Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Life of a bifurcation in a gravel‐bed braided river

Channel bifurcation is a key element in braided rivers, determining the water and sediment distribution and hence controlling the morphological evolution. Recent theoretical and experimental findings, as well as field observations, showed that bifurcations in gravel‐bed braided rivers are often asymmetrical and highly unstable. In this paper field data are presented on a bifurcation in the Tagliamento River, northeast Italy. The planform configuration of the bifurcation and its temporal evolution was monitored by an automatic digital camera during a series of seven floods with different magnitudes. This remote sensing technique allowed a high temporal resolution (pictures were acquired every hour) that was proved to be essential in a highly dynamic system as the one considered here. Digitized maps of the channels provided information on the location of the bifurcation, the width of the anabranches, the angle between them, along with the occurrence and migration of sediment bars. Data were acquired at two different water levels, giving the possibility to compare low and high flow conditions. The monitored bifurcation is largely unstable and shows sudden changes in the water distribution, mainly driven by the bar migrating in the upstream channel and entering the distributaries. A relationship between width asymmetry and flood magnitude was observed, confirming previous analyses. Moreover, recent theoretical findings were applied, in order to test the possibility to estimate general trends in bifurcation evolution. The analysis pointed out the relevance of a correct assessment of the characteristic temporal scales, as the bifurcation evolves on a timescale similar to that of bar migration and flood duration. Understanding the interactions between these processes is therefore crucial in order to increase the ability to model and predict the morphological evolution of a braided network. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Leaf traits of understory woody species in the Congo Basin forests changed over a 60-year period

Background and aims – While tropical forests play an important role in carbon sequestration, they are assumed to be sensitive to rising temperatures and prolonged drought. Plant functional traits are useful for understanding and predicting the effects of such changes in plant communities. Here, we analyse the variation of leaf traits of understory woody species of the Congo Basin rainforests over a 60-year period using herbaria as tools and we verify if this variation is potentially related to recent climate change. Material and methods – Leaves of five shrub species were collected in 2019–2022 in Congolese old-growth forests (Yangambi Biosphere Reserve, DR Congo) from different positions on the shrub. These leaves were compared with herbarium specimens collected in the same area before 1960. For both periods, we assessed leaf size, specific leaf area, stomatal size, and stomatal density for all species. Key results – The variability of the functional traits of the understory woody species are independent of the position of the leaves in the crown. This allows for the use of historic herbarium collections for trait analyses on tropical understory shrubs. The traits of the recently collected leaves were notably different from the traits of herbarium leaves collected in pre-1960: recent leaves were significantly larger, had a higher Specific Leaf Area, a smaller stomata pore length, and, apart from Coffea canephora, showed a lower stomatal density. Conclusion – The difference in traits over time is probably related to the increase in temperature and to atmospheric CO2 concentration, as the average temperature at Yangambi over the past 60 years has shown an upward trend consistent with global increasing CO2 levels, while the average annual rainfall has remained unchanged. Our results provide a first insight into the response of forest species to climate change in the Congo Basin forests, and on how the understory species and the ecosystem will react in the long term, when the temperature further increases.
A new scaphognathine pterosaur from the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation of Wyoming, USA

Abstract A partial rostrum of a new species of scaphognathine pterosaur, distinguished by a thin median crest along its dorsal margin and a deep embayment of the dental margin, is the first identifiable cranial fragment of a pterosaur from the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation of western North America. By contrast with pterodactyloids, cranial crests are rare in “rhamphorhynchoids” and this is the first record of such a structure. The new material provides fresh insights into the taxonomic diversity of Late Jurassic North American pterosaurs. Based on the ratio of the skull and skeleton of Scpahognathus, the fragment represents an individual with an estimated wing span of 2.5 m. Consequently, this is one of the largest “rhamphorhynchoids” found so far. A mandible fragment from the same quarry has closely spaced alveoli, therefore cannot be referred to the rostrum. Its large size indicates another large “rhamphorhynchoid” in the Morrison Formation.
Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing in Patients with Heart Failure: Impact of Gender in Predictive Value for Heart Transplantation Listing

Background: Exercise testing is key in the risk stratification of patients with heart failure (HF). There are scarce data on its prognostic power in women. Our aim was to assess the predictive value of the heart transplantation (HTx) thresholds in HF in women and in men. Methods: Prospective evaluation of HF patients who underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) from 2009 to 2018 for the composite endpoint of cardiovascular mortality and urgent HTx. Results: A total of 458 patients underwent CPET, with a composite endpoint frequency of 10.5% in females vs. 16.0% in males in 36-month follow-up. Peak VO2 (pVO2), VE/VCO2 slope and percent of predicted pVO2 were independent discriminators of the composite endpoint, particularly in women. The International Society for Heart Lung Transplantation recommended values of pVO2 ≤ 12 mL/kg/min or ≤14 if the patient is intolerant to β-blockers, VE/VCO2 slope > 35, and percent of predicted pVO2 ≤ 50% showed a higher diagnostic effectiveness in women. Specific pVO2, VE/VCO2 slope and percent of predicted pVO2 cut-offs in each sex group presented a higher prognostic power than the recommended thresholds. Conclusion: Individualized sex-specific thresholds may improve patient selection for HTx. More evidence is needed to address sex differences in HF risk stratification.
Study of the distribution of Elphidium aff. poeyanum (D’ORBIGNY) and Buccella peruviana (D’ORBIGNY) from the Colorado basin (South America): Holocene paleoenvironmental inferences

