Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Annual and semiannual variations of the Earth's gravitational field from satellite laser ranging and CHAMP

[1] Temporal variability in the Earth's gravity field has been estimated from 4 years of satellite laser ranging (SLR) to five geodetic satellites, Lageos 1 and 2, Stella, Starlette, and Ajisai supplemented by over 2 years of CHAMP precise orbital positioning, attitude quaternions, and accelerometry. The study considers variability at the annual and semiannual periodicities in the full field of degrees 2–6. A singular value decomposition has been employed in an attempt to recover variability from stand-alone CHAMP data. Temporal gravity field variability from SLR and from SLR and CHAMP has been computed and compared against geophysical models for surface mass redistribution. For a 4 × 4 field best agreement of the annual variation results in an RMS geoid difference of 0.76 mm with correlation coefficients above 0.85. On extending to a 6 × 6 field agreement decreases to about 1.5 mm RMS in geoid height with correlations of 0.6 at the annual cycle. For the extended field the ocean mass redistribution from Ocean Circulation and Climate Advanced Modeling project and TOPEX is seen to be deficient with near comparable correlations being obtained by neglecting the ocean contribution. The semiannual signal is weaker and less well determined. For the 4 × 4 field, correlations are no better than 0.6 with RMS of 1 mm between the SLR and geophysical models. Results show that CHAMP has a positive effect on the annual variation for a 4 × 4 field but marginal for the extended 6 × 6 field. CHAMP has a negative impact at the semiannual frequency.
An evaluation and power analysis of fishery independent reef fish sampling in the Gulf of Mexico and U.S. south Atlantic

This Technical Memorandum series is used for documentation and timely communication of preliminary results, interim reports, or similar special-purpose information. Although the memoranda are not subject to complete formal review, editorial control, or detailed editing, they are expected to reflect sound professional work. NOTICE The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) does not approve, recommend or endorse any proprietary product or material mentioned in this publication. No reference shall be made to NMFS or to this publication furnished by NMFS, in any advertising or sales promotion which would imply that NMFS approves, recommends, or endorses any proprietary product or proprietary material mentioned herein which has as its purpose any intent to cause directly or indirectly the advertised product to be used or purchased because of this NMFS publication. I investigated the power of reef fish surveys in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) and U.S. south Atlantic (SA) to detect population changes for several species of commercial interest. Related to this goal, I also investigated the performance of different underwater camera metrics in indexing abundance, and examined how the annual coefficient of variation (CV) of model-based relative abundance indices changed as a function of sample size in the SA. Major findings included the following: • The commonly used " MinCount " statistic for underwater video data (the maximum number of individuals of the target species observed on any one frame of video) may provide biased estimates of population trend, as this summary does not scale linearly with true abundance. In contrast, the mean count of focal taxa across all video frames was found to be unbiased and resulted in similar CV to the " MinCount " statistic. Researchers should seriously consider using this statistic in the Gulf and elsewhere for indexing abundance. However, care may be needed to avoid sampling during 'transient' periods where fish are moving into and out of the immediate proximity of the trap. • In GOM, the power to detect population trends for gag, red snapper, and red grouper were poor for three year time series, low for five-year time series and moderate-high for ten-year time series. In general, the ability to detect population changes was more dependent on the length of the time series than on the range of sample sizes considered. Lack of complete spatial coverage did not appreciably affect power or lead to biased inferences, but I caution that this is likely due to the …
Seismic Performance of Pile-Supported Wharf Structures considering Soil-Structure Interaction in Liquefied Soil

Many existing pile-supported marginal wharves within ports along the West Coast of the United States were designed in the late 1960s and early 1970s using the seismic design criteria available then, which were much less robust than the current criteria. As a result, structures designed using these criteria have often been severely damaged during the past earthquakes. This paper investigates the modal properties and vulnerability of such structures by using advanced structural and soil modeling procedures to perform two-dimensional nonlinear plane-strain seismic analyses using time histories of ground displacement and excess pore water pressures within the underlying soil embankment. Results show that the wharf structure experiences large permanent deformations and undergoes failure of the piles and pile-deck connections and pullout of batter piles in tension under large seismic events. Such failures were observed at the Port of Oakland during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and also during other earthquakes throughout the world.
Scour process around monopiles during various phases of sea storms

