Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A simple model of the mass exchange between the subtropical and tropical ocean

Abstract A simple ventilated thermocline model is used to study the subtropical-tropical mass exchange. It is found that the water subducted in the western subtropical gyre (recirculating window) tends to recirculate within the subtropical gyre. while the water subducted in the eastern part (exchange window) tends to penetrate equatorward. The exchange window expands with an increased easterly wind or basin width on the southern boundary of the subtropical gyre, but shrinks with an increased wind curl within the subtropical gyre. Furthermore, the total exchange transport increases with the easterly wind or the width of the basin on the southern boundary of the subtropical gyre, but it is independent of subtropical wind. The ventilation mechanism is important in supporting the exchange transport. For wind with realistic strength at the southern boundary, the reduction of the exchange transport is about 15%–30% of the Ekman transport. Finally, relative to the exchange transport in the interior of the ocean,.
Venus cloud formation in the meridional circulation

A two-dimensional model study revealed that the meridional circulation can have a large influence on the distributions of the cloud and condensable gases on Venus. In our model, the generally observed depression of near-infrared optical thickness at midlatitude is reproduced as a result of the enhancement of cloud thickness at low and high latitudes. At high latitudes, the modeled poleward transport of H2SO4-H2O droplets in the upper atmosphere makes a thick cloud, since most of the H2SO4-H2O droplets photochemically produced are transported poleward by the meridional circulation. At low latitudes, the modeled large-scale ascent of the concentrated H2SO4 vapor forms a dense lower cloud in accord with observations by entry probes. The equatorward transport of H2SO4 vapor below the cloud by the modeled meridional circulation and the sedimentation of droplets in the lower cloud leads to the accumulation of H2SO4 vapor around the cloud base at low latitudes. The calculated H2SO4 vapor distribution agrees with radio occultation observations. The middle cloud appears to be caused by the condensation of H2SO4 vapor transported upward from below by convective mixing.
Radon measurements in the lower tropical stratosphere - Evidence for rapid vertical transport and dehydration of tropospheric air

During the tropical experiment of NASA's Stratosphere-Troposphere Exchange Program (STEP), in situ radon and other trace constituent measurements were made aboard a NASA ER-2 high-altitude research aircraft to investigate the mechanisms of irreversible transfers from the troposphere into the tropical stratosphere. Observations made in and downwind of the cirrus shields of three large tropical cyclones and downwind of the cirrus anvil of a large cumulonimbus cloud cluster showed several clear instances of elevated radon activity occurring simultaneously with low total water mixing ratios. These observations are unambiguous evidence of an effective dehydration process, capable of reducing total water vapor mixing ratios to less than 2.5 ppmv, occurring in conjunction with troposphere-to-stratosphere transport and indicate that rapid localized convection, rather than slow regional mean motions, was responsible for the observed transports and associated with the accompanying dehydration. Radon activities measured in regions of active or recent troposphere-to-stratosphere transport were consistent with the 17 pCi/scm mean value needed to support the observed abundance of stratospheric 210Pb.
Effects of Physico-chemical Parameters on Phytoplankton of a Tidal Creek, Lagos, Nigeria

