Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Évaluation des teneurs en éléments traces métalliques dans les légumes feuilles vendus dans les différents marchés de la zone minière de Lubumbashi

Objectifs : Le present travail a ete initie dans le but d’evaluer la teneur en elements traces metalliques (ETM) dans les legumes feuilles vendus dans les differents marches de Lubumbashi. Methodologie et resultats : Les legumes d’amarante et de poiree bette ont ete achetes sur 11 marches de la ville de Lubumbashi et la quantite totale des legumes a ete melangee (par espece) pour obtenir un echantillon representatif du marche. Les analyses ont porte sur les teneurs totales en Cuivre (Cu), Cobalt (Co), Plomb (Pb), Cadmium (Cd) et Zinc (Zn). Le dosage des ETM a ete realise en absorption atomique au spectrometre (VARIAN 220). Les resultats obtenus ont montre que les teneurs totales en ETM sont similaires entre les legumes d’amarante et de poiree vendus dans les differents marches de Lubumbashi. Par ailleurs, tous les marches depassent le seuil en cuivre fixe a 10 mg/kgMS, quelle que soit la methode de lavage et l’espece potagere. Pour les autres ETM, plusieurs marches sont en dessous des valeurs seuils en fonction de la concentration maximale reglementaire (CMR) etablie en France (Pb : 3 mg/kg MS et Cd : 2 mg/kg MS). Conclusion et application de la recherche : la determination des teneurs en ETM dans les legumes vendus dans les differents marches de la ville de Lubumbashi permet d’evaluer les risques de contamination de la chaine alimentaire d’une part et de l’autre la mise au point des techniques adequates de bioremediation. Mots cles : Legumes-feuilles, elements traces metalliques, contamination, zone miniere, transfert solplante, chaine alimentaire
Economic policies and strategies in Toulouse : how to enhance the city's competitiveness

This report focuses on policies ans strategies that are led to enhance Toulouse's economic competitiveness. It aims in particular to highlight the importance given to creative and knowledge intensive industries to strengthen local economic growth. This study follows up series of quantitative and qualitative surveys that have been conducted within the ACRE programme from 2007 to 2009 among different target groups working in creative or knowledge sectors : employees and graduates, managers and trans-national migrants.
Análise estratigráfica das seqüências neoproterozóicas da Bacia do São Francisco

A stratigraphical analysis was performed under the principles of Sequence Stratigraphy on the neoproterozoic sedimentary sequences of the Sao Francisco Basin (Central Brazil). Three periods of deposition separated by unconformities were recognized in the Sao Francisco Megasequence: (1) Sequences 1 and 2, a cryogenian glaciogenic sequence, followed by a distal scarp carbonate ramp, developed during stable conditions, (2) Sequence 3, a Upper Cryogenian stack homoclinal ramps with mixed carbonate-siliciclastic sedimentation, deposited under a progressive influence of compressional stresses of the Brasiliano Cycle, (3) Sequence 4, a Lower Ediacaran shallow platform dominated by siliciclastic sedimentation of molassic nature, the erosion product of the nearby uplifted thrust sheets. Each of the carbonate-bearing sequences presents a distinct δ 13 C isotopic signature. The superposition to the global curve for carbon isotopic variation allowed the recognition of a major depositional hiatus between the Paranoa and Sao Francisco Megasequences, and suggested that the glacial diamictite deposition (Jequitai Formation) took place most probably around 800 Ma. This constrains the Sao Francisco Megasequence deposition to the interval between 800 and 600 Ma (the known ages of the Brasiliano Orogeny defines the upper limit). A minor depositional hiatus (700−680 Ma) was also identified separating sequences 2 and 3. Isotopic analyses suggest that from then on, more restricted environmental conditions were established in the basin, probably associated with a first order global event, which prevailed throughout deposition of the Sequence 3.
Spatial Patterns of Preinstrumental Moisture Variability in the Southern Canadian Cordillera