Benthic foraminiferal assemblages recovered from T1 core samples of the Colorado basin, in the continental margin of southeastern Argentina, were analyzed to understand their distribution patterns and ecological preferences. The foraminiferal assemblages showed two well-represented species: Elphidium aff. poeyanum (d’Orbigny) and Buccella peruviana (d’Orbigny), among others of very low proportion. Statistical analyses allowed identifying positive correlations between the abundance of E. aff. poeyanum and silt content and between B. peruviana and the sand content, reflecting better conditions for the development of both species. From a paleoenvironmental point of view, the assemblages recorded are characteristic of an inner shelf, showing a passage from typical shallow waters to normal marine conditions; such a passage represents a rise in the sea level during the post-last glacial maximum transgression. The results obtained contribute to the knowledge of South American foraminifers and paleoenvironments during the Holocene.
A reconnaissance geophysical survey in the Andaman Sea and across the Andaman‐Nicobar Island Arc

A marine geophysical study of the Andaman Sea has been conducted as part of the International Indian Ocean Expedition. A combination of magnetic, gravity, bathymetric, and sea-floor heat-flux measurements, seismic sparker reflection profiles, and bottom sediment samples has been used in a study of the seaward continuity of major subaerial tectonic trends. The data indicate positive continuity of the structural trend of the Barisan Range of northern Sumatra and the Burma Range. It was found that the central graben of the Barisan Range of northern Sumatra extends into the Andaman Sea north to latitude 10°N. A previously unreported interdeep has been observed between the outer sedimentary island arc and the inner igneous trend of the major primary arc which forms the western boundary of the Andaman Sea. Continental thickness of the crust is indicated under the sedimentary island platform. In the area of the backdeep, the north-northeast trends of the Malaysian peninsula are prominent.
Indicators of affective empathy, cognitive empathy and social attention during emotional clips in relation to aggression in three-year-olds

Research indicates that impaired empathy is a risk factor of aggression, and that social attention is important for empathy. The role of social attention in associations between empathy and aggression has not yet been fully elucidated. Therefore, indicators of affective empathy, cognitive empathy, social attention, and aggression were simultaneously assessed in children aged 45 months. Sixty-one mother-child dyads participated in a lab visit, during which maternal reports of aggression were obtained. Children watched three clips showing a sad, scared, and happy child, respectively, and a neutral social clip, while heart rate was recorded. Heart rate change from nonsocial baseline clips to emotional clips was calculated as an index of affective empathy. Questions about the emotions of the children in the clips were asked to assess cognitive empathy. Social attention was defined as time spent looking at faces during the clips. Correlation analyses revealed negative associations between affective empathy and aggression, and social attention and aggression. Furthermore, multivariate linear regression analyses indicated that the association between affective empathy and aggression was moderated by social attention: the negative association between affective empathy and aggression was stronger in children with relatively reduced social attention. No association was found between cognitive empathy and aggression. Therefore, both affective empathy and social attention are important targets for early interventions that aim to prevent or reduce aggression.
Linear transformation to minimize the effects of variability in understory to estimate percent tree canopy cover using RapidEye data

Variability in understory structure is an important problem in estimating tree canopy cover (TCC) with satellite imagery. Differences between understory structure due to the composition and configuration of herbaceous/shrub species often produce different vegetation index values despite these areas having the same TCC. This study offers a linear transformation approach to minimizing the influence of variability in the understory to accurately estimate percent TCC from RapidEye satellite data. TCC was modeled as a function of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Normalized Difference Red-Edge Index (NDRE), adjusted (linear transformed) NDVI (NDVIadj), and adjusted NDRE (NDREadj) using simple linear regression. The coefficient of determination of validation () of the models using NDVI, NDRE, NDVIadj, and NDREadj as explanatory variables were, respectively, 0.50 (RMSEvld = 9.64%), 0.38 (RMSEvld = 10.7%), 0.78 (RMSEvld = 6.61%), and 0.73 (RMSEvld = 7.23%). These results showed that the linear transformation used for standardizing the vegetation index values of understory was an effective approach for estimating TCC.
Global change and the groundwater management challenge