Physico-chemical parameters have been observed to influence phytoplankton composition of coastal areas and water in Nigeria. In order to assess this, the phytoplankton composition of a tidal creek in Lagos was investigated in relation to the physico-chemical characteristics for twelve months (February 2010- January 2011). Six stations were created, phytoplankton samples were collected using 55µm mesh size plankton net and water samples were also collected for physico-chemical parameters analysis. Four major divisions, Bacillariophyta (78%), Chlorophyta (11%), Cyanophyta (10%) and Euglenophyta (0.07%) were documented. The phytoplankton abundance was influenced by parameters such as rainfall, phosphate-phosphorus, nitrate-nitrogen and salinity. The highest (5.7mg/L) and lowest values (0.01mg/L) of phosphate-phosphorus were recorded in May 2010 (station B) and in December 2010 (station F) respectively, while nitrate-nitrogen recorded its highest (17.3mg/L) and lowest values (0.02mg/L) in May 2010 (station B) and in November 2010 (station C) respectively. The pH ranged between 6.2 and 8.4. However, the salinity values recorded corresponded with rainfall pattern of the studied area. The highest (6.7) and lowest values (0.9) of species diversity (d) were recorded in July 2010 (station D) and June 2010 (station D) respectively. Shannon-weiner (H1) index recorded its highest (3.35) and lowest values (0.41) in July 2010 (station D) and in October 2010 (station C) respectively, while the highest (0.96) and the lowest values (0.2) of species evenness (j) where recorded in June 2010 (station D) and October 2010 (station C) respectively. Human induced stressors such as dredging, sand mining and poor sewage system might have affected the phytoplankton composition of the studied area.
Vesta as the howardite, eucrite and diogenite parent body: Implications for the size of a core and for large‐scale differentiation

Abstract— If Vesta is the parent body of the howardite, eucrite, and diogenite (HED) meteorites, then geo‐chemical and petrologic constraints for the meteorites may be used in conjunction with astronomical constraints for the size and mass of Vesta to (1) determine the size of a possible metal core in Vesta and (2) model the igneous differentiation and internal structure of Vesta.
The Case of the Mommy Network: Getting to Know about Educational Assessment

Abstract Using a literacy framework, this case study explores parents’ assessment literacy in South Florida (United States). Data were collected using focus-group interviews of public-school parents (N = 32) and a document artifact. Findings illustrate how parents drew upon verbal and virtual information and social interactions to learn about the educational assessments used for their children. Implications for educators were identified to assist parents in asking assessment questions in order to demystify the educational assessment process.
Ethnic Self-Identification in Ukraine, 1989–2001: Why More Ukrainians and Fewer Russians?

Abstract This paper analyses the changes in ethnic self-identification of the population of Ukraine from the last (January 1989) Soviet census to the first (December 2001) Ukrainian census. It begins with a comparison of the census data and describes the remarkable changes observed. Given the incomplete nature of published data on international migrations and their differentiation by ethnic groups in the inter-census period, the paper applies a method to fill in the gaps and calculate net migration balances for each ethnic group. Also, since no data is available on the net reproductive rates for separate ethnic groups in Ukraine, it sets out a method to estimate net reproduction rates for Ukrainians and Russians in the inter-census period. Using these methods, it establishes that differences in net migration on the one hand and the differences in net reproduction on the other contributed 11.1 and 4.4 percent of the growth in the share of Ukrainians and 6.8 and 5.2 percent in the sizeable decline in the share of Russians. The remaining lion’s share is a shift in identity among members of ethnically mixed (mainly Russian-Ukrainian) families. Mothers of ethnically mixed families, identifying the ethnicity of their newly born, contributed 11.4 percent to the Ukrainian gain and 9.2 percent to the Russian loss. The remaining 73.1 percent of the Ukrainian gain and 78.8 percent of Russian loss resulted from lifetime identity shift from Russian to Ukrainian, the most likely candidates being members of Russian-Ukrainian families.
Postnatal maternal care moderates the effects of prenatal bisphenol exposure on offspring neurodevelopmental, behavioral, and transcriptomic outcomes

