Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hydraulic modelling of fish habitat in urban rivers during high flows

In urban rivers, flow regime and channel morphology are the drivers of physical habitat quality for aquatic species. Peak discharges are increased at high flows as a result of impermeable catchments and channel engineering for flood protection schemes. Hazardous conditions and flashy hydrographs mean that measurement of velocities at high flows is a difficult task. This research uses a three‐dimensional computational fluid dynamics (3D‐CFD) model to simulate hydraulic patterns in two urban river channels. A 3D‐CFD code, called SSIIM, was used to simulate hydraulic conditions in two engineered river reaches of the River Tame, Birmingham, UK. These two sites represent channels with different levels of engineering. Models were calibrated and tested using field measurements. Results show that modelled water surface levels and velocity profiles are well simulated. Calibrated roughness heights are compared with those derived from field measurement of sediment size. Numerical experiments are used to assess the relationship between grid resolution in the vertical dimension and the form of the modelled velocity profiles. Biologists have used laboratory experiments to determine maximum sustainable swimming speeds (MSSS) of fish, often in order to assess what level of a particular pollutant may be tolerable. In this work, simulations of high‐flow hydraulic patterns are used to compare velocity patterns with fish MSSS. Results show that when the water levels rise to fill the first channel of the two‐stage channels at the sites, which occurred 16 times in 2000, MSSS are surpassed in the majority of available habitat, suggesting that excessive velocities at high flows are one factor that limits fish habitat. A comparison between the two reaches shows that there is less available habitat in the more modified reach. Conclusions suggest that an approach that integrates water quality issues and physical channel characteristics must be taken in river rehabilitation schemes, as improvements to water quality alone may not be sufficient to improve habitat quality to the desired level. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Strength, durability and cost effectiveness of cement-stabilized laterite hollow blocks

Strength and durability of cement-stabilized laterite hollow blocks made with laterite soils at three different locations in Edo State were studied. To this end, blocks were produced with water content at about the optimum moisture with varying percentages of cement from 3% to 15% at 2% increments and compactive pressures ranging from 3.44 N/mm2 to 17.20 N/mm2. The result showed that for 7% cement content and 13.76 N/mm2 compactive pressure, blocks of strength of at least 2.0N/mm2 at 28 days, could be produced. The blocks showed no features of wear after exposure to rain with weight losses within permissible limits after 12-cycles of wetting-brushing-drying. Cost analysis showed that laterite blocks have 40% cost advantage over similar sandcrete blocks.
How vegetation impacts affect climate metrics for ozone precursors

[1] We examine the effect of ozone damage to vegetation as caused by anthropogenic emissions of ozone precursor species and quantify it in terms of its impact on terrestrial carbon stores. A simple climate model is then used to assess the expected changes in global surface temperature from the resulting perturbations to atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane, and ozone. The concept of global temperature change potential (GTP) metric, which relates the global average surface temperature change induced by the pulse emission of a species to that induced by a unit mass of carbon dioxide, is used to characterize the impact of changes in emissions of ozone precursors on surface temperature as a function of time. For NOx emissions, the longer-timescale methane perturbation is of the opposite sign to the perturbations in ozone and carbon dioxide, so NOx emissions are warming in the short term, but cooling in the long term. For volatile organic compound (VOC), CO, and methane emissions, all the terms are warming for an increase in emissions. The GTPs for the 20 year time horizon are strong functions of emission location, with a large component of the variability owing to the different vegetation responses on different continents. At this time horizon, the induced change in the carbon cycle is the largest single contributor to the GTP metric for NOx and VOC emissions. For NOx emissions, we estimate a GTP20 of −9 (cooling) to +24 (warming) depending on assumptions of the sensitivity of vegetation types to ozone damage.
Determination of substorm onset timing and location using the THEMIS ground based observatories

The NASA THEMIS mission is studying substorms by timing the substorm signatures at multiple satellite locations in the magnetosphere and in the aurora using 20 ground based observatories (GBO‐s). The time resolution requirement is ∼10 sec. The GBO‐s provide a near contiguous array over North America. Each contains an all sky imager (3 s exposure cadence) and a magnetometer (with 2 Hz sampling rate). In one example substorm, the onset brightening of the equatorward arc was a gradual process (>27 seconds) with minimal morphology changes until the arc break up. The break up was timed to the nearest frame (<3 sec) and occurred at 58°N latitude and 256 ± 3°E longitude geographic (67°N magnetic latitude 22.1 hours MLT). The brightening of the arc was accompanied by a slow increase of the westward electrojet but this was too gradual for accurate timing of the event. High pass filtered magnetic data showed some wave activity but with significant delay (∼40 sec) after the arc break up. Similar break up occurred in Alaska ∼10 minutes later highlighting the need for an array to distinguish prime onset.
Motor cortical and corticospinal function differ during an isometric squat compared to isometric knee extension

