Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Benthic alkalinity fluxes from coastal sediments of the Baltic and North seas: comparing approaches and identifying knowledge gaps

Abstract. Benthic alkalinity production is often suggested as a major driver of net carbon sequestration in continental shelf ecosystems. However, information on and direct measurements of benthic alkalinity fluxes are limited and are especially challenging when biological and dynamic physical forcing causes surficial sediments to be vigorously irrigated. To address this shortcoming, we quantified net sediment–water exchange of alkalinity using a suite of complementary methods, including (1) 224Ra budgeting, (2) incubations with 224Ra and Br− as tracers, and (3) numerical modeling of porewater profiles. We choose a set of sites in the shallow southern North Sea and western Baltic Sea, allowing us to incorporate frequently occurring sediment classes ranging from coarse sands to muds and sediment–water interfaces ranging from biologically irrigated and advective to diffusive into the investigations. Sediment–water irrigation rates in the southern North Sea were approximately twice as high as previously estimated for the region, in part due to measured porewater 224Ra activities higher than previously assumed. Net alkalinity fluxes in the Baltic Sea were relatively low, ranging from an uptake of −35 to a release of 53 µmolm-2h-1, and in the North Sea they were from 1 to 34 µmolm-2h-1. Lower-than-expected apparent nitrate consumption (potential denitrification), across all sites, is one explanation for our small net alkalinity fluxes measured. Carbonate mineral dissolution and potentially precipitation, as well as sulfide re-oxidation, also appear to play important roles in shaping net sediment–water fluxes at locations in the North Sea and Baltic Sea.
Thermal regime of the Grigoriev ice cap and the Sary-Tor glacier in the inner Tien Shan, Kyrgyzstan

Abstract. The thermal regime of glaciers and ice caps represents the internal distribution of ice temperatures. An accurate knowledge of the thermal regime of glaciers and ice caps is important to understand their dynamics and response to climate change and to model their evolution. Although the assumption is that most ice masses in the Tien Shan are polythermal, this has not been examined in appropriate detail so far. In this research, we investigate the thermal regime of the Grigoriev ice cap and the Sary-Tor glacier, both located in the inner Tien Shan in Kyrgyzstan, using a 3D higher-order thermomechanical ice flow model. Input data and boundary conditions are inferred from a surface energy mass balance model, a historical air temperature and precipitation series, ice thickness measurements and reconstructions, and digital elevation models. Calibration and validation of the englacial temperatures are performed using historical borehole measurements on the Grigoriev ice cap and radar measurements for the Sary-Tor glacier. The results of this study reveal a polythermal structure of the Sary-Tor glacier and a cold structure of the Grigoriev ice cap. The difference is related to the larger amount of snow (insulation) and refreezing meltwater (release of latent heat) for the Sary-Tor glacier, resulting in higher surface layer temperature, especially in the accumulation area, which is subsequently advected downstream. Further, ice velocities are much lower for the Grigoriev ice cap, with consequent lower horizontal advection rates. A detailed analysis concerning the influence of temperature and precipitation changes at the surface reveals that the thermal structure of both ice bodies is not constant over time, with recent climate change causing increasing ice temperatures in higher areas. The selected ice masses are representative examples of the (inner) Tien Shan glaciers and ice caps. Therefore, our findings and the calibrated parameters can be generalised, allowing improved understanding of the dynamics and future evolution of other glaciers and ice caps in the region.
Numerical Simulation of Water-Vapor Addition into a Methane Diffusion Flame at High Pressures Using PeleLM

