Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Thermal evolution of the mantle following continental aggregation in 3D convection models

The claim that supercontinents insulate the mantle is largely based on recognition that seismically slow mantle below the Atlantic‐African geoid high coincides with the former location of Pangea. We investigate the viability of continental insulation by varying both plate geometries and mantle properties in six three‐dimensional (3D) mantle convection models. The efficiency of continental insulation is quantified by calculating the rate of change of the average temperature in the subcontinental mantle. Our findings generally agree with two‐dimensional (2D) modeling results. However, we conclude that 2D convection models may exaggerate subcontinental heating, particularly in largely bottom heated cases, and that subcontinental heating results from an absence of subduction in the subcontinental mantle rather than the insulation of active upwellings. Correspondingly, we find that when large degrees of internal heating are present in the mantle, hotter‐than‐average regions evolve below large oceanic plates.
Satellite Altimetry and Earth Sciences: A Handbook of Techniques and Applications

Satellite altimetry is not new. The first measurements were made from Skylab in 1973. However, altimetry has blossomed since the early 1990s, especially with results from the TOPEX/Poseidon altimeter mission, which began in 1992 and continues today. Few people missed seeing altimeter-derived images or movies of the El Ninno/La Nina events in the late 1990s on television newscasts, though many may not have realized the source.
Seasonal variation of surface and atmospheric cloud radiative forcing over the globe derived from satellite data

Global distributions of surface and atmospheric cloud radiative forcing parameters have been derived using parameterized radiation models with satellite meteorological data from the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project, and directly measured top-of-atmosphere radiative fluxes from the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment. Specifically, shortwave, longwave, and total cloud forcing at the surface, and column-averaged values of longwave cloud forcing of the atmosphere were derived for the midseasonal months of April, July, and October 1985 and January 1986, covering a complete annual cycle. Seasonal variability is illustrated by comparing the results for July 1985 and January 1986, which represent the seasonal extremes. Surface shortwave cloud forcing is always negative, representing a cooling of the surface, with strongest cooling (-120 to -180 W/sq m) occurring over midlatitude storm tracks of the summer hemisphere. Surface longwave cloud forcing is always positive, representing a warming of the surface, with strongest warming (60 to 75 W/sq m) occurring over storm tracks of the winter hemisphere. Zonal averages show the entire summer hemisphere dominated by shortwave cooling, the middle and high latitudes of the winter hemisphere dominated by longwave warming, and a broad zone of transition in between. The globally averaged total cloud forcing amounts to a coolingmore » throughout the year, ranging from a low of about -12 W/sq m for July 1985 to a high of about -25 W/sq m for January 1986. The longwave cloud forcing of the atmosphere shows a strong warming over deep convective regions in the tropics and a moderate cooling outside the tropics, amounting to a weak cooling (-2 to -5 W/sq m) in the global average. « less
Network modeling of permeability evolution during cementation and hot isostatic pressing

Permeability of rocks may evolve as a complicated function of porosity during hydrothermal compaction. Recent laboratory studies on hot-pressed calcite and naturally lithified Fontainebleau sandstone reveal that there exist three regimes with distinctly different permeability-porosity relationships. At relatively high porosities, permeability changes with porosity reduction following a power law (k∝ϕα) with an exponent α≈3 (regime 1). At low porosities, the power law no longer applies and an accelerated reduction in permeability is found (regime 2). Finally, the permeability becomes too small to be measured, which implies that the pore space is disconnected and there is no percolation (regime 3). Similar behavior and three separate regimes have also been observed in the evolution of electrical conductivity with porosity in hot-pressed quartz. In this study, we developed a unified model based on percolation theory and the simulation of random networks to analyze the evolution of permeability and electrical conductivity in regimes 1 and 2. We incorporated a random shrinkage model and a connectivity loss model in a three-dimensional cubic network to account for the two distinct regimes. In regime 1, we kept the network connectivity at 100% and reduced the diameter of an arbitrary bond by a shrinkage factor randomly distributed between 0 and 1. In regime 2, we reduced the network connectivity from 100% to the percolation threshold while maintaining the same pore size distribution. For Fontainebleau sandstone, the pore size distribution is constrained by microstructural observations from automated image analysis and stereological measurements. For hot-pressed calcite and quartz, since microstructural data were not available, we made preliminary measurements on one available micrograph of a calcite sample. Our simulations predict changes in permeability and pore statistics as a function of porosity which show good agreement with the laboratory data. In accordance with percolation theory, the ratio between interconnected and total porosities is given by the ratio between the order parameter and the bond occupation probability of the network. Detailed observations of the interconnected porosity and total porosity of calcite during hot isostatic pressing are in good agreement with the theoretical prediction. Implications of our modeling results on the kinetics of healing and diagenetic processes are also discussed.
How undergraduate medical students reflect on instructional practices and class attendance: a case study from the Shifa College of Medicine, Pakistan

