Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Phosphorus forms in particle-size fractions of a toposequence from Northeast Brazil

A previous study of this toposequence from semiarid northeastern Brazil concluded that processes of P transformation in semiarid tropical landscapes with steep slopes are difficult to describe with concepts developed in temperate regions. In these soils, derived from syenitic rocks, particle-size fractions reflect increasing effects of weathering processes from sands to clays. We therefore document the association of P and different sequentially extracted P fractions with particle-size fractions along the toposequence to further investigate P transformations during pedogenesis in the tropics. Total P was exceptionally high in these soils and in all particle-size fractions. Total P increased with decreasing particle size and decreased downslope. Total P in sand and silt correlated with total Ca in these fractions. The Ca-bound phosphate, largely of primary origin, was most abundant in sands and decreased downslope in all particle-size fractions. At the lower slope, all particle-size fractions were dominated by resistant inorganic P forms that correlated with total Fe. Comparison of the proportion of Ca-associated and resistant P between different profile depths and with the underlying saprolite at the mid and lower slopes indicated increased transformations and P losses in deeper horizons and substantial weathering and leaching extending through the solum into the saprolite underlying the soil. The interpretation of P transformations with soil development and landscape position is complicated by intense weathering, highly variable leaching, and colluvial mixing that results from the complex interactions of lithology, weathering, and colluvial action in this semiarid tropical environment of steep slopes, annual moisture deficits, and intense rainfalls.
Old continental zircons from a young oceanic arc, eastern Taiwan: Implications for Luzon subduction initiation and Asian accretionary orogeny

Accretionary orogeny that involves terrain accretion and subsequent reprocessing plays a crucial role in the Phanerozoic tectonics and continental growth of Asia. This study reports zircon U-Pb and Hf isotope data from the Chimei igneous complex, eastern Taiwan, part of the intra-oceanic Luzon arc that has accreted onto the Eurasian continental margin since ca. 5 Ma. Among 292 U-Pb dates and 267 Hf isotope ratios obtained for zircon separates from six andesites, ten grains of magmatic zircons gave a mean 206 Pb/ 238 U age at 9.0 ± 0.3 Ma, with e Hf(t) values from +20 to +12, which we interpret as the emplacement age of the Chimei complex. Remaining zircons, however, show inherited ages clustering at ca. 14 Ma (n = 9) and ca. 220 Ma (n = 56, the largest peak), along with much older ages of ca. 0.7 Ga, 1.9 Ga, and 2.5 Ga. Whereas the ca. 14 Ma zircons may have crystallized from the earliest magmatism of the northern Luzon arc, the Indosinian and older zircons suggest Cathaysia-type sources that we attribute to a continental fragment that split off from the Eurasian margin by opening of the South China Sea and then drifted and accreted to the western Philippine Sea plate before the Luzon subduction initiation. Consequently, magmas derived from the depleted mantle wedge evolved and picked up the continental zircons during ascent. Our study not only better integrates regional tectonics with magmatic records in Southeast Asia, but also signifies a modern example from Taiwan that highlights the importance of ribbon continents in Asian orogenesis over time and space.
The stratigraphic significance of trace fossils from the Lower Paleozoic Baskahegan Lake Formation near Woodstock, west-central New Brunswick

The first indication of organic activity in Lower Paleozoic siliciclastic turbidites of the Miramichi Terrane has been found in a small quarry at Grafton Hill, near Woodstock, west-central New Brunswick. These previously unnamed turbidites are assigned to the Baskahegan Lake Formation defined in adjacent Maine. The Grafton Hill site has yielded the ichnotaxa Circulichnis montanus, Gordia? marina, Helminthopsis hieroglyphica, Planolites annularius and Planolites montanus. The presence of Circulichnus montanus supports previous circumstantial evidence that a considerable part of the Baskahegan Lake Formation is Early Ordovician in age and substantiates correlation with other quartz-rich peri-Gondwanan sequences elsewhere in the Appalachian-Caledonide Orogen. RESUME La premiere indication d'une activite organique dans les turbidites silicoclastiques du Paleozolque inferieur du terrane de Miramichi a ete observee dans une petite carriere de Grafton Hill, pres de Woodstock, dans la region du centre ouest du Nouveau Brunswick. Ces turbidites non identifies prececiemment sont attributee a la formation de Baskahegan Lake, circonscrite dans la region limitrophe du Maine. Le site de Grafton Hill contenait des traces fossilisees des especes Circulichnis montanus, Gordia? marina, Helminthopsis hieroglyphica, Planolites annularius et Planolites montanu. La presence de l'espece Circulichnus montanus corrobore des observations circonstancielles anteieures voulant qu'une partie considerable de la formation de Baskahegan Lake appartienne a l'Ordovicien inferieur et confirme la correlation existant avec d'autres sequences lithologiques fortement quartziques en bordure de la Gondwanie ailleurs dans l'orogenese appalachienne et caledonienne. Traduit par la redaction
Experimental analysis of fire spread across a two-dimensional ridge under wind conditions

