Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The application of GIS-based binary logistic regression for slope failure susceptibility mapping in the Western Grampian Mountains, Scotland

Slope failure has resulted in significant disruption to the Scottish road network in recent years and failure processes are widely considered to pose a very real risk to both infrastructure and road users. The manifestation of proposed regional climate variations could increase the hazard posed by landslide and debris flow activity within upland environments. It is therefore in the interests of decision makers and land managers to delineate the susceptibility of these areas to failure activity. The availability of accurate and high resolution geophysical data presents an opportunity to conduct a susceptibility analysis of proposed risk areas based on existing sites of failure. It is considered that failure sites are identifiable prior to activity and that events are triggered by external forcing in the form of excessive antecedent precipitation conditions. Binary logistic regression analysis is utilized to identify independent geophysical parameters that have been most associated with instances of past failure events. This technique facilitates the delineation of locations characterized by key parameter conditions most inductive to failure given the occurrence of an external trigger. It is proposed that when exposed to external forcing these locations are most susceptible to failure. To identify these locations is paramount to the successful application of any monitoring and/or preventative strategy. A Geographical Information System (GIS) is the ideal platform from which to undertake such a susceptibility analysis as it facilitates the precise identification of key independent parameter data associated with recorded instances of existing failure locations. The preparation, storage, extraction and analysis of intrinsic geophysical parameters promotes the development of a consistent modelling approach which can be applied to additional regions in the future.
Takeovers

This paper reviews the existing literature on takeovers. Takeovers are a means to redeploy corporate assets more efficiently and to discipline incumbent management. However, an active market for corporate control also brings about potential inefficiencies. Takeovers may be undertaken for reasons other than value creation and the threat of a control change can induce inefficient actions on the part of target firm management and employees. The functioning of the market for corporate control is further impaired by incentive and coordination problems inherent in the takeover process. When the target firm is owned by many small shareholders, the free-rider problem prevents bidders firms from earning a profit on the tendered shares. We analyse implications of this problem as well as ways to overcome it. As widely held firms are atypical in many countries, we also discuss the impact that target ownership structure has on the incidence and efficiency of control transfers.
A pan-European summer teleconnection mode recorded by a new temperature reconstruction from the northeastern Mediterranean (ad 1768–2008)

The dominant atmospheric circulation pattern that governs European summer climate is a blocking-like pattern over the British Isles that co-occurs with a low over southeastern Europe. The meridionally oriented configuration of this circulation pattern favours the intrusion of warm air over the northeastern Mediterranean during one mode and over northwestern Europe during its opposite mode. We present a summer temperature reconstruction (1768–2008) for the southeastern node of this teleconnection pattern. This reconstruction is based on maximum latewood density (MXD) measurements of 23 Pinus heldreichii trees from a high-elevation stand in the Pirin Mountains in Bulgaria. The temperature signal in trees from high-elevation, summer-dry regions is stronger in MXD measurements compared with tree-ring width data and our reconstruction reflects well interannual- to decadal-scale summer temperature fluctuations in the Balkans as instrumentally recorded over the twentieth century. Fluctuations in our Bulgarian reconstruction correspond to summer temperature variability in the Balkans, Italy, and the southern Carpathians, but opposing temperature variability patterns are manifested over the British Isles and southern Scandinavia. The strong and consistent anti-phase relationship between our reconstruction and a reconstruction of the summer North Atlantic Oscillation (sNAO) suggests that the sNAO pattern is a main driver of the teleconnection between summer temperatures in southeastern versus northwestern Europe. This teleconnection is most pronounced on interannual timescales and has been stable over the last two centuries.
Structural Performance of Concrete mixed with Gum Arabic as a Biopolymer Admixture and Calcined Kaolin as a Partial Replacement for Cement

