Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sulphur springs of the Craven Basin, NW England: indicators of natural methane leakage?

Sulphidic springs are a common feature of the Craven Basin and have long histories, indicating that they are natural phenomena, and not a result of recent anthropogenic contamination of groundwater. This study identified several extant sulphur springs and these were sampled and analysed for hydrochemistry and isotopic composition (δ34S of sulphate and sulphide, δ18O of sulphate and δ13C of total dissolved inorganic carbon (TDIC)). The springs are associated with limestone units and are located in anticlinal crests that are sometimes faulted. Sulphide concentrations at these ‘sulphur springs’ range from <0.5 to 96 mg l−1 and light sulphide isotopic compositions indicate that sulphide originates by microbial sulphate reduction. One site, ‘Stinky Bottoms’, with high sulphide concentration (46 mg l−1) also has very low δ13C-TDIC (–25.3‰ V-PDB) characteristic of a significant component of TDIC generation via methane oxidation. Other sites have δ13C-TDIC more typical of shallow groundwaters (−14.2 to −16.3‰ V-PDB) and two sites with highest Cl concentration and elevated Sr:Ca have heavier δ13C-TDIC (−11.3 and −6.8‰ V-PDB), indicative of a more evolved, long residence-time brine component. At Stinky Bottoms a strong case can be made that generation of sulphidic groundwater is related to subsurface methane. At other sites, sulphide generation may also be related to hydrocarbon or methane seeps (in some cases associated with a brine component) but the δ13C-TDIC values are more equivocal.
Crustal structure of the Cascadia subduction zone, southwestern British Columbia, from potential field and seismic studies

The northern Cascadia subduction zone is a region of convergence between the oceanic Explorer and northern Juan de Fuca plates and the continental North American plate. Potential field and new seismic reflection data coupled with previous seismic results and geology enable derivation of a series of density – magnetic susceptibility cross sections and a block density model from the ocean basin to the volcanic arc from 2.5- and 3-dimensional interpretations. The lateral extent and thickness of the accreted wedge vary significantly along the zone. The narrow, metasedimentary Pacific Rim terrane lies immediately west of Wrangellia and extends the length of Vancouver Island, consistent with its emplacement by strike-slip faulting following the accretion of Wrangellia. The ophiolitic Crescent terrane is a narrow slice lying seaward of the Pacific Rim terrane but not extending northward beyond the Juan de Fuca plate. In this region, the Crescent terrane was emplaced in a strike-slip or obliquely convergent style.
Effect of brewery effluent on the microbiological quality of Ikpoba River and surrounding borehole waters in Benin City, Nigeria.

Aim: The microbiological quality of Ikpoba River, Benin City-Nigeria and the surrounding borehole waters was investigated to assess the extent of pollution from Guinness Nigeria Plc, Benin City. Methodology: Microbiological parameters analyzed were total bacterial, fungal and coliform counts, and identification for indicator organisms. Results: For river water samples (RW1-RW4), mean total viable aerobic bacterial, fungal and coliform counts ranged from 0.06x10
Abundance and length composition for Sebastes marinus L., deep sea S. mentella and juvenile redfish (Sebastes spp.) off Greenland and Iceland based on groundfish surveys 1985-2000