Bisphenols (BPs), including BPA and “BPA-free” structural analogs, are commonly used plasticizers that are present in many plastics and are known endocrine disrupting chemicals. Prenatal exposure to BPA has been associated with negative neurodevelopmental and behavioral outcomes in children and rodent models. Prenatal BPA exposure has also been shown to impair postnatal maternal care provisioning, which can also affect offspring neurodevelopment and behavior. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the biological effects of prenatal exposure to bisphenols other than BPA and the interplay between prenatal BP exposure and postnatal maternal care on adult behavior. The purpose of the current study was to determine the interactive impact of prenatal BP exposure and postnatal maternal care on neurodevelopment and behavior. Our findings suggest that the effects of prenatal BP exposure on eye-opening, adult attentional set shifting and anxiety-like behavior in the open field are dependent on maternal care in the first five days of life. Interestingly, maternal care might also attenuate the effects of prenatal BP exposure on eye opening and adult attentional set shifting. Finally, transcriptomic profiles in male and female medial prefrontal cortex and amygdala suggest that the interactive effects of prenatal BP exposure and postnatal maternal care converge on estrogen receptor signaling and are involved in biological processes related to gene expression and protein translation and synthesis. Overall, these findings indicate that postnatal maternal care plays a critical role in the expression of the effects of prenatal BP exposure on neurodevelopment and adult behavior. Understanding the underlying biological mechanisms involved might allow us to identify potential avenues to mitigate the adverse effects of prenatal BP exposure and improve health and well-being in human populations.
The number and pattern of viral genomic reassortments are not necessarily identifiable from segment trees

Reassortment is an evolutionary process common in viruses with segmented genomes. These viruses can swap whole genomic segments during cellular co-infection, giving rise to novel progeny formed from the mixture of parental segments. Because large-scale genome rearrangements have the potential to generate new phenotypes, reassortment is important to both evolutionary biology and public health research. However, statistical inference of the pattern of reassortment events from phylogenetic data is exceptionally difficult, potentially involving inference of general graphs in which individual segment trees are embedded. In this paper, we argue that, in general, the number and pattern of reassortment events are not identifiable from segment trees alone, even with theoretically ideal data. We call this fact the fundamental problem of reassortment, which we illustrate using the concept of the ‘first-infection tree’, a typically but not always counterfactual genealogy that would have been observed in the segment trees had no reassortment occurred. Further, we illustrate four additional problems that can arise logically in the inference of reassortment events and show, using simulated data, that these problems are not rare and can potentially distort our perception of reassortment even in small data sets. Finally, we discuss how existing methods can be augmented or adapted to account for not only the fundamental problem of reassortment but also the four additional situations that can complicate the inference of reassortment.
Personality heterophily and friendship as drivers for successful cooperation

Cooperation is widespread and arguably a pivotal evolutionary force in maintaining animal societies. Yet, proximately, what underlying motivators drive individuals to cooperate remains relatively unclear. Since ‘free-riders’ can exploit the benefits by cheating, selecting the right partner is paramount. Such decision rules need not be based on complex calculations and can be driven by cognitively less-demanding mechanisms, like social relationships (e.g., kinship, non-kin friendships, dyadic tolerance), social status (e.g., dominance hierarchies) and personalities (social and non-social traits); however, holistic evidence related to those mechanisms is scarce. Using the classical ‘loose-string paradigm’, we tested cooperative tendencies of a hierarchical primate, the long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis). We studied three groups (n=32) in social settings, allowing free partner choice. We supplemented cooperation with observational and experimental data on social relationships, dominance hierarchies, and personality. Friendship and dissimilarity in a non-social ‘exploration’ personality trait predicted the likelihood of cooperative dyad formation. Furthermore, the magnitude of cooperative success was positively associated with friendship, low rank-distance, and dissimilarity in an ‘activity-sociability’ personality trait. Kinship did not affect cooperation. While some findings align with prior studies, the evidence of (non-social)personality heterophily promoting cooperation may deepen our understanding of the proximate mechanisms and, broadly, the evolution of cooperation.
The estimation of «global» sea level change: a problem of uniqueness

