Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Hydrogels Based on Phosphorylcholine-Containing Copolymers for Soft Contact Lens Applications

The structure and dynamics of copolymers of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) with 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) were studied by molecular dynamics simulations. In total, 20 systems were analyzed. They differed in numerical fractions of the MPC in the copolymer chain, equal to 0.26 and 0.74, in the sequence of mers, block and random, and the water content, from 0 to 60% by mass. HEMA side chains proved relatively rigid and stable in all considered configurations. MPC side chains, in contrast, were mobile and flexible. Water substantially influenced their dynamics. The copolymer swelling caused by water resulted in diffusion channels, pronounced in highly hydrated systems. Water in the hydrates existed in two states: those that bond to the polymer chain and the free one; the latter was similar to bulk water but with a lower self-diffusion coefficient. The results proved that molecular dynamics simulations could facilitate the preliminary selection of the polymer materials for specific purposes before their synthesis.
Thermal conductivities of argillaceous sediments

Abstract Thermal conductivities of selected samples of shales, clay- and mudstones from the Norwegian Continental Shelf have been measured with a divided bar apparatus. The samples investigated are from conventional cores and side wall cores. Thermal conductivities for watersaturated samples measured perpendicular to the layering vary from 0.79 to 1.14 W/m K. The conductivities measured parallel to the layering are up to 1.7 times higher than those measured in the perpendicular direction. The investigation also confirms that the temperature has an influence on the conductivity. A model to predict thermal conductivity, based on water content and mineralogy has been proposed and tested.
Uplift capacity of suction caissons under sustained and cyclic loading in soft clay

A series of centrifuge tests were conducted on instrumented model suction caissons in normally consolidated, lightly overconsolidated, and sensitive clays, to investigate the uplift capacity and external radial stress changes for sealed caissons subjected to sustained loading and cyclic loading. The external shaft friction ratio during vertical pullout for these two types of loading was analyzed from the radial stress measured at failure, then the corresponding reverse end-bearing capacity factor was derived from the pullout capacity. Tests results were compared with those under monotonic undrained pullout. For caissons under sustained loading, the holding capacity was found to be 72–85% of that under monotonic undrained loading. Radial stress reduction around the caisson shaft reduced the external shaft friction ratio to 0.67–0.75, while dissipation of the “passive” suction at the caisson tip reduced the reverse end-bearing capacity factor to 7.5–9.4. Under cyclic loading, the uplift capacity of the cais.
Drained instability of sand in plane strain

Flowslide or failure of loose granular soil slopes is often explained using liquefaction or instability data obtained from undrained triaxial tests. However, under static loading conditions, the assumption of an undrained condition is not realistic for sand, particularly clean sand. Case studies have indicated that instability of granular soil can occur under essentially drained conditions (e.g., the Wachusett Dam failure in 1907). Laboratory studies on Changi sand by Chu et al. in 2003 have shown that sand can become unstable under completely drained conditions. However, these studies were carried out under axisymmetric conditions and thus, cannot be applied directly to the analysis of slope failures. In this paper, experimental data obtained from plane-strain tests are presented to study the instability behaviour of loose and dense sand under plane-strain conditions. Based on these test data, the conditions for the occurrence of drained instability in plane strain are established. Using the modified sta.
Four Coptic Textiles from the Louvre Collection 14C Redated after 55 Years

Dating of Coptic textiles performed in the early days of the radiocarbon dating method was revisited. In 1957–1958, Louvre curator and art historian P du Bourguet had 4 Coptic textiles 14C dated by the Saclay laboratory. The results were rejected, not because of the large standard deviation (>100 yr), but because their ages did not support his chronological framework based on typological comparison. Furthermore, textiles with comparable ages were dated several centuries apart. As a result of this investigation, for many decades art historians rejected 14C as a dating tool for Coptic textiles. Re-examination of the old data and new 14C analyses revealed that mistakes were made, both in the reporting as in the interpretation of the data and that the textiles are much older than presumed.
Effects of stress and temperature on secondary compression of peat