This research explores the eﬀects of adding water vapor to fuel for a diﬀusion ﬂame. Inert gases have been used in the dilution of combustion commonly to reduce emissions. Water is a unique diluent because it provides important radical species inﬂuencing the ﬂame, particularly with cooling or destabilizing eﬀects when the enthalpy of the diluted fuel is reduced. The objective of this research is to study the behavior of a methane diﬀusion ﬂame with various amounts of water vapor added to the fuel using a coﬂow burner and to compare the ﬂame behavior with various percentages of water vapor added into the fuel. The present work continues previous studies on water-diluted ﬂame behavior and explores the eﬀect of elevated pressures. The simulation research uses PeleLM code for computing combustion behavior when water is added to diﬀusion ﬂames. Besides various water content in atmospheric conditions, the ﬂame was also simulated to pressures of 1.4, 5.7, and 11.1 atm. The results extracted and analyzed include temperature proﬁles and various species mole fractions such as CO2, CO, OH, H, O, and H2O. The overall ﬂame images show that the ﬂame base is lifted at higher water content conditions from the tip of the burner. At 0.65 mole water content and 11.1 atm, the ﬂame base is observed anchoring back to the tip of the burner. When increasing the pressure, the ﬂame, in general, becomes thinner and more compact, which means the reaction zone is reduced. The results show more drastic changes of ﬂame
Basil root water uptake derived models under combined water and nitrogen deficit conditions

The objective of this research was to introduce and evaluate derived models under simultaneous water and nitrogen deficit stress conditions and consequently calibrating their parameters for basil. Therefore to do so, in order to introduce and evaluate derived models under simultaneous water and nitrogen deficit stress conditions, derived models from the composition of Mitscherlich–Baule (MB) for nutrient stress conditions and the models of Feddes (F), van Genuchten (VG), recommended exponential (EXP) and Homaee (H) for water stress conditions and also the composition model of Liebig–Sprengel (LS) for nutrients and the model of Feddes (F) for water stress conditions were presented and evaluated. This experiment was conducted with four irrigation water quantity levels of 120, 100, 80 and 60% of crop water requirement and four nitrogen fertilizer levels of 100, 75, 50 and 0% of fertilizer requirement based on a soil fertility test with three replicates. The results indicated that of the evaluated models, based on calculated statistical indices, the derived models of MB‐EXP, MB‐F, MB‐VG and MB‐H (mentioned above) had the best fitting on the measured data, respectively, compared to actual data. The results of calculated statistics to compared models based on the different nitrogen and water irrigation levels indicated that MB‐EXP and MB‐F using nRMSE statistics were 2.78 and 3.64, and EF statistics of both was 0.99% and they showed the highest accuracy in estimating basil yield. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Laboratory measurements of the performances of the Sweeping Langmuir Probe instrument aboard the PICASSO CubeSat

Abstract. The Sweeping Langmuir Probe (SLP) is one of the instruments on board the triple-unit CubeSat PICASSO, an ESA in-orbit demonstrator launched in September 2020, which is flying at about 540 km altitude. SLP comprises four small cylindrical probes mounted at the tip of the solar panels. It aims to perform in situ measurements of the plasma parameters (electron density and temperature together with ion density) and of the spacecraft potential in the ionosphere. Before the launch, the instrument, accommodated on an electrically representative PICASSO mock-up, was tested in a plasma chamber. It is shown that the traditional orbital-motion-limited collection theory used for cylindrical Langmuir probes cannot be applied directly for the interpretation of the measurements because of the limited dimensions of the probes with respect to the Debye length in the ionosphere. Nevertheless, this method can be adapted to take into account the short length of the probes. To reduce the data downlink while keeping the most important information in the current-voltage characteristics, SLP includes an on-board adaptive sweeping capability. This functionality has been validated in both the plasma chamber and in space, and it is demonstrated that with a reduced number of data points the electron retardation and electron saturation regions can be well resolved. Finally, the effect of the contamination of the probe surface, which can be a serious issue in Langmuir probe data analysis, has been investigated. If not accounted for properly, this effect could lead to substantial errors in the estimation of the electron temperature.
Process-based estimate of global-mean sea-level changes in the Common Era

