Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impacts of Harvest Residue Management on Soil Carbon Stocks in a Plantation Forest

The impacts of plantation forest management on soil C stocks in New Zealand need to be better understood for the purposes of C accounting under the Kyoto Protocol. We investigated the impacts of three harvest residue management treatments on C and N stocks in a scoriaceous forest soil: whole-tree harvesting plus forest floor removal, whole-tree harvesting, and stem-only harvesting. Volumetric samples were collected from the forest floor and three mineral soil depth increments (0-0.1, 0.1-0.2, and 0.2-0.3 m) 16 to 17 yr after harvesting. Both fine ( 2-mm) fractions of the mineral soil were analyzed. No significant impacts on stocks of C and N were observed in the mineral soil fine fraction. Averaged across treatments, the 0- to 0.3-m mineral soil coarse fraction contained 5.2 ± 0.52 Mg C ha -1 , representing 25% of total mineral soil C, with most derived from the fine-earth-coated scoria gravel. The inclusion of the coarse fraction stocks enabled the detection of significant treatment effects. Stem-only harvesting (residue retention) had significantly larger C stocks in the 0- to 0.1-m total mineral soil (fine + coarse fractions), forest floor, and total soil (forest floor + 0-0.3-m total mineral soil) pools than whole-tree harvesting (residue removal) plus forest floor removal. We recommend the retention of both harvest residues and forest floor materials for the maintenance of soil C stocks in plantation forests. Detection of residue management impacts on C stocks in soils with vesicular gravels may require analysis of the coarse fraction.
Alien Plants in the Australian Alps

Abstract The current status of alien plants in the alpine and subalpine areas of the Australian Alps is assessed in this article. The number of alien species has increased following the region's use by nonindigenous Australians over the last 170 years. One hundred and seventy-five alien plant taxa have been recorded above 1500 m in the Australian Alps. These taxa are mainly perennials from Europe, Asia, and the Americas. They are predominantly associated with disturbance and are categorized here according to the types of human activities with which they are associated. There are roadside or path weeds (78% of species), resort weeds (58%), grazing weeds (25%), and rehabilitation weeds (11%). Just over 20% of the alien taxa have become naturalized in the region. Diversity, distribution, and biology of the species are evaluated along with the threats they pose to the conservation of the region.
Factors associated with rural aging in Brazilian municipalities: an analysis using quantile regressions

In rural Brazil, aging is an important phenomenon for the future of the country’s agricultural production. This process is associated with both increased life expectancy and rural-urban migration. According to studies on migration, young people are more likely to change their place of residence, being attracted by the existence of work opportunities and, consequently, repulsed by their scarcity. This study assumes the rate of rural aging tends to be higher in places where the ratio of urban to rural work opportunities is high. Thus, using spatial dependence models and quantile analysis of data from the 2017 Agricultural Census, the effects of factors associated with income, agrarian structure, and location on rural aging in Brazilian municipalities were assessed. The results suggest rural areas with low attractiveness situated close to urban centers are the most susceptible to population aging and, consequently, rural depopulation.
Variations of Luzon Undercurrent from observations and numerical model simulations

Significant intraseasonal variability (ISV) of about 45-80 days and seasonal variation of the Luzon Undercurrent (LUC) at 18 degrees N are studied using direct current measurements and a high-resolution global Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model. The variations of the LUC are vertically coherent with those of Kuroshio Current both on intraseasonal and seasonal time scales. The ISV of the LUC is dominated by eddies with diameters of about 200-300 km and extending from sea surface to intermediate layer east of Luzon Island. The LUC becomes strong (weak) when cyclonic (anticyclonic) eddies occur. The eddies east of Luzon Island mainly originate from the bifurcation point (similar to 13 degrees N) of the North Equatorial Current. These eddies propagate northwestward at a typical propagation speed of about 0.16 m s(-1) along the east coast of Philippines, gradually strengthen and pass the Luzon coast, and continue northward to Luzon strait. On seasonal time scale, the LUC is strong (weak) in boreal winter (summer), and this variation is related to the seasonal evolution of large-scale ocean circulation east of Philippines mainly controlled by local wind forcing.
Childhood Health in the Roman World: Perspectives from the Centre and Margin of the Empire

Abstract Very few studies to date have presented contextualised interpretations of bioarchaeological evidence from Roman urban environments. This paper compares and contrasts the osteological data for childhood health from two urban centres, one at the centre and the other at the margins of the Roman Empire – Rome and London. We synthesise recently published and newly recorded data on childhood indicators of physiological stress (e.g. cribra orbitalia and enamel hypoplasias) from both sites. Contrary to expectations, we find that the prevalence of these stress indicators is comparable between sites. In order to contextualise these findings we compare the results to published data from other sites of the same period (from both rural and urban locales) within the respective countries. We find that the data from London is anomalous for Roman Britain, while that from Rome is similar to findings from contemporaneous Italian sites. We interpret these findings in terms of child-rearing practices, the local living environment and high levels of migration into Roman London from Mediterranean regions.
Children's conceptions of the gaseous state, prior to teaching