The joint presentation of the German and Icelandic research survey results off Greenland and Iceland is considered a comprehensive review of available information regarding demersal redfish occurrences in the shelf areas and on the continental slopes down to 400 m depth. It should be bared in mind that the surveys are primarily designed for cod and only partly cover the distribution areas of redfish. The main difference between the German and Icelandic surveys is the season of operations. Apart from catchability related problems there have been yet no attempts undertaken to account for seasonal differences in the survey series (migration, recruitment, mortality, growth). Such effects need to be evaluated in future to improve the joint GermanIcelandic survey evaluation. After a severe depletion of the S. marinus stock on the traditional fishing grounds around East Greenland in the early 1990‘s, the survey estimates showed a significant increase in abundance since 2002. The abundance off Iceland increased until 1999 to the level observed during the mid 1980s when the surveys commenced. However, the most recent survey results indicate the highest stock size off Iceland since 1985 and a concentration of the stock off southwest Iceland. Marked shifts of size-spectra peaks might indicate annual growth increments of single cohorts between 2-5 cm/year. The combined German-Icelandic survey results indicate that they do cover only the immature part of the deepsea S. mentella stock and should therefore be used only as a recruitment indicator. However, the poor status of the deep-sea S. mentella stock on the East Greenland shelves in the 80‘s was subject to a steady improvement since the early 1990s. This positive trend was due to successful recruitment of one individual year classes until 1997. During the following two years, the year class has obviously left the survey area and is believed to have also recruited into the oceanic stock of S. mentella. Most recently, there are indications of further recruiting year classes. The observed growth rate of about 2cm/year coincides quite closely with results from other studies. Juvenile unspecified redfish S. spp. (<17cm) were found almost exclusively off East Greenland more abundant during the middle part of the survey period during 1993-1998. Thereafter, there is no indication of strong cohorts at very young stages. They were recorded to be bigger off East Greenland as compared to West Greenland and exhibited growth rates of about 5 cm/year in age-groups 0, 1 and 2. Especially for the juvenile redfish the estimated combined abundance, biomass and length frequencies must be corrected for the seasonal difference between the survey series.
Optimum Design of Cantilever Retaining Walls Using Target Reliability Approach

In this paper, an approach for reliability-based design optimization of reinforced concrete cantilever retaining wall is described. A parametric study is conducted to assess the effect of uncertainties in design parameters on the probability of failure of cantilever retaining walls. In total, ten modes of failure are considered, viz. overturning of the wall about its toe, sliding of the wall on its base, eccentricity, bearing capacity failure below the base slab, and shear and moment failure in the toe slab, heel slab, and stem. The analysis is performed by treating backfill and foundation soil properties, geometric properties of wall, and reinforcement and concrete properties as random variables. These results are used to develop a set of reliability-based design charts for different coefficients of variation of friction angle of backfill soil (5 and 10%) and targeting reliability index ( βt ) in the range of 3–3.2 for all failure modes. A comparative study is also presented, which shows that optimized s.
Flower power: testing social media advertising strategies for floral products

Abstract Social media and the internet have impacted how companies and organizations advertise to consumers. Digital advertising has created the opportunity to engage with consumers, target specific groups, and capture metrics of use to help build effective advertising strategies. The floral industry is a large sector within the agricultural arena, which is primed to engage with young consumers. This research examined the effectiveness of utilizing static and animated social media advertisements to increase consumers’ intention to purchase floral products. Using an online survey and an experimental design, this study examined 8,488 respondents’ intention to purchase floral products after viewing static and animated social media advertisements. This study identified respondents’ attitudes, social norms, age, and internet use to be significant predictors in their intent to purchase floral products. Recommendations from a theoretical and applied perspective are discussed within relation to the study’s findings to advance strategic advertising in the floral industry.
Qualitative and Quantitative Estimation of Total Phenols in Narcissus tazettaL. Bulbs

Narcissus tazetta, a member of the Amaryllidaceae family, is known to be rich in bioactive metabolites such as alkaloids, phenolics and flavonoids, which have been found in nearly every species in this family. N. tazetta cultivated in Iraq, had not previously been studied for its active components; thus, the current study used phytochemical screening and phenolic compounds estimation, both qualitatively and quantitatively. Results showed that the plant alcoholic extract was rich in alkaloids, polyphenols and flavonoids besides tannins, polysaccharides and saponins. Qualitatively; TLC and HPLC chromatogram for total phenolics and flavonoids compounds revealed the presence of Gallic acid (GA), Caffeic acid (CA), Paracumarin acid (P-c), Chlorogenic acid (Ch), Catechin (Ca), Hydroqunolinon (H) with more abundant content in Vanillic and Salycilic acids as phenolic compounds; beside, Rutin (R), Quercetin (Q), Apegenin (Ap), Luetolin (L), and Kaempferol (K) as flavonoids. Dried bulbs of N. tazetta contain total phenolic compounds reached 90 mg/g and total flavonoids in a quantity of 0.47 mg/g. Plant bulb analyzed by colorimetric reaction assay.
Growth Hormone Treatment of Short Children Born Small for Gestational Age