Abstract Extreme wet and dry intervals of the last 350 yr in the Canadian Cordillera and adjacent United States are examined using a network of 25 tree-ring-based precipitation and Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) reconstructions. Reconstructed twentieth-century-mapped patterns compare well with patterns based on the instrumental records at both annual and decadal scales. During the most extreme events, dry conditions occurred over the entire area. The longest widespread drought in the last 350 yr occurred from 1917 to 1941. Shorter intervals of more severely dry conditions occurred in the early 1720s, 1750s, 1790s, 1860s–70s, and the 1890s. Many of the driest individual years and most extreme dry periods of <7 yr are reconstructed for the eighteenth century. The longest, wettest periods identified by these reconstructions occurred in the early twentieth century. In agreement with published studies that explore links between instrumental precipitation records from the region and conditions in the Paci.
Contribution of Riverine Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen Flux to New Production in the Coastal Northern Indian Ocean: An Assessment

Rivers are known to be one of the major sources of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) to the coastal ocean and contribute to the primary productivity in the sunlit upper ocean. This study provides an analysis of DIN fluxes and its possible contribution to new production in the coastal northern Indian Ocean based on the literature data. Most of the riverine DIN flux (~81% in the case of the Arabian Sea and 96% in the case of the Bay of Bengal) is not transported to the coastal ocean and is consumed on the course of the rivers or in the estuaries. Coastal Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea receive ~0.38 Tg N year−1 (1 Tg = 1012 g) and ~0.06 Tg N year−1, respectively, through rivers. A large variation in the contribution of DIN through river fluxes to new production is found in both of these basins.
Substrate-induced conformational changes in the nucleotide-binding domains of lipid bilayer-associated P-glycoprotein during hydrolysis

To whom correspondence should be addressed: Ina L. Urbatsch, Ph.D., Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, 3601 4th Street, Lubbock, Texas 79430-6540. Telephone: (806) 743-2700 ext. 279; E-mail: ina.urbatsch@ttuhsc.edu; or Guillermo A. Altenberg, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Cell Physiology and Molecular Biophysics, Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, 3601 4th Street, Lubbock, Texas 79430-6551. Telephone: (806) 743-2531; FAX: (806) 743-1512; E-mail: g.altenberg@ttuhsc.edu
Structural Similarity Quality Metrics in a Coding Context: Exploring the Space of Realistic Distortions

Perceptual image quality metrics have explicitly accounted for human visual system (HVS) sensitivity to subband noise by estimating just noticeable distortion (JND) thresholds. A recently proposed class of quality metrics, known as structural similarity metrics (SSIM), models perception implicitly by taking into account the fact that the HVS is adapted for extracting structural information from images. We evaluate SSIM metrics and compare their performance to traditional approaches in the context of realistic distortions that arise from compression and error concealment in video compression/transmission applications. In order to better explore this space of distortions, we propose models for simulating typical distortions encountered in such applications. We compare specific SSIM implementations both in the image space and the wavelet domain; these include the complex wavelet SSIM (CWSSIM), a translation-insensitive SSIM implementation. We also propose a perceptually weighted multiscale variant of CWSSIM, which introduces a viewing distance dependence and provides a natural way to unify the structural similarity approach with the traditional JND-based perceptual approaches.
Latitudinal and longitudinal behavior of the mesospheric OH nightglow layer as observed by the Improved Stratospheric and Mesospheric Sounder on UARS

The mesospheric nightglow from the hydroxyl (OH) radical has been characterized using measurements taken by the Improved Stratospheric and Mesospheric Sounder (ISAMS) instrument on the UARS satellite. In this paper, the variations with latitude of the emission integrated vertically over the OH layer, for both solstice and equinox conditions, are analyzed and compared to other measurements and with model predictions. A semiannual variation with a minimum at solstice is found at low latitudes. An annual variation is found at high latitudes with a springtime minimum, which appears earlier than predicted by the models. Zonal maps of the OH emission show longitudinal structures with a timescale of days that suggest the effect of planetary waves on the emission process.
PROFILE AND DIVERSITY OF PHYSICOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS OF THE BLACK LOCUST HONEY FROM EASTERN CROATIA REGION GIVEN THE TESTING SEASONS