The conceptions children have about the gaseous state is discussed. It is based upon enquiries and interviews carried out with French pupils of about 11 years of age. Two aspects are considered: the knowledge of the children derived from their everyday experiences, and the spontaneous interpretations of experiments presented to the pupils during the teaching about air and gases. Everyday life gives rise to few problems about air and gas. Apart from wind and draughts, air appears invisible, and leads to few perceptions. However, children often know where air is located. They imagine some erroneous repartition of it and believe it to be in motion in containers as well as in the atmosphere. Such motion is more frequent when a source of heat is present. Pupils’ spontaneous interpretation of experiments designed to teach physical concepts, leads to the conclusion that (a) in relation to gases, pupils aged 11 years have not yet acquired the concept of conservation of matter; (b) pupils sense intuitively that ‘s.
Realizing the Ultralow Lattice Thermal Conductivity of Cu3SbSe4 Compound via Sulfur Alloying Effect

Cu3SbSe4 is a potential p-type thermoelectric material, distinguished by its earth-abundant, inexpensive, innocuous, and environmentally friendly components. Nonetheless, the thermoelectric performance is poor and remains subpar. Herein, the electrical and thermal transport properties of Cu3SbSe4 were synergistically optimized by S alloying. Firstly, S alloying widened the band gap, effectively alleviating the bipolar effect. Additionally, the substitution of S in the lattice significantly increased the carrier effective mass, leading to a large Seebeck coefficient of ~730 μVK−1. Moreover, S alloying yielded point defect and Umklapp scattering to significantly depress the lattice thermal conductivity, and thus brought about an ultralow κlat ~0.50 Wm−1K−1 at 673 K in the solid solution. Consequently, multiple effects induced by S alloying enhanced the thermoelectric performance of the Cu3SbSe4-Cu3SbS4 solid solution, resulting in a maximum ZT value of ~0.72 at 673 K for the Cu3SbSe2.8S1. 2 sample, which was ~44% higher than that of pristine Cu3SbSe4. This work offers direction on improving the comprehensive TE in solid solutions via elemental alloying.
Icelandic Coastal Sea Surface Temperature Records Constructed: Putting the Pulse on Air–Sea–Climate Interactions in the Northern North Atlantic. Part I: Comparison with HadISST1 Open-Ocean Surface Temperatures and Preliminary Analysis of Long-Term Patterns and Anomalies of SSTs around Iceland

Abstract A new comprehensive record of long-term Icelandic sea surface temperature measurements, which have been updated and filled in with reference to air temperature records, is presented. The new SST series reveal important features of the variability of climate in Iceland and the northern North Atlantic. This study documents site histories and possible resulting inconsistencies and biases, for example, changes in observing sites and instruments. A new 119-yr continuous time series for north Iceland SST is presented, which should prove particularly useful for investigating air–sea ice interactions around northern Iceland. As this is the only part of the country to be regularly engulfed by winter and/or spring sea ice, it is therefore highly sensitive to climatic change. The coastal series correlate well overall with independent Hadley Centre Sea Ice and SST dataset version 1 (HadISST1) series from the adjacent open ocean (mean r = 0.59), although correlations are generally higher in summer than winter.
Surface NMR within a geophysical study of an aquifer at Haldensleben (Germany)

The surface nuclear magnetic resonance (SNMR) method has been tested at a site in Haldensleben, northern Germany, to assess the suitability of this new method for groundwater exploration and environmental investigations. More information is obtained by SNMR, particularly with respect to aquifer parameters, than with other geophysical techniques. SNMR measurements were carried out at three borehole locations, together with 2D and 1D direct current geoelectrics, as well as ground‐penetrating radar, and well logging (induction log, gamma‐ray log and pulsed neutron‐gamma log). Permeabilities were calculated from the grain‐size distributions of core material determined in the laboratory. It is demonstrated that the SNMR method is able to detect groundwater and the results are in good agreement with other geophysical and hydrogeological data. Using the SNMR method, the water content of the unsaturated and saturated zones (i.e. porosity of an aquifer) can be reliably determined. This information and resistivity data permit in situ determination of other aquifer parameters. Comparison of the SNMR results with borehole data clearly shows that the water content determined by SNMR is the free or mobile water in the pores. The permeabilities estimated from the SNMR decay times are similar to those derived from sieve analysis of core material. Thus, the combination of SNMR with geoelectric methods promises to be a powerful tool for studying aquifer properties.
Analysis of Traveler Characteristics by Mode Choice in HOT Corridors

