Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influences of forests on invertebrate communities in Icelandic streams

Effects of forests on headwater stream invertebrate communities were studied in eastern and southern Iceland, which are two geologically different regions. The eastern research area is composed of solid basaltic rock with direct run-off streams. The streams drain treeless, birch and conifer forested catchments. The bedrock of the southern research area is porous hyaloclastite, and the streams are spring-fed. These streams drain two different types of catchments: barren land and birch forest. The density and taxonomic richness were similar among direct run-off streams within all three catchment types. In winter, different proportions of some taxa were found between streams draining treeless land and forests. Invertebrate assemblages were similar between birch and conifer forest streams. In summer, invertebrate densities were higher in the streams that had the greatest proportion of birch woodlands in their catchments, highest values of riparian biomass and greater algal biomass. In spring-fed streams, water temperature was the main factor explaining invertebrate densities and species composition, while presence of forest had no effect. Total densities and proportional abundances of taxa differed more between geographical locations than between catchment types. The younger bedrock influenced various habitat factors in the streams, such as availability of nutrients, water quality, temperature and primary productivity. Therefore, these factors were found to have a greater effect on invertebrate communities in Icelandic streams than forest presence or type.
Reconstruction of SE trade‐wind intensity based on sea‐surface temperature gradients in the Southeast Atlantic over the last 25 kyr

A prominent feature in the Southeast Atlantic is the Angola‐Benguela Front (ABF), the convergence between warm tropical and cold subtropical upwelled waters. At present, the sea‐surface temperature (SST) gradient across the ABF and its position are influenced by the strength of southeasterly (SE) trade winds. Here, we present a record of changes in the ABF SST gradient over the last 25 kyr. Variations in this SST contrast indicate that periods of strengthened SE trade‐wind intensity occurred during the Last Glacial Maximum, the Younger Dryas, and the Mid to Late Holocene, while Heinrich Event 1, the early part of the Bølling‐Allerød, and the Early Holocene were periods of weakened SE trade‐winds.
Modelos de competitividad para destinos turísticos en el marco de la sostenibilidad

The step forward into the comprehension which determines the competitive context of the tourist routes and, especially, the insertion of the sustainability as a performance indicator are orienting distinct theoretical models of local tourist system representation. This article explores the content of four of these models which have as a common characteristic to interpret the dynamics of the tourist system under the light of a new competitive context inevitably influenced by sustainable conditioners. The separate analyses allows to identify, conceptualize and characterize the main determining factors of the competitive success in each model, and the confront between them enables to confirm a convergent context and scenery in the indication of the sustainability paradigm attributes for the tourist routes as strategic elements for its planning, organization and management.
Färoe‐Iceland Ridge Experiment 2. Crustal structure of the Krafla central volcano

The seismic velocity structure of the Krafla central volcano is characterized by large variations in compressional velocity. A 40 km wide high-velocity dome extends from the lower crust (11–14 km depth) beneath the volcano narrowing upward. A magma chamber sits at its top near 3 km depth. It is defined by both 0.2–0.3 s compressional wave delays and shear wave shadowing to be 2–3 km N-S, 8–10 km E-W, and 0.7–1.8 km thick. The near-surface structure (uppermost 2.5 km) of the Krafla caldera is approximately flat-lying, with only minor lateral heterogeneities. The crust beneath the magma chamber has low shear wave attenuation and anomalously high compressional and shear wave velocities. Shear waves, reflected from a 19 km deep Moho, are clearly visible for some paths through the crustal volume below the magma chamber, even though the more shallow diving S waves are severely attenuated. The midcrust beneath the shallow magma chamber cannot contain partial melt or even be at near-solidus temperatures. The Krafla central volcano plays a major role in crustal genesis along the plate boundary. The high-velocity dome, in our view, represents crust generated in and around the magma chamber, which has subsequently been advected to greater depths.
Cambios físicos y bioquímicos durante el desarrollo y senescencia de frutos de rambután (Nephelium lappaceum L.)