Results from a laboratory-scale investigation of a fire spreading on the windward face of a triangular-section hill of variable shape with wind perpendicular to the ridgeline are reported. They confirm previous observations that the fire enlarges its lateral spread after reaching the ridgeline, entering the leeward face with a much wider front. Reference fire spread velocities were measured and analysed, putting in evidence the importance of the dynamic effect due to flow velocity and its associated horizontal-axis separation vortex strength without dependence on hill geometry. Similar parameters estimated from three forest fires compared favourably with the laboratory-scale measurements.
Behavior of Foundation Clays Supporting Compliant Offshore Structures

This paper describes experimental investigations for establishing the behavior of soil elements subjected to the loading conditions typical of a tension leg platform pile (TLP). The results are presented of a laboratory testing program on normally consolidated samples of Boston blue clay. The test results are then implemented into a simplified method for predicting the performance of vertical rigid cylindrical pile shafts subjected to combined static and cyclic loading conditions typical of TLP. It was found that undrained cyclic loading of piles causes significant accumulation of strains, deformations, and excess pore pressures in a limited soil zone around the shaft that extends to a radial distance on the order of 1.5 times the pile radius. These and other findings are discussed. It is noted that the proposed method can be extended to provide estimates of the load transfer characteristics of various pile segments along the axis of a flexible pile.
Modeling the relaxation of early VLF perturbations associated with transient luminous events

[1] Studies show that early VLF perturbations, characterized by abrupt signal onsets and long recoveries, occur often in relation with transient luminous events, especially sprites and sprite halos. Also, most of the early VLF events are attributed to forward scattering of subionospheric VLF transmissions incident upon horizontally elongated disturbances of elevated ionization in the upper D region. This concept is supported by the similarity of early VLF event recoveries to those of lightning-induced electron precipitation events (LEPs), which are due to electron density enhancements in the upper D region caused by lightning and whistler-induced precipitation of radiation belt electrons. Here, the simplified Glukhov-Pasko-Inan model, that has been developed for LEP investigations, is applied to simulate early VLF event recoveries observed simultaneously with sprite discharges in the D region. The present study shows that: (1) early VLF events with longer (shorter) recoveries are likely to come from higher altitudes of about 80–90 km (lower altitudes of about 70–80 km) and under conditions of lower (higher) electron density elevations relative to ambient values; (2) although negative ion and positive cluster ion production plays a role in electron density relaxation at lower heights, the electron–single ion dissociative recombination is likely the key process at upper D region heights that defines the relaxation of early VLF perturbations; and (3) tentative estimates of electron density increases responsible for early VLF events may reach values possibly higher than 104 electrons per cm3 in the upper D region ionosphere.
Development of a European flood forecasting system

Abstract Recent advances in meteorological forecast skill now enable significantly improved estimates of precipitation quantity, timing and spatial distribution to be made up to 10 days ahead for model scales of 40 km in forecast mode. Here we outline a prototype methodology to downscale these precipitation estimates using regional Numerical Weather Prediction models to spatial scales appropriate to hydrological forecasting and then use these to drive high‐resolution scale (1 or 5 km grid scale) water balance and rainfall‐runoff models. The aim is to develop a European Flood Forecasting System (EFFS) and determine what flood forecast skill can be achieved for given basins, meteorological events and prediction products. The output from the system is a probabilistic assessment of n‐day ahead discharge exceedence risk (where n < 10) for the whole of Europe at 5 km resolution which may then be updated as the forecast lead time reduces. At each stage the discharge estimates can be used to drive detailed (25–100 m resolution) hydraulic models to estimate the flood inundation which may potentially occur. Initial results are presented from a prototype version of the system used to perform a hindcast of the January 1995 flooding events in NW‐Europe (Rhine, Meuse).
Overexpression of α3, β3 and γ2 chains of laminin-332 is associated with poor prognosis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is a worldwide health problem. Early diagnosis and assessment may enhance the quality of life and survival of patients. The present study investigated the potential correlations between the gene and protein expression of laminin-332 (LM-332 or laminin-5) and clinicopathological factors as well as evaluating its influence on the survival of patients with PDA. The expression of LM-332 subunit mRNAs in pancreatic carcinoma specimens from 37 patients was investigated by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis. Using immunohistochemical methods, the protein expressions of the three chains of LM-322 (LNα3, LNβ3 and LNγ2) were determined in 96 pancreatic carcinoma specimens, for association analysis with clinicopathological characteristics from patient data. The results of the prognosis analysis of three mRNAs expression datasets were validated in The Cancer Genome Atlas datasets. RT-qPCR results indicated that the overall relative values of LNα3 and LNγ2 mRNAs were increased in pancreatic carcinoma compared with the control. In immunostaining analyses LNα3 and LNγ2 expression was observed in all tumor tissues from the 96 patient samples. The expression levels of LNα3, LNβ3 and LNγ2 were associated with each other. LNα3 and LNγ2 positivity was significantly associated with differentiation, depth of invasion and advanced stage (P<0.05). The samples were classified into three groups: Basement membrane (B) type, cytoplasmic (C) type and mixed (M) type, according to their LNγ2 immunohistochemical expression patterns. The B type correlated significantly with differentiation (P=0.010) and the M type was significantly associated with hepatic metastasis (P=0.031). Patients with B-type LNγ2 demonstrated significantly better outcomes than patients with the C or M type (P=0.012 and P=0.003, respectively). Overexpression of the α3, β3 and γ2 chains of LM-332 may serve an important role in the progression and prognosis of PDA.
Blinded by the load: attention, awareness and the role of perceptual load