By definition, approximately 3% of human infants are born small for gestational age, a condition that may be the consequence of intrauterine growth retardation. The majority of these children present sufficient catch-up growth during infancy to normalize their stature (1). Approximately 10% of children born small for gestational age appear to maintain a height below 2 SDS throughout childhood (2, 3). In the pioneering studies attempting to normalize the short stature of children with insufficient catch-up growth, GH was administered with low frequency (4, 5) or in substitution doses (6-8). The observed growth responses were heterogeneous and difficult to interpret. More recently, daily subcutaneous placebo injections have been documented to exert no consistent growth-promoting effect over 6 months in this group of short children (9). In contrast, high-dose GH schedules were found to result in a pronounced acceleration of statural growth, but the conclusions to be drawn from these observations were limited in part by the lack of fully parallel controls (9, 10). We summarize recent growth data from four independent, randomized, controlled, multicenter studies exploring the effects of three doses of daily GH administration over two years in short children born small for gestational age (11).
Salt karst and tectonics: sinkholes development along tension cracks between parallel strike‐slip faults, Dead Sea, Jordan

This work deals with the tectonic interpretation of an alignment of more than 300 sinkholes stretching along the Jordanian coast of the Dead Sea, Ghor Al Haditha area. Its dimensions are 6 km long with a width of 600 m. Sinkholes appeared during the last decades as a consequence of the very rapid lowering of the lake level. The linear shape was inferred from ground collapse inventories carried out between 1991 and 2008. The lineament is replaced and analyzed in its structural setting at regional and local scales. Its direction (N 24° E) is sub‐parallel to the ones displayed by many focal mechanisms, especially the one associated with the earthquake of the 23 April, 1979 (mb = 5·1; N 20° E ± 5°), which is representative of all focal mechanisms calculated on a fault plane compatible with the general direction of the Jordan‐Dead Sea Transform fault system for the east coast of the Dead Sea area.
Length-Weight Relationships and Condition Factor of Four Threatened Riverine Catfish Species in the Meghna River Estuary, Bangladesh

The current study examined the length-weight relationships (LWRs), length-length relationships (LLRs), and condition factor (K) of four threatened riverine catfish species (Pangasius pangasius, Rita rita, Sperata aor, and Bagarius bagarius) sampled from the Meghna River Estuary (MRE), Bangladesh. A total of 578 individuals were collected from contracted fishermen between January and October 2022. The length and weight of each species exhibited a highly positive correlation. The regression coefficient was 2.24 for P. pangasius, 2.90 for R. rita, 2.91 for S. aor, and 3.25 for B. bagarius. Furthermore, all species demonstrated a highly positive correlation between total length and standard length (r > 0.90). The calculated condition factor (K) values were 0.87 for P. pangasius, 1.18 for R. rita, 0.66 for S. aor, and 0.99 for B. bagarius indicating variations among the species. This study provides the first comprehensive documentation of all four major catfish species found in the MRE.
Effects of the largest daily events on total soil erosion by rainwater. An analysis of the USLE database

