Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exploring the Gross-Edge Curvature of Experimentally Produced Preferential Levallois Debitage

ABSTRACT Flaked stone reduced via a Levallois, or Levallois-like, sequence potentially provided benefits to hominins in terms of flake morphology and economy relative to other sequences. But such benefits did not come without costs. Here, we contribute to ongoing debates regarding Levallois technology by assessing the gross-edge curvature of experimentally produced Levallois debitage and Preferential Levallois Flake (PLF) edges. Previous experiments have shown that as gross-edge curvature increases, cutting efficiency decreases. As such, our results allow us to evaluate standardized gross-edge curvature throughout multiple Preferential Levallois Core reduction stages. Also, among several results, we show that as Levallois debitage size decreases, so too does gross-edge curvature, suggesting that knappers pursuing a Levallois core to exhaustion will not be penalized in terms of this feature.
Statistic analysis of suspended sediment concentration in offshore waters based on field measurement of reflectance hyper-spectral

Remote sensing measurement with field spectrometer was carried to acquire the reflectance hyper-spectral data of the case II waters in the Yangtze River estuary. At the meantime, the surface water samples at depth of 0.5m were bottled for suspended sediment concentration measurement and analyzed in laboratory. The current velocity was also measured synchronically with the spectral measurement. It was found that the reflectance amplitudes vary with the suspended sediment concentration. Two peaks exist in yellow-green (560～720nm) band and near-infrared band (810nm) respectively. At wave length above 650nm a strong correlation exists between spectral reflectance and suspended sediment concentration. In the interval of wave length from 690nm to 900nm the reflectance is sensitive to variation of sediment concentration with correlation coefficient higher than 0.75. Based on the least-square method, the exponential relationship between spectral reflectance and sediment concentration as well as the power function relationship between spectral reflectance ratio and sediment are established. It is found that the exponential relationship for wave length at 670nm and 715nm has higher correlation coefficient. But the quadratic polynomial relationship for spectral reflectance ratio at wave length at 810nm and 690nm has better accuracy for estimation of sediment concentration.
Eleocharis multinerviglumis, a remarkable new aquatic sedge species from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest biome

Eleocharis multinerviglumis , a new species of Eleocharis ser. Tenuissimae (Cyperaceae) known only from the Poços de Caldas plateau in southeastern Brazil, is described here. The new species was found growing in an Atlantic Forest remnant as a submerged or emergent herb in a flooded environment. Eleocharis multinerviglumis differs from other Eleocharis ser. Tenuissimae species mainly by having dimorphic spikelets, with the upper glumes of the spikelets on the culm apex with 7 to 10 prominent longitudinal nerves on both sides (rib-like). Taxonomic notes, an occurrence map and illustrations (including SEM images) are provided.
First steps in developing a multimetric macroinvertebrate index for the Ohio River

The causes of degradation of aquatic systems are often complex and stem from a variety of human influences. Comprehensive, multimetric biological indices have been developed to quantify this degradation and its effect on aquatic communities, and measure subsequent recovery from anthropogenic stressors. Traditionally, such indices have concentrated on small‐to medium‐sized streams. Recently, however, the Ohio River Fish Index (ORFIn) was created to assess biotic integrity in the Ohio River. The goal of the present project was to begin developing a companion Ohio River multimetric index using benthic macroinvertebrates. Hester–Dendy multiplate samplers were used to evaluate benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages in relation to a gradient of water quality disturbance, represented by varying distances downstream of industrial and municipal wastewater outfalls in the Ohio River. In August 1999 and 2000, samplers were set every 100 m downstream of outfalls (12 outfalls in 1999, 22 in 2000) for 300–1000 m, as well as at upstream reference sites. Candidate metrics (n = 55) were examined to determine which have potential to detect changes in water quality downstream of outfalls. These individual measures of community structure were plotted against distance downstream of each outfall to determine their response to water quality disturbance. Values at reference and outfall sites were also compared. Metrics that are ecologically relevant and showed a response to outfall disturbance were identified as potentially valuable in a multimetric index. Multiple box plots of index scores indicated greater response to outfall disturbance during periods of low‐flow, and longitudinal river‐wide trends. Evaluation of other types of anthropogenic disturbance, as well as continued analysis of the effects of chemical water quality on macroinvertebrate communities in future years will facilitate further development of a multimetric benthic macroinvertebrate index to evaluate biotic integrity in the Ohio River. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Personal Health: A Systematic Review

