Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Standard Method for Evaluating Radiocarbon Dates of Local Deglaciation: Application to the Deglaciation History of Southern Labrador and Adjacent Québec

Sixty-two radiocarbon dates of marine shells, basal lake sediments, and basal peat deposits from the southeastern part of the Labrador-Ungava Peninsula, Canada, were evaluated for their accuracy and precision in estimating local deglaciation time. A procedure for the consistent evaluation of basal dates of lake sediments was developed after consideration of the problems with dating early-postglacial sediments. Of the 62 dates, 42 were selected to construct the regional deglaciation chronology, interpreted in the context of the glacial geology of the area. Late Wisconsin ice stretched to or beyond the present-day coastline throughout the study area, except in southeastern Labrador where the extreme southeastern coast was probably ice-free during Late Wisconsin time. Deglaciation began in southeastern Labrador by 13.OK. It proceeded slowly at first, and between 9.7K and 10.5K the retreating ice formed the Paradise Moraine, which parallels the southeastern Labrador coastline. In contrast, the coast at Sept-iles was not ice-free until about 9.4K. Shortly thereafter the extensive Quebec North Shore Moraine System developed, although its precise age is uncertain. The position of the ice margin at 8.0K is uncertain, but may still have been near the Quebec North Shore Moraine System. After 8.0K ice retreat was rapid, although extensive ice persisted at 6.5K in western Labrador and adjacent Quebec. Final wastage of ice occurred in two localities in the center of the Labrador-Ungava Peninsula just after 6.OK. The precision of the well-dated glacial isochrones is estimated to be about ± 23 km.
A Study On The Applicability Of SERVQUAL Dimensions Of Web Sites

A survey has been undertaken amongst students of two universities (Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands, and Northeastern University Boston, USA) to study what quality factors are perceived as important in relation to their use of web sites. The results of the questionnaire survey are analysed in relation to the five service quality (SERVQUAL) dimensions (tangibles; reliability; responsiveness; assurance; empathy) as developed by Zeithaml et al [1]. There is evidence that the same dimensions are applicable to E-Business, although the underlying aspects have to be specified within the E-Business context.
The politics of large-scale land acquisitions in Ethiopia: state and corporate elites and subaltern villagers

Abstract This article explores the relationship between federal and regional state elites’ land authority and corporate elites, and how this intersects with the politics of subaltern villagers in the context of ongoing land acquisitions in Ethiopia. In the borderland region of Benishangul-Gumuz, the central state is concerned with the control of territory and people and cannot, it is argued, effectively devolve authority to the regional state. Competition over control of land resources is very much an intra-elite dynamic. The complexities that occur, fuelled by the politics of decentralisation, are played out in terms of contradictions in the land deal making, but are also reflected in land disputes and loss of local livelihoods.
The significance of turbulent flow representation in single‐continuum models

Karst aquifers exhibit highly conductive features caused from rock dissolution processes. Flow within these structures can become turbulent and therefore can be expressed by nonlinear gradient functions. One way to account for these effects is by coupling a continuum model with a conduit network. Alternatively, turbulent flow can be considered by adapting the hydraulic conductivity within the continuum model. Consequently, the significance of turbulent flow on the dynamic behavior of karst springs is investigated by an enhanced single‐continuum model that results in conduit‐type flow in continuum cells (CTFC). The single‐continuum approach CTFC represents laminar and turbulent flow as well as more complex hybrid models that require additional programming and numerical efforts. A parameter study is conducted to investigate the effects of turbulent flow on the response of karst springs to recharge events using the new CTFC approach, existing hybrid models, and MODFLOW‐2005. Results reflect the importance of representing (1) turbulent flow in karst conduits and (2) the exchange between conduits and continuum cells. More specifically, laminar models overestimate maximum spring discharge and underestimate hydraulic gradients within the conduit. It follows that aquifer properties inferred from spring hydrographs are potentially impaired by ignoring flow effects due to turbulence. The exchange factor used for hybrid models is necessary to account for the scale dependency between hydraulic properties of the matrix continuum and conduits. This functionality, which is not included in CTFC, can be mimicked by appropriate use of the Horizontal Flow Barrier package for MODFLOW.
Online Survey of Nursing Journal Peer Reviewers: Indicators of Quality in Manuscripts