ABSTRACT Umeda, S. , 2013. Scour process around monopiles during various phases of sea storms An understanding of scour processes during the passage of sea storms is particularly important for the design of structures and the development of effective scour protection works. This study investigates the scour process at a slender monopile during various phases of a storm to give a better understanding of scour and backfilling mechanisms. Laboratory experiments were carried out to simulate the scouring effect at a pile by a storm consisting of a succession of seven phases of irregular waves. Detailed examinations were conducted to explore variations in the scour depth and bed topography. It turns out that scour patterns resulting from irregular waves can be characterized using the Keulegan-Carpenter number and the Shields parameter (KC1/3, θ1/3), which require significant near-bottom velocities. The scour process during a heavy storm consists of four main phases: (1) no bed deformation, (2) accretion, (3) erosion, and (4) backfilling. The amount of scouring increases as the order of the phase increased during a storm. The scour during phase (2), accretion, is in the transient condition between clear-water scour and live-bed scour. The scour in phase (3), erosion, is distinguished by live-bed scour, horseshoe vortices, vortex shedding and cone-shaped scour holes with vortex ripples. The influence of backfilling, phase (4), as a storm decreases in intensity, has a significant effect on the scour depth around the perimeter of the pile. The scour depth at the end of the event is much lower than the maximum scour depth during the event. However, backfilling of the scour hole makes only a weak recovery in total sediment volume around the pile, because the backfilling is confined almost exclusively to the neighborhood of the pile.
God and the Jab: Religion is Associated With COVID-19 Vaccinations Rates in England

Abstract Religious areas were predicted to be negatively associated with COVID-19 vaccinations. Using public data on religion and vaccination rates within local authorities in England, support for the hypothesis was found. All major religious groups within England (i.e., Christianity, Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, and “other” religious groups) were negatively associated with COVID-19 vaccination rates. Effects were stronger for Muslim and Christian areas than areas with other religious groups. Effects were not due to wealth, household size, mobility, or age. These results suggest that religious regions in general and regions with Muslims and Christians in particular are negatively associated with COVID-19 vaccination rates. These findings can be used as a guide for future research and to help inform vaccination efforts.
Importance of titanohematite in detrital remanent magnetizations of strata spanning the Cretaceous‐Paleogene boundary, Hell Creek region, Montana

Intermediate composition titanohematite, Fe2‐yTiyO3 with 0.5 ≤ y ≤ 0.7, is seldom the focus of paleomagnetic study and is commonly believed to be rare in nature. While largely overlooked in magnetostratigraphic studies, intermediate titanohematite has been identified as the dominant ferrimagnetic mineral in an array of Late Mesozoic and early Cenozoic Laramide clastic deposits throughout the central United States. Intermediate titanohematite is ferrimagnetic and has similar magnetic properties to titanomagnetite, except its unique self‐reversing property. Due to these similarities, and with detrital remanent magnetizations masking its self‐reversing nature, intermediate titanohematite is often misidentified in sedimentary deposits. Past studies relied upon nonmagnetic techniques including X‐ray diffraction and electron microprobe analysis. While these techniques can identify the presence of intermediate titanohematite, they fail to test whether the mineral is the primary recorder. To facilitate the identification of intermediate titanohematite in sedimentary deposits, we characterize this mineral using low‐temperature magnetometry and high‐temperature susceptibility experiments, and present a new identification technique based on titanohematite's self‐reversing property, for sediments that span the Cretaceous‐Paleogene boundary (Hell Creek region, Montana). Results from the self‐reversal test indicate that the majority of remanence is held by minerals that become magnetized parallel to an applied field, but that intermediate, self‐reversing titanohematite (y = 0.53–0.63) is an important ancillary carrier of remanence. While earlier literature suggests that intermediate titanohematite is rare in nature, reanalysis using specialized rock magnetic techniques may reveal that it is more abundant in the rock record, particularly within depositional basins adjacent to calc‐alkaline volcanics, than previously thought.
The Association of NKp46-Positive uNK Cells With a Higher Risk of Recurrent Miscarriage and IVF Failure

Background: Uterine natural killer (uNK) cells have a significant impact on pregnancy and related complications. Given the importance of receptors in the activity of uNK cells, the present study aimed to determine the number of uNK cells and NKp46 (one of the most important NK cell-activating receptors) expression in the endometrium of women with recurrent miscarriage (RM) or a history of in vitro fertilization (IVF) failure. Materials and Methods: This case-control study was performed on 48 participants, including 16 healthy controls, 27 cases with RM, and 5 cases with repeated implantation failure (RIF) during the mid-luteal phase according to a standardized diagnostic protocol. All participants were assessed using transvaginal ultrasound to determine embryo survival rate and confirm gestational age. Endometrial specimens were collected and subjected to immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining using an anti-human NKp46 antibody expressed by uNK cells. Results: A significantly higher number of cells positive for NKp46 was obtained among two groups of cases versus healthy subjects (patients: 1.46±0.78, controls: 0.82±62, P=0.006), and the number of CD56+cells was significantly higher in patients than in controls (patients: 18.14±7.14, controls: 11.71±6.17, P=0.003). Additionally, there was not a significant difference in the frequency ratio of NKp46+NK cell subset to CD56+uNK cells between the patients (P=0.59) and control healthy group. Conclusion: The increase in the number of uterine NK cells and their cytotoxic activity during implantation and early pregnancy, possibly resulting from an excessive expression of inflammatory cytokines, confirms a significant association between uNK cell activity and a higher risk of RM and RIF. Therefore, immunomodulatory treatments may benefit these patients.
Multimode Rayleigh wave inversion for heterogeneity and azimuthal anisotropy of the Australian upper mantle