The goal of this study was to assess student perceptions of a variety of instructional practices and attitudes toward class attendance. Data were obtained and analyzed by administering a questionnaire to students of the Shifa College of Medicine, Pakistan in 2011 and 2012. The subjects positively assessed most instructional practices, and in particular felt that teaching sessions conducted in small groups were more valuable than formal lectures in large groups. Students did not like having to give presentations, quizzes, panel discussions, and journal club. A positive correlation was found between the perceived importance of attendance and levels of academic motivation. Of the students surveyed, 11.8% were against mandatory attendance, saying that it reduced motivation and that attendance should be optional. In conclusion, the students had a positive perception of a range of instructional practices, and felt especially positively about practices that involve student activity in small groups. Programmatic improvement in instructional practices might increase class attendance.
Late Glacial and Holocene Glacier and Vegetation Fluctuations at Little Swift Lake, Southwestern Alaska, U.S.A

Abstract Multiproxy data from Little Swift Lake, an alpine lake in southwestern Alaska, provide evidence for pronounced late glacial and Holocene environmental change. An alpine glacier upvalley of Little Swift Lake retreated following the Younger Dryas chronozone, as evidenced by sedimentological changes in the lake record. Glacier retreat was accompanied by local and regional vegetation changes, including the expansion of Betula and contraction of Cyperaceae, in response to climatic amelioration. Warm, moist conditions between ∼9800 and 8000 cal yr B.P. supported abundant Betula shrubs and high lake and watershed productivity. Alnus rapidly expanded near Little Swift Lake while the region cooled between 8000 and 7500 cal yr B.P. Environmental changes at Little Swift Lake appear to have been roughly synchronous with similar changes elsewhere in southwestern Alaska, but late glacial and Holocene changes in other parts of Alaska were different in nature and timing. The complex spatial and temporal patterns of late glacial and Holocene environmental change throughout Alaska point to the importance of local- and regional-scale factors, especially controls on moisture availability, as modulators of site-specific responses to hemispheric- and global-scale climate forcing.
ORIGIN OF ZIRCON RIMS AROUND ILMENITE IN MAFIC PLUTONIC ROCKS OF PROTEROZOIC ANORTHOSITE SUITES

Zircon rims around ilmenite occur in a wide variety of mafic plutonic rocks (Fe–Ti oxide ores, anorthosite, and gabbro) from unmetamorphosed Proterozoic intrusions in the Grenville Province of eastern Canada (Havre-Saint-Pierre, Mattawa and Saint- Urbain anorthosites, Quebec; Twin Lakes intrusive complex, Ontario) and the western U.S. (Laramie anorthosite, Wyoming). The rims range from a few μm to 100 μm across and occur along grain boundaries between Ti-based oxide minerals (mainly ilmenite and exsolved ferrian ilmenite, but also rutile) or between silicate minerals (plagioclase and biotite) and Ti-based oxide minerals. The zircon rims contain very low concentrations of P (<447 ppm), U (0.9–1.1 ppm) and Th (15–19 ppm), which, coupled with the restriction of the rims to ilmenite grain boundaries, rules out formation from high-temperature, zircon-saturated interstitial liquid and from low-temperature hydrothermal fluids. There is no textural evidence that zircon replaced pre-existing baddeleyite that may have formed by an oxidation–exsolution mechanism from ilmenite. The textural and compositional characteristics of the zircon rims are consistent with an origin by diffusion of Zr from ilmenite to grain boundaries during slow cooling and subsequent reaction with available Si from adjacent silicate minerals (or from ilmenite itself) to form zircon. A positive correlation between whole-rock TiO2 and Zr contents in samples of Fe–Ti oxide ores from Saint-Urbain and Big Island (Havre-Saint-Pierre) (up to 500 ppm in massive ilmenite ore) confirms that Zr is compatible in ilmenite crystallized from ferrobasaltic magmas. Mass-balance constraints demonstrate that the observed quantities of zircon can be derived from Zr-bearing ilmenite crystallized from basaltic magmas with typical Zr concentrations (161–252 ppm) after fractionation of Zr-free minerals (150–247 ppm). Zircon rims are not expected to occur in ilmenite-bearing basaltic lavas and high-level intrusions owing to rapid cooling, but zircon rims may be a common feature of slowly cooled plutonic rocks that crystallize from ferrobasaltic magmas. The U–Pb dating of these rims may provide additional constraints on the thermal evolution of a given plutonic rock.
Estimation of root water uptake parameters by inverse modeling with soil water content data