With rivers in critical regions already exploited to capacity throughout the world and groundwater overdraft as well as large‐scale contamination occurring in many areas, we have entered an era in which multiple simultaneous stresses will drive water management. Increasingly, groundwater resources are taking a more prominent role in providing freshwater supplies. We discuss the competing fresh groundwater needs for human consumption, food production, energy, and the environment, as well as physical hazards, and conflicts due to transboundary overexploitation. During the past 50 years, groundwater management modeling has focused on combining simulation with optimization methods to inspect important problems ranging from contaminant remediation to agricultural irrigation management. The compound challenges now faced by water planners require a new generation of aquifer management models that address the broad impacts of global change on aquifer storage and depletion trajectory management, land subsidence, groundwater‐dependent ecosystems, seawater intrusion, anthropogenic and geogenic contamination, supply vulnerability, and long‐term sustainability. The scope of research efforts is only beginning to address complex interactions using multiagent system models that are not readily formulated as optimization problems and that consider a suite of human behavioral responses.
Relevance of Brain Regions Eloquence Assessment in Patients with Large Ischemic Cores treated with Mechanical Thrombectomy

Objective Individualized patient selection for mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and large volume of severely ischemic tissue of uncertain viability (SIT-uv, or large ischemic core LIC) at baseline is an unmet need. We tested the hypothesis, that assessing the functional relevance of both the infarcted and hypo-perfused brain tissue, would improve the selection framework of patients with LIC for MT. Methods Multicenter,
Big data technologies: perceived benefits and costs for adopter and non-adopter enterprises

Cette étude vise à identifier les différences de perception, parmi les entreprises, entre les adoptants et les non-adoptants des technologies pour les données massives (BDT) en termes de coûts et de bénéfices. Sur la base de la littérature et de recherches antérieures, un questionnaire a été conçu, y compris une étude pilote sur un sous-échantillon de la population ciblée d'entreprises. Au total, 200 questionnaires ont été remplis. L'échantillon final était composé de 86,5 % d'entreprises de taille moyenne et de 13,5 % de grandes entreprises, ce qui a permis d'assurer un niveau de confiance de 95 % et un intervalle de confiance de 6,9 %. Nous constatons des différences significatives entre les adoptants et les non adoptants des BDT en ce qui concerne la perception de leurs coûts et bénéfices. Par exemple, l'analyse a mis en évidence que les adoptants et les non-adoptants ont des perceptions différentes des bénéfices des BDT en termes de rentabilité : le taux de réussite des nouveaux produits ou services étant plus élevé que celui des concurrents et la croissance des ventes. Les non adoptants perçoivent que ces bénéfices sont inférieurs à la perception qu'ont les adoptants de ces bénéfices. Cette étude, en accord avec la théorie de la diffusion de l'innovation, identifie les différences de perception des coûts et des bénéfices entre les segments des entreprises
Enclosure of Air During Metamorphosis of Dry Firn to Ice

If cold firn has reached a density of about 0.55 Mg m-3, further densificaron occurs by a sintering process which increases the contact surface between the firn grains. The pore volume is decreasing continuously but the firn remains permeable to air up to a density of 0.82 Mg m-3. At about this density the remaining air in the pore volume is closed off in isolated bubbles. We are interested in the age and the age distribution of the air enclosed in bubbles relative to the age of the surrounding ice, and are investigating the development of the pore volume in firn. A newly constructed measuring device allows the field measurement of the amount of air which is already enclosed in bubbles of firn samples. Measurements have been made during summer 1983 in Greenland and during winter 1983/84 at the South Pole. The results are discussed and compared with results obtained with a simplified statistical sintering model, using some results of percolation theory.
A comparison of auroral currents measured by the Chatanika Radar With 50‐MHz backscatter observed from Anchorage

Auroral electrojet parameters measured by the Chatanika incoherent scatter radar have been compared with VHF backscatter observed in a comparable spatial area by the 50-MHz auroral radar located at Anchorage. We find that the D region absorption, occurring in concert with the morning (westward) electrojet, can significantly decrease the observed scatter amplitude. If the amplitude is corrected for absorption effects, we find that the scatter varies approximately linearly with either eastward or westward current density with the same slope for both periods. A surprising result is that at times, relatively large north-south current densities do not give rise to detectable backscatter. The Chatanika electric field measurements indicate that during the morning period, substantial backscatter amplitudes occur for southward fields of only 10 mV/m. In contrast, during the evening period the backscatter amplitude is zero or very low until the northward field is at least 25 mV/m. This indicates that most of the auroral backscatter that we observe in the evening period occurs under conditions when the two-stream plasma instability may be operative. However, in the morning period the backscattering irregularities are strongly generated under conditions associated with either gradient drift or two-stream instabilities.
Computational dissociation of dopaminergic and cholinergic effects on action selection and inhibitory control

