Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Flax Plant as a Cadmium Phytoremediator for Polluted Soils under Different Chemical and Biological Treatments

A pot experiments was carried out in the greenhouse of Faculty of Agriculture Cairo University during the two successive winter seasons (2015-2016 and 2016-2017) to evaluate the potential of flax plants (Linum usitatissimum L.) as a Cd tolerant and accumulator for polluted soils. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with a randomized-complete design in three replicates. Surface sandy loam soil samples (0-20 cm) were collected from Abou-Rawash area, which received sewage sludge and sewage effluent for long time ( about 20 years). Three levels of soil Cd (initial 3.13), and two artificial ones 50 and 75mg kg-1 soil, were prepared using CdCl2 solution by wet and dry process for three months. The chemical (EDTA) and biological (AMF and Thiobacillus) treatments were allocated to sub plots. Each sub plot consisted of pots each containing 10kg soil and 100 flax plants. The results showed that by increasing soil cadmium levels, the flax plant dry weight (roots, stem and leaves) significantly decreased. Under different levels of soil Cd, the chemical and biological treatments recorded variable changes in flax plant dry weight. The highest increases in dry weight was recorded with AMF treatment (5.63 and 8.50% in 1st and 2nd seasons, respectively, with an average of 7.06%) compared with the control (initial). However, cadmium contents in the different parts of flax plant increased with increasing soil cadmium levels. The highest Cd concentration in flax roots, stem and leaves recorded in EDTA treatment which lead to increases of 1.73, 2.11 and 1.88 folds in roots, stem and leaves, respectively, compared with untreated soil at 75 µg Cd g-1 soil. The uptake of Cd by flax substantially affected by both levels of Cd in soil and different soil treatments. The highest Cd uptake was found in 75 µg g-1 soil level followed by 50µg g-1 and the lowest in 3.13 µg g-1 soil. Flax was uptake and accumulate cadmium from the soil with distributing evenly throughout plants (roots < stem < leaves). Both EDTA and AMF treatments recorded the highest phytoextraction of Cd from contaminated soil. Finally, the obtained results suggest that, flax plant can be considered as a Cd tolerant which can accumulate Cd, especially, with mycorrhiza fungi and EDTA treatments but could not be considered a hyperaccumulator of Cd from polluted soils.
Unravelling the evolution of Zmuttgletscher and its debris cover since the end of the Little Ice Age

Abstract. Debris-covered glaciers generally exhibit large, gently sloping, slow-flowing tongues. At present, many of these glaciers show high thinning rates despite thick debris cover. Due to the lack of observations, most existing studies have neglected the dynamic interactions between debris cover and glacier evolution over longer time periods. The main aim of this study is to reveal such interactions by reconstructing changes of debris cover, glacier geometry, flow velocities, and surface features of Zmuttgletscher (Switzerland), based on historic maps, satellite images, aerial photographs, and field observations. We show that debris cover extent has increased from ∼13 % to ∼32 % of the total glacier surface since 1859 and that in 2017 the debris is sufficiently thick to reduce ablation compared to bare ice over much of the ablation area. Despite the debris cover, the glacier-wide mass balance of Zmuttgletscher is comparable to that of debris-free glaciers located in similar settings, whereas changes in length and area have been small and delayed by comparison. Increased ice mass input in the 1970s and 1980s resulted in a temporary velocity increase, which led to a local decrease in debris cover extent, a lowering of the upper boundary of the ice-cliff zone, and a strong reduction in ice-cliff area, indicating a dynamic link between flow velocities, debris cover, and surface morphology. Since 2005, the lowermost 1.5 km of the glacier has been quasi-stagnant, despite a slight increase in the surface slope of the glacier tongue. We conclude that the long-term glacier-wide mass balance is mainly governed by climate. The debris cover governs the spatial pattern of elevation change without changing its glacier-wide magnitude, which we explain by the extended ablation area and the enhanced thinning in regions with thin debris further up-glacier and in areas with abundant meltwater channels and ice cliffs. At the same time rising temperatures lead to increasing debris cover and decreasing ice flux, thereby attenuating length and area losses.
Quantification of Effect of Solar Storms on TEC over U.S. sector Using Machine Learning