According to its chemical composition, honey is a complex mixture of over 70 ingredients, which enter honey in a variety of ways. Not only that the different types of honey differ, but the honey within each species differs in its composition depending on its herbal and geographical origin, climatic conditions, the type of bees, and the work of the beekeeper. A number of European countries have the national legislation and the reference methods used for local quality control, but they are often specific for a particular country and cannot always be applied in the commercialization of honey for the international sales. Therefore, the profession in accordance with expert associations - International Honey Commission IHC - seeks to harmonize the reference methods and standards for proving the authenticity of botanical origin of monofloral type of honey. The purpose of this paper is to present the profile of physicochemical parameters of 40 samples of the black locust honey from Eastern Croatia region monitored by the season. Moreover, it will point out their differences within each testing season. Melissopalynological and physicochemical analysis are used to prove the botanical origin of honey, and whether the samples meet the general quality requirements set by the Regulations on the quality of monofloral honey. Every tested sample meets the requirements set by the Regulations on the quality of monofloral honey regarding physicochemical parameters: water (14.96 - 20.28 %) ; free acid (8.0 - 16.9 mEq/1000 g) ; electrical conductivity (0.09 - 0.23 mS/cm) ; reducing sugars (63.27 - 73.48 g/100 g) ; sucrose (0.09 - 1.38 g/100 g) ; diastase (7.26 - 19.92 DN) and hydroxymethylfurfuraldehyde - HMF (1.26 - 14.70 mg/kg). Gained dana were processed by ANOVA) method. The analysis of variance gained an insight into the significance of differences (p - values) within the physicochemical parameters for water and electrical conductivity given the season black locust honey is from p < 0.05. Botanical origin of all the samples, as declared by the manufacturer, was confirmed using the melissopalynological analysis-black locust.
Carbon and nitrogen mineralisation in sand, silt, and clay fractions of soils under maize and pasture

Although several studies have quantified either C mineralisation or net N mineralisation in particle-size fractions, no work has examined simultaneous C and net N mineralisation. Therefore, we conducted an 18-week laboratory incubation to compare simultaneous mineralisation in sand, silt, and clay fractions. The soils (silt loams) were collected from fields of long-term pasture and maize. Sand, silt, and clay were separated by mild dispersion in water followed by centrifugation. Samples were incubated at 25°C in the dark in a quartz matrix, and were leached every 2 weeks with 0.004 M CaCl 2 at a suction of 20 kPa to remove soluble products. C mineralisation was determined from CO 2 -C evolved each 2 weeks, and mineral N was measured in the leachate. C mineralisation, on a C basis, followed the order sand > clay > silt, and was related (r 2 = 0.88) to the proportion of O-alkyl C (carbohydrate C) estimated from 13 C NMR. The low mineralisation in the silt may also have been a result of the physical protection of substrates in small pores in this fraction. The rates of N release were initially rapid from the maize soil fractions, and were consistent with the high initial mineral-N contents; subsequently, the rates were slower, and probably related to C mineralisation. For the pasture soil, N mineralisation followed the order clay>silt>sand, and was inversely related to the C: N ratios. Immobilisation appeared to take place in the sand fraction, whereas a large part of the net N mineralisation occurred in the clay fraction. There is now good evidence that rates of C and net N mineralisation differ within discrete particle size fractions, and data on such fractions could be useful for constructing soil organic matter models.
Evaluating the success of mineral sand mine rehabilitation on North Stradbroke Island, Queensland: Comparisons with reference eucalypt communities