The aim of this research was to characterize the physical and biochemical changes during growth, development and postharvest of rambutan fruits in outstanding selections from Tuxtla Chico, Chiapas (RI-148, RI-115 and RI-104). After anthesis, chemical and physical parameters were evaluated in fruits; at harvest quality characteristics were evaluated at 22 ± 1 oC and 65 % RH. The results showed a sigmoidal pattern of growth. During development, fruits of the selections RI-148 and RI-115 had a fresh weight of 39.27 and 35.42 g and an aril content at harvest of 44.28 and 40.90 %, respectively, while those of the RI-104 were smaller (18.51 g) but with thicker pericarp, showing less susceptibility to oxidation. The number and length of spines does not seem to be the main factor related to fruit browning.
The annual cycle of stratospheric water vapor in a general circulation model

The application of general circulation models (GCMs) to stratospheric chemistry and transport both permits and requires a thorough investigation of stratospheric water vapor. The National Center for Atmospheric Research has redesigned its GCM, the Community Climate Model (CCM2), to enable studies of the chemistry and transport of tracers including water vapor; the importance of water vapor to the climate and chemistry of the stratosphere requires that it be better understood in the atmosphere and well represented in the model. In this study, methane is carried as a tracer and convened to water; this simple chemistry provides an adequate representation of the upper stratospheric water vapor source. The cold temperature bias in the winter polar strato- sphere, which the CCM2 shares with other GCMs, produces excessive dehydration in the southern hemisphere, but this dry bias can be ameliorated by setting a minimum vapor pressure. The CCM2's water vapor distribution and seasonality compare favorably with observations in many re- spects, though seasonal variations including the upper stratospheric semiannual oscillation are generally too small. Southern polar dehydration affects midlatitude water vapor mixing ratios by a few tenths of a part per million, mostly after the demise of the vortex. The annual cycle of water vapor in the tropical and nonhem midlatitude lower stratosphere is dominated by drying at the trop- ical tropopause. Water vapor has a longer adjustment time than methane and had not reached equi- librium at the end of the 9 years simulated here. In the troposphere, water in all phases plays a crucial role in the energetics of atmospheric transport and in daily weather: its phase changes release latent heat, providing an internal energy source for circulations of all scales. In the stratosphere, where its concentration is orders of magnitude smaller and its turnover time is orders of magnitude longer, water vapor also plays a crucial role, though for different rea- sons. It plays a chemical role, for instance as a source of OH radicals which participate in most chemical cycles in the stratosphere, and a radiative role, as an absorber and emitter of infrared radiation and as an absorber of solar radiation. Water vapor is unique among long-lived trace gases in that it occa- sionally saturates under stratospheric conditions (Figure 1), and its saturation varies strongly with temperature, approxi- mately a factor of 6 for a 10 K adiabatic temperature change. The strong dependence of water vapor saturation on temper- ature is arguably the most interesting and useful attribute of water, from the standpoint of tracer studies; it has contributed in myriad ways to the advancement of our understanding of the middle atmosphere, as a brief historical overview shows. Prior to the late 1940s, it was generally assumed that the stratosphere was in radiative equilibrium and its composition
Capacity constraints in operationalisation of payment for ecosystem services (PES) in India: Evidence from land degradation

The understanding of the requirement for PES and necessary capacity of stakeholders to conceive, design and execute PES, are critical to its successful operationalisation. Identification and assessment of capacity needs are also prerequisite for PES especially in a developing country like India where institutional setting and functioning are far from the desirable level. In this background, the paper begins with an introduction of the basic concept and centrality of economic valuation in PES. Next, the paper discusses the status of the land degradation problem in India and how the PES can prove to be an efficient tool to manage the declining ecosystem services due to increasing land degradation in the Country. By identifying the direct and indirect drivers of land degradation, the stage is set for designing of appropriate response options for halting the degradation of land which is not only the base of agrarian economy of India but source of livelihood options for the poor. In the subsequent section, the paper assesses the required capacity to operationalise PES in the states where the problem of land degradation is acute. This has been done on the basis of wider consultation with land users (farmers), conservation agencies, Departments of Land Agriculture and related R&D agencies through a structured questionnaire in group meetings in different parts of the Country during 2006–2007. The necessary capacity on behalf of stakeholders like the Local, State and National level institutions have been mapped out. The result from the survey suggests that while the capacity to understand the ecosystem services is adequate, the capacity to do valuation of incremental change in the ecosystem services is not sufficient and the State still needs to invest significant amount of resources before this tool can be used to manage the land based ecosystem services in India. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Miocene deepwater oceanography