It has been suggested that task-specific changes in neurophysiological function (neuroplasticity), should be assessed using testing modalities that replicate the characteristics of the intervention. The squat is a commonly prescribed resistance exercise that has been shown to elicit changes in central nervous system (CNS) function. However, previous studies have assessed squat-induced neuroplasticity using isometric knee extension, potentially confounding the results. The present study aimed to assess the agreement between corticospinal and intracortical activity relating to the knee extensors during isometric knee extension compared to an isometric squat task. Eleven males completed a neurophysiological assessment in an isometric squat (IS), and knee extension (KE) task matched for joint-angles (hip, knee, and ankle). Singleand paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) were delivered during isometric contractions at a range of intensities to assess short-interval cortical inhibition (SICI) and corticospinal excitability. Group mean values for SICI (70 ± 14% vs. 63 ± 12% of unconditioned MEP during IS and KE, respectively) and corticospinal excitability (mean differences 2-5% of Mmax at 25, 50, 75 and 100% MVC between the IS and KE) were not different between the two tasks (P > 0.05) in the vastus lateralis (VL). However, limits of agreement were wide, with poor-to-moderate average ICCs (SICI: ICC3,1 = 0.15, corticospinal excitability: average ICC3,1 range = 0.0-0.63), indicating disparate corticospinal and intracortical activity between the IS and KE. These data highlight the importance of task-specificity when assessing the modulation of corticospinal excitability and SICI in response to interventions resulting in neuroplastic changes.
Synsedimentary faulting and palaeocurrent patterns in the Triassic sandstones of the High Atlas (Morocco)

The influence of syndepositional fault patterns on palaeocurrents is demonstrated in fluvial to shallow-marine sandstones of Upper Triassic basins in the High Atlas. The synsedimentary nature of faults is deduced from hydroplastic slickensides, thickness variations due to block tilting and dislocation of layers next to the fault scarp. On a regional scale, it is shown that the major normal fault trend of N050–070° controlled the overall palaeocurrent pattern which was directed towards the west-southwest, i.e. in the direction of the future Atlantic ocean. Some anomalies in the palaeocurrent pattern could be related to an increase in subsidence which induced a general coarsening of sediment towards the top of the Triassic.
Influence of gully erosion control on amphibian and reptile communities within riparian zones of channelized streams

Riparian zones of streams in northwestern Mississippi have been impacted by agriculture, channelization, channel incision, and gully erosion. Riparian gully formation has resulted in the fragmentation of remnant riparian zones within agricultural watersheds. One widely used conservation practice for controlling gully erosion is the installation of drop pipes. This practice involves placing earthen dams across eroding gullies and embedding a metal standpipe within the dam to convey water from the field to stream level. Installation of this structure halts gully erosion and incidentally replaces eroding gullies with riparian habitats. Previous research evaluating gully erosion control structures have not considered the ecological impacts of these conservation practices on amphibian and reptile communities. We compared amphibian and reptile communities among riparian sites containing actively eroding gullies and four riparian habitat types created by drop pipe installation. Amphibians and reptiles were sampled from four gullies and four sites of each drop pipe‐created habitat type from 1994 to 1996. Amphibian and reptile diversity and abundance were the greatest in created habitat types with mean habitat areas >1000 m2 and mean pool volumes >420 m3. Amphibian and reptile diversity and abundance within the created riparian habitats were also positively correlated with hydrology. Our results suggest that the use of drop pipes to control gully erosion is capable of creating needed riparian wetlands for amphibian and reptile communities. Additionally, altering the installation design will increase the ecological benefits resulting from this conservation practice. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Folding of the Gediz Graben Fill, SW Turkey: Extensional and/or Contractional Origin?

Folds constitute a significant part within the dominantly extension-related deformation pattern of the Gediz Graben and their origin either extensional or contractional has been the subject of debate. Field and subsurface data presented in this paper suggest that folds of contractional and extensional origin coexist in the graben-fill sediments. Contractional folds are predominantly observed within the Alasehir formation. A north vergent, plunging, asymmetrical to overturned geometry characterizes these folds and they are commonly observed in association with south dipping both thrust and reverse faults; the presence of thrust/reverse faults in the Gediz Graben is documented for the first time here. Fault data suggest an approximately N–S direction of compression that has governed the contractional deformation. Yet the limited distribution of these structures prevents to relate them with confidence to a regional deformation phase. Extensional folds occur in association with normal faults either as structures longitudinal or transverse with respect to the general graben trend. Transverse folds are a very common within the buried graben block, owing to the lateral displacement gradients (lateral difference in offset) on the individual fault segments along the southern margin of the graben. Synclines and anticlines have formed at displacement maxima and minima, respectively. Thickness of strata increases at synclines and decreases at anticlines, thus indicating the syn-depositional origin of the folding.
Visual Statistical Learning in Infancy: Evidence for a Domain General Learning Mechanism

