Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Late Quaternary tectonics, sea-level change and lithostratigraphy along the northern coast of the South China Sea

Abstract This paper examines the Late Quaternary evolutionary history of the northern coast of the South China Sea by reviewing geological evidence from this coast. Results show that: (1) a lithostratigraphy with two marine sequences is observed in the deltaic basins of the Song Hong, Pearl and Han rivers, and these basins are all bounded by active faults; (2) whilst the upper marine sequence belongs to the present interglacial or the past 10.5 ka, the lower or older marine sequence was most likely deposited during the high sea level of the last interglacial period, c. 126–120 ka; (3) the burial depth of the older marine sequence is recorded at −15 m below modern sea level or deeper, implying localized subsidence of varying rates between these deltaic basins because the height of sea level during the last interglacial was close to that of the present; (4) this tectonic process is probably associated with the continuous long-term subsidence of the northern South China Sea continental shelf within the tectonic framework of southward continental extension of the Eurasian Plate during the Cenozoic; (5) fault activity has enhanced the localized subsidence of these deltaic basins, which led to marine inundation during interglacial high sea levels.
Influence of the Waste Layer on Percolation Estimates for Earthen Caps Located in a Sub-humid Climate

In this numerical study, an alternative cap consisting of a vegetative layer and a moisture storage layer was simulated with a bottom boundary consisting of either a lysimeter or an underlying waste layer for a sub-humid northern climate (Detroit, Michigan) using the water balance model Vadose/W. Various combinations of saturated and unsaturated hydraulic properties of the cap layers and the waste layer were simulated using the numerical model. In this study, simulated percolation rates were more for lysimeters compared to caps underlain by the waste.
sample-complexity of Estimating Convolutional and Recurrent Neural Networks How Many Samples are Needed to Estimate a Convolutional or Recurrent Neural Network ? ∗

It is widely believed that the practical success of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs) owes to the fact that CNNs and RNNs use a more compact parametric representation than their Fully-Connected Neural Network (FNN) counterparts, and consequently require fewer training examples to accurately estimate their parameters. We initiate the study of rigorously characterizing the sample-complexity of estimating CNNs and RNNs. We show that the sample-complexity to learn CNNs and RNNs scales linearly with their intrinsic dimension and this sample-complexity is much smaller than for their FNN counterparts. For both CNNs and RNNs, we also present lower bounds showing our sample complexities are tight up to logarithmic factors. Our main technical tools for deriving these results are a localized empirical process analysis and a new technical lemma characterizing the convolutional and recurrent structure. We believe that these tools may inspire further developments in understanding CNNs and RNNs.
A Review of Progress in Modelling Induced Geoelectric and Geomagnetic Fields with special regard to Geomagnetically Induced Currents

The Earth’s lithosphere and mantle responds to Space Weather through time-varying, depthdependent induced magnetic and electric fields. Understanding the properties of these electromagnetic fields is a key consideration in modelling the hazard to technological systems from Space Weather. In this paper we review current understanding of these fields, in terms of regional and global scale geology and geophysics. We highlight progress towards integrated European-scale models of geomagnetic and geoelectric fields, specifically for the purposes of modelling geomagnetically induced currents in power grids and pipelines.
7. PALEOLATITUDE OF THE SOUTHERN KERGUELEN PLATEAU INFERRED FROM THE PALEOMAGNETIC STUDY OF UPPER CRETACEOUS BASALTS1

Paleomagnetic measurements were performed on 106 basalt samples collected from Holes 747C, 748C, 749C, and 750B. Basalt samples were recovered from the southern portion of the Kerguelen Plateau and the transitional zone between the northern and southern plateau in the south central Indian Ocean. The ages of basalts range from 100 to 115 Ma. In addition to the preliminary shipboard measurements (Schlich, Wise, et al., 1989), characteristic inclinations of the magnetization were obtained using mainly stepwise thermal demagnetization of the samples. Reliable paleomagnetic results were obtained from three sites (Sites 747, 748, and 749). The paleomagnetic inclinations of Sites 747, 748, and 749 are -51°, -63°, and -62°, respectively. The considerable differences between the paleomagnetic and present inclinations of about 70° at Sites 747, 748, and 749 indicate that displacement in the direction of the geomagnetic meridian has taken place since formation of the basalt. Shallower paleomagnetic inclinations than the present inclinations at each site imply a southward movement of the sites with respect to the geomagnetic pole. By comparing the apparent polar wander path of Antarctica with the virtual geomagnetic pole (VGP) of the Southern Kerguelen Plateau, we have concluded that no major tectonic movement has taken place between the Kerguelen Plateau and Antarctica since formation of the basalt (i.e., 100-115 Ma). The angular dispersion of the VGP for the Kerguelen Plateau is calculated as 17°.
Factors predicting visual improvement post pars plana vitrectomy for proliferative diabetic retinopathy