- The goal of this study focuses on the influence of gum Arabic as a biopolymer admixture on setting time, Workability, and mechanical properties of concrete mixed with calcined kaolin. Concrete was mixed with calcined kaolin (CK) in the proportion of 0%-30% by cement weight and cured under laboratory conditions for 28 days. Later gum Arabic was added to the concrete at the following ratios 0%-1% after obtaining the optimum percentage of calcined kaolin. The addition of gum Arabic in concrete delayed the initial and final time, improved the Workability, and increased the mechanical properties of concrete. Furthermore, an SEM test was performed on cement, calcined kaolin, and gum Arabic in powder form to study their surface morphology. Gum Arabic was added to the cement mixture and calcined kaolin in powder form and was subjected to X-ray fluorescence to analyze its chemical compositions. Finally, the study concluded that 20%CK was the optimum since the compressive strength was above the minimum value required at 28 days due to the silicon content in CK that could react with lime in cement compared to 25% and 30%. Also, 0.8%GAB was the percentage whereby concrete reached its high compressive strength.
Crustal deformation caused by magma migration in the northern Izu Islands, Japan

Intense crustal activity including earthquake swarms, eruptions, and a caldera formation in the northern Izu Islands started on June 26, 2000, accompanied with large crustal deformation. Permanent GPS data reveals the spatial pattern and time evolution of ground deformation. The observations reveal shrinking and subsidence of Miyakejima and extension between Kouzushima and Niijima. We constructed a source model to explain the observed displacements during the period between June 26 and the end of August. The model consists of a deflation source (0.12km³) beneath Miyakejima, tensile faults (1.04km³) located between Miyakejima and Kouzushima, and several shear faults. Mass balance considerations suggest that a large amount of magma migrated 30km from Miyakejima toward Kouzushima.
SARS-CoV-2 Spike Glycoprotein and ACE2 Interaction Reveals Modulation of Viral Entry in Wild and Domestic Animals

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a viral pathogen causing life-threatening diseases in humans. Interaction between the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a potential factor in the infectivity of a host. In this study, the interaction of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein with its receptor, ACE2, in different hosts was evaluated to predict the probability of viral entry. Phylogeny and alignment comparison of the ACE2 sequences did not lead to any meaningful conclusion on viral entry in different hosts. The binding ability between ACE2 and the spike protein was assessed to delineate several spike binding parameters of ACE2. A significant difference between the known infected and uninfected species was observed for six parameters. However, these parameters did not specifically categorize the Orders into infected or uninfected. Finally, a logistic regression model constructed using spike binding parameters of ACE2, revealed that in the mammalian class, most of the species of Carnivores, Artiodactyls, Perissodactyls, Pholidota, and Primates had a high probability of viral entry. However, among the Proboscidea, African elephants had a low probability of viral entry. Among rodents, hamsters were highly probable for viral entry with rats and mice having a medium to low probability. Rabbits have a high probability of viral entry. In Birds, ducks have a very low probability, while chickens seemed to have medium probability and turkey showed the highest probability of viral entry. The findings prompt us to closely follow certain species of animals for determining pathogenic insult by SARS-CoV-2 and for determining their ability to act as a carrier and/or disseminator.
Comparison of fluoride and direct AMS radiocarbon dating of black bear bone from Lawson Cave, Missouri

Abstract After a 20-year hiatus (1955–1975) during which few archaeologists discussed fluoride dating, the method again received attention in the 1980s and 1990s when some argued for its validity. As a dating method, fluoride dating depends on the rate at which fluorine ions replace hydroxyl ions in osseous tissue. The rate of replacement is influenced by the properties of the skeletal part (SP), sediment chemistry (K), and sediment hydrology (H), and the replacement rate influences estimates of time. Calibrated AMS radiocarbon assays of 10 black bear (Ursus americanus) femora from a natural-trap cave in central Missouri are weakly correlated with fluorine concentrations, determined by neutron activation analysis in the 10 femora. Despite minimal variation in SP, K, and H, results indicate fluoride dating can be considered a valid dating method only in cases when the chronological validity of its results are confirmed with independent chronometric data. As similarities in fluorine amounts across specimens increase, provenience information and bone orientation data as well as fine resolution data on K and H become critical to the application of fluoride dating.
Volcanic SO2, BrO and plume height estimations using GOME‐2 satellite measurements during the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in May 2010