This research examined travelers who have a vast array of travel options, including some rather unique ones: HOV3+ in an HOV lane, HOV2+ in an HOV lane off-peak, HOV2 plus a $2.00 toll in an HOV lane during the peak, and casual carpooling (slugging). Travelers using all these modes were surveyed in 2003, and significant differences between the groups of travelers were observed, providing some understanding of travel behavior when faced with these travel options. In the study, particular effort was spent on examining the characteristics of travelers who choose to travel as HOV2 carpools during peak periods and pay a $2.00 toll. This group of travelers was found to contain significantly more well-educated females with high household incomes on school related trips. The proximity of private schools near the terminus of the HOV lane probably contributed significantly to this result. Due to the array of mode choices available to these travelers, surveying all these groups was challenging and, therefore, the methodology employed in survey development and administration is also detailed in this paper.
Horizontal strain rate distribution on an active ice shelf rift from in-situ GPS data

Mass loss from the Antarctic ice sheet predominantly occurs at the fringing ice shelves via iceberg calving, which is controlled by the initiation and propagation of large rifts that precede iceberg detachment and can lead to ice shelf break-up. This paper reports on the analysis of Global Positioning System (GPS) data collected at an active rift system on the Amery Ice Shelf, East Antarctica, over two field seasons. Horizontal strain rates are determined for a network of 11 sites observed over three weeks during the 2004/05 Antarctic summer period, and the results are combined with, and compared to, strain rates obtained in the 2002/03 season. Maximum principal strain rates across the network vary between 6 and 32 [x 10-3/yr], while minimum principal strain rates are generally about 1-17 [x 10-3/yr]. Changes evident in the strain distribution can mostly be attributed to existing fractures passing through the GPS network and the episodic movement of the rift tip. It is confirmed that rift propagation in 2005/06 was slowing down. Opening rates are inferred from baselines situated normal to the rift. Analysis of the network using a cumulative sum approach is found to be an effective method to detect small baseline length changes associated with rift propagation.
Study on Cattle Trematodiasis and Related Risk Factors in Damot Sore District, Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Trematodes are chronic, debilitating diseases in livestock, causing significant economic losses worldwide. From mid-December 2021 to May 2022, a cross-sectional study was carried out in the Damot Sore District to estimate the prevalence of trematode infections in cattle and associated risk factors. Trematode eggs were found in 100 of the 384 faecal samples tested, with an overall prevalence of 26.04% (95% CI: 21.88-30.69%). The prevalence for Fasciola, Paramphistome, and Schistosoma species were 12.50%, 5.21%, and 0, respectively. Moreover, the infection rate with two parasites was 8.33%. The data were then examined further using univariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis. As a result, age was the only potential predictor identified to influence trematode infections in cattle among the potential predictors considered. Furthermore, old cattle were more likely to be infected with trematodiasis nearly 12 times (OR = 11.5) that of young cattle, and this difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05), whereas other risk factors considered were statistically insignificant (p > 0.05). According to the findings of this study, cattle trematodiasis is a moderately common disease in the study area. As a result, additional research on the meteorological conditions of snail infection was forwarded, along with other points to reduce the disease problem in livestock production.
A Path-Planning Method Based on Improved Soft Actor-Critic Algorithm for Mobile Robots

The path planning problem has gained more attention due to the gradual popularization of mobile robots. The utilization of reinforcement learning techniques facilitates the ability of mobile robots to successfully navigate through an environment containing obstacles and effectively plan their path. This is achieved by the robots’ interaction with the environment, even in situations when the environment is unfamiliar. Consequently, we provide a refined deep reinforcement learning algorithm that builds upon the soft actor-critic (SAC) algorithm, incorporating the concept of maximum entropy for the purpose of path planning. The objective of this strategy is to mitigate the constraints inherent in conventional reinforcement learning, enhance the efficacy of the learning process, and accommodate intricate situations. In the context of reinforcement learning, two significant issues arise: inadequate incentives and inefficient sample use during the training phase. To address these challenges, the hindsight experience replay (HER) mechanism has been presented as a potential solution. The HER mechanism aims to enhance algorithm performance by effectively reusing past experiences. Through the utilization of simulation studies, it can be demonstrated that the enhanced algorithm exhibits superior performance in comparison with the pre-existing method.
Inertial wind path and sea surface temperature patterns near the Gulf of Tehuantepec and Gulf of Papagayo