Results from field and laboratory tests illustrate the influence of vertical effective stress and temperature on the secondary compression of peat from Middleton, Wisconsin, U.S.A. A large fraction of the total settlement of the peat is due to secondary compression. The coefficient of secondary compression, Calpha, generally increases with time, and settlement predictions using a constant Calpha may underestimate field settlement. Laboratory step-stress and step-temperature tests indicate that the rate of void ratio change during secondary compression varies exponentially with both temperature and vertical effective stress. A stress coefficient of creep, Ctheta, and a temperature coefficient of creep, CT, are defined to characterize these relationships. For Middleton peat, the logarithm of Ctheta decreases linearly with void ratio and CT is constant. The results suggest that laboratory stress and temperature conditions should match those in situ for accurate determination of secondary compression paramete.
Indian Hedgehog: A Mechanotransduction Mediator in Condylar Cartilage

Indian hedgehog (Ihh) is a critical mediator transducing mechanical signals to stimulate chondrocyte proliferation. To clarify the cellular signal transduction pathway that senses and converts mechanical signals into tissue growth in mandibular condyle, we evaluated Ihh expression and its relation to the kinetics of replicating mesenchymal cells in condylar cartilage during natural growth and mandibular advancement. Thirty-five-day-old Sprague-Dawley rats were fitted with functional appliances. Experimental animals with matched controls were doubly labeled with iododeoxyuridine and bromodeoxyuridine so that we could evaluate the cycles of the proliferative mesenchymal cells. Mandibular advancement triggered Ihh expression in condylar cartilage. A higher level of Ihh expression coincided with the increase of the replicating mesenchymal cells’ population and the shortening of the turnover time. These findings suggested that Ihh acts as a mediator of mechanotransduction that converts mechanical signals resulting from anterior mandibular displacement to stimulate cellular proliferation in condylar cartilage.
Thickness of the western mare basalts.

The basalts of the western maria occupy large circular basins and surrounding lowlands associated with the basins. Mare Imbrium and Mare Humorum are the only well-preserved circular basins. Isopach mapping suggests that the vast expanse of basalt plains of Oceanus Procellarum mantles a composite structure of several coalescing basins. The thickest basalts are found in Mare Imbrium, Mare Humorum, and in the western part of the Oceanus Procellarum. Relatively thin basalts are found south and southwest of Mare Imbrium, in the Central Lowland region, and in northern Procellarium. For the most part, the general conclusions of earilier studies of the eastern maria are confirmed in the western maria.
Composite ground deformation pattern forerunning the 2004–2005 Mount Etna eruption

[1] After the end of the 2002–2003 eruption, Mount Etna activity was characterized only by gentle degassing at the summit craters and some earthquake swarms. Suddenly, an eruption started on 7 September 2004 in complete absence of summit crater volcanic activity, seismicity or seismic tremor, and ground deformation. This is the first time that magma poured out passively without preeruptive and coeruptive volcanic and/or geophysical phenomena. The primary key to understanding this event is represented by the ground deformation pattern recorded through GPS measurements during the year before the eruption. The ground deformation shows inflation superimposed by a predominant eastward movement of the eastern sector at a rate never observed before in a noneruptive period. The images from satellite radar interferometry confirmed this pattern. The deformation field clearly shows that the maximum tension in the eastern sector of the volcano caused the opening of the eruptive fracture which favored the silent pouring out of already resident magma.
Equatorial electrojet control of the low latitude ionosphere.