A global synthesis of Miocene benthic foraminiferal carbon and oxygen isotopic and faunal abundance data indicates that Miocene thermohaline circulation evolved through three regimes corresponding approximately to early, middle, and late Miocene times. There is evidence for major qualitative differences between the circulation of the modern ocean and the Miocene ocean prior to 11 Ma. The 13C/12C ratios of the benthic foraminifera Cibicidoides are interpreted in terms of water mass aging, i.e., the progressive depletion of dissolved O2 and lowering of δ13C values as the result of oxidation of organic matter as water flows further from its sources at the surface of the oceans. Both isotopic and faunal data indicate that the early Miocene regime, from 22 to 15 Ma, was the most different from today's. During that interval intermediate and deep waters of both the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans aged in a northward direction, and the intermediate waters of the Indian, the South Atlantic and the South Pacific oceans were consistently the youngest in the global ocean. We speculate that early Miocene global thermohaline circulation may have been strongly influenced by the influx of warm saline water, Tethyan Indian Saline Water, from the Tethys into the northern Indian Ocean. The isotopic and faunal data suggest that flow from the Tethyan region into the Indian Ocean diminished or terminated at about 14 Ma. Isotopic and faunal data give no evidence for North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) formation prior to about 14.5 Ma (with the exception of a brief episode in the early Miocene). From 14.5 to 11 Ma NADW formation was weak, and circumpolar and Antarctic water flooded the deep South Atlantic and South Pacific as the Antarctic ice cap grew. From about 10 Ma to the end of the Miocene, thermohaline circulation resembled the modern circulation in many ways. In latest Miocene time (6 to 5 Ma) circulation patterns were very similar to today's except that NADW formation was greatly diminished. The distribution pattern of siliceous oozes in Miocene sediments is consistent with our proposed reconstruction of thermohaline circulation. Major changes which occurred in circulation during the middle Miocene were probably related to the closing of the Tethys and may have contributed to rapid middle Miocene growth of the Antarctic ice cap. Appendices 1, 4, 6, and 7 are available withentire article on microfiche. Order fromAmerican Geophysical Union, 2000 FloridaAvenue, N.W. , Washington, DC 20009.Document 88P-002; $5.00. Payment mustaccompany order.
Visual masking by transcranial magnetic stimulation in the first 80 milliseconds

Stimulation of the occipital cortex with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can interfere with visual processing and may cause masking comparable to visual masking. The effect is most pronounced when the TMS pulse is delivered with stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs) of 80-100 ms. In a few experiments a second time window of TMS-induced visual masking has been identified with its maximum around an SOA of 40 ms. The existence of two masking windows has been taken as evidence for two distinct visual processes taking place in V1: an early feedforward component and a later re-entrant feedback component. The evidence for the existence of two separate TMS time windows is reviewed. The early time window was not reproducible in all the attempts to characterize TMS masking effects. Interindividual anatomical differences in the location of V1 might contribute to the heterogeneous results.
Variability of Gardner's α for coarse‐textured sediments