In this paper we have tested the feasibility of the inverse modeling approach to derive root water uptake parameters (RWUP) from soil water content data using numerical experiments for three differently textured soils and for an optimal drying period. The RWUP of interest are the rooting depth and the bottom root length density. In a first step, a thorough sensitivity analysis was performed. This showed that soil water content dynamics is relatively insensitive to RWUP and that the sensitivity depends on the texture of the considered soil. For medium‐fine textured soil, the sensitivity is particularly low due to relatively high unsaturated hydraulic conductivity values. These ones allow a “compensating effect” to occur, i.e., vertical unsaturated water fluxes overshadowing in some way the root water uptake. In a second step, we analyzed the well‐posedness of the solution (stability and nonuniqueness) when only RWUP are optimized. For this case, the inverse problem is clearly ill‐posed except for the estimation of the rooting depth parameter for coarse and the very fine textured soils. In a third step, we addressed the case where RWUP are estimated simultaneously with additional parameters of the system (i.e., with soil hydraulic parameters). For this case, our study showed that the inverse problem is well‐posed for the coarse and very fine textured soils, allowing for the estimation of both RWUP of interest provided that a powerful global optimization algorithm is used. On the contrary, the estimation of RWUP is unfeasible for medium‐fine textured soil due to the “compensating effect” of the vertical unsaturated water flows. In conclusion, we can state that the inverse modeling approach can be applied to derive RWUP for some soils (coarse and very fine textured) and that the feasibility is strongly improved if the RWUP are simultaneously optimized with additional parameters. Nevertheless, more detailed research is needed to apply the inverse modeling approach to real cases for which additional issues are likely to be encountered such as soil heterogeneity and root dynamics.
Snow variability in Romania in connection to large‐scale atmospheric circulation

Daily measurements of snow depth, cumulated precipitation and mean temperature from 105 meteorological stations with continuous record over the 1961–2010 period were analysed for trends with the Mann–Kendall nonparametric test. Trends in the number of days with snow cover, and in the mean snow depth are decreasing at 29 and 18% of the stations, respectively. The decrease in snow depth affects the intra‐Carpathian region and Northeastern Romania. The most dramatic change concerns the number of snowfall days, which is decreasing at 82% of the locations. There is a slight decrease in precipitation amount, significant at only 8% of the stations. The mean temperature is increasing at 47% of the stations, while the number of days with temperature over 0 °C shows upward trends at 63% of the stations. Overall, the winter season in Romania has changed substantially. All snow‐related parameters show significant negative correlations with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index for winter. The NAO has a strong impact throughout the country suggesting that the winter variability in Romania is driven by the large‐scale circulation over the North Atlantic. Copyright © 2013 Royal Meteorological Society
Studies On Some Aspects Of Burrows Pattern Of Monitor Lizard ( V.bengalensis ) In The Karachi And Hyderabad, Sindh, Pakistan

In the Areas of two major cities of sindh viz Karachi and Hyderabad for the observation were carried out about the Burrows pattern, Holes (House made methods) of V.bengalensis (Monitor lizard) were studied in semi dry areas of the Karachi and Hyderabad (sites) It was observed that the burrows of V.bengalensis has showed much variation in their nature.Several type of habitat (burrows pattern) were studied in the different areas of Karachi and Hyderabad . It was noticed that the mostly size (Hole of mouth and length) of burrows of mature V.bengalensis was almost same in various observation of burrows in the selected studies area.
Incidence of End-Stage Renal Disease Attributed to Diabetes Among Persons with Diagnosed Diabetes — United States and Puerto Rico, 2000–2014

During 2014, 120,000 persons in the United States and Puerto Rico began treatment for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) (i.e., kidney failure requiring dialysis or transplantation) (1). Among these persons, 44% (approximately 53,000 persons) had diabetes listed as the primary cause of ESRD (ESRD-D) (1). Although the number of persons initiating ESRD-D treatment each year has increased since 1980 (1,2), the ESRD-D incidence rate among persons with diagnosed diabetes has declined since the mid-1990s (2,3). To determine whether ESRD-D incidence has continued to decline in the United States overall and in each state, the District of Columbia (DC), and Puerto Rico, CDC analyzed 2000-2014 data from the U.S. Renal Data System and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. During that period, the age-standardized ESRD-D incidence among persons with diagnosed diabetes declined from 260.2 to 173.9 per 100,000 diabetic population (33%), and declined significantly in most states, DC, and Puerto Rico. No state experienced an increase in ESRD-D incidence rates. Continued awareness of risk factors for kidney failure and interventions to improve diabetes care might sustain and improve these trends.
HIV Care Outcomes Among Hispanics or Latinos with Diagnosed HIV Infection — United States, 2015

