Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Research Article: Soil Contaminant Attenuation Characterization in an Army Impact Area

Chemical contaminants—such as explosives from unexploded ordnance and impact—found within cratered areas on military firing ranges are subject to environmental fate and transport processes. Depending on the solubility and charge of the pollutant, soils with higher fractions of organic carbon and/or higher cation exchange capacities may inhibit movement of contaminants and provide time for contaminant transformation and degradation to take place before resources such as groundwater are impacted. Cation exchange capacity should allow the use of the retardation factor approach in determining the relative risk for organic contaminant releases to soils. A soil property investigation, involving the collection of soil samples from an active impact area and subsequent mathematical modeling and statistical analysis of soil laboratory results, was used to determine the soil properties that best predict soil cation exchange capacity and describe crater disturbance, in terms of the resulting loss of organic matter. Organic matter content of the soil, in this study, proved to be a good predictor of cation exchange capacity and also a good descriptor of munitions disturbance. Because soil organic matter has an influence on contaminant fate and transport through the environment, and because its availability is affected by munitions disturbance, resource managers should be concerned with the effect of munitions use on soil organic matter dynamics.
The Comparative Study on the Environmental Impact Assessment of Construction Material through the Application of Carbon Reducing Element - Focused on Global Warming Potential of Concrete Products-

Environmental impact assessment techniques have been developed as a result of the worldwide efforts to reduce the environmental impact of global warming. By using the quantification method in the construction industry, it is now possible to manage the greenhouse gas is to systematically evaluate the impact on the environment over the entire construction process. In particular, the proportion of greenhouse gas emissions at the production stage of construction material occupied is high, and efforts are needed in the construction field. In this study, intended for concrete products for the construction materials, by using the LCA evaluation method, we compared the results of environmental impact assessment and carbon emissions of developing products that have been applied low-carbon technologies compared to existing products. As a result, by introducing a raw material of industrial waste, showed carbon reduction. Through a comparison of the carbon emission reduction effect of low-carbon technologies, it is intended to provide academic data for the evaluation of greenhouse gases in the construction sector and the development of low-carbon technologies of the future.
Keyword Identification within Greek URLs

In this paper we propose a method that identifies and extracts keywords within URLs, focusing on the Greek Web and especially on URLs containing Greek terms. Although there are previous works on how to process Greek online content, none of them focuses on keyword identification within URLs of the Greek web domain. In addition, there are many known techniques for web page categorization based on URLs but, none addresses the case of URLs containing transliterated Greek terms. The proposed method integrates two components; a URL tokenizer that segments URL tokens into meaningful words and a Latin–to–Greek script transliteration engine that relies on a dictionary and a set of orthographic and syntactic rules for converting Latin verbalized word tokens into Greek terms. The experimental evaluation of our method against a sample of 1,000 Greek URLs reveals that it can be fruitfully exploited towards automatic keyword identification within Greek URLs
Some evidence for boundary mixing in the deep Ocean

Profiles of salinity and potential temperature in the deep ocean are presented which suggest the characteristic signature of two complementary mixing processes: vertical mixing within approx.50-m-thick layers at boundaries and topographic features and lateral advection and eventual smearing of these mixed layers along iopyenal surfaces. The combined effect of these two processes is often parametrically disguised as a vertical eddy diffusivity in one-dimensional models. An estimate shows that the two processes can account for all the vertical mixing in the deep ocean without any vertical diffusion in the interior.
High‐resolution model‐projected changes in mid‐tropospheric closed‐lows and extreme rainfall events over southern Africa

Mid‐tropospheric closed‐lows (cold‐core cut‐off lows and warm‐core tropical lows) are important rain producing weather systems for the southern Africa region. Over South Africa, most wide‐spread flood events are caused by these systems. It is therefore important to explore the potential impact of anthropogenic forcing on the occurrence of closed‐lows and extreme rainfall events over the region. Coupled global circulation models (CGCMs) can not be directly applied for this purpose because of their relatively low spatial resolution—some form of downscaling is required to adequately resolve these systems and the rainfall they cause. In this study, a variable‐resolution atmospheric global circulation model is applied as a regional climate model to simulate closed‐low characteristics over southern Africa under current and future forcings. The model is forced with greenhouse gas concentrations according to the A2 SRES scenario and with sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and sea‐ice as specified by the CSIRO Mk3 CGCM. The model projects a general decrease in closed‐low frequencies over the region, which occurs in association with a general strengthening of the subsiding branch of the Hadley cell. However, the climate‐change signal shows variation in time and space and certain sub‐regions are projected to experience an increase in closed‐low frequencies during certain seasons. A general increase in extreme rainfall events is projected over southern Africa despite the projected decrease in closed‐low frequencies. It is deduced that this increase in extreme rainfall events is driven by intense convective rainfall events occurring within more frequently forming tropical‐temperate cloud bands. Over Mozambique, extreme rainfall events are projected to increase in association with more frequently occurring closed‐lows. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society
Chlorofluorocarbons as Tracers of Groundwater Transport Processes in a Shallow, Silty Sand Aquifer

