Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The delta C-13 chemostratigraphy of the Upper Ordovician Mjosa Formation at Furuberget near Hamar, southeastern Norway: Baltic, Trans-Atlantic, and Chinese relations

Whereas no studies have previously been carried out on the delta C-13 chemostratigraphy of the Sandbian-Katian (Upper Ordovician) succession anywhere in Norway, such investigations in Sweden and the East Baltic region have made the delta C-13 chemostratigraphy of that interval well known. 1 an attempt to document for the first time the presence of the globally distributed and stratigraphically important Guttenberg Carbon Isotope Excursion (GICE), 45 samples were collected at 2 m intervals through the Furnesfjorden and Galas members of the Mjosa Formation from two sections at Furuberget in the Nes-Hamar District 70 km north of the City of Oslo. Relatively high delta C-13 values, which are interpreted to represent the GICE, were obtained throughout the Galls Member. The presence of this delta C-13 excursion in the middle part of the Mjosa Formation, combined with biostratigraphic and other evidence, are used for detailed correlations of the Mjosa Formation with other successions in Baltoscandia, North America, and on the Yangtze Platform in southern China.
Argentina-Canada from 1870: Explaining the dynamics of divergence

Argentina and Canada started their industrialization processes while exporting natural resources and importing capital goods. These two nations were sparsely populated but received significant inflows of European immigrants since the second half of the nineteenth century. Until the start of World War II, both economies experienced similar per-capita GDPs. However, the gap between both per-capita GDPs began to grow, widening throughout the century. We carry out an empirical study of the deep determinants of the divergence process between both economies. We confirm that while Canada was drawn into a successful path due to the adjacency with a bigger and complementary economy, Argentina fell into a “staple trap”.
Estrategias de Aculturación, Indicadores de Salud Mental y Bienestar Psicológico en un grupo de inmigrantes sudamericanos en Chile

El objetivo del presente trabajo fue determinar la relacion existente entre las estrategias de aculturacion con la salud mental y el bienestar psicologico en una muestra de inmigrantes Sudamericanos procedentes de Bolivia, Peru y Colombia. Participaron 109 personas, todas residentes en las ciudades de Antofagasta y Calama, seleccionadas por medio del procedimiento de encuestado conducido (respondent-driven sampling). Para medir la variable principal (aculturacion) se utilizo la escala de estrategias de aculturacion de Berry. Las variables dependientes fueron medidas por medio del inventario de sintomatologia clinica SCL-90, escala de bienestar psicologico y percepcion de problemas sociales. Los resultados indican diferencias significativas en una serie de dimensiones de dichas escalas en los distintos grupos formados por las estrategias de aculturacion.ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between acculturation strategies with psychological well being and mental health on a sample of South American immigrants from Bolivia, Peru and Colombia. The study uses the data of 109 foreign immigrants, all of whom reside in the cities of Antofagasta and Calama, selected through the respondent-driven sampling procedure. To measure the independent variable (acculturation) was used the acculturation strategies scale from Berry. The dependent variables were measured by clinical symptom inventory SCL-90 scale of psychological wellbeing and perceived social problems. The results indicate significant differences in a number of dimensions of these scales in the different groups formed by the strategies of acculturation.
TECHNOLOGY, CLIMATE CHANGE, PRODUCTIVITY AND LAND USE IN BRAZILIAN AGRICULTURE

The Ricardian model of climate change impacts is extended to include technological services from private and public agricultural research programs and climate change impacts on land use. The extended model is estimated for Brazil and the climate-land value, climate-land use, the technology-land value and the technology-land use linkages estimates are used to simulate both climate change and technology service impacts. Two sets of implications for policy emerge from the estimates of climate and technological change for Brazilian agriculture. The first set is indirect regarding the urgency and importance of policies designed to slow climate change. The second set is direct regarding policies to compensate for and ameliorate climate change.
Optimal Monetary and Macroprudential Policies: Gains and Pitfalls in a Model of Financial Intermediation

We estimate a quantitative general equilibrium model with nominal rigidities and financial intermediation to examine the interaction of monetary and macroprudential stabilization policies. The estimation procedure uses credit spreads to help identify the role of financial shocks amenable to stabilization via monetary or macroprudential instruments. The estimated model implies that monetary policy should not respond strongly to the credit cycle and can only partially insulate the economy from the distortionary effects of financial frictions/shocks. A counter-cyclical macroprudential instrument can enhance welfare, but faces important implementation challenges. In particular, a Ramsey planner who adjusts a leverage tax in an optimal way can largely insulate the economy from shocks to intermediation, but a simple-rule approach must be cautious not to limit credit expansions associated with efficient investment opportunities. These results demonstrate the importance of considering both optimal Ramsey policies and simpler, but more practical, approaches in an empirically grounded model.
Monitoring levels of dissolved methane and metals in Maryland streams overlying the Marcellus Shale prior to hydraulic fracturing