The role of the equatorial electrojet on the distribution of ionization at low latitudes has been discussed using mult-location Total Electron Content (TEC) data obtained through the radio beacon signals from the geostationary satellite ATS-6 and from ground-based ionosonde data. It has been found that the electrojet has a pronounced influence on TEC at latitudes extending from equator to as high as 25°N dip latitude. It is suggested that ionosphere-to-plasmasphere ionization flow plays an important role in understanding the behaviour of the equatorial TEC.
Dynamic model of the magnetosphere: Case study for January 9–12, 1997

The dynamics of the magnetospheric current systems are studied in the course of the specific magnetospheric disturbance on January 9–12, 1997, caused by the interaction of the Earth's magnetosphere with a dense solar wind plasma cloud. To estimate the contribution of the different sources of the magnetospheric magnetic field to the disturbance ground measured, a dynamic paraboloid model of the magnetosphere is used. The model input parameters are defined by the solar wind density and velocity, by the strength and direction of the interplanetary magnetic field, and by the auroral AL index. The total energy of the ring current particles is calculated from the energy balance equation, where the injection function is determined by the value of the solar wind electric field. New analytical relations describing the dynamics of the different magnetospheric magnetic field sources dependent on the model input parameters are obtained. The analysis of the magnetic disturbances during the January 9–12, 1997, event shows that in the course of the main phase of the magnetic storm the contribution of the ring current, the currents on the magnetopause, and the currents in the magnetotail are approximately equal to each other by an order of magnitude. Nevertheless, in some periods one of the current systems becomes dominant. For example, an intense Dst positive enhancement (up to +50 nT) in the course of the magnetic storm recovery phase in the first hours on January 11, 1997, is associated with a significant increase of the currents on the magnetopause, while the ring current and the magnetotail current remain at a quiet level. A comparison of the calculated Dst variation with measurements indicates good agreement. The root mean square deviation is ∼ 8.7 nT in the course of the storm.
Eddies in the northeastern North Atlantic: Statistics from observations from a moving ship

Statistics of currents and hydrographic data collected from a moving ship in the northeastern North Atlantic have been used to investigate the role of eddies in the circulation of the ocean. The mean currents show, besides a North Atlantic Current of about 12 cm s−1, a significant westward flow, perhaps 4 cm s−1 just north of the Azores. Eddy kinetic energies in the Western Basin reach about 1000 cm2 s−2, while there is indication of a weak secondary maximum of about 300 cm2 s−2 in the Eastern Basin. Both the eddy kinetic energy and the thermohaline variability show a strong asymmetry with greater variability on the south side of the main branch of the North Atlantic Current at about 51°N. The momentum budget of the North Atlantic current shows a dominant geostrophic balance with terms of order 10 cm s−1. The gradients of the Reynolds stresses contribute about 0.1 cm s−1 and the nonlinear terms less than 0.01 cm s−1. The residual meridional velocity implied by the meridional heat transport is of order 3 cm s−1. The eddy scale was estimated by means of the average zero-crossing length scale of the transverse velocity correlation function to be 46 km. There is significant interannual variability of both mean conditions and mesoscale variability in the region of the North Atlantic Current. The northward eddy heat transport appears to be zero in the mixed layer but may be a significant proportion of the total oceanic heat transport at the intergyre boundary in the thermocline. Estimates of the magnitudes of eddy diffusivities for both momentum and heat give values of about 104 m2 s−1.
Ground‐penetrating radar survey at the Roman town of Mariana (Corsica), complemented with fluxgate gradiometer data and old and recent excavation results