Vadose zone soils in arid regions often contain a high gravel fraction (>2 mm size). This paper examines, for coarse‐textured soils, variability of the slope α of Gardner's [1958] unsaturated hydraulic conductivity K versus matric potential ψ relation, K = Kseαψ. The steady state head control method was used to obtain unsaturated K for tensions as high as 386 cm. A total of 79 samples were analyzed in the laboratory; the gravel fraction for the 41 gravelly samples ranged from 20 to 71% (by weight); the remaining 38 samples were sandy with no gravel fraction. The measured K values for the gravelly samples fall within a narrow range and are well within the range of measured K values for the sandy samples. The bulk of both gravelly and sandy samples can be described using a single‐slope exponential model; Gardner's α and the intercept K0 are based on a least squares fit to the late time measurements at lower ψ. The mean and variance of α for the gravelly samples are lower compared with the sandy type. The α values for the gravelly soils follow a normal distribution, whereas the K0 estimates and the laboratory‐measured Ks follow lognormal distributions. For the sandy type, α, K0, and Ks follow lognormal distributions. The α values appear to be related to the median particle diameter d50 and the slope of the particle size distribution. A clear reduction in variability of α is apparent with an increase in d50, suggesting that the unsaturated K and α variability for the gravelly soils can be estimated within narrow ranges. The flow‐weighted characteristic pore size λm is clearly dependent on the soil type; λm values for the gravelly soils are characterized by a smaller mean and variance than for the sandy type. This helps explain the finding that the range in unsaturated K for the gravelly soils is less than for the sandy type. At higher tensions the mean and variance of α and lnK0 as well as the cross correlation between α and lnK0 are important inputs to stochastic models of unsaturated flow. The implications of their variability on flow in heterogeneous media are discussed.
Spring climate and salinity in the San Francisco Bay Estuary

Salinity in the San Francisco Bay Estuary almost always experiences its yearly maximum during late summer, but climate variability produces marked interannual variations. The atmospheric circulation pattern impacts the estuary primarily through variations of runoff from rainfall and snowmelt from the Sierra Nevada and, secondarily, through variations in the near-surface salinity in the coastal ocean. While winter precipitation is the primary influence upon salinity in the estuary, spring climate variations also contribute importantly to salinity fluctuations. Spring atmospheric circulation influences both the magnitude and the timing of freshwater flows, through anomalies of precipitation and temperature. To help discriminate between the effects of these two influences, the record is divided into subsets according to whether spring conditions in the region are cool and wet, warm and wet, cool and dry, or warm and dry. Warm springs promote early snowmelt-driven flows, and cool springs result in delayed flows. In addition to effects of winter and spring climate variability operating on the watershed, there are more subtle effects that are transmitted into the estuary from the coastal ocean. These influences are most pronounced in cool and dry springs with high surface salinity (SS) in the coastal ocean versus cool and wet springs with low SS in the coastal ocean. A transect of SS records at stations from the mouth to the head of the bay suggests that the coastal ocean anomaly signal is attenuated from the mouth to the interior of the estuary. In contrast, a delayed, postsummer signal caused by winter and spring runoff variations from the upstream watershed are most pronounced at the head of the estuary and attenuate toward the mouth.
Effects of topography on the interpretation of the deformation field of prominent volcanoes—Application to Etna

We have investigated the effects of topography on the surface‐deformation field of volcanoes. Our study provides limits to the use of classical half‐space models. Considering axisymmetrical volcanoes, we show that interpreting ground‐surface displacements with half‐space models can lead to erroneous estimations of the shape of the deformation source. When the average slope of the flanks of a volcano exceeds 20°, tilting in the summit area is reversed to that expected for a flat surface. Thus, neglecting topography may lead to misinterpreting an inflation of the source as a deflation. Comparisons of Mogi's model with a three‐dimensional model shows that ignoring topography may lead to an overestimate of the source‐volume change by as much as 50% for a slope of 30°. This comparison also shows that the depths calculated by using Mogi's solution for prominent volcanoes should be considered as depths from the summit of the edifices. Finally, we illustrate these topographic effects by analyzing the deformation field measured by radar interferometry at Mount Etna during its 1991–1993 eruption. A three‐dimensional modeling calculation shows that the flattening of the deflation field near the volcano's summit is probably a topographic effect.
High‐dimensional propensity scores for empirical covariate selection in secondary database studies: Planning, implementation, and reporting