In western Maryland above the Marcellus Shale, 25 streams were monitored for baseline concentrations of dissolved CH 4 , Sr 2+ , and Ba 2+ , constituents that may be affected by fracking activity. Migrated shale CH 4 may intrude streams, and Sr 2+ and Ba 2+ may be introduced by fracking fluid leakages or spills. Stream constituents were also measured in Maryland's coastal plain for reference. In western Maryland, CH 4 concentrations are significantly variable yet in agreement with concentrations reported for other North American pristine rivers. Measurements of δ 13 C-CH 4 suggest CH 4 is primarily biogenic. Dissolved Sr 2+ and Ba 2+ are spatially and temporally variable, although Sr/Ba ratios are relatively stable at most sites, indicating these may be useful fracking fluid tracers. Major ions Na
Value of information for water quality management

There is now much interest in comprehensive watershed‐based approaches to water quality protection. While there is much to be said in favor of such an approach, it is also clear that implementation requires information that is often lacking. Given that information acquisition is costly, decisions are required about the types and amounts of information that should be sought. We examine the expected value of different types of information for price and quantity instruments for agricultural nitrogen pollution control in the Susquehanna River Basin. We also compare the ex ante economic efficiency of price and quantity instruments. The analysis explicitly accounts for public sector uncertainty about the benefits and costs of pollution reductions, with economic efficiency measured as the expected benefits less the expected costs of pollution reductions. We find optimized price controls to outperform optimized quantity controls under a range of possible information structures. For both instruments, information collection improves policy performance, with information about the benefits of pollution reductions having the greatest impact. The performance of the quantity instrument is more sensitive to information than is the price instrument. In consequence, the value of information to reduce benefit and cost uncertainty is greater for the quantity control.
BALANCE ENERGÉTICO DEL ROTÍFERO Brachionus rotundiformis TSCHUGUNOFF 1921, ALIMENTADO CON CUATRO ESPECIES DE MICROALGAS

Se estimo el balance energetico del rotifero Brachionus rotundiformis alimentado con las microalgas Nannochloropsis spp . (Nano), Chaetoceros muelleri (Cham), Isochysis spp . (Iso) y Phaeodactylum tricornutum (Phat) a temperatura y salinidad de 29 o C y 35 ups, respectivamente. Nano e Iso constituyen dietas frecuentes durante el cultivo de B. rotundiformis . Cham y Phat se incluyeron a n de evaluarlas como posibles dietas alternativas para el cultivo de la especie. Con base en la ecuacion P = A - (R+U), en unidades de mJ rot -1 h-1 ; el balance energetico de B. rotundiformis alimentado con las cuatro dietas puede resumirse de la siguiente manera, Nano: P = 0.67 - (0.05 + 8.48 x 10 -5 ) = 0.62; Iso: P = 0.76 - (0.06 + 8.33 x 10 -5 ) = 0.61; Cham: P = 0.41 - (0.07 + 2.94 x 10 -5 ) = 0.33; Phat: P = 0.72 - (0.06 + 12.05 x 10 -5 ) = 0.65. Esto indica que los campos de crecimiento (P) fueron diferentes (p < 0.05), con valores mayores y de igual magnitud con las microalgas Nano, Iso y Phat; mientras que con Cham, el campo de crecimiento fue aproximadamente un 50% menor que el resto de las dietas probadas. Los resultados de este trabajo conrman la importancia de Nano e Iso como mejores dietas para mantener cultivos estables de rotiferos. No obstante, los balances energeticos positivos obtenidos con Cham y Phat, mayor en esta ultima, indican que ambas microalgas pueden ser utilizadas en el cultivo masivo del rotifero B. rotundiformis .
Transtensional deformation in the evolution of the Bohai Basin, northern China