誗 AIM : To identify factors predicting visual improvement post vitrectomy for sequelae of proliferative diabetic retinopathy ( PDR ) . 誗 METHODS : This was a retrospective analysis of pars plana vitrectomy indicated for sequelae of PDR from Jan. to Dec. 2014 in Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah , Alor Star , Kedah , Malaysia. Data collected included patient demographics , baseline visual acuity ( VA ) and post - operative logMAR best corrected VA at 1 y. Data analysis was performed with IBM SPSS Statistics Version 22郾 0 . 誗 RESULTS : A total of 103 patients were included. The mean age was 51郾 2 y. On multivariable analysis , each pre - operative positive deviation of 1 logMAR from a baseline VA of 0 logMAR was associated with a post - operative improvement of 0郾 859 logMAR ( P < 0郾 001 ) . Likewise , an attached macula pre - operatively was associated with a 0郾 374 ( P = 0郾 003 ) logMAR improvement post vitrectomy. Absence of iris neovascularisation and absence of post - operative complications were associated with a post vitrectomy improvement in logMAR by 1郾 126 ( P = 0郾 001 ) and 0郾 377 ( P = 0郾 005 ) respectively. Absence of long - acting intraocular tamponade was associated with a 0郾 302 ( P = 0郾 010 ) improvement of logMAR post vitrectomy. 誗 CONCLUSION : Factors associated with visual improvement after vitrectomy are poor pre - operative VA , an attached macula , absence of iris neovascularisation , absence of post - operative complications and abstaining from use of long - acting intraocular tamponade. A thorough understanding of the factors predicting visual improvement will facilitate decision - making in vitreoretinal surgery.
Epidemiology and clinical presentation of gonorrhoea in England & Wales: Findings from the Gonococcal Resistance to Antimicrobials Surveillance Programme 2001-2006

HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers. L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés. Epidemiology and clinical presentation of gonorrhoea in England & Wales: Findings from the Gonococcal Resistance to Antimicrobials Surveillance Programme 2001-2006 Valerie Delpech, Iona M C Martin, Gwenda Hughes, Tom Nichols, Laura James, Catherine A Ison
Targeting Liver Metastases to Potentiate Immunotherapy in MS-Stable Colorectal Cancer—A Review of the Literature

Simple Summary Immunotherapy is an innovative treatment that is highly effective against certain cancers, such as skin and lung cancer. However, for colorectal cancer, one of the most prevalent cancers, it does not benefit most patients. Recent research suggests that by treating liver metastases first, immunotherapy might become effective for those with colorectal cancer. This review delves into the current evidence supporting this strategy, aiming to understand its underlying mechanisms and determine the best way to implement it. If this approach gains widespread acceptance, it could revolutionize how we treat colorectal cancer patients. Abstract Immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment of several cancers, including melanoma and lung cancer. However, for colorectal cancer, it is ineffective for 95% of patients with microsatellite-stable disease. Recent evidence suggests that the liver’s immune microenvironment plays a pivotal role in limiting the effectiveness of immunotherapy. There is also evidence to show that targeting liver metastases with locoregional therapies, such as surgery or irradiation, could potentiate immunotherapy for these patients. This review presents evidence from preclinical studies regarding the underlying mechanisms and from clinical studies that support this approach. Furthermore, we outline potential directions for future clinical trials. This innovative strategy could potentially establish immunotherapy as an effective treatment for MS-stable colorectal cancer patients, which are currently considered resistant.
Parent’s Perceptions About Corporal Punishment And Children’s Academic Behaviour

This current study deals with parent’s perception about children corporal punishment and children academic behaviour in District Malakand, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. A total of 202 respondents (parents) were selected through simple random sampling procedure to portray information. Chi square χ2 and Gamma (γ) statistics were used to determine the level of association and strength and direction of relationship. Majority of the respondents i.e. 86.6% had opined that corporal punishment is due to disrespect of the school authority/teachers, 73.8% respondents, viewed that corporal punishment discourage learning environment, 84.7% answered that corporal is given because student not doing their school work. Moreover, at bivariate level a positive (γ=.964) with significant association (P<0.05) was detected between corporal punishment and disrespect of the school authority/teachers. A positive (γ=.797) with significant relationship (P<0.05) was discovered between corporal punishment and discouraging learning environment. However, a negative (γ= -.832) with significant association (P<0.05) was detected between corporal punishment and helping in character building. A negative (γ= -.545) with significant relationship (P<0.05) was discovered between corporal punishment and produce regularity of children in school. Regular periodic refreshers courses need to be arranged by the education
R-Squared Around the World: New Theory and New Tests