The rapidity with which infants come to understand language and events in their surroundings has prompted speculation concerning innate knowledge structures that guide language acquisition and object knowledge. Recently, however, evidence has emerged that by 8 months, infants can extract statistical patterns in auditory input that are based on transitional probabilities defining the sequen-cing of the input's components (Science 274 (1996) 1926). This finding suggests powerful learning mechanisms that are functional in infancy, and raises questions about the domain generality of such mechanisms. We habituated 2-, 5-, and 8-month-old infants to sequences of discrete visual stimuli whose ordering followed a statistically predictable pattern. The infants subsequently viewed the familiar pattern alternating with a novel sequence of identical stimulus components, and exhibited significantly greater interest in the novel sequence at all ages. These results provide support for the likelihood of domain general statistical learning in infancy, and imply that mechanisms designed to detect structure inherent in the environment may play an important role in cognitive development.
Reporting of equity in observational epidemiology: A methodological review

Background Observational studies can inform how we understand and address persisting health inequities through the collection, reporting and analysis of health equity factors. However, the extent to which the analysis and reporting of equity-relevant aspects in observational research are generally unknown. Thus, we aimed to systematically evaluate how equity-relevant observational studies reported equity considerations in the study design and analyses. Methods We searched MEDLINE for health equity-relevant observational studies from January 2020 to March 2022, resulting in 16 828 articles. We randomly selected 320 studies, ensuring a balance in focus on populations experiencing inequities, country income settings, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) topic. We extracted information on study design and analysis methods. Results The bulk of the studies were conducted in North America (n = 95, 30%), followed by Europe and Central Asia (n = 55, 17%). Half of the studies (n = 171, 53%) addressed general health and well-being, while 49 (15%) focused on mental health conditions. Two-thirds of the studies (n = 220, 69%) were cross-sectional. Eight (3%) engaged with populations experiencing inequities, while 22 (29%) adapted recruitment methods to reach these populations. Further, 67 studies (21%) examined interaction effects primarily related to race or ethnicity (48%). Two-thirds of the studies (72%) adjusted for characteristics associated with inequities, and 18 studies (6%) used flow diagrams to depict how populations experiencing inequities progressed throughout the studies. Conclusions Despite over 80% of the equity-focused observational studies providing a rationale for a focus on health equity, reporting of study design features relevant to health equity ranged from 0–95%, with over half of the items reported by less than one-quarter of studies. This methodological study is a baseline assessment to inform the development of an equity-focussed reporting guideline for observational studies as an extension of the well-known Strengthening Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guideline.
The Emerging Link between Alcoholism Risk and Obesity in the United States Nih Public Access Author Manuscript Introduction

Context—The prevalence of obesity has risen sharply in the United States in the past few decades. Etiologic links between obesity and substance use disorders have been hypothesized. Objective—To determine whether familial risk for alcohol dependence predicts obesity, and whether any such association became stronger between the early 1990s and early 2000s. Main Outcome Measures—Obesity, defined as a body mass index >= 30 based on self-reported height and weight, and predicted from family history of alcoholism and/or problem drinking. Results—In 2001–02, women with a family-history of alcoholism, operationalized as having biological parent or sibling with a history of alcoholism or alcohol problems, had 49% higher odds for obesity than those without a family history but not as strong as for women. Both the association and the secular trend for women were robust to adjustment for covariates, including sociodemographic variables smoking, alcohol use, alcohol/drug dependence, and major depression. Similar trends were observed for men, but did not meet statistical significance criteria after adjustment for covariates. Conclusion—The results provide epidemiologic support for a link between familial alcoholism risk and obesity for women, and possibly for men. This link has emerged in recent years, and may result from an interaction between a changing food environment and predisposition to alcoholism and related disorders.
Evaluating the effect of using artificial pore water on the quality of laboratory hydraulic conductivity measurements of peat

Pore dilation, the compaction of humic acids on peat fibres due to the process of flocculation, causes the hydraulic conductivity of peat to increase with increasing pore water electrical conductivity. This is a reversible process and a reduction in the pore water conductivity produces a decrease in the hydraulic conductivity due to the constriction of pores. We verify how this dilation and constriction of pores, resulting from the application of artificial pore water (primarily deionized water), affects laboratory measurements of the hydraulic conductivity of peat. Repeat measurements of the hydraulic conductivity were performed on samples of Sphagnum peat. It is shown that the application of deionized water during constant head permeameter tests causes a significant decrease in the hydraulic conductivity. Between tests, the hydraulic conductivity of the peat continues to decline without an associate decrease in the pore water electrical conductivity because of a lagged pore constriction effect. We suggest that the use of artificially high or low pore water electrical conductivities, during laboratory hydraulic conductivity measurements, is likely to lead to significant errors. Experimental protocols must, therefore, be revised to take better account of the pore water chemistry. The ionic concentrations of the natural pore fluid should be replicated during hydraulic conductivity tests, either by using pore fluid extracted from the study site or by artificially replicating the major ionic composition of the natural pore fluid. In addition, prior to the hydraulic conductivity measurements, peat samples should be flushed with this solution until the hydraulic conductivity stabilizes and the samples subsequently allowed to equilibrate. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Microbial CO2 fixation potential in a tar-oil-contaminated porous aquifer.