An objective method of estimating regional averages of coherent sea level (SL) change is developed. The technique is applied to a large set of SL data representative of most of the world's continental margins. The results show highly coherent SL changes over many of the regions studied. The method is then applied to the regional averages themselves to develop an overall estimate of the coherent pattern of SL variations existing in the historical SL data set. The pattern is characterized by a coherent rise of SL in all regions except Alaska, Scandinavia (both areas of notorious crustal uplift), and Southeast Asia, where SL appears to be falling. The analysis suggests little or no change in SL prior to the early 1900's. The period since that time has seen an increase in SL that is optimally fit by a linear trend of 23 cm/century. The study results suggest that it is not possible to uniquely determine either a global rate of change of SL or even the average rate of change associated with the existing (inadequate) data set. Indeed, different analysis methods, by themselves, can cause 50% variations in the estimates of SL trend in the existing data set. A signal/noise analysis suggests it should be easy to detect small, future changes in the SL trends estimated for the period 1930–1980. However, detection of theoretically predicted low-frequency signals (e.g., caused by CO2 warming) will be difficult in view of the huge, low-frequency, natural variability associated with glacial/tectonic processes.
Fusion-Negative Rhabdomyosarcoma xenografts in murine tongue provide a model for the study of local invasion, intravasation and metastasis at cellular and subcellular levels in live animals

: Purpose: PAX3/7 Fusion-negative rhabdomyosarcoma (FN-RMS) is a malignancy of the mesodermal lineage that predominantly occurs in children and adolescents in the head and neck and genitourinary system. Currently implemented therapeutic approaches improved the response and overall survival of patients with early-stage FN-RMS; however, treatment of metastatic or relapsed FN-RMS remains a challenge. Advances in our understanding of molecular mechanisms of invasion and metastasis might identify new therapeutic avenues for metastatic FN-RMS. As a step towards achieving a more complete understanding, we developed an orthotopic tongue xenograft model of FN-RMS for the examination of molecular basis and events of FN-RMS invasion and metastasis. Experimental design: The behavior of human-derived FN-RMS cell lines injected orthotopically into the tongue of athymic nude mice was examined with a combination of in vivo bioluminescence imaging, non-invasive two-photon intravital microscopy (IVM), and histopathology. Tumor progression in this orthotopic xenograft model was compared to the two prevailing hindlimb intramuscular and subcutaneous xenograft models. Results: FN-RMS
Cross-Arc Geochemical Variations in the Kurile Arc as a Function of Slab Depth

Lavas from transects across the Kurile Islands arc showed geochemical variations related to changes in the compositions of fluids derived from the subducting slab. Enrichment factors for boron, cesium, arsenic, and antimony, all elements with strong affinities for water, decreased across the arc. This decrease is presumably related to losses of water-rich fluids during the dehydration of the subducting plate. Enrichments of potassium, barium, beryllium-10, and the light rare earth elements remained constant; these species may move in silica-rich fluids liberated from the slab at greater depths.
Water demand management in times of drought: What matters for water conservation

Southern California is subject to long droughts and short wet spells. Its water agencies have put in place voluntary, mandatory, and market‐based conservation strategies since the 1980s. By analyzing water agencies' data between 2006 and 2010, this research studies whether rebates for water efficient fixtures, water rates, or water ordinances have been effective, and tests whether structural characteristics of water agencies have affected the policy outcome. It finds that mandates to curb outdoor water uses are correlated with reductions in residential per capita water usage, while water rates and subsidies for water saving devices are not. It also confirms that size is a significant policy implementation factor. In a policy perspective, the transition from a water supply to a water demand management‐oriented strategy appears guided by mandates and by contextual factors such as the economic cycle and the weather that occur outside the water governance system. Three factors could improve the conservation effort: using prices as a conservation tool, not only as a cost recovering instrument; investing in water efficient tools only when they provide significant water savings; supporting smaller agencies in order to give them opportunities to implement conservation strategies more effectively or to help them consolidate.
Olfactory learning modulates a neural circuit mediating innate odor-guided behavior in Drosophila