SUMMARY We present an azimuthally anisotropic 3-D shear-wave speed model of the Australian upper mantle obtained from the dispersion of fundamental and higher modes of Rayleigh waves. We compare two tomographic techniques to map path-average earth models into a 3-D model for heterogeneity and azimuthal anisotropy. Method I uses a rectangular surface cell parametrization and depth basis functions that represent independently constrained estimates of radial earth structure. It performs an iterative inversion with norm damping and gradient regularization. Method II uses a direct inversion of individual depth layers constrained by Bayesian assumptions about the model covariance. We recall that Bayesian inversions and discrete regularization approaches are theoretically equivalent, and with a synthetic example we show that they can give similar results. The model we present here uses the discrete regularized inversion of independent path constraints of Method I, on an equal-area grid. With the exception of westernmost Australia, we can retrieve structure on length scales of about 250 km laterally and 50 km in the radial direction, to within 0.8 per cent for the velocity, 20 per cent for the anisotropic magnitude and 20 ◦ for its direction. On length scales of 1000 km and longer, down to about 200 km, there is a good correlation between velocity heterogeneity and geologic age. At shorter length scales and at depths below 200 km, however, this relationship breaks down. The observed magnitude and direction of maximum anisotropy do not, in general, appear to be correlated to surface geology. The pattern of anisotropy appears to be rather complex in the upper 150 km, whereas a smoother pattern of fast axes is obtained at larger depth. If some of the deeper directions of anisotropy are aligned with the approximately N‐S direction of absolute plate motion, this correspondence is not everywhere obvious, despite the fast (7 cm yr −1 ) northward motion of the Australian plate. More research is needed to interpret our observations in terms of continental deformation. Predictions of SKS splitting times and directions, an integrated measure of anisotropy, are poorly matched by observations of shear-wave birefringence.
Soil structure associated with cover crops and grass leys in degraded lowland soils of Delta

Rates of change of surface soil structure under different short-term cover crops and grass leys were studied on lowland soils in the Fraser River delta, British Columbia, Canada. The impact of cropping systems on soil structure was assessed under three environments: (i) short term (<1 -yr) effects from overwinter cover crops, (ii) short term (<3 -yr) effects associated with a grass ley reclamation program, and (iii) long term effects associated with varying cultivated crop and grass rotations. In the overwinter study, fall planted cover cropping treatments, including bare control, winter-killed spring barley, fall rye, and annual ryegrass (for 1993-1994 only), were compared at separate sites in 19921993 and 1993-1994 for their effects on soil physical properties. At the reclamation study, two cropping practices spring-sown barley underseeded with clover for winter cover cropping and grass ley were established in a subsurface drained site and an adjacent poorly drained (no subsurface drainage) site. Measurements in the crop rotation study were conducted on five adjacent fields with different cropping histories. Aggregate stability, bulk density and aeration porosity did not differ among overwinter cover cropping practices at the 1992-1993 site. A lack of differences in this study was probably due to low above-ground crop biomass when compared to the 19931994 winter cover cropping site. In contrast, overwinter cover crops in the 1993-1994 study had higher aggregate stability, aeration porosity and water infiltration, and lower bulk density and penetration resistance when compared to bare soil. Improved aggregate
Texas Extension Agents' Perceptions of Organic Agriculture and Its Implications for Training

Texas Extension Agents‟ Perceptions of Organic Agriculture and Its Implications for Training. (August 2011) Patrick Terrell Lillard, B.A.; M.S., Texas A&M University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. James Lindner The purpose of this study was to determine Texas AgriLife Extension agents‟ perceptions of organic agriculture (OA) and implications for training. Primary variables of interest included level of interest in OA in their respective counties, previous training received, interest in future training, perception of OA and Texas AgriLife Extension‟s involvement in OA. A random sample of agents was selected (n = 151) and a response rate of 81.5% was achieved. A majority of agents indicated interest in OA in their respective counties had increased over the past five years (n = 60), but noted demand was still low (n = 39) to moderate (n = 42). Agents from urban or suburban counties reported higher levels of interests in OA than did agents from rural counties. Agents were most interested in training on organic soil fertility, insect, weed, and disease management and least interested in training on organic certification and transitioning to OA. Agents indicated traditional information resources would be the most useful delivery methods for communicating information about organic farming, which included print publications, a website with organic information and extension workshops. Agents‟ perceptions of OA
Vanadium Compounds with Antidiabetic Potential