[1] The eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano, Iceland, in April and May 2010 caused unprecedented disruptions of European air traffic showing that timely monitoring of volcanic ash and SO2 dispersion as well as the corresponding plume heights are important for aviation safety. This paper describes the observations of SO2 and BrO columns in the eruption plume and the determination of the SO2 plume height using the GOME-2 satellite instrument. During the eruptive period in May 2010, SO2 total columns of up to ∼20 DU and BrO columns of ∼7.7 × 1013 molec/cm2 were detected. The BrO/SO2 ratio estimated from the GOME-2 observations of the Eyjafjallajokull eruption varies from 1.1 × 10−4 to 2.1 × 10−4. The SO2 plume heights estimated from the GOME-2 observations on 5 May range from 8–13 km and mostly agree within 1–3 km with visual observations, radar data and modeling results. Furthermore, the GOME-2 SO2 observations are compared with in situ measurements of the DLR Falcon aircraft on 17 and 18 May 2010 and with Brewer instruments at Valentia, Ireland and Hohenpeissenberg, Germany. The SO2 columns derived from the Falcon profile measurements range from 0.6–4.7 DU and the comparison with the GOME-2 measurements shows a good agreement, mainly within 1 DU. The Brewer observations at Hohenpeissenberg also agree well with the GOME-2 measurements with a daily average SO2 column of ∼1.3 DU during the overpass of the SO2 cloud on 18 May, whereas the Brewer instrument at Valentia shows up to 50% higher SO2 columns (∼8 DU) on 11 May.
Paleoenvironments of the evolving Pliocene to early Pleistocene foreland basin in northwestern Taiwan: An example from the Dahan River section

The overriding of the Luzon volcanic arc atop the underlying Chinese rifted‐continental margin has caused the formation of the Taiwan mountain belts and a peripheral foreland basin west of the orogen since the late Miocene. In this study, lithofacies analysis and calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphic investigations of the Dahan River section in northwestern (NW) Taiwan were performed. Our results offer insights into the temporal evolution of the sedimentary environments and the competing effects of the sedimentation and basin tectonics of the NW Taiwan foreland basin from the Pliocene to early Pleistocene. Nannofossil biostratigraphic studies showed that the upper Kueichulin Formation and the overlying Chinshui Shale can be assigned to the NN15 biozone of the Pliocene age, and the Cholan Formation pertains to NN16–NN18 of the early Pleistocene. The NN15–NN16 boundary coincides roughly with the boundary of the Chinshui Shale and Cholan Formation. We recognized three major sedimentary environments in the studied foreland succession comprising the upper Kueichulin Formation, Chinshui Shale, Cholan Formation and Yangmei Formation, in ascending order. During the deposition of the upper Kueichulin Formation in the early Pliocene, the dominant environment was a wave‐ and tide‐influenced open marine setting. During the late Pliocene, the environment deepened to an outer‐offshore setting when the sediments of Chinshui Shale were accumulated. In the Pleistocene, the environment then shallowed to wave‐dominated estuaries during the deposition of the lower Cholan Formation, and the basin was rapidly filled, generating a meandering and sandy braided river environment during the deposition of the upper Cholan to the Yangmei Formation. In summary, the evolution of sedimentary environments in the studied succession shows a deepening then a shallowing and coarsening upward trend during the period from the Pliocene to the Pleistocene, spanning the age from approximately 4 to 1 Ma.
Protocatechuic Acid Abrogates Oxidative Insults, In�ammation and Apoptosis in Liver and Kidney Associated With Monosodium Glutamate Intoxication in Rats