Following mineral sand mining on North Stradbroke Island, southeast Queensland, rehabilitation managers have a statutory obligation to restore vegetation communities to meet completion criteria based on representative native 'reference' communities. The success of rehabilitation is currently evaluated by measures of vegetation composition and structure, with native tree and understorey species richness, density and foliage cover required to achieve at least 65 to 75% of reference site values. Rehabilitation aged 8, 10, 15 and 20 years was assessed in the Gordon mine lease area and compared with prescribed reference communities, representative of four eucalypt dominated communities on the island. Ordinations of species composition showed that rehabilitated sites were more similar to each other than to the reference sites. In contrast to reference sites, 15 and 20-year-old rehabilitation was dominated by Allocasuarina littoralis and recorded low species richness. Recently rehabilitated areas were more similar to reference sites with predominantly eucalypt tree species and comparable species richness. Native species density was lower in rehabilitation of all ages (29 to 114 stems/40 m2) compared to reference sites (237 to 368 stems/40 m2). Without management intervention, it is unlikely that 15 and 20-year-old rehabilitation will progress toward the reference sites and with continued exclusion of fire, younger rehabilitation may also become progressively dominated by a simplified stand of A. littoralis. The value of comparing developing ecosystems to successionally 'mature' communities is considered and implications for selecting reference values and choosing management interventions are discussed.
Substorm and convection bay compared: Auroral and magnetotail dynamics during convection bay

Using observations from eight spacecraft and a ground network, we study two subsequent bay-like disturbances on December 10, 1996, initiated by southward interplanetary magnetic field intervals, one being a classic substorm and another one a convection bay. Both events showed enhanced convection and Dst decreases as well as Pi2 pulsations in the auroral zone. Contrasting to the well-defined substorm signatures of the first event (poleward auroral expansion, substorm current wedge, strong particle injection to 6.6 R E ) resulting from energy loading/unloading and near-Earth reconnection in the tail, these signatures were virtually absent during the convection bay (CB). Distinctive features of the CB event were the same as those during the Steady Magnetospheric Convection intervals: (1) wide double oval at the nightside; (2) thick plasma sheet, relaxed lobe field, and enhanced magnetic flux closure (large B z ) and multiple bursty earthward flows (BBFs) in the midtail; (3) sporadic narrow soft injections to 6.6 R E ; (4) auroral streamers associated with both BBFs and narrow injections. We emphasize the development of multiple and sporadic auroral streamers which start at the poleward oval boundary, propagate equatorward (in 3-8 min) and end with a long-duration bright spot in the equatorward oval. We conclude that the plasma sheet and auroral dynamics during the convection bay was formed by sporadic narrow (a few R E wide) plasma streams (plasma bubbles) which transported the plasma sheet material from the distant magnetotail reconnection regions to the inner magnetosphere and may significantly contribute to the magnetospheric circulation on the nightside. We modeled the nightside tail configuration using magnetotail magnetic observations and low-altitude particle boundaries to show that at the beginning of the convection bay the increase of magnetic flux tube volume with distance was small in the midtail. Therefore the pressure crisis in the tail was significantly reduced during the convection bay, and the efficient earthward transport by sporadic narrow plasma streams was probably able to balance the magnetospheric circulation to avoid the large-scale instability of the magnetotail.
Consensus on Twenty-First-Century Rainfall Projections in Climate Models More Widespread than Previously Thought

AbstractUnder global warming, increases in precipitation are expected at high latitudes and near major tropical convergence zones in some seasons, while decreases are expected in many subtropical and midlatitude areas in between. In many other areas there is no consensus among models on the sign of the projected change. This is often assumed to indicate that precipitation projections in these regions are highly uncertain.Here, twenty-first century precipitation projections under the Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) A1B scenario using 24 World Climate Research Programme (WCRP)/Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 3 (CMIP3) climate models are examined. In areas with no consensus on the sign of projected change there are extensive subregions where the projected change is “very likely” (i.e., probability > 0.90) to be small (relative to, e.g., the size of interannual variability during the late twentieth century) or zero. The statistical significance of and interrelationships between method.
Fracture aperture, length and pattern geometry development under biaxial loading: a numerical study with applications to natural, cross-jointed systems