Real‐world evidence used for regulatory, payer, and clinical decision‐making requires principled epidemiology in design and analysis, applying methods to minimize confounding given the lack of randomization. One technique to deal with potential confounding is propensity score (PS) analysis, which allows for the adjustment for measured preexposure covariates. Since its first publication in 2009, the high‐dimensional propensity score (hdPS) method has emerged as an approach that extends traditional PS covariate selection to include large numbers of covariates that may reduce confounding bias in the analysis of healthcare databases. hdPS is an automated, data‐driven analytic approach for covariate selection that empirically identifies preexposure variables and proxies to include in the PS model. This article provides an overview of the hdPS approach and recommendations on the planning, implementation, and reporting of hdPS used for causal treatment‐effect estimations in longitudinal healthcare databases. We supply a checklist with key considerations as a supportive decision tool to aid investigators in the implementation and transparent reporting of hdPS techniques, and to aid decision‐makers unfamiliar with hdPS in the understanding and interpretation of studies employing this approach. This article is endorsed by the International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology.
Age Dating Heating-Oil Releases, Part 2: Assessing Weathering and Release Time Frames Through Chemistry, Geology and Site History

The age of heating-oil releases from underground storage tanks (USTs) can be estimated by investigating the petroleum chemistry, the on-site environmental conditions, the extent of contaminant migration, the condition of the UST, site history and several additional factors. The heating-oil chemistry, and in particular the degree of weathering, can be assessed through an examination of: compound depletion, the carbon range, the n-alkane depletion and the size of the unresolved complex mixture (UCM). Each release site can be assigned a weathering regime, such as very aggressive, aggressive, moderate, weak and very weak. These designations are based on the on-site geological, hydrological and biological conditions. A matrix was constructed which compares the weathering regimes to the stages of petroleum weathering and provides potential age ranges. The matrix is a method to lead the investigator towards the correct age, but is not the final say on that age. The age ranges then need to be compared to site-specific characteristics, such as the UST age, the UST condition, the extent of contaminant migration and other extenuating factors. The error range for this method is estimated at ± 2 years; however, there are numerous limitations to the methods and instances will arise where the age can only be constrained.
Oregon Hydrologic Landscapes: A Classification Framework 1

Wigington, Parker J., Jr., Scott G. Leibowitz, Randy L. Comeleo, and Joseph L. Ebersole, 2012. Oregon Hydrologic Landscapes: A Classification Framework. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 1‐20. DOI: 10.1111/jawr.12009
Generation of both cortical and Aire+ medullary thymic epithelial compartments from CD205+ progenitors

In the adult thymus, the development of self‐tolerant thymocytes requires interactions with thymic epithelial cells (TECs). Although both cortical and medullary TECs (cTECs/mTECs) are known to arise from common bipotent TEC progenitors, the phenotype of these progenitors and the timing of the emergence of these distinct lineages remain unclear. Here, we have investigated the phenotype and developmental properties of bipotent TEC progenitors during cTEC/mTEC lineage development. We show that TEC progenitors can undergo a stepwise acquisition of first cTEC and then mTEC hallmarks, resulting in the emergence of a progenitor population simultaneously expressing the cTEC marker CD205 and the mTEC regulator Receptor Activator of NF‐κB (RANK). In vivo analysis reveals the capacity of CD205+ TECs to generate functionally competent cortical and medullary microenvironments containing both cTECs and Aire+ mTECs. Thus, TEC development involves a stage in which bipotent progenitors can co‐express hallmarks of the cTEC and mTEC lineages through sequential acquisition, arguing against a simple binary model in which both lineages diverge simultaneously from bipotent lineage negative TEC progenitors. Rather, our data reveal an unexpected overlap in the phenotypic properties of these bipotent TECs with their lineage‐restricted counterparts.