Abstract. Although the global-mean sea level (GMSL) rose over the twentieth century with a positive contribution from thermosteric and barystatic (ice sheets and glaciers) sources, the driving processes of GMSL changes during the pre-industrial Common Era (PCE; 1–1850 CE) are largely unknown. Here, the contributions of glacier and ice sheet mass variations and ocean thermal expansion to GMSL in the Common Era (1–2000 CE) are estimated based on simulations with different physical models. Although the twentieth century global-mean thermosteric sea level (GMTSL) is mainly associated with temperature variations in the upper 700 m (86 % in reconstruction and 74 ± 8 % in model), GMTSL in the PCE is equally controlled by temperature changes below 700 m. The GMTSL does not vary more than ±2 cm during the PCE. GMSL contributions from the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets tend to cancel each other out during the PCE owing to the differing response of the two ice sheets to atmospheric conditions. The uncertainties of sea-level contribution from land-ice mass variations are large, especially over the first millennium. Despite underestimating the twentieth century model GMSL, there is a general agreement between the model and proxy-based GMSL reconstructions in the CE. Although the uncertainties remain large over the first millennium, model simulations point to glaciers as the dominant source of GMSL changes during the PCE.
Sexual and Reproductive Health Service Needs Associated with Underage Initiation of Selling Sex among Adult Female Sex Workers in Guinea-Bissau

Objective: To assess the prevalence and predictors of underage initiation of selling sex among female sex workers (FSW) in Guinea-Bissau. Methods: 505 adult FSW recruited using respondent-driven sampling were surveyed in 2017. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify demographic, behavioral, and psychosocial characteristics associated with initiation of selling sex while underage (<18 years). Results: 26.3% (133/505) of FSW started selling sex before age 18. Underage initiation of selling sex was associated with experiencing forced sex before age 18 (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]:6.74;95% confidence interval [CI]:2.05-22.13], and never being tested for HIV (aOR:0.43;95%CI:0.02-0.91). Despite having lower odds of wanting to have children or more children (aOR:0.31;95%CI:0.17-0.56), FSW who started selling sex while underage had lower odds of using highly effective contraception such as implants (aOR:0.43;95%CI:0.24-0.77). Among those who were ever pregnant, a lower percentage of FSW who started selling sex while underage accessed antenatal care (56.6% v. 74.7%, p=0.008). Conclusion: These data suggest that early initiation of selling sex among adult FSW in Guinea-Bissau is common. Social services for youth and integrated HIV and reproductive health services are critical to address the persisting sexual and reproductive health needs of FSW who started selling sex while underage.
Learning Linear Non-Gaussian Polytree Models

In the context of graphical causal discovery, we adapt the versatile framework of linear non-Gaussian acyclic models (LiNGAMs) to propose new algorithms to efficiently learn graphs that are polytrees. Our approach combines the Chow--Liu algorithm, which first learns the undirected tree structure, with novel schemes to orient the edges. The orientation schemes assess algebraic relations among moments of the data-generating distribution and are computationally inexpensive. We establish high-dimensional consistency results for our approach and compare different algorithmic versions in numerical experiments.
Performance of the flood warning system in Germany in July 2021 – insights from affected residents

Abstract. In July 2021 intense rainfall caused devastating floods in western Europe and 184 fatalities in the German federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia (NW) and Rhineland-Palatinate (RP), calling into question their flood forecasting, warning and response system (FFWRS). Data from an online survey (n=1315) reveal that 35 % of the respondents from NW and 29 % from RP did not receive any warning. Of those who were warned, 85 % did not expect very severe flooding and 46 % reported a lack of situational knowledge on protective behaviour. Regression analysis reveals that this knowledge is influenced not only by gender and flood experience but also by the content and the source of the warning message. The results are complemented by analyses of media reports and official warnings that show shortcomings in providing adequate recommendations to people at risk. Still, the share of people who did not report any emergency response is low and comparable to other flood events. However, the perceived effectiveness of the protective behaviour was low and mainly compromised by high water levels and the perceived level of surprise about the flood magnitude. Good situational knowledge and a higher number of previously experienced floods were linked to performing more effective loss-reducing action. Dissemination of warnings, clearer communication of the expected flood magnitude and recommendations on adequate responses to a severe flood, particularly with regard to flash and pluvial floods, are seen as major entry points for improving the FFWRS in Germany.
Global coarse-grained mesoscale eddy statistics based on integrated kinetic energy and enstrophy correlations