Abstract Extensional basins with an element of strike-slip deformation can form because of a perturbation in a strike-slip fault zone (pull-apart and fault wedge basins), or where extension is oblique to the margins of the deforming zone (transtensional basins). Transtensional basins are characterized by en echelon arrays of normal faults which are individually oblique to the basin margins. The Bohai Basin, northern China, has previously been modelled as either (1) a giant pull-apart between NNE-SSW trending dextral strike-slip faults, or (2) a rift basin caused by WNW-ESE extension, without significant strike-slip deformation. We present a model for the Bohai Basin’s rift history in which the basin formed as a result of dextral transtension. The Bohai Basin is one of a family of early Tertiary extensional basins present within eastern Asia from northeastern Russia to southeast China. The structural grain in this basin was inherited from a phase of late Mesozoic sinistral transpression. Tertiary extension began in the Paleocene. Most half-grabens in the eastern and western regions of the Bohai Basin have master faults with a NE-SW or NNE-SSW orientation. Secondary normal faults strike oblique to the main structures, in en echelon arrays which indicate a component of dextral transtension. The central part of the basin, the Bozhong Depression, became a significant depocentre for the first time in the middle Eocene. It formed when activity on transtensional zones to its east and west created an extensional overlap between them. Thus the basin as a whole resembles a giant pull-apart basin, with the Bozhong Depression as its central depocentre, but dextral transtension rather than simple strike-slip controlled the deformation. The component of dextral deformation in the Bohai Basin is shared by other early Tertiary east Asian extensional basins, and is consistent with the sense of shear implied by the oblique convergence of the Pacific and Asian plates: an east-west convergence vector applied to a NE-SW trending plate boundary. The consistency of this dextral shear along the Asian margin, and the fact that several of these basins pre-date the India-Asia collision, supports an origin by subduction roll-back of the oceanic Pacific plate from Asia. The extrusion model for east Asian basin formation, whereby extension was caused by lateral transport of lithospheric blocks out of India’s northward path following the India-Asia collision, is not applicable to major basins east and northeast of the Red River Fault.
Sensitivity of the multiannual thermal dynamics of a deep pre‐alpine lake to climatic change

The study of the multiannual thermal dynamics of Lake Iseo, a deep lake in the Italian pre‐alpine area, is presented. Interflow was found to be the dominant river entrance mode, suggesting future susceptibility of the lake thermal structure to the overall effects of climate change expected in the upstream alpine watershed. A lake model employed the results of a long‐term hydrologic model to simulate the effects of a climate change scenario on the lake's thermal evolution for the period 2012–2050. The model predicts an overall average increase in the lake water temperature of 0.012 °C/year and a reinforced Schmidt thermal stability of the water column in the winter up to 800 J/m2. Both these effects may further hinder the deep circulation process, which is vital for the oxygenation of deep water. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Uncertainty assessment of ephemeral gully identification, characteristics and topographic threshold when using aerial photographs in agricultural settings

Manual digitizing on aerial photographs is still commonly used for characterizing gully erosion over large areas. Even when automated detection procedures are implemented, manual digitizing is frequently being resorted to in order to constitute reference datasets used for training and validation. In both cases, manual digitizing entails some subjective decisions on behalf of the operator, which introduces uncertainty into the resulting datasets. To assess the magnitude of this uncertainty, 11 experienced operators were asked to digitize and classify ephemeral gullies (EGs) on cropland following a standardized methodology. The resulting 11 datasets were compared in terms of number, type and location of EGs. Furthermore, for EGs located on a well‐defined runoff flow concentration axis, the slope versus contributing area topographic thresholds required for initiating gully channels were assessed using four thresholding methods, and compared across the 11 datasets. The operators identified 259 different EGs. However, the number (52–139) and sum total length (8.9–23.7 km) of EGs varied widely across operators. Only 34% of the EGs were digitized by more than half of the operators, and 7% were identified by all. Identification of EGs located on a well‐defined flow concentration axis proved least subjective. The longer the EG and the more fields the EG crossed, the larger the number of operators that were able to identify it. EGs were also most easily identified when located in sugar beet fields as compared to other crops. EG classification and topographic threshold lines were also found to be strongly operator‐dependent. Quantile regression appeared to be one of the most robust thresholding methods. Operator subjectivity when digitizing EGs on orthophotographs introduces uncertainty that should be taken into account in future remote sensing‐based studies of EG erosion whenever they rely, in part or in full, on manual photograph interpretation. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Temporal variability of near‐bottom dissolved oxygen during upwelling off central Oregon

[1] In the productive central-Oregon coastal upwelling environment, wind-driven upwelling, tides, and topographic effects vary across the shelf, setting the stage for varied biogeochemical responses to physical drivers. Current, temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen (DO) measurements from three moorings deployed during the upwelling seasons of 2009–2011 off the central-Oregon coast are analyzed over three time bands (interannual, subtidal, tidal) to explore the relationship between mid (70 m) and inner-shelf (15 m) upwelling dynamics and the associated effect on DO. Topographic effects are observed in each time band due to the Heceta and Stonewall Bank complex. Seasonal cumulative hypoxia (DO < 1.4 mL L−1) calculations identify two regions, a well-ventilated inner shelf and a midshelf vulnerable to hypoxia (98 ± 15 days annually). On tidal timescales, along-shelf diurnal (K1) velocities are intensified over the Bank, 0.08 m s−1 compared with 0.03 m s−1 to the north. Interannual variability in the timing of spring and fall transitions, defined using glider-measured continental slope source water temperature, is observed on the midshelf. Interannual source water DO concentrations vary on the order of 0.1 mL L−1. Each spring and summer, DO decline rates are modulated by physical and biological processes. The net observed decrease is about 30% of the expected draw down due to water-column respiration. Physical processes initiate low-oxygen conditions on the shelf through coastal upwelling and subsequently prevent the system via advection and mixing from reaching the potential anoxic levels anticipated from respiration rates alone.
High Diet Quality Is Associated with a Lower Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and All-Cause Mortality in Older Men123