─ Despite several personal health record (PHR) product offerings from major technology sector players over the past years, the notion of tracking and maintaining one's personal health information electronically has failed to takeoff among consumers. Accordingly, we explore factors potentially shaping use of PHR applications. People’s trust in the health system plays a role in explaining one’s access to and utilization of medical care, adherence to medications, continuity of care, and even self-reported health status. Yet it is not easy to find trust measures and understand what they are measuring. We developed a health systems trust content area framework, where we identified that honesty, communication, confidence and competence were captured frequently in these measures, with less focus on concepts such as fidelity, system trust, confidentiality and fairness. Greater development and use of trust measures in the health system could improve monitoring and evaluation efforts, which may in turn result in better health outcomes.
Eikonal Equation Reproduces Natural Landscapes With Threshold Hillslopes

Many natural landscapes maintain steep planar hillslopes bounded at a typical angle, beyond which shallow landslides or slope failures remove the excess sediment volume by mass wasting. Here we show that the celebrated eikonal equation, derived from a landscape evolution model in conditions of negligible soil diffusion and fluvial erosion, accurately portrays the organization of these topographies. Referred to as “eikonal landscapes,” such solutions feature constant‐slope hillslopes originating from downstream boundary conditions and culminating in sharp upstream ridges. We demonstrate that the eikonal landscapes reproduce well a variety of natural landforms, including small islands, a volcano, and an extended mountain ridge. The boundary condition for the eikonal representation is specified through the natural landscape's slope‐area relation. Going beyond merely representing landscape statistical features, the present results provide a first‐of‐kind direct match of mathematical and natural landscapes.
Seismic anisotropy associated with continental lithosphere accretion beneath the CANOE array, northwestern Canada

We examine upper-mantle seismic anisotropy beneath the cordillera and craton of northwestern Canada using the multi-event station averages of shear-wave splitting of SKS, SKKS, and sSKS phases recorded during the Canadian Northwest Experiment (CANOE). Splitting times derived from multi-event averaging at each station range from 0 to 1.4 s, with an array average of ∼0.65 s. Over broad portions of the array, fast directions are coherent and roughly consistent with the direction of absolute plate motion in a hotspot reference frame, suggesting that coherent asthenospheric fabric underlies the plate in much of the region. Within this broad framework, fast directions and splitting times show marked variability over length scales of 50–200km, and are generally correlated with surface and/or crustal tectonics. Anomalous splitting is observed across an ancient suture within the cratonic lithosphere, apparently associated with complex dipping fabric produced during continental assembly. The deformation front of the Canadian Rockies correlates with a significant change in splitting behavior, consistent with the front range demarking the craton-cordillera transition within the mantle. Splitting times are small across much of the cordillera, indicating that lithospheric and/or asthenospheric fabric is weaker or less coherent than beneath the craton. In the western cordillera, fast directions rotate abruptly to parallel the plate boundary, implying that fabric associated with plate-boundary deformation extends ∼200km into the North American continent.
A classification for the pressure-sensitivity properties of a sandstone rock frame

A three‐parameter formula is proposed to describe the sensitivity of the bulk modulus (κ) or shear rigidity (μ) for a sandstone rock frame under applied isotropic loading. The theoretical basis for this relation is the use of excess compliance as a pseudo function to describe all internal weaknesses in the rock, regardless of their origin. The law is fitted to 179 sets of laboratory measurements on unsaturated reservoir core and outcrop sandstones that have low to moderate porosity and a range of clay fractions and cementation. A stress index, defined to quantitatively rank the reservoir sands, indicates that laboratory‐derived pressure sensitivity is highest (10% per MPa maximum) for the clean, moderate‐porosity Paleocene sands from the Forties Formation and West of Shetlands, whereas the lower‐porosity, cemented, and more‐consolidated Permian sands rank as least pressure sensitive (1% per MPa maximum). Higher‐porosity sands are stress sensitive because of the overall rock‐frame compressibility. All of t.
Efficient Dataset Collection for Concrete Crack Detection With Spatial-Adaptive Data Augmentation

In this paper, we propose a data augmentation technique based on Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN or ConvNet) training to efficiently obtain a dataset of images containing concrete cracks. Concrete cracks usually do not have a standardized shape and have complex patterns, making it difficult to obtain images of them, and there is a risk of exposure to dangerous situations when securing data. Therefore, in this paper, we efficiently address the difficulty of dataset collection by using a data augmentation technique based on learning the direction and thickness of cracks, which is cost-effective and time-efficient. Moreover, to improve efficiency, we introduce a method of adaptively handling crack data by constructing a quadtree based on the presence of cracks. To confirm the extent of the improvement in accuracy, we conducted experiments applying the crack detection algorithm to various scenes, and the accuracy was improved in all scenes when measured by IoU (Intersection over union) accuracy. When the algorithm was performed without augmenting the crack data, the false detection rate was about 25%. However, when we augmented the data using our method, the false detection rate significantly decreased to 3%.
A Clinico-Mycological and Histopathological Study of Recurrent Dermatophytosis