Background Patients with schizophrenia make more errors than healthy subjects on the antisaccade task. In this paradigm, participants are required to inhibit a reflexive saccade to a target and to select the correct action (a saccade in the opposite direction). While the precise origin of this deficit is not clear, it has been connected to aberrant dopaminergic and cholinergic neuromodulation. Methods To study the impact of dopamine and acetylcholine on inhibitory control and action selection, we administered two selective drugs (levodopa 200mg/galantamine 8mg) to healthy volunteers (N=100) performing the antisaccade task. A computational model (SERIA) was employed to separate the contribution of inhibitory control and action selection to empirical reaction times and error rates. Results Modeling suggested that levodopa improved action selection (at the cost of increased reaction times) but did not have a significant effect on inhibitory control. By contrast, according to our model, galantamine affected inhibitory control in a dose dependent fashion, reducing inhibition failures at low doses and increasing them at higher levels. These effects were sufficiently specific that the computational analysis allowed for identifying the drug administered to an individual with 70% accuracy. Conclusions Our results do not support the hypothesis that elevated tonic dopamine strongly impairs inhibitory control. Rather levodopa improved the ability to select correct actions. Instead, inhibitory control was modulated by cholinergic drugs. This approach may provide a starting point for future computational assays that differentiate neuromodulatory abnormalities in heterogeneous diseases like schizophrenia.
RESPIRATION OF WINTER WHEAT PLANTS AT LOW TEMPERATURES

Respiration measurements at −7°, 0° and 7 °C. with four winter wheat varieties and two spring wheat varieties grown in the field, were carried on during the fall and early winter of four years. The rate of respiration in winter wheat decreased as the plants hardened. At the outset all varieties respired about alike. After hardening began, the rates at −7 °C. were in the inverse order of hardiness, with the spring wheats faster than the least hardy winter wheat. As hardening progressed, the differentiation of the winter varieties at −7 °C. became sharper, and could be observed also at 0 °C. , but at 7 °C. very little if any relationship of this sort developed. The spring varieties, because of frost damage, could not be compared with winter varieties in the fully hardened condition, but their behavior early in the season confirms the general conclusion that at the freezing point or lower temperatures respiratory activity is inversely related to winter hardiness. This accounts for the observed fact that hardy.
Analysis of nonlinear internal waves in the New York Bight

This paper presents the results on internal wave analysis of the current meter mooring data in the New York Bight from the SAR Internal Wave Signature Experiment (SARSEX). Selective sets of current and temperature measurements are analyzed for a parametric study of internal wave characteristics and shear effects on wave parameters are studied based on the limited data from moorings. The solitary wave theory has been extended for the wave evolution on a continental shelf by including dissipation and shoaling effects; a series of numerical simulations are performed to demonstrate the relative importance of dissipation and shoaling effects. From an observed initial wave packet at the upstream mooring, the numerical evolution simulation compares reasonably well with the measurements at the distant mooring for the leading two large solitons.
UVicSPACE: Research & Learning Repository

We present observations of interannual variability on 2–5 yr timescales in atmospheric potential oxygen (APO ≈ O 2 + CO 2 ) from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography global ﬂask sampling network. Interannual variations in the tracer APO are expected to arise from air–sea ﬂuxes alone, because APO is insensitive to exchanges with the terrestrial biosphere. These interannual variations are shown to be regionally coherent and robust to analytical artefacts. We focus on explaining a feature dominant in records from the Northern Hemisphere stations, marked by increasing APO in the late 1990s, followed by an abrupt drawdown in 2000–2001. The timing of the drawdown matches arenewal of deep convectionin the North Atlantic, followed the nextyear by a severe winter in the western North Paciﬁc that may have allowed ventilation of denser isopycnals than usual. We ﬁnd a weak correlation between changes in the interhemispheric APO difference and El Ni˜no indices, and the observations show no strong features of the 1997–98 El Ni˜no. Comparisons with estimates of variations in ocean productivity and ocean heat content demonstrate that these processes are secondary inﬂuences at these timescales. We conclude that the evidence points to variability in ocean ventilation as the main driver of interannual variability in APO.
STRESS-DEFORMATION CHARACTERISTICS OF ALASKAN SILT

An extensive series of laboratory tests were performed on representative samples of silts obtained from an Alaskan offshore site. The test results were used to asses the stress/deformation characteristics of Alaskan silt. The following issues were addressed: difference of shear characteristics from those of clay; the normalization of measured strength of silts; effect of sample disturbances and stress history on the strength; and the tests that are necessary for selection of parameters for use in the design of structures founded on silts. The results show that the stress-deformation characteristics of silts differ from those of clay. Normally consolidated silts tend to dilate upon shearing, and stress difference continues to increase with increasing strain. Also, silt samples are easily disturbed, and their undrained strengths are more likely to be seriously affected by disturbance than those of many clays. These and other findings are discussed.