Data from CDC's National HIV Surveillance System (NHSS)* are used to monitor progress toward achieving national goals set forth in the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention's Strategic Plan (1) and other federal directives† for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing, care, and treatment outcomes and HIV-related disparities in the United States. Recent data indicate that Hispanics or Latinos§ are disproportionately affected by HIV infection. Hispanics or Latinos living with diagnosed HIV infection have lower levels of care and viral suppression than do non-Hispanic whites but higher levels than those reported among blacks or African Americans (2). The annual rate of diagnosis of HIV infection among Hispanics or Latinos is three times that of non-Hispanic whites (3), and a recent study found increases in incidence of HIV infection among Hispanic or Latino men who have sex with men (4). Among persons with HIV infection diagnosed through 2013 who were alive at year-end 2014, 70.2% of Hispanics or Latinos received any HIV medical care compared with 76.1% of non-Hispanic whites (2). CDC used NHSS data to describe HIV care outcomes among Hispanics or Latinos. Among male Hispanics or Latinos with HIV infection diagnosed in 2015, fewer males with infection attributed to heterosexual contact (34.6%) had their infection diagnosed at an early stage (stage 1 = 12.0%, stage 2 = 22.6%) than males with infection attributed to male-to-male sexual contact (60.9%: stage 1 = 25.2%, stage 2 = 35.7%). The percentage of Hispanics or Latinos linked to care after diagnosis of HIV infection increased with increasing age; females aged 45-54 years with infection attributed to injection drug use (IDU) accounted for the lowest percentage (61.4%) of persons linked to care. Among Hispanics or Latinos living with HIV infection, care and viral suppression were lower among selected age groups of Hispanic or Latino males with HIV infection attributed to IDU than among males with infection attributed to male-to-male sexual contact and male-to-male sexual contact and IDU. Intensified efforts to develop and implement effective interventions and public health strategies that increase engagement in care and viral suppression among Hispanics or Latinos (3,5), particularly those who inject drugs, are needed to achieve national HIV prevention goals.
Microscopic Structures in Kaolin Subjected to Direct Shear

Synopsis A clay with near perfect particle parallelism was prepared by consolidating a slurried kaolin in a large oedometer. Shear box samples trimmed at various angles to the compression direction revealed no significant difference in drained strength. Samples with original bedding normal and parallel to the shearing direction were interrupted at various displacements and thin sections prepared after impregnation with Carbowax. The sequence of microscopic shear structures shows that in both cases the features at peak strength result from simple shear conditions and that a continuous horizontal structure appears only towards the residual stage. Intermediate structures are interpreted in terms of the kinematic restraint imposed by the configuration of the box. Detailed examination of the development of kink-bands and compression textures lead to the notion of basal plane slip as the basic mechanism in shear induced structures. Une argile ayant une orientation preferentielle quasi-parfaite a ete preparee en.
Solar cycle modulation of the ENSO impact on the winter climate of East Asia

This study examines how the East Asian winter climate response to the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) varies with the 11‐year solar cycle. The results indicate that the ENSO and East Asian climate relationship is robust and significant during winters with low solar (LS) activity, with evident warming in the lower troposphere over East Asia, which can be closely linked to the decreased pressure gradient between the cold Eurasian continent and the warm Pacific. Moreover, during the LS and El Niño winters, there is a typical rainfall response in Southeast Asia, with wet conditions over South China and dry conditions over the Philippines, Borneo, Celebes, and Sulawesi, which can be explained by the anticyclone over the western North Pacific (WNP). However, during high solar activity winters, both the surface temperature and rainfall anomalies are much less closely associated with the ENSO. The possible mechanism for this solar modulation of the ENSO‐related East Asian climate anomalies may be the change in the tropospheric circulation with the ENSO in both tropical and extratropical regions. Particularly, in the LS cases, an anomalous WNP anticyclone is intensified and a noticeable cyclone occupies northern Northeast Asia, resulting from the changing location and strength of the large‐scale Walker circulation induced by the more pronounced sea surface temperature anomalies associated with the ENSO. Further investigation with long historic data confirms that the relationship between the ENSO and the East Asian winter climate anomalies depends on the phases of 11 year solar cycle, with enhanced East Asian climate variation during the LS winters.