Although diet quality is implicated in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, few studies have investigated the relation between diet quality and the risks of CVD and mortality in older adults. This study examined the prospective associations between dietary scores and risk of CVD and all-cause mortality in older British men. A total of 3328 men (aged 60–79 y) from the British Regional Heart Study, free from CVD at baseline, were followed up for 11.3 y for CVD and mortality. Baseline food-frequency questionnaire data were used to generate 2 dietary scores: the Healthy Diet Indicator (HDI), based on WHO dietary guidelines, and the Elderly Dietary Index (EDI), based on a Mediterranean-style dietary intake, with higher scores indicating greater compliance with dietary recommendations. Cox proportional hazards regression analyses assessed associations between quartiles of HDI and EDI and risk of all-cause mortality, CVD mortality, CVD events, and coronary heart disease (CHD) events. During follow-up, 933 deaths, 327 CVD deaths, 582 CVD events, and 307 CHD events occurred. Men in the highest compared with the lowest EDI quartile had significantly lower risks of all-cause mortality (HR: 0.75; 95% CI: 0.60, 0.94; P-trend = 0.03), CVD mortality (HR: 0.63; 95% CI: 0.42, 0.94; P-trend = 0.03), and CHD events (HR: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.45, 0.97; P-trend = 0.05) but not CVD events (HR: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.60, 1.05; P-trend = 0.16) after adjustment for sociodemographic, behavioral, and cardiovascular risk factors. The HDI was not significantly associated with any of the outcomes. The EDI appears to be more useful than the HDI for assessing diet quality in relation to CVD and morality risk in older men. Encouraging older adults to adhere to the guidelines inherent in the EDI criteria may have public health benefits.
Radar-based pluvial flood forecasting over urban areas: Redbridge case study

A nowcasting model coupled with an urban drainage model is used in this study to assess the forecasting of pluvial floods in urban areas. The deterministic nowcasting model used in this paper is part of the UK Met Office STEPS (Short-Term Ensemble Prediction System) system, and the hydraulic model is run following the 1D/1D dual drainage simulation scheme. A highly-urbanised catchment, Cranbrook (located in the London borough of Redbridge), is employed as case study to analyse the associated uncertainties. The main aim of this work is to assess the impact of using rainfall forecasts with different spatial and temporal resolutions to forecast pluvial flooding over urban areas. Preliminary results show that promising performance in hydraulic forecasting is in general observed by using higher spatial and temporal resolution nowcasts as inputs; this implies the necessity of using advanced radar-based nowcasting techniques to improve the state-of-the-art pluvial flood forecasting over urban areas.
Interferon-gamma release assays for diagnosing mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in renal dialysis patients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES End-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients are at high risk for tuberculosis (TB). IFN-gamma release assays that assess immune responses to specific TB antigens offer potential advantages over tuberculin skin testing (TST) in screening such patients for Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. This study sought to determine whether IFN-gamma release assay results are more closely associated with recent TB exposure than TST results. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, AND MEASURES Prospective cohort investigation of patients at a hemodialysis center with a smear-positive case of TB. Patients without a history of TB underwent initial and repeat testing with TST, and with the IFN-gamma assays QuantiFERON-TB Gold (QFT-G) and ELISPOT test. Outcome measures included the prevalence of positive test results, identification of factors associated with positive results, and test result discordance. RESULTS A total of 100 (47% foreign born; median age, 55 yr; age range, 18 to 83 yr) of 124 eligible patients were enrolled. Twenty-six persons had positive TST results, 21 had positive QFT-G results, and 27 had positive ELISPOT results. Patients with TB case contact were likely to have a positive QFT-G result (P = 0.02) and ELISPOT results (P = 0.04), whereas TB case contact was not associated with positive TST results (P = 0.7). Positive TST results were associated with foreign birth (P = 0.04) and having had a TST in the previous year (P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS Positive IFN-gamma assay results were more closely associated with recent TB exposure than were positive TST results. QFT-G and ELISPOT might offer a better method for detecting TB infection in ESRD patients.