A study of large solar storms in the equinox periods of solar cycles 23 & 24 is presented to quantify their effects on the total electron content (TEC) in the ionosphere. We study the dependence of TEC over the contiguous US on various storm parameters, including the onset time of the storm, the duration of the storm, its intensity, and the rate of change of the ring current response. These parameters are inferred autonomously and compared to TEC values obtained from the CORS network of GPS stations. To quantify the effects we examine the difference between the storm-time TEC value and an average from 5 quiet days during the same month. These values are studied over a grid with 1 deg x 1 deg spatial resolution in latitude and longitude over the US sector. Correlations between storm parameters and the quantified delta TEC values are studied using machine learning techniques to identify the most important controlling variables. The weights inferred by the algorithm for each input variable show their importance to the resultant TEC change. The results of this work are compared to recent TEC studies to investigate the effects of large storms on the distribution of ionospheric density over large spatial and temporal scales. Quantification of Effect of Solar Storms on TEC over U.S. sector Using Machine Learning
Developing a Bridge Condition Rating Model Based on Limited Number of Data Sets

This chapter utilizes artificial neural network (ANN) and multiple regression analysis (MRA) to model bridge condition rating based on limited number of data sets. Since data sets are very limited and there is a gap in range of rating scale, two conditions of data sets are used in this study, namely complete data sets and data set with bridge component condition rating data are missing. Five methods are then used to handle the missing bridge component condition rating data. Three commonly used methods and two new methods are explored in this study. It seems that the performance of the model using data sets after handling missing bridge component data to fill the gaps in the range scales of the bridge condition rating improved the performance of the model. In addition, a han - dling method that substitutes missing data of bridge component ratings with available bridge rating data is favorable. Based on the values of root mean square error (RMSE) and R 2 , the ANN models perform slightly better than MRA to map relationship between bridge components and bridge condition rating. This concluded that ANN is suitable to model bridge condition rating compare to MRA method.
Does conservation agriculture technology reduce farm household poverty? Evidence from rural Zambia

This study examines the adoption and impact of conservation agriculture on farm household poverty in Zambia using both provincial and average poverty lines, given that the poverty line is a key driver to the determination of household poverty. We probe the basis of setting a singular average poverty line for all provinces. The recursive bivariate probit model results reveal that conservation agriculture significantly reduces household poverty. However, the average poverty line either over or under estimates provincial poverty status. We also find that education, access to credit and information, social networks and machinery influence adoption of conservation agriculture technology.
Detection of seismic events on Mars: a lunar perspective

The interior structures of planets are attracting more and more detailed attention; these studies could be of great value in improving our understanding of the early evolution of Earth. Seismological investigations of planet interiors rely primarily on seismic waves excited by seismic events. Since tectonic activities are much weaker on other planets, e.g. Mars, the magnitudes of their seismic events are much smaller than those on Earth. It is therefore a challenge to detect seismic events on planets using such conventional techniques as short‐time average/long‐time average (STA/LTA) triggers. In pursuit of an effective and robust scheme to detect small‐magnitude events on Mars in the near future, we have taken Apollo lunar seismic observations as an example of weak‐activity data and developed an event‐detection scheme. The scheme reported here is actually a two‐step processing approach: the first step involves a despike filter to remove large‐amplitude impulses arising from large temperature variations; the second step employs a matched filter to unmask the seismic signals from a weak event hidden in the ambient and scattering noise. The proposed scheme has been used successfully to detect a moonquake that was not in the known moonquake catalogue, demonstrating that the two‐step strategy is a feasible method for detecting seismic events on planets. Our scheme will provide a powerful tool for seismic data analysis of the Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) mission, and China’s future lunar missions.
Reconstruction of subsurface sand remobilization from seismic data