Morck, Yeung and Yu (MYY, 2000) show that R2 and other measures of stock market synchronicity are higher in countries with less developed financial systems and poorer corporate governance. MYY and Campbell, Lettau, Malkiel and Xu (2001) also find a secular decline in R2 in the United States over the last century. We develop a model that explains these results and generates additional testable hypotheses. The model shows how control rights and information affect the division of risk-bearing between inside managers and outside investors. Insiders capture part of the firm’s operating cash flows. The limits to capture are based on outside investors’ perception of the value of the firm. The firm is not completely transparent, however. Lack of transparency shifts firm-specific risk to insiders and reduces the amount of firm-specific risk absorbed by outside investors. Our model also predicts that “opaque” stocks are more likely to crash, that is, to deliver large negative returns. Crashes occur when insiders have to absorb too much firm-specific bad news and decide to "give up. ". We test these predictions using stock returns from all major stock markets from 1990 to 2001. We find strong positive relationships between R2 and several measures of opaqueness. These measures also explain the frequency of large negative returns.
A formal definition of JML in Coq and its application to runtime assertion checking

The Java Modeling Language (JML) is a very rich specification language for Java, which many applications use to describe the desired behavior of a program. The meaning of JML is described in a reference manual using natural language. The richness of JML, and the inherent ambiguity of natural language leads to many different interpretations of the same specification constructs in different applications. We present a formalization of a large subset of JML in the theorem prover Coq. A formally defined semantics of JML provides an exact, unambiguous meaning for JML constructs. By formalizing the language in a theorem prover, we not only give a mathematically precise definition of the language but enable formal meta-reasoning about the language itself, its applications, and proposed extensions. Furthermore, the formalization can serve as JML front-end of a verification environment. Frame conditions are expressed in JML by the assignable clause, which states the locations that can be updated by the method. For abstraction, the clause can mention dynamic data groups, which represent a set of heap locations. This set depends on the program state and may contain a large number of locations. We present the first algorithm that checks assignable clauses in the presence of dynamic data groups. The algorithm performs very well on realistic and large data structures by lazily computing the set of locations in data groups and by caching already-computed results. We implemented the algorithm in OpenJML. As an important contribution to runtime assertion checking, and as an interesting application of our formalization of JML in Coq, we proved in Coq that our algorithm behaves equivalently to the formalized JML semantics. This shows not only soundness and completeness of our algorithm to check assignable clauses, but also the usefulness and expressiveness of our JML formalization.
What the Mind’s Eye Tells the Mind’s Brain: A Critique of Mental Imagery

This paper presents a critique of contemporary research which uses the notion of a mental image as a theoretical construct to describe one form of memory representation. It is argued that an adequate characterization of ‘what we know’ requires that we posit abstract mental structures to which we do not have conscious access and which are essentially conceptual and propositional, rather than sensory or pictorial, in nature. Such representations are more accurately referred to as symbolic descriptions than as images in the usual sense. Implications of using an imagery vocabulary are examined, and it is argued that the picture metaphor underlying recent theoretical discussions is seriously misleading — especially as it suggests that the image is an entity to be perceived. The relative merits of several alternative modes of representation (propositions, data structures, and procedures) are discussed. The final section is a more speculative discussion of the nature of the representation which may be involved when people ‘use’ visual images.
Low-dose oral interferon α possibly retards the progression of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and alleviates associated cough in some patients

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) has no effective treatment and a relatively short life expectancy after diagnosis. Interferon α (IFNα) inhibits the growth of proliferating fibroblasts.1 IFNα also inhibits the production of collagen by fibroblasts independently of its effect on fibroblast replication.2 Biological activity of low-dose IFNα by oromucosal administration has been reported in several species including man,3 despite the expected rapid inactivation by digestive enzymes.4 We therefore tested the effect of oral administration of very low doses of IFNα on the progression of IPF. Twelve of 20 patients with IPF aged 50–82 years (mean 67) completed treatment for at least 12 months with IFNα administered by lozenge (150 IU) taken three times each day. IPF was diagnosed according to the diagnostic criteria set forth by the American Thoracic Society. Three subjects had …
Performance of an unsaturated expansive soil slope subjected to artificial rainfall infiltration