Soil erosion by water (rain and wash) is a discrete process, and there are several questions relating to this that have yet to be answered. For instance, for how long should measurements be taken in order to obtain realistic mean erosion rates, and what is the effect of the largest daily events on soil erosion, are questions still not fully answered. To make progress on these issues, detailed information is needed, but usually not available. This work has analysed the USLE database compiled by the United States Department of Agriculture. A total of 27 857 daily erosion events were examined, monitored over 310 erosion plots representing 3195 plot‐years of soil erosion measurements. Periods of measurement varied between plots, ranging from 2 years to 32 years. Data have been analysed by calculating the percentage of soil eroded by the largest to the tenth largest daily events over the entire length of the record. The percentage of soil eroded during the n‐largest events follows a power function y = x−b, where y is the percentage of soil eroded in the selected n‐largest event, and x the total of measured daily events. Results showed that the top 10% of total daily erosive events produce a mean of 50% of eroded soil. Soil erosion measured over short periods, e.g. typically less than 5 to 10 years, is compressed into a few daily events, whatever their magnitude; therefore, mean erosion rates estimated under such small time frames cannot be taken as a good descriptor of the real processes. Analysis suggests that to weight the dependence of soil erosion on the largest daily values, a minimum number of events should be considered. In general, if it is wished to reduce the effect of the largest events to less than 50% of total soil erosion, the mean number of recorded daily events should be between 75 and 100. They represent, on average, 10 years of measurements for the database used here. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Geochemical characteristics and origins of fracture- and vug-fillings of the Ordovician in Tahe oilfield, Tarim basin

Fracture-filling calcite and huge crystalline calcite from Ordovician carbonate reservoirs of Tahe Oilfield were measured to have ~(87)Sr/~(86)Sr mainly higher than bulk limestone and contemporaneous seawater, indicative of a significant contribution from external Sr-rich fluid in this area. Sr-rich fluid may have derived from paleo-freshwater flowing through detrital strata during Hercynian Orogeny or from deep hydrothermal fluid. Paleo-freshwater is indicated by low Sr concentrations and the relationship between δD and δ~(18)O. Infiltration of paleo-freshwater resulted in biodegradation of early emplaced oil and generation of organic acids and anions (OAAs) and pyrite with δ~(34)S down to - 25‰. Hydrothermal fluid is indicated by relatively high Sr concentrations and significantly higher homogenization temperatures of fluid inclusions (up to 150～190℃) than what ambient limestone experienced, suggesting that radiogenic Sr may have derived from deeper pre-Cambrian detrital strata. Mixing of hydrothermal, basinal and likely fresh fluids led to dissolution of calcite, thus improvement of porosity in local areas.
Digital Commons @ University of Digital Commons @ University of South Florida South Florida

: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the leading causes of blindness in the United States, affecting approximately 11 million patients. AMD is caused primarily by an upregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). In recent years, aﬂibercept injections have been used to combat VEGF. However, this treatment requires frequent intravitreal injections, leading to low patient compliance and several adverse side effects including scarring, increased intraocular pressure, and retinal detachment. Polymeric nanoparticles have demonstrated the ability to deliver a sustained release of drug, thereby reducing the necessary injection frequency. Aﬂibercept (AFL) was encapsulated in poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) via double emulsion diffusion. Scanning electron microscopy showed the NPs were spherical and dynamic light scattering demonstrated that they were uniformly distributed (PDI < 1). The encapsulation efﬁciency and drug loading were 75.76% and 7.76% respectively. In vitro release studies showed a sustained release of drug; 75% of drug was released by the NPs in seven days compared to the full payload released in 24 h by the AFL solution. Future ocular in vivo studies are needed to conﬁrm the biological effects of the NPs. Preliminary studies of the proposed aﬂibercept NPs demonstrated high encapsulation efﬁciency, a sustained drug release proﬁle, and ideal physical characteristics for AMD treatment. This drug delivery system is an excellent candidate for further characterization using an ocular neovascularization in vivo model.
Digital Commons @ University of Digital Commons @ University of South Florida South Florida