Abstract Sand remobilization often occurs in deltaic depositional environments as a result of sediment load and de-watering during sediment compaction. Three-dimensional seismic data from a shelf and fan delta environment in the Central North Sea are interpreted using a colour processing technique which gives clues for reconstructing the depositional environment and remobilizing the sand. The shape and thickness of the sand remobilization features appear to be influenced by the depositional environment of parent sand. In the shallow part of the fan delta, irregular injectite geobodies are observed. In the proximal fan delta, large round saucer-shaped injectites indicate that the pressure release largely occurred in a crater-like shape. With increasing distance from the shelf break, the thickness of the sediment load and, thus, the pressure increases. Thin and extensive sheet-like injectite structures develop along faults. Some of these appear to reactivate pre-existing flanks of giant pockmarks.
Improvement Test for the Canopy Interception Parameterization Scheme in the Community Land Model

The Qian atmospheric forcing dataset is used to drive version 4.5 of the Community Land Model (CLM4.5) in off-line simulation tests. Based on the Global Land Evaporation Amsterdam Model (GLEAM) data, we attempt to ameliorate the canopy interception parameterization scheme in CLM4.5 by improving the empirical parameter and the physical structure. Considering that different plant functional types (PFTs) have different capacities to intercept rainfall is denoted as SEN1, and accounting for the influence of wind speed on canopy interception on the basis of SEN1 is denoted as SEN2. SEN1 shows obvious improvement in the simulated evaporation of intercepted water from vegetation canopy (Ec), not only greatly reduces the positive bias of the model to simulate Ec, especially in the equatorial region, but also significantly reduces the root mean square error (RMSE). SEN2 further improves the simulation of Ec by lowering the RMSE and increasing consistency with GLEAM data. In addition, the percentages of Ec over total evapotranspiration in both SEN1 and SEN2 are more reasonable and much closer to GLEAM data than that in CLM4.5. (Citation: Yang, M., R. Zuo, X. Li, and L. Wang, 2019: Improvement test for the canopy interception parameterization scheme in the Community Land Model. SOLA, 15, 166−171, doi: 10.2151/sola.2019-030.)
Classification of Synoptic Conditions of Summer Floods in Polish Sudeten Mountains

Atmospheric processes leading to extreme floods in the Polish Sudeten Mountains were described in this study. A direct impact of heavy precipitation on extremely high runoff episodes was confirmed, and an essential role of synoptic conditions in triggering abundant rainfall was proved. Synoptic conditions preceding each flood event were taken into consideration and the evolution of the pressure field as well as the moisture transport was investigated using the anomaly-based method. Maps of anomalies, constructed for the days prior to floods, enabled recognizing an early formation of negative centers of sea level pressure and also allowed distinguishing areas of positive departures of precipitable water content over Europe. Five cyclonic circulation patterns of different origin, and various extent and intensity, responsible for heavy, flood-triggering precipitation in the Sudetes, were assigned. Most rain-bringing cyclones form over the Mediterranean Sea and some of them over the Atlantic Ocean. A meridional southern transport of moisture was identified in most of the analyzed cases of floods. Recognizing the specific meteorological mechanisms of precipitation enhancement, involving evolution of pressure patterns, change in atmospheric moisture and occurrence of precipitation may contribute to a better understanding of the atmospheric forcing of floods in mountain areas and to improve predicting thereof.
True color 1024×768 microdisplay with analog in-pixel pulsewidth modulation and retinal averaging offset correction

A liquid-crystal-on-silicon microdisplay based on a 1024/spl times/768 two-dimensional pixel array fabricated in a digital 0.35-/spl mu/m CMOS process displays images with a color depth of 8 bits per color. The pixel pitch is 12 /spl mu/m and the total chip area is 214 mm/sup 2/. Pixel brightness is controlled by modulating the pulsewidth of the pixel voltage drive signal with an in-pixel analog pulsewidth modulation (PWM) circuit which utilizes human optic nerve spatio-temporal averaging to eliminate comparator offset. The 16 million transistor chip displays images at a maximum rate of 85 Hz and has a power dissipation of 200 mW from a single 3.3-V supply.
Polymorphic variability in the IL-1 β promoter conditions susceptibility to severe malarial anemia and functional changes in IL-1 β production

