. The variability of a climate mean contains not only climate signal arising from external boundary forcing but also climate noise due to the internal dynamics of the climate system, resulting in various levels of predictability that are dependent on the forcing boundary conditions and averaging timescales. The focus of this study deviates from the classic predictability study of Lorenz, which is essentially initial condition sensitive. This study can be considered to be a model counterpart of Madden’s “potential” predictability study. The tropical SST anomalies impact more on the predictability over the Pacific/North America sector than the Atlantic/Eur.