Background: A few recent studies have shown fungal elements within the hair follicle epithelium, which may act as a reservoir and responsible for recurrent dermatophytosis. Objectives: To assess the clinical patterns, mycological profile, and histopathology of recurrent dermatophytosis and to determine the prevalence of fungal hyphae in the hair follicle epithelium and other appendages. Materials and Methods: One hundred and fifty clinically diagnosed cases of recurrent dermatophytic infection were included. Skin samples were taken for direct microscopy, fungal culture, and histopathological analysis. Haematoxylin and eosin and special staining with periodic acid Schiff (PAS) and Gomori's methenamine silver (GMS) were performed to detect the fungal hyphae in the skin and hair follicle epithelium. Results: The most common clinical pattern observed was tinea corporis et cruris in 64 patients (42.66%). On direct microscopy and fungal culture, positive results were obtained in 116 cases (77.33%) and 78 (52%) cases, respectively. Presence of fungal hyphae in the stratum corneum, hair follicle, and acrosyringium was seen in 107 patients (71.33%), 47 patients (31.33%), and five patients (3.33%), respectively. Out of the 52 cases with hair follicle and eccrine gland involvement, history of fixed drug combinations (FDC) cream use was present in 42 cases (80.76%) and absent in ten cases (19.24%) (P = 0.000062). Limitations: Skin samples were taken only from a single skin lesion. Higher incidence of follicular invasion may have been detected if multiple biopsy samples were taken. Conclusion: Hair follicle/eccrine sweat gland involvement was observed in nearly one-third of the patients, which may act as a reservoir and may be responsible for recurrence and chronicity. Histopathology should be considered as an important adjuvant tool in recurrent dermatophytosis to establish the extent of the infection, which guides the further management.
Status of Resources and Wood Utilization of Eucalyptus Plantation in China

This paper reviews the status of resources and utilization of wood from Eucalyptus plantation in China from the viewpoints of Eucalyptus resources situation, researches on wood properties, processing technologies and potential of market development. Some suggestions for sustainable development of Eucalyptus plantation in China are given.
SÍNDROMES DE DISPERSÃO DE DIÁSPOROS DE UM FRAGMENTO DE FLORESTA OMBRÓFILA MISTA EM TIJUCAS DO SUL, PR 1 Diasporo Dispersion Syndromes in a Mixed Ombrophilous Forest Fragment in Tijucas do Sul, PR

This study was developed in a fragment with 6 ha of Mixed Ombrophilous Forest in Tijucas do Sul, Southern Municipal district of the Parana state. It had as aim to register the dispersion syndrome of the species in the sub-woodland of this fragment. The data and material was collected in field observations and monthly expeditions from October 2001 until September 2002. It was identified 89 species, 54 genera distributed among 32 botanical families. The main dispersion syndrome was the zoochoric, with 65.1% species; 23.6% of the species had the anemochoric syndrome, followed by 2.2% of autochoric and 9.0% were not determinate. The prevalence of the zoochoric species is important for the forest fragments preservation and succession; the elimination of this dispersers can compromise its dynamic.
REVEGETATION OF DECOMPOSED GRANITE ROADCUTS IN KOREA: DEVELOPING DIGGER, EVALUATING COST EFFECTIVENESS, AND DETERMINING DIMENSIONS OF DRILLING HOLES, REVEGETATION SPECIES, AND MULCHING TREATMENT

Decomposed granite roadcuts are difficult to revegetate after losing the topsoil and vegetation cover. We developed a new drilling machine, Digger, to efficiently drill six holes simultaneously on decomposed granite roadcuts to facilitate revegetation. The Digger consists of a base machine (0.7 m3‐level excavator) and a mounting body with six hydraulic motors instead of a bucket. We tested its performance on two roadcuts in southwest Korea using time‐motion studies, which showed that the Digger can drill 240 m2 of decomposed granite roadcuts daily. The unit cost of the Digger was less than a half of other roadcut stabilization and revegetation techniques in Korea, making the Digger a cost‐effective revegetation technology. Field germination and growth tests were also conducted to identify appropriate diameter and depth of drilling holes, suitable revegetation species, and mulching treatment. We drilled holes with three different diameters and depths, filled the holes with a mixture of plant seeds and cultivated soil, applied mulching treatments (coir geotextile, shade net, and no mulching), and measured the germination and growth results at two field plots after 1 month and 1 year. The results showed that drilling diameter 10 cm and depth 10 cm were large enough to result in better plant germination and growth. Erosion control species, Poa pratensis L. and Eragrostis curvula (Schrad.) Nees, survived and grew better than native woody species. Coir geotextile improved the plant germination and growth. The time‐motion and revegetation results show that the Digger can be a promising technology to restore decomposed granite roadcuts. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Cross-Sectional Analysis to Assess the Role of Atopy in Keratoconus Among Saudi Population