What is the relationship between attention and conscious awareness? Awareness sometimes appears to be restricted to the contents of focused attention, yet at other times irrelevant distractors will dominate awareness. This contradictory relationship has also been reflected in an abundance of discrepant research findings leading to an enduring controversy in cognitive psychology. Lavie's load theory of attention suggests that the puzzle can be solved by considering the role of perceptual load. Although distractors will intrude upon awareness in conditions of low load, awareness will be restricted to the content of focused attention when the attended information involves high perceptual load. Here, we review recent evidence for this proposal with an emphasis on the various subjective blindness phenomena, and their neural correlates, induced by conditions of high perceptual load. We also present novel findings that clarify the role of attention in the response to stimulus contrast. Overall, this article demonstrates a critical role for perceptual load across the spectrum of perceptual processes leading to awareness, from the very early sensory responses related to contrast detection to explicit recognition of semantic content.
A statistical study of energy release and transport midway between the magnetic reconnection and initial dipolarization regions in the near-Earth magnetotail associated with substorm expansion onsets

[1] Our previous study showed that the energy release associated with substorm expansion onsets is the most significant midway between the magnetic reconnection and initial dipolarization regions (−12 > X > −18 REin the premidnight sector) in the magnetotail. In the present paper, we have statistically studied the substorm-associated energy balance and transport in the magnetotail, focusing on the midway region as well as the near-Earth initial dipolarization region (X > ∼−12 RE). We find that a large amount of energy is released in the midway region, associated with onsets, but only a part of this energy is transported to the near-Earth initial dipolarization region mainly in the form of the thermal flux and the wave Poynting flux. It is possible that the energy carried by fast earthward flows and waves from the reconnection region is not sufficient for the thermal energy increase and the outward transported energy in the initial dipolarization region, although the magnetic flux may be sufficiently carried. A considerably large amount of the magnetic energy comes from the lobes in the form of the Poynting flux also in the initial dipolarization region.
Simulation of seasonal precipitation and raindays over Greece: a statistical downscaling technique based on artificial neural networks (ANNs)

A statistical downscaling technique based on artificial neural network (ANN) was employed for the estimation of local changes on seasonal (winter, spring) precipitation and raindays for selected stations over Greece. Empirical transfer functions were derived between large‐scale predictors from the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis and local rainfall parameters. Two sets of predictors were used: (1) the circulation‐based 500 hPa and (2) its combination along with surface specific humidity and raw precipitation data (nonconventional predictor). The simulated time series were evaluated against observational data and the downscaling model was found efficient in generating winter and spring precipitation and raindays. The temporal evolution of the estimated variables was well captured, for both seasons. Generally, the use of the nonconventional predictors are attributed to the improvement of the simulated results. Subsequently, the present day and future changes on precipitation conditions were examined using large‐scale data from the atmospheric general circulation model HadAM3P to the statistical model. The downscaled climate change signal for both precipitation and raindays, partly for winter and especially for spring, is similar to the signal from the HadAM3P direct output: a decrease of the parameters is predicted over the study area. However, the amplitude of the changes was different. Copyright © 2006 Royal Meteorological Society
Geostatistics and remote sensing