Monosodium glutamate (MSG), a commonly used �avor enhancer, has been reported to induce hepatic and renal dysfunctions. In this study, the palliative role of protocatechuic acid (PCA) in MSG-administered rats was elucidated. Adult male rats were assigned to four groups, namely control, MSG (4 mg/kg), PCA (100 mg/kg), and the last group was co-administered MSG and PCA at aforementioned doses for seven days. Results showed that MSG augmented the hepatic (AST and ALT) and renal (urea and creatinine) functions markers as well as glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol and LDL levels. Moreover, marked increases in MDA levels accompanied by declines in GSH levels and notable decreases in the activities of SOD, CAT, GPx, and GR were observed in MSG-treated group. The MSG-mediated oxidative stress was further con�rmed by down-regulation of Nfe2l2 gene expression levels in both tissues. In addition, MSG enhanced the hepatorenal in�ammatory response as witnessed by increased in�ammatory cytokines (IL-1b and TNF-α) and elevated NF-κB levels in both tissues. Further, signi�cant increases in Bax (pro-apoptotic biomarker) levels together with decreases in Bcl-2 (anti-apoptotic marker) levels were observed in MSG administration. Hepatic and renal histopathological screening supported the biochemical and molecular �ndings. On the contrary, co-treatment of rats with PCA resulted in remarkable enhancement of the antioxidant cellular capacity, suppression of in�ammatory mediators and apoptosis. These effects are possibly endorsed for activation of Nrf-2 and suppression of NF-kB signaling pathways. Collectively, addition of PCA counteracted MSG-induced hepatic and renal injurious effects through modulation of oxidative, in�ammatory and apoptotic alterations. anti-in�ammatory,
Evaluating the Representation of Tropical Stratocumulus and Shallow Cumulus Clouds As Well As Their Radiative Effects in CMIP6 Models Using Satellite Observations

Low clouds over tropical oceans reflect a great proportion of solar radiation back to space and thereby cool the Earth, yet this phenomenon has been poorly simulated in several previous generations of climate models. The principal aim of the present study is to employ satellite observations to evaluate the representation of marine tropical low clouds and their radiative effect at the top of the atmosphere in a subset of latest climate models participating in CMIP6. We strive for regime‐oriented model validation and hence introduce a qualitative approach to discriminate stratocumulus (Sc) from shallow cumulus (Cu). The novel Sc‐Cu categorization has a conceptual advantage of being based on cloud properties, rather than relying on a model response to a cloud‐controlling factor. We find that CMIP6 models underestimate low‐cloud cover in both Sc‐regions and Cu‐regions of tropical oceans. A more detailed investigation of cloud biases reveals that most CMIP6 models underestimate the relative frequency of occurrence (RFO) of Sc and overestimate RFO of Cu. We further demonstrate that tropical low cloudiness in CMIP6 models remains too bright. The regime‐oriented validation represents the basis for improving parameterizations of physical processes that determine the cloud cover and radiative impact of Sc and Cu, which are still misrepresented in current climate models.
An F region eclipse

Observations of the electron density, electron temperature, and ion temperature were made over the height range 240–750 km vertically above Millstone Radar Observatory on July 19–21, 1963. The technique employed for these measurements is the incoherent backscatter method. The eclipse occurred on the afternoon of July 20 and caused a large rapid decrease in the electron temperature at all heights and a subsequent recovery. The ion temperature was seen to change at all heights almost equally rapidly, though by a smaller amount. These changes in temperature caused a rapid reduction in the value for the diffusive equilibrium scale height. As a consequence, ionization moved downward and the density at hmax increased, though at altitudes above 425 km it decreased. The total electron content of the region under study was about 7×1012 electrons/cm3 at the commencement of the event but had declined to about 6×1012 electrons/cm2 by the time point of last contact was reached.
Interpreting the stratigraphic architecture of fluvial systems in internally drained basins