Background In cases of atopy, IgE antibodies are formed in reaction to certain environmental factors like house dust mites, pollen, or even food allergens. Some studies have shown an association between atopic diseases and keratoconus. This study aims to determine the prevalence of atopy and its associated factors among keratoconus patients. Materials and Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among the Jazan population attending ophthalmology clinics regardless of their sex. Data collection started in August 2020 and finished in mid-June 2021. The sample was selected using the convenience sampling technique, and the total sample size was 83 participants. Data were collected via a questionnaire-based interview that contained 46 questions in the Arabic language. The data collected were analyzed using SPSS software. Results Family history is the leading predisposing factor for keratoconus (P < 0.001). Also, eye rubbing was a significant (P < 0.015) trigger for keratoconus. However, other factors, including demographic factors such as gender and atopic conditions, did not have any significant association. Conclusion A combination of genetic and environmental factors is the leading cause of the development of keratoconus; however, family history is the most influential factor, followed by eye rubbing.
Genetic Stratigraphic Sequences in Basin Analysis II: Application to Northwest Gulf of Mexico Cenozoic Basin

The northwest Gulf of Mexico Cenozoic sedimentary wedge illustrates the application of genetic stratigraphic sequence analysis and documents several general conclusions. (1) Sequences defined by regional marine flooding are the principal genetic stratigraphic units of the basin fill. Continental margins are characterized by repetitive episodes of basin-margin offlap punctuated by periods of transgression and marine flooding of the depositional platform. (2) Continental margin outbuilding is concentrated at one or more shelf-edge deltaic depocenters separated by interdeltaic bights. Depocenters remain fixed during a depositional episode but commonly relocate during transgression and flooding. (3) A distinct syndepositional structural style in prograding continental margins results in sporadic uplift of a basin-fringing peripheral bulge and accentuates preservation of shelf-margin facies along zones of extensional normal faulting and enhanced subsidence. (4) Genetic stratigraphic sequences commonly reflect an evolving interplay among two or even three variables. For example, early Cenozoic Gulf sequences are most closely related to tectonic events of the intraplate source terrane, which, in turn, affect rate and location of sediment supply and basin-margin response to loading. Late Cenozoic sequences more closely reflect proposed eustatic cycles.
The Influence of Lifestyle on High-Density Lipoprotein Concentration among Mexican Emerging Adults

Previous studies have highlighted the role of lifestyle on HDL-C concentrations in adults. To our knowledge, the health and nutritional status of emerging adults have been understudied. The present study aimed to explore the most important lifestyle factors, including micronutrient intake adequacy and the percentage of energy from food processing, according to HDL-C concentrations in emerging adults. In this context, a cross-sectional analysis was conducted on 261 Mexican emerging adults who were apparently healthy. Lifestyle factors were collected through a structured survey and the prevalence of micronutrient intake inadequacy was estimated using the estimated average requirement cut-point method. The percentage of energy from ultra-processed foods was assessed using the NOVA system. HDL-C was determined using the enzymatic colorimetric method. Statistical analyses were conducted in SPSS. The results revealed that lifestyle factors do not differ according to HDL-C status. The participants showed a poor nutritional diet that was energy-dense and micronutrient-inadequate. Nearly half of their energy came from processed and ultra-processed foods. Most participants did not meet the recommendations for key nutrients (ϖ3 fatty acids and phytosterols) that promote a healthy lipid status. In conclusion, regardless of their HDL-C levels, emerging adults exhibited lifestyle-related risk factors. The persistence of these findings over time could contribute to the development of metabolic disorders in the future. It is crucial to increase understanding and to develop effective nutritional interventions during this critical phase of life.
Effects of Land Use on Desertification in Typical Regions in the Horqin Sandy Land

In this study,the composition and spatial change of land use structure and sandy land was evaluated using data derived from the TM images of Naiman Banner in Inner Mongolia obtained in 1975,1985,1995 and 2005 under the support of 3S.The results revealed that the study area was primarily comprised of cultivated and sandy land.Specifically,cultivated and sandy land occupied 40.33% and 40.14% of the total study area,respectively.Furthermore,the results revealed that woodland and cultivated land increased more than any other types of land,as indicated by increases from 22 828 hm2 and 207 493 hm2 to 121 375 hm2 and 331 442 hm2,respectively.Conversely,the meadow area was reduced from 120 751 hm2 to 13 299 hm2.Overall,these results indicate that some meadow and sandy land was transformed to cultivated land,and some cultivated land was transformed to woodland.In addition,sandy land occupied more than 40% of the total study area,and these areas were dominated by fixed dunes,which occupied more than 50% of the total sandy land area.However,over the study period,the sandy land area was reduced,and the desertification index decreased from 0.24 to 0.19,which indicates that desertification was reversed.Areas in which desertification was reversed reflect conversion of sandy land to cultivated land and woodland,whereas areas in which desertification was expanded reflect the conversion of meadows and cultivated land to sandy land.