During the northern hemisphere winter the surface atmospheric pressure on the Gulf of Mexico side of Central America is often higher than that on the Pacific side. The resultant southward pressure gradient drives strong southward winds through a gap in the Sierra Madre mountain range at the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. The atmospheric jet is narrow in comparison with the relevant radius of deformation, so when it leaves the coast and flows out over the Gulf of Tehuantepec, it is an inertial jet. Therefore the jet is expected to be deflected into a clockwise inertial circle by the Coriolis force. A similar process should also occur for Central American atmospheric jets through mountain range gaps near the Gulf of Papagayo. Satellite measurements of sea surface temperature together with coastal wind data for the first 41 days of 1986 were examined to see if the expected wind path influenced sea surface temperature (SST) near the Gulf of Tehuantepec and the Gulf of Papagayo. Consecutive daily satellite images when the coastal southward Tehuantepec wind increased suggest that the initial development of cold surface water in a clockwise loop is due to the wind mixing the shallow thermocline surface water along its inertial path. A simple 1½-layer analytical ocean model suggests, in agreement with observations, that the wind can drive surface quasi-geostrophic currents of ∼1 m s−1. Since the wind path is circular, the wind actually generates a clockwise rotating ocean eddy with the approximate scale of the wind inertial circle. The satellite sea surface temperature measurements also suggest that the wind-driven surface ocean current is unstable. In addition, stronger gradients in SST to the right of the expected wind flow are consistent with advection of sea surface temperature by ocean surface Ekman flow.
Sea surface mean square slope from K u ‐band backscatter data

Near-nadir, quasi-specular backscatter data obtained with a 14-GHz airborne radar altimeter are analyzed in terms of the surface mean square slope (mss) parameter. The raw mss data, derived from a least squares fitting of a ray optical scattering model to the return waveform, show an approximately linear wind speed dependence over the wind speed range of 7–15 m s−1, with a slope of about one half that of the optically determined mss. Further analysis based on a simple two-scale scattering model indicates that, at the higher wind speeds, ∼20% of this apparent slope signal can be attributed to diffraction from waves shorter than the estimated diffraction limit of ∼0.10 m. The present slope data, as well as slope and other data from a variety of sources, are used to draw inferences on the structure of the high wavenumber portion of the wave spectrum. The data support a directionally integrated model height spectrum consisting of wind speed dependent k−5/2 and classical Phillips' k−3 power law subranges in the range of gravity waves, with a transition between the two subranges occurring around 10 times the peak wavenumber, and a Durden and Vesecky wind speed dependent spectrum in the gravity-capillary wave range. With a nominal value of the spectral constant Au = 0.002 in the first k−5/2 subrange, this equilibrium spectrum model predicts a mss wind speed dependence that accords with much of the available data at both microwave and optical frequencies.
Combining autonomous underwater vehicle missions with velocity and salinity measurements for the evaluation of a submerged offshore SWRO concentrate discharge

High salinity discharges from seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) plants into the marine environment may adversely affect water quality in the area surrounding the outfall. In general, very little systematic information on the potential impacts from full-scale operations on marine biota is available and even less to quantify such impacts for regulatory purposes. Scientifically validated and efficient planning tools in the form of predictive models and expert systems are normally used to assist regulators with regard to possible impacts on the marine environment. Numerical modeling has always been an efficient tool for predicting wastewater discharges and also more recently for high salinity discharges into seawater. The purpose of this study was to combine a series of propulsion-driven autonomous underwater vehicle missions with velocity and salinity measurements for the effective evaluation of a submerged offshore SWRO concentrate discharge near the campus of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. The Cornell Mixing Zone Expert System was additionally utilized in order to assess discharge performance under different ambient velocity magnitudes. The paper therefore focuses on the evaluation of an existing SWRO desalination discharge with emphasis on the regulatory framework of the mixing zone. The objective of this case study is to develop an approach that can be followed by SWRO plant operators and environmental competent agencies for establishing regulatory mixing zones for SWRO plants in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and worldwide, based on robust field monitoring.
Improved estimation of mineral and fluid volumetric concentrations in thinly bedded carbonate formations

We recently introduced new petrophysical and compositional methods for joint interpretation of multiple conventional well logs. These inversion-based methods are suited for petrophysical interpretation of rock formations that exhibit complex solid composition, include thin beds, and are subject to mud-filtrate invasion. They combine nuclear and resistivity logs to assess porosity and volumetric/weight concentrations of mineral and fluid constituents, and are ideal for the quantitative interpretation of carbonate formations. We document the successful application of the newly introduced inversion-based interpretation methods to three carbonate formations. Interpretation results are compared to those obtained with commercial software and core/ X-ray diffraction (XRD) data whenever available. For two of the carbonate field examples where XRD data are available, nonlinear joint inversion of well logs improves the assessment of porosity by more than 30% and up to 100% in the presence of thin beds when compared to conventional interpretation methods.