Models for fluvial architecture tend to focus on the effects of sea-level oscillation and syndepositional tectonics in creating and removing accommodation space and determining the relative distribution of channel and overbank deposits in the stratigraphic record. However, in basins of internal drainage sea-level change does not exert any influence and in settings where basin centre lakes are very shallow, fluctuations in lake level have little impact on the fluvial system. If there is variation in tectonic subsidence across the area this will affect depositional patterns, but otherwise subsidence does not play a role in affecting sediment distribution in an endorheic setting. The Luna and Huesca Systems were deposited in the endorheic Ebro Basin at a time when deformation in the adjacent Pyrenees had largely ceased. Hundreds of metres of fluvial and lacustrine sediment accumulated, raising the level of the basin centre by stratigraphic aggradation and back-filling of hinterland valleys. During aggradation the systems appear to have maintained a constant slope across the fluvial profile. The resulting stratigraphic architecture is well displayed in the Ebro Basin and provides a case study of architectural patterns in endorheic settings, which is in marked contrast to those described from fluvial successions formed in externally draining systems.
The estimation of groundwater recharge from spring hydrographs

Abstract The amount of groundwater recharge to an aquifer depends on the amount of precipitation and its seasonal distribution, the air temperature, the land use, and other factors; direct measurements of the recharge components are not possible. Because of these factors, determining the recharge to aquifers is a difficult problem in all water resource studies. A project for determining quantitative groundwater recharge is illustrated by the computation of the groundwater balance of the Kirkgoz springs area in the Mediterranean region of Turkey.
Inverse solution for pentadal variability in the North Atlantic

Seven pentads (1960–1964 to 1990–1994) of the North Atlantic climatology by Lozier et al. (1995) are analyzed with the help of an inverse finite‐element ocean circulation model. The model solves for temperature and salinity fields that are close to observations and respect stationary dynamical balances, and produces estimates of the circulation. The first two EOF's of transport streamfunction variability (39% and 26% of the explained variance) are found to have a high correlation with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index averaged over pentads and lagged negatively by three years (first EOF) and between zero and one years (second EOF). The spatial pattern of the first EOF corresponds to an anticyclonic anomaly (in the positive NAO phase) located between 20 and 45°N with the largest variability between 30 and 45°N, and much weaker cyclonic anomalies in the subpolar gyre. The second EOF shows a sharp anticyclonic anomaly along the Gulf Stream and its extension and a wide cyclonic cell over most of subtropical gyre. The anomaly in the meridional overturning streamfunction is characterized by a single positive cell which poorly correlates with the NAO index.
On the temporal variability of the transport between Amsterdam and Kerguelen islands

Data from over 3 years of bottom pressure recording together with Geosat altimetry and the Fine Resolution Antarctic Model numerical ocean model have been used to investigate the temporal variability of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current between Amsterdam and Kerguelen islands in the southern Indian Ocean. An upper limit to the standard deviation of the variability in transport derived from pressure differences has been calculated to be 10–15 Sv, subject to an assumption of barotropic flow dominating the variability and after the application of a 31-day low-pass filter. This is slightly larger than the variability obtained in a similar experiment at the Drake Passage a decade ago. Although the seasonal cycles in pressure difference and in sea surface height difference measured by altimetry are different each year, their means are consistent with the presence of a semiannual component with an amplitude in terms of (assumed barotropic) transport of the order of 5 Sv, which is comparable to the Drake Passage findings. In addition, the pressure difference data contain a large, quasistationary annual component of amplitude of approximately 5 mbar, a possible source of which is different seasonal steric fluctuations at the two sites. Insofar as the bottom recorder data can be considered ground truth for the altimetry, results from the different techniques show some features in common, although significant differences between data sets remain, for which possible explanations are offered. It is concluded that when they are used for monitoring transport fluctuations, bottom pressure recorders should be accompanied by inverted echo sounders and comprehensive hydrographic measurements.