This paper presents the results of a GPR survey carried out at the Roman town of Mariana (Corsica, France). Excavations (1959-1965 and 2000-2007) yielded a Roman street with houses and shops, an early mediaeval cathedral and a mediaeval bishop's palace. When compared with the hypothetical town limits derived from aerial photography, old cadastral maps and the location of two cemeteries, the excavations are in an eccentric position. The principal aim of the geophysical survey was to shed more light on the Early Imperial town centre (1st-2nd century AD), which was to be found further north. The results from a fluxgate gradiometer survey demonstrated the presence of buildings with an orientation corresponding to the excavated street. In the GPR data, an orthogonal street system became noticeable and most of the buildings can be identified as private dwellings. In several parts of the town, there are indications for more than one occupation phase. For example, in the north-western insula of the main survey area, the GPR results show a large building complex with deep foundations, as well as shallow walls of poor construction quality in the courtyard of this building. A trial excavation confirmed this dichotomy: it revealed solid walls with brick facings originating in the 1st or 2nd century AD, as opposed to alignments of loose boulders, not older than the 3rd century. On the basis of the GPR results, two small excavation trenches from the 1930s, one of which contained the remains of a bathhouse, can now be located exactly.
Assessing Global Vegetation–Climate Feedbacks from Observations*

Abstract The feedback between global vegetation greenness and surface air temperature and precipitation is assessed using remote sensing observations of monthly fraction of photosynthetically active radiation (FPAR) for 1982 to 2000 with a 2.5° grid resolution. Lead/lag correlations are used to infer vegetation–climate interactions. Furthermore, a statistical method is used to quantify the efficiency of vegetation feedback on climate in the observations. This feedback analysis provides a first quantitative assessment of global vegetation feedback on climate. In northern mid- and high latitudes, vegetation variability is found to be driven predominantly by temperature; in the meantime, vegetation also exerts a strong positive feedback on temperature with the feedback accounting for over 10%–25% of the total monthly temperature variance. The strongest positive feedback occurs in the boreal regions of southern Canada/northern United States, northern Europe, and southern Siberia, where the feedback efficiency.
Moisture effects on soil reflectance

Models of soil reflectance under changing moisture conditions are needed to better quantify soil and vegetation properties from remote sensing. In this study, measurements of reflected shortwave radiation (400-2500 nm) were acquired in a laboratory setting for four different soils at various moisture contents. The observed changes in soil reflectance revealed a nonlinear dependence on moisture that was well described by an exponential model, and was similar for different soil types when moisture was expressed as degree of saturation. Reflectance saturated at much lower moisture contents in the visible and near-infrared (VNIR) spectral region than in the shortwave-infrared (SWIR) spectral region, suggesting that longer wavelengths are better suited for measuring volumetric moisture contents above ∼20%. To explore the potential of a general reflectance model based solely on dry reflectance and moisture, we employed a Monte Carlo analysis that accounted for observed variability in the measured spectra. Modeling results indicated that the SWIR region offers significant potential for relating moisture and reflectance on an operational basis, with uncertainties less than half as large as in the VNIR. The results of this study help to quantify the strong influence of moisture on spectral reflectance and absorption features, and should aid in the development of operational algorithms as well as more physically based models in the future.
Geochemical behaviour and mineralogical transformations during spontaneous combustion of a coal waste pile in Oslavany, Czech Republic

Abstract Geochemical processes and mineralogical transformations in the spontaneously combusting coal waste pile of the Kukla mine in Oslavany, Czech Republic, were investigated. The aims of the study were: (1) the characterization of secondary minerals; and (2) determination of processes which influence the mobility of elements in the pile. The pile burned from the late 19th century until the 1990s and has acquired a zoned nature, with original black material in the core of the pile, red material produced by burning close to the pile slopes and grey and white efflorescent salts precipitated on the pile top and slopes. Several mineral assemblages have been identified including (1) primary minerals in the black material including bituminous coal to anthracite, micas, pyrite and goethite; (2) hematite, spinels and corundum in the red material produced by pyrometamorphism; and (3) hydrated sulphates of magnesium including hexahydrite, konyaite and picromerite in efflorescent precipitates on the slopes of the pile. A conceptual model of geochemical processes in the pile includes seasonal changes with mineral dissolution during the wet season and precipitation of efflorescent salt minerals during the dry season. Formation of secondary minerals such as hematite, which is resistant to weathering and immobilizes hydrolysable Fe, may have a positive environmental impact in the long term.
Circadian control of interferon-sensitive gene expression in murine skin