Interleukin (IL)-1β is a cytokine released as part of innate immune response to Plasmodium falciparum. Since the role of IL-1β polymorphic variability in conditioning the immunopathogenesis of severe malarial anemia (SMA) remains undefined, relationships between IL-1β promoter variants (-31C/T and -511A/G), SMA (Hb<6.0 g/dL), and circulating IL-1β levels were investigated in parasitemic children (n=566) from western Kenya. IL-1β promoter haplotype -31C/-511A (CA) was associated with increased risk of SMA (Hb<6.0 g/dL; OR; 1.98, 95% CI, 1.55-2.27; P<0.05) and reduced circulating IL-1β levels (P<0.05). The TA (-31T/-511A) haplotype was non-significantly associated with protection against SMA (OR; 0.52, 95% CI, 0.18-1.16; P=0.11) and elevated IL-1β production (P<0.05). Children with SMA had significantly lower IL-1β levels and nonsignificant elevations in both IL-1 receptor antagonist (Ra) and the IL-1Ra:IL-1β ratio compared to © 2008 by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved Correspondence to: Douglas J. Perkins. Please address any correspondences to: Dr. Douglas J. Perkins University of New Mexico Division of Infectious Diseases MSC10-5550 1 University of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001 phone: 505-272-6867 fax: 505-272-8441 e-mail: dperkins@salud.unm. edu. There is no conflict of interest for any of the authors of the manuscript due to commercial or other affiliations. The study was approved by the ethical and scientific review committees at the Kenya Medical Research Institute and the institutional review board at the University of Pittsburgh. A portion of this work was presented at the 55th Annual Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene conference (Abstract # 352, ASTMH, 2006). NIH Public Access Author Manuscript J Infect Dis. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2009 October 15. Published in final edited form as: J Infect Dis. 2008 October 15; 198(8): 1219–1226. doi:10.1086/592055. N IH PA Athor M anscript N IH PA Athor M anscript N IH PA Athor M anscript the non-SMA group. Results presented demonstrate that variation in IL-1β promoter conditions susceptibility to SMA and functional changes in circulating IL-1β levels.
Genomics of rapid ecological divergence and parallel adaptation in four tidal marsh sparrows

Theory suggests that different taxa having colonized a similar, challenging environment will show parallel or lineage‐specific adaptations to shared selection pressures, but empirical examples of parallel evolution in independent taxa are exceedingly rare. We employed comparative genomics to identify parallel and lineage‐specific responses to selection within and among four species of North American sparrows that represent four independent, post‐Pleistocene colonization events by an ancestral, upland subspecies and a derived salt marsh specialist. We identified multiple cases of parallel adaptation in these independent comparisons following salt marsh colonization, including selection of 12 candidate genes linked to osmoregulation. In addition to detecting shared genetic targets of selection across multiple comparisons, we found many novel, species‐specific signatures of selection, including evidence of selection of loci associated with both physiological and behavioral mechanisms of osmoregulation. Demographic reconstructions of all four species highlighted their recent divergence and small effective population sizes, as expected given their rapid radiation into saline environments. Our results highlight the interplay of both shared and lineage‐specific selection pressures in the colonization of a biotically and abiotically challenging habitat and confirm theoretical expectations that steep environmental clines can drive repeated and rapid evolutionary diversification in birds.
New Earthquake Data in the Calabrian Subduction Zone, Italy, Suggest Revision of the Presumed Dynamics in the Upper Part of the Subducting Slab