Over the last four decades, vanadium compounds have been extensively studied as potential antidiabetic drugs. With the present review, we aim at presenting a general overview of the most promising compounds and the main results obtained with in vivo studies, reported from 1899–2023. The chemistry of vanadium is explored, discussing the importance of the structure and biochemistry of vanadate and the impact of its similarity with phosphate on the antidiabetic effect. The spectroscopic characterization of vanadium compounds is discussed, particularly magnetic resonance methodologies, emphasizing its relevance for understanding species activity, speciation, and interaction with biological membranes. Finally, the most relevant studies regarding the use of vanadium compounds to treat diabetes are summarized, considering both animal models and human clinical trials. An overview of the main hypotheses explaining the biological activity of these compounds is presented, particularly the most accepted pathway involving vanadium interaction with phosphatase and kinase enzymes involved in the insulin signaling cascade. From our point of view, the major discoveries regarding the pharmacological action of this family of compounds are not yet fully understood. Thus, we still believe that vanadium presents the potential to help in metabolic control and the clinical management of diabetes, either as an insulin-like drug or as an insulin adjuvant. We look forward to the next forty years of research in this field, aiming to discover a vanadium compound with the desired therapeutic properties.
Experimental framework for evaluating the mechanical behavior of dry and wet crushable granular materials based on the particle breakage ratio

It has been widely shown that particle crushing increases the compressibility of granular materials. For a particular crushable material and given test conditions, an empirical relation can be established between the breakage ratio and the plastic work. Along these lines, constitutive models have been developed based on the effect of grading evolution during crushing. In parallel, due to corrosive attacks of the humid environment at the tip of microcracks within solid grains, the mechanical behavior of crushable granular materials depends also on the water content: the higher the material humidity, the higher the particle crushing. However, the experimental data on the relation between loading–wetting conditions and the breakage ratio are still quite scarce. In this paper, we present experimental results on crushable sand to study the effect of flooding under isotropic, oedometric, and triaxial stress paths. The main objective of this study is to obtain a consistent framework for the effect of water based.
Nature and distribution of deformation across the Banda Arc–Australian collision zone at Timor

Recently acquired seismic-reflection and SeaMARC II (side-scan and swath bathymetry) profiles near Timor show that the Banda Arc–Australia collision zone has a tectonic framework similar to that of a typical oceanic subduction system. Deformation is occurring, at present, most intensely at the foot of the inner slope of the Timor Trough. This deformation front is discontinuously advancing southward as new thrust slices develop within the subducted Australian margin strata. In contrast, present deformation is apparently negligible in the Savu Basin, the complex fore-arc basin north of Timor. A possible significant exception is a postulated right-lateral, northeast-trending fault zone offsetting the outer-arc high between Savu and Roti. Although back-arc thrusting has been documented north of the volcanic arc, this component of convergence is minor compared with the scale of ongoing deformation in the Timor Trough. The detailed nature of these surveys has also led to the recognition of along-strike variations in deformation in the Timor Trough and in the Savu Basin. These variations may be related to the variable degree of involvement of the Australian continental margin along the arc.
Electrodeposition of Polyaniline on Tantalum: Redox Behavior, Morphology and Capacitive Properties

Polyaniline (PANI) is among the most widely studied conducting polymers due to its potential technological applications in various fields. Recently, PANI-based hybrid materials have played an important role in the development of energy storage and conversion systems. The aim of the present work is the investigation of the simultaneous electrochemical growth of PANI and Ta2O5 on the Ta substrate and the characterization of the morphology, redox behavior and pseudocapacitive properties of the resulting micro- or nanostructured composite thin films. A well-adherent conductive Ta2O5-PANI composite film was first formed using cyclic voltammetry on Ta that facilitates the on-top electrodeposition of single PANI via an autocatalytic mechanism. The electrochemical characterization of the Ta|Ta2O5-PANI|PANI electrodes reveals unique redox properties of PANI not shown previously upon using PANI electrodeposition on Ta. Scanning electron microscopy shows that the morphology of the electrodeposited films comprises nano- or microspheres that may develop into nano- or microrods when the polymerization proceeds. Preliminary evaluation of the capacitive properties of the Ta|Ta2O5-PANI|PANI electrode shows adequately high specific capacitance values as high as 1130 F g−1 (at 9.2 mA cm−2), depending on the electrochemical parameters, as well as adequate stability (~80% retention after 100 cycles), indicating their potential application as energy storage devices.