Nursing journal peer reviewers (N = 1,675) completed a 69-item online survey that assessed their views on manuscripts’ contributions to nursing, priorities in writing reviews, use of journal impact factor, and other areas related to indicators of quality. They reported using contribution to knowledge or research evidence, topic of current interest, and newly emerging area as indicators of a manuscript’s contribution to nursing. In writing their reviews, research rigor and clinical relevance of the manuscript were high priorities. Those familiar with the concept of impact factor were significantly more often not nurses; not United States residents; involved in research; and most often reviewed for journals that published only research or a scholarly mix of research, reviews, policy, and theory. When judging a paper’s contribution, nursing journal peer reviewers weigh both research and clinical interests. Most reviewers do not use impact factors and place clinical considerations ahead of impact factors.
The Taste of War: World War Two and the Battle for Food

The May/June 2011 issue of Foreign Policy magazine was designated 'The Food Issue'. In the lead article, 'The new geopolitics of food', Lester R. Brown writes, 'From the Middle East to Madagascar, high prices are spawning land grabs and ousting dictators. Welcome to the 21st-century food wars'. Lizzie Collingham ends her new book on a similar note: 'The optimistic post-[World War Two] period when food was abundant and cheap appears to be drawing to a close and it seems likely that in the future food will become increasingly scarce and expensive' (p. 501). Indeed, as Lester Brown writes, 'food is the new oil'.
Rare Earth Elements in Ultramafic and Mafic Rocks and their Minerals: Minor and Accessory Minerals

Garnets Brief survey of modern studies into the geochemistry of rare earth elements in garnets General regularity of REE distribution in garnets of the most common of their parageneses On the nature of sinusoidal chondrite-normalized REE patterns of garnets Coefficients of REE distribution between garnets and coexisting melts Coefficients of REE distribution between garnets and coexisting clinopyroxenes and other minerals Some crystal-chemical aspects of the REE isomorphism in garnets Chrome-spinels Ilmenites REE composition of ilmenites Coefficients of REE distribution between ilmenite and coexisting phases Zircons Key regularities of REE distribution in zircons from some types of magmatic and metamorphic rocks Coefficients of REE distribution between zircons and coexisting phases On the isomorphism of REE in zircons and conditions of their crystallization Apatites The REE composition of apatites The coefficients of REE distribution between apatite and melts as well as coexisting perovskites On isomorphism of REE in apatites Titanites Perovskites Micas Some general regularities of REE distribution in the minor and accessory minerals of ultramafic, mafic and some other rocks Geochemical relationship between REE and PGE in mafic and ultramafic rocks and their petrogenetic significance Mafic-ultramafic massifs in Tuva (Russia) Naransky massif (West Mongolia) Kokpektinsky massif (South Urals, Kazakhstan) Ultramafic xenoliths in alkaline basalts from Eifel and Vogelsberg provinces (Germany) Luobusa massif (Southern Tibet, China) Iti and Kallidromon massifs (Greece) Komatiite-basalt complex of North-West Vietnam Komatiite-basalt complexes of Gorgona Island (Colombia), Alexo (Ontario, Canada), Onverwacht, Barberton, Perseverance (Africa) and Kambalda (West Australia) provinces Bushveld massif (South Africa) Muskox massif (Canada) Galmoenan massif (Koryak highland, Russia) Conclusion References Subject index Author index
Birth of ball lightning

[1] Many observations of ball lightning report a ball of light, about 10 cm in diameter, moving at about walking speed, lasting up to 20 s and frequently existing inside of houses and even aeroplanes. The present paper reports detailed observations of the initiation or birth of ball lightning. In two cases, navigation crew of aircraft saw ball lightning form at the windscreen inside the cockpit of their planes. In the first case, the ball lightning occurred during a thunderstorm, with much lightning activity outside of the plane. In the second case, large “horns” of electrical corona were seen outside of the plane at the surface of the radome, just prior to the formation of the ball lightning. A third case reports ball lightning formed inside of a house, during a thunderstorm, at a closed glass window. It is proposed, based on two-dimensional calculations of electron and ion transport, that ball lightning in these cases is driven and formed by atmospheric ions impinging and collecting on the insulating surface of the glass or Perspex windows. This surface charge can produce electric fields inside of the cockpit or room sufficient to sustain an electric discharge. Charges of opposite sign to those outside of the window accumulate on the inside surface of the glass, leaving a ball of net charge moving inside of the cockpit or room to produce a pulsed discharge on a microsecond time scale.
Identification of agricultural crops by computer processing of ERTS-MSS data