The 14 July 2018 magnitude 4.5 southern Calabria earthquake was the only earthquake of magnitude over 4 occurring since 1985 in the same area and depth range (30–70 km) of the 1905 magnitude 7.5 earthquake previously imputed to rupture of the upper part of the Ionian subducting slab. We here apply the Bayloc nonlinear location method for accurate hypocenter location of the 2018 earthquake, and then we estimate its focal mechanism by the cut‐and‐paste waveform inversion method. Moreover, we locate all the seismicity occurring at depth <300 km in the past two decades in the study region. The results, together with the 1905 earthquake information available from previous works, are compared to the seismotomographic structure of the subduction zone taken from the literature. We find that the 2018 earthquake originated at about 60 km depth in close correspondence with the seismogenic inner core of the descending slab, whereas the 1905 earthquake took place at slightly shallower depth near the top of the slab in its elbow zone. The 2018 earthquake focal mechanism indicates down‐dip extension of the descending slab, a process compatible also with the 1905 earthquake rupture mechanism. Down‐dip extension of this upper part of the Ionian subduction slab contrasts with down‐dip compression hypothesized by the previous investigators for the entire slab. On the basis of clear necking of the descending slab and seismicity increase at depths of the order of 150 km, we propose that the slab is approaching detachment at this depth. In this scenario, the part of the slab above necking may be subjected to down‐dip extension under its own weight, which corresponds to an intermediate phase between stages c and d of the basic, Isacks and Molnar’s evolutionary model of subduction.
Evaluation of the GPM IMERG v5 and TRMM 3B42 v7 Precipitation Products in the Yangtze River Basin, China

The purpose of this study is to quantitatively evaluate the accuracy of the GPM IMERG v5 and the TRMM 3B42 v7, with the reference of 224 rain gauge stations over the Yangtze River basin in China from April 2014 to December 2017. The results showed that: (1) The changing pattern of IMERG v5 was similar to the 3B42 v7, and higher correlations can be found between the satellite-based precipitation products (SPPs) and observed precipitation for the monthly and annual time scale; (2) the IMERG v5 tended to overestimate the distribution range of the main rain band while the 3B42 v7 underestimated the precipitation in Sichuan basin, and the largest differences were found for the precipitation less than 1 mm/d for two SPPs; (3) both of the IMERG v5 and 3B42 v7 overestimated the precipitation in the lower elevation areas (<3000 m), while the opposite was true for areas ≥ 3000 m (RBIMERG v5 = −5.42%, RB3B42 v7 = −1.87%), and the retrieved results of PPDFc index and average precipitation at different altitudes for IMERG v5 were better than 3B42 v7. This study highlighted that IMERG v5 performed generally better than 3B42 v7 in detecting precipitation, especially light precipitation in the Yangtze River basin, indicating the great potential utility in hydrological applications. However, its poor skills when retrieving data for high precipitation events and for detecting complex terrain environments remains, leaving room for IMERG v5 to improve its inversion algorithm.
Spatiotemporal analysis of flash flooding events in mountainous area
of China during 1950–2015

Abstract. Flash flooding is one of the most destructive natural disasters that occur in mountainous areas. Understanding the spatiotemporal characteristics of flash flooding across China is important for enabling better disaster estimation and prevention on the national scale. To bridge the gap in the research of the spatiotemporal characteristics of flash flooding events (FFEs), based on the longest time series of FFEs in China, this paper used Mann-Kendall (MK) test, wavelet analysis, monthly frequency and index of dispersion (D) to detect the temporal variation, temporal periodic and temporal clustering of FFEs in China. The results indicated that: (1) A marked rising in the number of FFEs in China was detected, with a growth rate of 23.62 per year since 1950; (2) On the large scale, the main periodicity characteristics was approximately 12–25 a, with three oscillation periods, and tended to be stable since 1980; On the small scale, the 2–8 a time scale was prominent, with two oscillation periods, and tended to be stable since 2006; (3) The intra-annual frequency distribution of FFEs can be divided into three types, right-skew, left-skew and symmetry; (4) The inter-annual clustering played the dominant role in FFEs occurrence across China, while the under-dispersions were only detected in six (5 %) watersheds. Precipitation anomalies and soil moisture were detected to have a close correlation with FFEs, however, the interplay of climatic variations and anthropogenic activities may impose greatly impacts on the occurrence and evolution of the flash flooding disasters on a large extent. This study provided a preliminary reference for revealing the driving factors of flash flooding disasters in the context of climate change.