Significance Here, we show that expression of key circadian clock genes in the skin is altered by acute inflammation in mice treated topically with the immune activator imiquimod and by chronic inflammation in human psoriatic lesions. We show time-of-day–dependent activation of the interferon pathway, a key pathway involved in the host defense response. Mice lacking circadian rhythms have greater epidermal hyperplasia and more robust activation of the interferon pathway. Furthermore, we show that daytime-restricted feeding shifts the phase of interferon-sensitive gene expression in mouse skin. These findings demonstrate a role for the circadian clock in a major defense pathway in the skin’s response to microbes and cancer and suggest that timing of feeding can affect this response in the skin. The circadian clock coordinates a variety of immune responses with signals from the external environment to promote survival. We investigated the potential reciprocal relationship between the circadian clock and skin inflammation. We treated mice topically with the Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) agonist imiquimod (IMQ) to activate IFN-sensitive gene (ISG) pathways and induce psoriasiform inflammation. IMQ transiently altered core clock gene expression, an effect mirrored in human patient psoriatic lesions. In mouse skin 1 d after IMQ treatment, ISGs, including the key ISG transcription factor IFN regulatory factor 7 (Irf7), were more highly induced after treatment during the day than the night. Nuclear localization of phosphorylated-IRF7 was most prominently time-of-day dependent in epidermal leukocytes, suggesting that these cell types play an important role in the diurnal ISG response to IMQ. Mice lacking Bmal1 systemically had exacerbated and arrhythmic ISG/Irf7 expression after IMQ. Furthermore, daytime-restricted feeding, which affects the phase of the skin circadian clock, reverses the diurnal rhythm of IMQ-induced ISG expression in the skin. These results suggest a role for the circadian clock, driven by BMAL1, as a negative regulator of the ISG response, and highlight the finding that feeding time can modulate the skin immune response. Since the IFN response is essential for the antiviral and antitumor effects of TLR activation, these findings are consistent with the time-of-day–dependent variability in the ability to fight microbial pathogens and tumor initiation and offer support for the use of chronotherapy for their treatment.
Least squares inversion of self‐potential (SP) data and application to the shallow flow of ground water in sinkholes

We propose a least squares inversion algorithm to determine the spatially variable depth of the water table in shallow unconfined aquifers using self‐potential signals measured on the ground surface. Traditionally, the water table is determined only at few locations using piezometers. Our approach relates its shape with the distribution of the self‐potential signals according to a Fredholm equation of the first kind. The latter is discretized to obtain a linear matrix formulation of the forward problem. This new formulation is very general and can account for the resistivity distribution of the vadose zone. It is used to setup the inverse problem using the approach of Tarantola (1987) for a test site located in Normandy (France) where 225 self‐potential measurements were performed over an area of 15,400 m2. Ground water flows through the loess overlying a low permeability clay‐with‐flint weathered chalk, at a depth between 1 to 7 meters, into sinkholes in chalk bedrock. The method determines the water table with a precision of 0.4 m.
Piezometer–friction cone investigation at a tailings dam

Static piezometer–friction cone tests were carried out at the tailings dam at Brenda Mines, Peachland, British Columbia to evaluate soil characteristics and seepage conditions in the dam. Several types of electric quasistatic cones were pushed to depths of 40–70 m at various locations in the dam and on the beach. The cones used included both the Fugro electric friction cone and piezometer cone, and a University of British Columbia designed piezometer–friction cone.Site conditions are described and typical cone logs of bearing, friction, friction ratio, and pore water pressure vs. depth are presented, interpreted, and discussed. The cone data is used to assess strength and relative density, and to assess gradational variations of the tailings and slimes on the beach, including the identification of ice inclusions.Measurements of equilibrium pore water pressures with depth at three locations on the beach allowed a clear picture to be developed of the pore pressure gradients within the dam. Other problems an.