Quantitative evaluation of computer-processed ERTS MSS data classifications has shown that major crop species (corn and soybeans) can be accurately identified. The classifications of satellite data over a 2000 square mile area not only covered more than 100 times the area previously covered using aircraft, but also yielded improved results through the use of temporal and spatial data in addition to the spectral information. Furthermore, training sets could be extended over far larger areas than was ever possible with aircraft scanner data. And, preliminary comparisons of acreage estimates from ERTS data and ground-based systems agreed well. The results demonstrate the potential utility of this technology for obtaining crop production information.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Epidemiological Features of Spinal Cord Injury in Wuhan, China: A Comparative Study in Different Time Periods

Background and Objectives: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a severe affliction that can have a profound impact on a person’s ability to move and feel, affecting a significant number of individuals. However, rehabilitation after SCI treatment remains a critical method to improve motor–sensory functions, which improves the patient’s quality of life. This study aims to describe the epidemiological profile of SCI during the COVID-19 pandemic (“COVID-19 period”) and before and after the COVID-19 pandemic (“non-COVID-19 period”) in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. Materials and Methods: Medical records of 93 patients diagnosed with SCI admitted to the rehabilitation department of Wuhan Tongji Hospital from January 2019 to May 2023 were retrospectively reviewed. Basic demographics and clinical characteristics such as level of injury, American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale, treatment method, and concomitant injuries were analyzed. Results: Forty patients with SCI from the non-COVID-19 period and fifty-three patients from the COVID-19 period were identified. The mean ages were 38.80 ± 17.71 and 44.53 ± 13.27 years, respectively, with a consistent male-to-female ratio of 2:1 across both periods. Notably, falls accounted for the most prevalent mechanism of injury, constituting 50% of cases during the non-COVID-19 period and 37.74% during the COVID-19 period. The most common initial ASIA grade was B in the non-COVID-19 period and grade C in the COVID-19 period. In addition, the final ASIA grade after treatment was grade C in the non-COVID-19 period and grade D in the COVID-19 period. Conclusions: A greater proportion of males suffer from SCI, and the primary causes are falls and traffic accidents. Workers are the most vulnerable group to SCI among all patients. Prevention strategies should be customized based on the unique characteristics of SCI patients. This study highlights the importance of SCI rehabilitation.
Distribution of Parent and Alkylated PAHs in Bivalves Collected from Osaka Bay, Japan

− 11 − ABSTRACT To compare the distributions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and alkylated PAHs (alkPAHs) in sessile marine organisms, bivalves were collected from 20 sites along the coastal areas of Osaka Bay in Japan. Both PAHs and alkPAHs in bivalve tissues were determined by GC/MS. Total PAHs (∑PAHs) were 87.3-361, 212214 and 70.9-351 ng/g dry weight (dw) in blue mussels, green mussels and oysters, respectively. Meanwhile, total alkPAHs (∑alkPAHs) were 466-3293, 950-1788 and 2862787 ng/g dw in blue mussels, green mussels and oysters, respectively. When compared to their reported concentrations in sediments, ∑PAH were much lower while ∑alkPAH were higher in bivalves. Moreover, ∑alkPAHs in bivalves of each samling site were 1.89. 8 times higher than ∑PAHs although ∑alkPAHs in sediment of each sampling site were 1.2-4.5 times lower than ∑PAHs. On the other hand, of the PAHs, naphthalene showed the highest concentration in bivalves for most of the sampling sites. Fortunately, benzo(a)pyrene and PAH4 concentrations in bivalves from Osaka Bay were within the EU criteria. For individual alkPAHs in bivalves, the naphthalene, dibenzothiophene, and phenanthrene/anthracene groups were accumulated at relatively high concentrations. These results suggest that the low molecular weight alkPAHs have higher tendency to pollute water columns.
Examination of the deep levels of an island arc: Evidence from the Tonsina ultramafic-mafic assembla