Abstract. Recently, Jánosi et al. (2019) introduced the concept of a “vortex proxy” based on an observation of strong correlations between integrated kinetic energy and integrated enstrophy over a large enough surface area. When mesoscale vortices are assumed to exhibit a Gaussian shape, the two spatial integrals have particularly simple functional forms, and a ratio of them defines an effective radius of a “proxy vortex”. In the original work, the idea was tested over a restricted area in the Californian Current System. Here we extend the analysis to global scale by means of 25 years of AVISO altimetry data covering the (ice-free) global ocean. The results are compared with a global vortex database containing over 64 million mesoscale eddies. We demonstrate that the proxy vortex representation of surface flow fields also works globally and provides a quick and reliable way to obtain coarse-grained vortex statistics. Estimated mean eddy sizes (effective radii) are extracted in very good agreement with the data from the vortex census. Recorded eddy amplitudes are directly used to infer the kinetic energy transported by the mesoscale vortices. The ratio of total and eddy kinetic energies is somewhat higher than found in previous studies. The characteristic westward drift velocities are evaluated by a time-lagged cross-correlation analysis of the kinetic energy fields. While zonal mean drift speeds are in good agreement with vortex trajectory evaluation in the latitude bands 30–5∘ S and 5–30∘ N, discrepancies are exhibited mostly at higher latitudes on both hemispheres. A plausible reason for somewhat different drift velocities obtained by eddy tracking and cross-correlation analysis is the fact that the drift of mesoscale eddies is only one component of the surface flow fields. Rossby wave activities, coherent currents, and other propagating features on the ocean surface apparently contribute to the zonal transport of kinetic energy.
Effects of precipitation seasonality, irrigation, vegetation cycle and soil type on enhanced weathering – Modelling of cropland case studies across four sitesEffects of precipitation seasonality, vegetation cycle, and irrigation on enhanced weathering

Enhanced Weathering (EW) is a promising strategy for carbon sequestration, but several open questions remain regarding the actual rates of dissolution in conditions of natural hydroclimatic variability in comparison to laboratory experiments. In this context, models play a pivotal role, as they allow exploring and predicting EW dynamics under different environmental conditions. Here a comprehensive hydro-biogeochemical model has been applied to four cropland case studies (i.e., Sicily and the Padan plain in Italy and California and Iowa in the USA) characterized by different rainfall seasonality, 5 vegetation (i.e., wheat for Sicily and California and corn for Padan plain and Iowa), and soil type to explore their influence on dissolution rates. The results reveal that rainfall seasonality, and irrigation when applied, are crucial in determining EW and carbon sequestration dynamics, given their effect on hydrological fluxes, soil pH, and weathering rate. The carbon sequestration rate was found to be strongly affected also by the background weathering fluxpre-EW soil pH, which is one of the main factors controlling soil pH before the olivine amendment. Regarding the USIn the analyzed case studies, Iowa and Sicily sequesters the 10 greatest amount of CO 2 if compared to California (4.20 and 2.210.62 kg ha − 1 y − 1 , respectively), and the same happens for Sicily with respect toas compared to California and the Padan plain (0.622.21 and 0.39 kg ha − 1 y − 1 , respectively). These low carbon sequestration values suggest that an in-depth analysis at the global scale is required to assess EW efficacy for carbon sequestration.
Grain Alignment in the Circumstellar Shell of IRC+10° 216