A major infrastructure project, the South-to-North Water Transfer Project, has been proposed to carry potable water from the Yangtze River region in the south to many arid and semi-arid areas in the northern regions of China, including Beijing. The proposed 1200 km ‘middle route’ of the project is likely to be an open channel with a trapezoidal cross-section. At least 180 km of the proposed excavated canal will pass through areas of unsaturated expansive soils. An 11 m high cut slope in a typical expansive clay with medium plasticity in Zaoyang, close to the ‘middle route’ in Hubei, was selected for a comprehensive and well-instrumented field study of the effects of rainfall infiltration. Two artificial rainfall events were created during a month of field investigation and monitoring. Prior to the rainfall events, high soil suction was measured within the top 1 m of soil. This high initial soil suction created an upward flux of water and moisture. The abundant cracks and fissures near the ground surface p.
Currency Returns, Institutional Investor Flows, and Exchange Rate Fundamentals

We explore the interaction between exchange rates, institutional investor currency flows and exchange-rate fundamentals. We find that these flows are highly correlated with contemporaneous and lagged exchange rate changes, and that they carry information for future excess currency returns. This information, however, is not strongly linked to future fundamentals. Flows are important in understanding transitory elements of excess returns, which include short-run underreaction and long-run overreaction. However, flows have a zero or negative correlation with permanent components of excess returns. We find that measured fundamentals - not flows - seem important in understanding permanent elements of excess returns. We conclude that investor flows are important for understanding deviations of exchange rates from fundamentals, but not for understanding the long-run currency values.
Foraging strategy of little auks under divergent conditions on feeding grounds

A dual foraging strategy (long versus short trips) has been described for some species of seabirds, such as petrels, albatrosses (Procellariiformes) and penguins (Sphenisciphormes). Such a strategy has recently been reported for little auks (Alle alle) from the central coast of west Spitsbergen, Svalbard. This has been explained as a response to poor trophic conditions close to the breeding colony, and better conditions further away (150 km). In the present study, we investigated the foraging strategy of little auks in Hornsund, southern Spitsbergen, during two seasons with contrasting oceanographic conditions. During 2004, foraging conditions for little auks were good: cold Arctic waters rich in profitable high-energy food were dominant in their feeding grounds. Conversely, during 2006 there was a great influx of warm Atlantic water in the feeding area, inducing poor foraging conditions. In both seasons we examined the pattern of foraging trip lengths automatically with a video camera (both adults from four nests in each year), and by direct non-stop observation of 20–54 individually marked birds. Our results showed that the dual strategy and the ratio of short and long trips were consistent, regardless of the conditions in the feeding grounds. This suggests that the strategy is inherent and may be crucial for the self-maintenance of adults.
Meteorological Controls on Snowpack Formation and Dynamics in the Southern Canadian Rocky Mountains

Considerable spatial variability in snow properties exists within apparently uniform slopes, often resulting from microscale weather patterns determined by local terrain. Since it is costly to establish abundant weather stations in a region, local lapse rates may offer an alternative for predicting snowpack characteristics. For two Castle Mountain Resort weather stations, we present the 2003–2004 winter season weather and snow profile data and the 1999–2004 winter season lapse rates. A third site was sampled for small-scale spatial variability. Layer thickness, stratigraphy, temperature gradients, crusts, wind drift layers, stability, and settlement were compared between the sites and correlated with temperature, wind, and lapse rates. Average yearly snowfall was 470 cm at the Base and 740 cm at the Upper station. Average daily maximum and minimum temperature lapse rates are −6.1°C km−1 and −5.7°C km−1 when inversions are removed. Inversions occur mostly at night, adversely affecting lapse rate averages. Lapse rate modes are unaffected and most often −6.3°C km−1. Snowpack spatial variability is ∼25% of layer thickness and is controlled by wind and topography. Layer settlement is primarily related to initial snow thickness and wind drift. Snowpacks stabilize with age, unless rain crusts are present, which are important low-force failure horizons.
Power law scaling of topographic depressions and their hydrologic connectivity

Topographic depressions, areas of no lateral surface flow, are ubiquitous characteristics of the land surface that control many ecosystem and biogeochemical processes. High density of depressions increases the surface storage capacity, whereas lower depression density increases runoff, thus influencing soil moisture states, hydrologic connectivity, and the climate‐soil‐vegetation interactions. With the widespread availability of high‐resolution lidar‐based digital elevation model (lDEM) data, it is now possible to identify and characterize the structure of the spatial distribution of topographic depressions for incorporation in ecohydrologic and biogeochemical studies. Here we use lDEM data to document the prevalence and patterns of topographic depressions across five different landscapes in the United States and quantitatively characterize the probability distribution of attributes, such as surface area, storage volume, and the distance to the nearest neighbor. Through the use of a depression identification algorithm, we show that these probability distributions of attributes follow scaling laws indicative of a structure in which a large fraction of land surface areas can consist of high number of topographic depressions of all sizes and can account for 4 to 21 mm of depression storage. This implies that the impacts of small‐scale topographic depressions in the landscapes on the redistribution of material fluxes, evaporation, and hydrologic connectivity are quite significant.