In geostatistics, spatial autocorrelation is utilized to estimate optimally local values from data sampled elsewhere. The powerful synergy between geostatistics and remote sensing went unrealized until the 1980s. Today geostatistics are used to explore and describe spatial variation in remotely sensed and ground data; to design optimum sampling schemes for image data and ground data; and to increase the accuracy with which remotely sensed data can be used to classify land cover or estimate continuous variables. This article introduces these applications and uses two examples to highlight characteristics that are common to them all. The article concludes with a discussion of conditional simulation as a novel geostatistical technique for use in remote sensing.
Canada's First Nations : A History of Founding Peoples from Earliest Times

This is a comprehensive history of Canada's original inhabitants-- Indians, Inuit, and later, Metis. Using an interdisciplinary approach that combines history, anthropology, and archaeology, Dickason tells the story of the more than 50 nations in the territory that is now Canada, beginning with the arrival of people in North America from across the Bering Strait many thousands of years ago.
Potato Nitrogen Management

ABSTRACT Management of nitrogen (N) fertilization, in terms of rate, timing, and method of application, influence the yield and quality of potatoes. Optimal management of N and irrigation is important to improve N uptake efficiency, and minimize N losses while maintaining high yields and quality. Management of these inputs becomes a challenge in sandy soils, which are vulnerable for leaching of water and soluble nutrients. Real-time continuous monitoring of soil water within and below the rootzone is important to improve scheduling of irrigation to ensure adequate supply of water for plant growth and tuber production, without the risk of excessive leaching of water below the rootzone, which can contribute to leaching of soluble nutrients. Field studies conducted at various production regions show that a combination of pre-plant and in-season N application is necessary to increase N uptake efficiency, and produce high yields of high quality potatoes. The rates and timing of application of pre-plant and in-season N appeared to vary to some extent in different production regions. Excessive N applications contribute to excess vine growth at the expense of the tuber production. The production conditions must be favorable for translocation of N from vines to the tubers. Maintaining adequate supply of N availability in the soil is particularly important through the tuber bulking stage.
Investigating the effect of dependence between conditions with Bayesian Linear Mixed Models for motif activity analysis

Motivation Cellular identity and behavior is controlled by complex gene regulatory networks. Transcription factors (TFs) bind to specific DNA sequences to regulate the transcription of their target genes. On the basis of these TF motifs in cis-regulatory elements we can model the influence of TFs on gene expression. In such models of TF motif activity the data is usually modeled assuming a linear relationship between the motif activity and the gene expression level. A commonly used method to model motif influence is based on Ridge Regression. One important assumption of linear regression is the independence between samples. However, if samples are generated from the same cell line, tissue, or other biological source, this assumption may be invalid. This same assumption of independence is also applied to different yet similar experimental conditions, which may also be inappropriate. In theory, the independence assumption between samples could lead to loss in signal detection. Here we investigate whether a Bayesian model that allows for correlations results in more accurate inference of motif activities. Results We extend the Ridge Regression to a Bayesian Linear Mixed Model, which allows us to model dependence between different samples. In a simulation study, we investigate the differences between the two model assumptions. We show that our Bayesian Linear Mixed Model implementation outperforms Ridge Regression in a simulation scenario where the noise, which is the signal that can not be explained by TF motifs, is uncorrelated. However, we demonstrate that there is no such gain in performance if the noise has a similar covariance structure over samples as the signal that can be explained by motifs. We give a mathematical explanation to why this is the case. Using four representative real datasets we show that at most ∼â€‹40% of the signal is explained by motifs using the linear model. With these data there is no advantage to using the Bayesian Linear Mixed Model, due to the similarity of the covariance structure. Availability & implementation The project implementation is available at https://github.com/Sim19/SimGEXPwMotifs.
Surface association of motile bacteria and apparent tortuosity values in packed column experiments

Mathematical models used previously to obtain transport parameters from experimental investigations of bacterial transport in packed columns by Olson et al. (2005) yielded apparent tortuosity values that were an order of magnitude higher than expected for packed beds. The association of motile bacteria with solid surfaces of porous media, due to their swimming, contributed to the large apparent tortuosity values evaluated from packed column experiments; a modification of the transport equations to account for surface association yielded tortuosity values that were physically more reasonable. Although it was not possible to uniquely determine values of the kinetic parameters for surface association because of limitations with the experimental methods used by Olson et al., it was possible to constrain the range of values. A theoretical derivation of the mean residence time for swimming bacteria at a surface provided qualitative and quantitative support for including surface association terms in the transport model. This analysis shows that surface association can be a significant factor in modeling bacterial migration, and consideration of bacterial swimming properties such as run lengths and turn angles is important for predicting bacterial transport in saturated granular media typical of groundwater environments.