Behavior is often categorized as being innate or learned, with the specific circuits being assigned to one of these categories. In Drosophila, neural circuits mediating an innate behavioral response are considered as being “hard-wired”, as activation of these neuronal pathways leads to stereotyped behaviors. However, only a limited number of studies assessed whether innate behaviors and their underlying neural circuits are plastic or show experience-dependent modulation. Here, we show that experience modulates second-order olfactory neurons involved in innate behavioral responses. We focus on the neural circuit defined by multiglomerular projection neurons (mPNs) that target the lateral horn, a structure relevant in the genesis of innate behavior. We show that mPNs, coding for odor attraction, are bidirectionally modulated after olfactory associative learning: when an olfactory stimulus is paired with an aversive electric shock, the activity of these neurons is decreased, while when the odor is paired with a sucrose-reward they are potentiated. We further show that this modulation requires glutamate and serotonin signaling, and that downstream third-order neurons are consequently affected. The bidirectional nature of the plasticity in these neurons is reflected in behavior: silencing mPN activity leads to odor avoidance, while artificial activation induces approach. While output from the mPNs is not required in aversive olfactory conditioning, silencing these neurons during retrieval of appetitive memories leads to a significant memory impairment. Artificially activating these neurons during odor presentation is sufficient to generate a 3 h appetitive memory. Our study in flies shows that a neural circuit coding for innate odor attraction can contribute to learned behavior, is modulated by olfactory learning and can provide reward-like reinforcement.
Combined Ulysses Solar Wind and SOHO Coronal Observations of Several West Limb Coronal Mass Ejections

From October 1996 to January 1997, Ulysses was situated roughly above the west limb of the Sun as observed from Earth at a heliocentric distance of about 4.6 AU and a latitude of about 25°. This presents the first opportunity to compare Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) limb observations of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) directly with their solar wind counterparts far from the Sun using the Ulysses data. During this interval, large eruptive events were observed above the west limb of the Sun by the Large Angle Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) on SOHO on October 5, November 28, and December 21–25, 1996. Using the combined plasma and magnetic field data from Ulysses, the October 5 event was clearly identified by several distinguishing signatures as a CME. The November 28 event was also identified as a CME that trailed fast ambient solar wind, although it was identified only by an extended interval of counterstreaming suprathermal electrons. The December 21 event was apparently characterized by a 6-day interval of nearly radial field and a plasma rarefaction. For the numerous eruptive events observed by the LASCO coronagraph during December 23–25, Ulysses showed no distinct, individual CMEs, perhaps because of intermingling of two or more of the eruptive events. By mapping the Ulysses observations back in time to the Sun assuming a constant flow speed, we have identified intervals of plasma that were accelerated or decelerated between the LASCO and Ulysses observations.
Volume Estimation of Light Nonaqueous Phase Liquids in Porous Media

An analytic method is described for estimating the volume of mobile Light Nonaqueous Phase Liquids (LNAPL) in porous media from observed LNAPL thicknesses in monitoring wells. Static (mechanical) equilibrium of fluids in a homogeneous porous medium is the key condition on which the method is based. Both the Brooks-Corey and van Genuchten equations, with parameters derived from laboratory column experiments reported in the literature, are used to relate fluid contents to capillary pressures. The calculations show that LNAPL in the vadose zone does not distribute itself as a distinct layer floating on the top of a capillary fringe. Rather, the traditional concept of a capillary fringe is not applicable when LNAPL is present. Further, neither the LNAPL level nor the water level in monitoring wells is equal to the water-table elevation. The water table, being the surface on which the water pressure is zero gage, is located above the LNAPL-water interface in the well, and LNAPL in the porous media will reside below the water table. It is shown that finite volumes of LNAPL theoretically can exist in materials with positive entry pressures (e.g., Brooks-Corey porous media) without revealing their presence in the form of an LNAPL layer in monitoring wells. However, LNAPL in porous media with zero entry pressure will always appear in monitoring wells, regardless of the volume of LNAPL in the porous medium. In addition, the theory shows that the ratio of the volume of LNAPL per unit area in the vadose zone to the thickness of LNAPL in monitoring wells is strongly dependent upon the capillary properties of the porous medium. Only in porous media with very uniform pore sizes is the volume of LNAPL in the vadose zone approximately proportional to the thickness of LNAPL in monitoring wells.