Dust-induced polarization in the interstellar medium (ISM) is due to asymmetric grains aligned with an external reference direction, usually the magnetic field. For both the leading alignment theories, the alignment of the grain’s angular momentum with one of its principal axes and the coupling with the magnetic field requires the grain to be paramagnetic. Of the two main components of interstellar dust, silicates are paramagnetic, while carbon dust is diamagnetic. Hence, carbon grains are not expected to align in the ISM. To probe the physics of carbon grain alignment, we have acquired Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy/Higch-resolution Airborne Wideband Camera-plus far-infrared photometry and polarimetry of the carbon-rich circumstellar envelope (CSE) of the asymptotic giant branch star IRC+10° 216. The dust in such CSEs are fully carbonaceous and thus provide unique laboratories for probing carbon grain alignment. We find a centrosymmetric, radial, polarization pattern, where the polarization fraction is well correlated with the dust temperature. Together with estimates of a low fractional polarization from optical polarization of background stars, we interpret these results to be due to a second-order, direct radiative external alignment of grains without internal alignment. Our results indicate that (pure) carbon dust does not contribute significantly to the observed ISM polarization, consistent with the nondetection of polarization in the 3.4 μm feature due to aliphatic CH bonds on the grain surface.
Synthesis of Glucose-Sensitive Microcapsules via Layer-by-Layer Assembly for Controlled Insulin Release Applications

Drug delivery systems using polymeric materials have been under intensive investigation and have been reported to show effective drug targeting specificity, lowering system drug toxicity, improving treatment absorption rates, and providing enteric coatings against biochemical degradation. The layer–by–layer (Lbl) assembly of polyelectrolytes through electrostatic interactions can be readily tailored to control the size, structure, and stability of the film and microcapsules. In this study, microcapsules were fabricated by alternately depositing poly (dimethyldiallylammonium chloride) PDDA, glucose oxidase (GOx), and polyacrylic acid (PAA) to form multilayer shells on a MnCO3 template and onto insulin particles by Lbl method. Also, the physical characteristic and release mechanism of thin films incorporating insulin sandwiched between [2(dimethyl amino) ethyl methacrylate] (PDMAEMA), with polymer/GOx layers were compared with the fabricated microcapsules. The synthesized shells have shown stability at pH 4 and become unstable at neutral pH. The fabricated insulin loaded microcapsules and films showed an on–off mechanism in the presence of glucose. Exposure to glucose solutions resulted in the production of gluconic acid; as a result, there was a change in the conformation of the polymer, releasing the embedded insulin. The drug release profiles observed indicates their potential application for the controlled release of insulin.
UrbanAccess: Generalized Methodology for Measuring Regional Accessibility with an Integrated Pedestrian and Transit Network

Measures of accessibility have long been an important metric in regional transportation planning and modeling. However, new methods are needed to provide computationally efficient, multiscale, free, transparent, and customizable tools that harness open and disparate sources of transportation network data at fine spatial resolution over large geographic extents. This research presents a new open source tool, UrbanAccess, which uses a generalized and scalable methodology to measure transit accessibility with a multimodal network comprising both pedestrian and operational schedule transit networks at a fine spatial scale over large metropolitan extents. A typical use for this tool is illustrated in a case study that characterizes regional transit accessibility in the San Francisco Bay Area in California.
Analysis on Aerodynamic Characteristics of a Paraglider Airfoil

Paraglider sail (canopy) consists of a series of flexible boxes pressurized by special openings located at the leading edge, in the region near to the front stagnation point. Therefore, in order to avoid the deflation of the wing, the pressure inside the sail must remain above a certain threshold. To investigate this problem it has been considered an airfoil with a typical paraglider geometry, equipped with air intakes. The aerodynamic behavior was determined by performing experimental, Xfoil and CFD numerical analysis. Hollow models were made by a rapid prototyping and have been tested in a wind tunnel; forces and moments on the profile and the pressure inside the canopy were measured. The internal pressure of the canopy and the upstream pressure gradient of the inlet have been compared in the case of airfoil with and without inlets. The pressure inside the airfoil has been satisfactorily related with numerical estimations and, subsequently, a new airfoil shape, with a different configuration of the inlets, has been developed by using an optimization process based on a multi-objective genetic algorithm. The new shape optimizes the internal pressure, especially at low angle of attack.