Abstract Fracture mechanics modelling of fracture pattern development was used to analyse pattern geometry and population statistics for natural opening-mode fractures. Orthogonal fracture network geometries were generated under biaxial extension loading conditions from a slightly anisotropic initial strain state. Fracture statistics were analysed by grouping all fracture orientations into one population for these unique orthogonal pattern geometries. Fracture aperture distributions resembled negative exponential curve shapes, consistent with published observations for stratabound fractures in sedimentary rock. Fracture length distributions had a strongly power-law shape, and showed that longer fractures grew first and reached their fullest extent before shorter fractures began propagating. The power-law shape of the length distribution was first established by the growth of the longest fractures in the population, followed by the later growth of shorter fractures that extended the power-law shape to smaller sizes. The shortest fracture length at which the power-law distribution was truncated varied with the magnitude of the applied strain. Other variations in fracture pattern results were tied to mechanical layer thickness and subcritical crack growth propagation properties of the fractured media.
Cattle and elk responses to intensive timber harvest.

Forested habitats for cattle and elk (Cervus elaphus) in the western United States have changed substantially in response to intensive timber management during the latter half of the 20th century. Consequently, the subject of how elk and other ungulates respond to timber management is a high-profile, long-standing issue that continues to be studied and debated (Lyon and Christensen 2002). The need for additional knowledge about effects of timber management on cattle and elk remains high, given the fact that timber management continues to affect nearly all cattle and elk ranges on national forests in the western United States (Wisdom and Thomas 1996, Lyon and Christensen 2002).
Archaean-Cambrian crustal development of East Antarctica: metamorphic characteristics and tectonic implications

Abstract The East Antarctic Shield consists of a variety of Archaean and Proterozoic-Cambrian high-grade terranes that have distinct crustal histories and were amalgamated at various times in the Precambrian-Cambrian. High-grade Pan-African tectonism at 600–500Ma is recognized from four distinct belts: the Dronning Maud Land, Lützow-Holm Bay, Prydz Bay and Denman Glacier Belts. These high-grade belts juxtapose distinct Mesoproterozoic and Neoproterozoic crustal provinces (Maud, Rayner and Wilkes), the Rauer Terrane, and have also marginally affected Archaean cratonic remnants in the Napier Complex and southern Prince Charles Mountains. The Wilkes Province experienced its principal tectonothermal events prior to 1130Ma and was not affected by the younger events that characterize the Maud Province (1150 and 1030–990Ma), the Rayner Province (990–920Ma) and the Rauer Terrane (1030–990Ma). These differences between the isotopic/event records of the basement provinces now separated by the Pan-African belts require that the older provinces were not formerly parts of a continuous ‘Grenville’ belt as proposed in the SW US-East Antartic model. East Antarctica was not a single unified crustal block within either East Gondwana or Rodinia until the Cambrian, which is now demonstrated to be the key phase of high-grade and ultrahigh-temperature (UHT) metamorphism associated with supercontinent assembly. The high-grade Pan-African tectonism is characterized by extensive infracrustal melting, clock-wise P-T paths, rapid post-peak exhumation along isothermal decompression paths to shallow- or mid-crustal levels by 500 Ma and the generation, at least locally, of UHT conditions. A significant flux of heat from the mantle into the deep and initially overthickened crust is required to produce these observed metamorphic effects. Whilst the thermal evolution can be explained by models that invoke the removal of most of the lithospheric mantle following crustal thickening and prior to rapid extension of the remaining crust, these one-dimensional models are inconsistent with present crustal thicknesses of 25–35km in the Pan-African domains of the East Antarctic Shield.