: We hypothesized topographic features alone could be used to locate groundwater discharge, but only where diagnostic topographic signatures could ﬁrst be identiﬁed through the use of limited ﬁeld observations and geologic data. We built a geodatabase from geologic and topographic data, with the geologic data only covering ~40% of the study area and topographic data derived from airborne LiDAR covering the entire study area. We identiﬁed two types of groundwater discharge: shallow hillslope groundwater discharge, commonly manifested as diffuse seeps, and aquifer-outcrop groundwater discharge, commonly manifested as springs. We developed multistep manual procedures that allowed us to accurately predict the locations of both types of groundwater discharge in 93% of cases, though only where geologic data were available. However, ﬁeld veriﬁcation suggested that both types of groundwater discharge could be identiﬁed by speciﬁc combinations of topographic variables alone. We then applied maximum entropy modeling, a machine learning technique, to predict the prevalence of both types of groundwater discharge using six topographic variables: proﬁle curvature range, with a permutation importance of 43.2%, followed by distance to ﬂowlines, elevation, topographic roughness index, ﬂow-weighted slope, and planform curvature, with permutation importance of 20.8%, 18.5%, 15.2%, 1.8%, and 0.5%, respectively. The AUC values for the model were 0.95 for training data and 0.91 for testing data, indicating outstanding model performance.
The emergence of the LBK : migration, memory and meaning at the transition to agriculture.

This paper represents one element of a collaborative research project, funded by the AHRC, which focussed on a multidisciplinary study of the Earlier Neolithic cemetery of Vedrovice, Moravia, Czech Republic. One of the key aims of this project was the generation of new knowledge in relation to the emergence of the Linear Pottery, or Linearbandkeramik (LBK) culture in Europe. The current paper focuses on the evidence for the shift from hunting and gathering to farming from the perspective of individual life histories and the transmission of knowledge through migration and cultural exchanges.
Symptomatic Patients Complication Death Cerebral infarction Myocardial infarction Nerve injury Transient ischemic attack Wound hematoma Wound infection Seizures Symptomatic restenosis Shunted

Because of controversies in the cerebrovascular literature regarding the use of an intraluminai shunt in carotid endarterectomy, we report a randomized prospective study of 118 consecutive symptomatic patients receiving surgery within a single neurosurgical practice. Over 4 years, 138 carotid endarterectomies were performed in the 118 patients, 63 operations with intraluminai shunting and 75 without. Standard rationale for surgery included ipsilateral cerebral infarction in 38% of the operations and ipsilateral transient ischemic attacks in 36%. Unilateral angiographic stenosis of >90% was seen in 58% of the operations; there were no ipsilateral occlusions. Surgery was performed under general anesthesia with barbiturate induction and mild blood pressure elevation. The 30-day complication rate included a mortality rate of 0.7% with a 5.1% incidence of postoperative neurologic deficit and a 1.4% rate of myocardial infarction. In the 24 hours after surgery there were no cerebral infarctions in the shunted group and six in the unshunted group. This 8% rate in the unshunted group compared with 0% in the shunted group was significant at p=0.023 with a power of 0.95 by Fisher's exact test and * analysis. This suggests that in our neurosurgical practice (resident training program) the use of an intraluminai shunt during carotid endarterectomy significantly reduces the risk of intraoperative neurologic deficit without increasing the incidence of other complications. (Stroke 1988; 19:1485-1490)
Appendix S1: Description of the Estimation of the Variances of Our Maximum Likelihood Estimators

For large n, the negative inverse of the second derivative of the likelihood function at the optimum can be used as an estimate of the variance of the maximum likelihood estimator. This is a very intuitive property of likelihood functions: the flatter the likelihood surface, the less negative the curvature at the maximum, and thus the larger the negative derivative (and vice versa). Unfortunately, the likelihood functions in our study were not readily differentiable, and as a consequence we estimated our ML parameter values numerically. However, we would nonetheless like to obtain sampling variances for our estimates. We accomplished this by fitting a quadratic approximation to the likelihood surface at the optimum. We then computed the second derivative and its negative inverse, to estimate the variance of our MLE. For our bivariate ML optimization (of 2 0  and ), we held one parameter constant, and fit the quadratic approximation to the other. Since this analysis was computationally and labor intensive, we computed estimation variances of our MLEs only for the MCC tree. To combine our MLE parameter estimation variance with error variance associated with phylogenetic uncertainty, we simply assumed that the variances were independent and added them. The square roots of these summed error variances are reported in Table 2 as standard errors.