CO(2) fixation is one of the most important processes on the Earth's surface, but our current understanding of the occurrence and importance of chemolithoautotrophy in the terrestrial subsurface is poor. Groundwater ecosystems, especially at organically polluted sites, have all the requirements for autotrophic growth processes, and CO(2) fixation is thus suggested to contribute significantly to carbon flux in these environments. We explored the potential for autotrophic CO(2) fixation in microbial communities of a petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated aquifer by detection of functional marker genes (cbbL, cbbM), encoding different forms of the key enzyme RubisCO of the Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle. Quantification of (red-like) cbbL genes revealed highest numbers at the upper fringe of the contaminant plume and the capillary fringe where reduced sulphur and iron species are regularly oxidized in the course of groundwater table changes. Functional gene sequences retrieved from this area were most closely related to sequences of different thiobacilli. Moreover, several cultures could be enriched from fresh aquifer material, all of which are able to grow under chemolithoautotrophic conditions. A novel, nitrate-reducing, thiosulfate-oxidizing bacterial strain, recently described as Thiobacillus thiophilus D24TN(T) sp. nov., was shown to carry and transcribe RubisCO large-subunit genes of form I and II. Enzyme tests proved the actual activity of RubisCO in this strain.
Possibility of the Independence between the 2013 Lushan Earthquake and the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake on Longmen Shan Fault, Sichuan, China

Online Material: Figures comparing calculated Coulomb Failure Stress changes. The 20 April 2013 Lushan earthquake, M s 7.0 (China Earthquake Data Center [CENC]) or M w 6.6 (U.S. Geological Survey [USGS]), with 196 people killed, and more than 10,000 injured according to the local government’s official report, was the strongest earthquake after the 12 May 2008, M s 8.0 (CENC) or M w 7.9 (USGS), Wenchuan earthquake in Sichuan province, China. This earthquake occurred in the southwestern part of the Longmen Shan fault zone, which also was the same causative fault zone of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake (Fig. 1). The epicenter and focal depth of the Lushan earthquake were at 30.308° N, 102.888° E, and 14.0 km, according to the location of USGS (http://comcat.cr.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/usb000gcdd#summary, last accessed August 2013). The focal mechanism of the Lushan event showed a thrust rupture which was similar to that of the southwestern part of the Wenchuan earthquake rupture (Fig. 1). The slip distribution of the Lushan earthquake was concentrated at the hypocenter, and did not rupture to the surface (Zhang et al. , 2013, 2014). Figure 1. Tectonic background of the Longmen Shan fault zone and its vicinity. The orange solid circles represent epicenter locations of earthquakes with magnitudes greater than 4.0 from 1 January 1980 to 20 April 2013. The black and blue stars represent the epicenters of the Wenchuan and Lushan earthquakes, respectively, and their focal mechanisms are from global CMT. The white‐ and blue‐dashed polygons represent the region for model fitting and background seismicity checking, respectively. The black lines indicate major faults in this region (Zhang et al. , 2003). The relocated aftershock sequences of the Wenchuan and Lushan earthquakes are from Huang et al. (2008) and Fang et al. (2013). The disastrous Wenchuan M s 8.0 earthquake occurred on the same Longmen Shan fault zone, with …
THREE-DIMENSIONAL NUMERICAL MODEL OF LATERAL-INTAKE INFLOWS

A three-dimensional (3D) numerical model for predicting steady, in the mean, turbulent flows through lateral intakes with rough walls is developed, validated, and employed in a parametric study. The method solves the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations closed with the isotropic k-ω turbulence model of Wilcox, which resolves the near-wall flow and accounts for roughness effects in a straightforward manner. Calculations are carried out for flows through rectangular closed-duct and open-channel T-junctions. Comparisons of the predicted mean velocity field with laboratory measurements indicate that the model captures most experimental trends with reasonable accuracy. For the parametric study, flows are predicted for a range of discharge ratios, aspect ratios, and main channel-bed-roughness distributions. The numerical solutions are examined to elucidate the complex 3D flow patterns of lateral-intake flows, including zones of flow division, separation and reversal, vortices, and singular points within th.