The Tonsina ultramafic and mafic assemblage, located in the northern Chugach Mountains along the Trans-Alaska Crustal Transect (TACT), is interpreted to be the remains of a magma chamber that crystallized at the base of a mature interoceanic island arc. It is one of a number of isolated masses of peridotite and gabbro that comprise the basal part of the Peninsular terrane along the northern fringe of the Chugach Mountains in southern Alaska. These masses, the roots of a mid-Jurassic island arc, have been uplifted along the north dipping Border Ranges fault system and crop out sporadically for 700 km from Kodiak Island to eastern Alaska. The Tonsina ultramafic-mafic assemblage is a layered sequence whose basal rocks are dunite and harzburgite (1 km thick) overlain by a narrow zone of websterite and clinopyroxenite. Above these ultramafic rocks is a 5- to 6-km thick layered gabbro that is garnet bearing at its base. Textural relationships and chemical trends throughout the series of dunite, pyroxenite, garnet bearing gabbro and spinel gabbronorite point to an origin by igneous accumulation from a hydrous, tholeiitic parent magma at deep levels, i.e., at the base of a mature island arc before being emplaced along the Border Ranges fault. The rocks were crystallized from a melt at pressures between 9.5 and 11 kbar (28- to 33-km depth) and equilibrated at temperatures of 800° to 90O°C based on phase relationships in the cumulus assemblages, pyroxene thermobarometry, and olivine-spinel thermometry. Transitional sequences from ultramafic to mafic rocks are characterized by increasingly AL-rich pyroxenes and spinels (or garnet) and the absence of olivine + plagioclase assemblages. Deep-level fractionation of Al-poor phases such as olivine and pyroxene at moderately high pressures and temperatures resulted in concentration of Al in the evolving magma. As crystallization continued, the phases recorded this alumina concentration and the resultant gabbros are Al-rich. This observed trend supports the theory of high-alumina basalt generation by fractional crystallization of olivine and pyroxene. Comparison of the Tonsina rocks with Aleutian lower crustal xenoliths as well as other exposures of arc-related lower crustal magma chambers in Japan, Pakistan, and western North America indicates that this process is a common mechanism for island arc magma evolution at depth.
Physical Controls on Copepod Aggregations in the Gulf of Maine

Abstract : This thesis explores the role that the circulation in the Gulf of Maine (GOM) plays in determining the distribution of dense aggregations of copepods. These aggregations are an important part of the marine ecosystem, especially for endangered North Atlantic right whales. Certain ocean processes may generate dense copepod aggregations, while others may destroy them; this thesis looks at how different characteristics of the GOM circulation fit into these two categories. The first part of the thesis investigates a hypothetical aggregation mechanism in which frontal circulation interacts with copepod behavior to generate a dense patch of copepods. The first two chapters of this thesis address this mechanism in the context of coastal river plumes and salinity fronts. One chapter describes the characteristics and variability of coastal freshwater and salinity fronts using a historical dataset and a realistic numerical model. The seasonal variability of freshwater is tied in part to seasonality in river discharge, while variability on shorter time scales in the frontal position is related to wind stress. Another chapter applies the hypothetical mechanism to idealized river plumes using a suite of numerical models. The structure of the plume and plume-relative circulation change the resulting copepod aggregation from what is expected from the hypothetical mechanism. The second part of the thesis discusses the GOM circulation and how it may eliminate copepod patches. The summertime mean surface circulation and eddy kinetic energy are computed from a Lagrangian drifter dataset and an adaptive technique that allows for higher spatial resolution while also keeping uncertainty low.
Climate change and rock fall events in high mountain areas: numerous and extensive rock falls in 2007 at mittlerer burgstall, central austria

Kellerer‐Pirklbauer, A. , Lieb, G.K. ,Avian, M. and Carrivick, J., 2012. Climate change and rock fall events in high mountain areas: numerous and extensive rock falls in 2007 at Mittlerer Burgstall, Central Austria. Geografiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography, 94, 597ndash;78. doi:10.1111/j.1468‐0459.2011.00449. Abstract Landslides in alpine areas are becoming more frequent. In 2007, a number of rock fall events occurred on the sharp SE‐ridge of the mountain Mittlerer Burgstall (2933 ma.s.l., 47°06′ 07″ N; 12° 42′ 36″ E) completely changing the shape of the mountain. Before the events, the SE‐ridge was sharp with steep rock faces on both sides. The mountain was a nunatak surrounded by two glacier tongues of Pasterze Glacier during the Little Ice Age. In this paper we use geomorphological mapping, permafrost distribution modelling, glacier reconstruction, surface and near‐surface ground temperature data, air temperature data, and airborne laserscanning data to assess these multiple rock fall events. Results show that the entire area of detachment covers 3100 m2. The areas of transportation and deposition cover 85-000m2 partly contributing to the supraglacial debris cover of Pasterze Glacier. The volume of all rock fall deposits is about 56-000m3. Permafrost modelling and ground temperature monitoring indicate that the area of detachment is located near the lower limit of discontinuous permafrost. Permafrost is relatively warm and thin at the summit area of Mittlerer Burgstall with a mean temperature of only –1.0°C at 1.8 m depth in 2007–2010. Substantial surface lowering of the glacier tongues surrounding the mountain on both sides (by −250 and −70 m since the Little Ice Age) changed the stress and strain field in the bedrock. Furthermore, the generally highly fractured bedrock favoured slope instability. The triggering event for the rock falls were most likely the effects of the warm winter of 2006/07 which was 2.2–4.8°C warmer compared to the seven winters before. A monitoring programme regarding future rock falls at Mittlerer Burgstall is ongoing.
The structure of Mars lower atmosphere from Mars Express Radio Science (MaRS) occultation measurements

The Mars Express Radio Science Experiment (MaRS) investigates the lower and middle atmosphere of Mars between the surface and about 40 km with a very high vertical resolution. More than 600 profiles of temperature, pressure, and neutral number density were retrieved between 2004 and 2011 covering four Martian years (MYs 27–30). Radio occultation experiments provide the unique possibility to retrieve geopotential height information to supplement temperature values. The temperature field in the northern winter hemisphere displays strong temperature inversions indicating a pronounced polar warming in the northern polar night (MY 27). The temperature and geopotential fields imply the presence of a strong zonal jet, with peak wind speeds of more than 170 m/s at an altitude of about 30 km (~15 Pa) and a latitude of 60–65°N. The longitudinal temperature and geopotential fields in the southern winter of Martian year 30 at latitudes between 49° and 69°S are dominated by a stationary zonal wave s = 1 structure in the lower atmosphere. Associated meridional wind fields retrieved by assuming geostrophic balance have amplitudes up to 12 m/s at the 200 Pa level. An investigation of small‐scale atmospheric waves reveals enhanced gravity wave activity in the daytime atmosphere above elevated terrain and in the winter extratropics. Radio occultation experiments also provide unique insight into the structure of the planetary boundary layer. The deepest convective boundary layers, up to 10 km, are found over elevated terrain.
GENETIC VARIABILITY, INTERRELATIONSHIP AND PATH ANALYSIS OF YIELD AND YIELD CHARACTERS IN EARLY MATURING INDICA AND JAPONICA RICE GENOTYPES

Indicas were characterised by greater values of mean, range and variance components for yield and yield characters. The GCV was the highest for grains per panicle followed by tiller number, culm length and seedling height in both indicas and japonicas. The genetic advance was also high for those characters with high variability. Both additive and non-additive gene actions were important in the expression of characters in both the botanic varieties. Days to 50 per cent flowering, tiller number and panicle length were positively correlated with plant yield in Indicas. In japonicas, days to 50 per cent flowering showed a positive association while tiller number showed a negative association with plant yield. Selection for panicle length would serve as the best criterion for plant yield in both Indicas and japonicas. Path analysis of yield components showed that seedling height and culm length had considerable direct effect in both indioas and japonicas. In addition, tiller number in indicas and days to 50 per cent flowering in japonicas had positive direct effect.