Detailed depth profiles of Chlorofluorocarbons CFC-11(CFCl3(, CFC-12 (CF2Cl2) and CFC-113 (C2F3Cl3) have been obtained from a well-characterized field site in central Ontario. Aquifer materials comprise predominantly silty sands, with a mean organic carbon content of 0.03%. Nearly one-dimensional flow exists at this site, and the vertical migration of a well-defined 3H peak has been tracked through time. Detailed vertical sampling has allowed CFC tracer velocities to be estimated to within 10%. Comparison with 3H profiles enables estimation of chlorofluorocarbon transport parameters. CFC-12 appears to be the most conservative of the CFCs measured. Sorption at this site is low (Kd < 0.03), and degradation does not appear to be important. CFC- 113 is retarded both with respect to CFC-12 and with respect to 3H (Kd = 0.09−0.14). CFC-11 appears to be degraded both in the highly organic unsaturated zone and below 3.5 m depth in the aquifer, where dissolved oxygen concentrations decrease to below 0.5 mg L−1. The half-life for CFC-11 degradation below 3.5 m depth is less than 2 years. While apparent CFC-12 ages match hydraulic ages to within 20% (up to 30 years), apparent CFC-11 and CFC-113 ages significantly overestimate hydraulic ages at our field site.
Effects of wildfire on national park visitation and the regional economy: a natural experiment in the Northern Rockies

Federal wildland fire management policy in the United States directs the use of value-based methods to guide priorities. However, the economic literature on the effect of wildland fire on nonmarket uses, such as recreation, is limited. This paper introduces a new approach to measuring the effect of wildfire on recreational use by utilising newly available long-term datasets on the location and size of wildland fire in the United States and observed behaviour over time as revealed through comprehensive National Park Service (NPS) visitor data. We estimate travel cost economic demand models that can be aggregated at the site-landscape level for Yellowstone National Park (YNP). The marginal recreation benefit per acre of fire avoided in, or proximate to, the park is US$43.82 per acre (US$108.29 per hectare) and the net present value loss for the 1986-2011 period is estimated to be US$206 million. We also estimate marginal regional economic impacts at US$36.69 per acre (US$90.66 per hectare) and US$159 million based on foregone non-resident spending in the 17-county Great Yellowstone Area (GYA). These methods are applicable where time-series recreation data exist, such as for other parks and ecosystems represented in the 397-unit NPS system.
A Simple Empirical Measure of Central Banks ’ Conservatism

In this paper we suggest a simple empirical and model-independent measure of Central Banks’ Conservatism, based on the Taylor curve. This new indicator can easily be extended in time and space, whatever the underlying monetary regime of the considered countries. We demonstrate that it evolves in accordance with the monetary experiences of 32 OECD member countries from 1980, and is largely equivalent to the model-based measure provided by Krause & Méndez [Southern Economic Journal, 2005]. We finally bring forward the interest of such an indicator for further empirical analysis dealing with the preferences of Central Banks. Résumé Dans cet article, nous proposons une nouvelle mesure du degré de conservatisme des Banques Centrales, fondée sur la courbe de Taylor. Notre mesure présente deux principaux avantages. Tout d’abord, contrairement aux indicateurs de conservatisme précédemment développés dans la littérature, qui sont fortement dépendants du modèle de l’économie et de la règle monétaire retenus, il s’agit ici d’une mesure purement empirique. Elle est de plus facilement calculable puisqu’elle requiert seulement la connaissance des variances empiriques de l’inflation et de l’output gap ; elle peut donc être aisément étendue à un large échantillon de pays. Nous montrons que notre mesure est cohérente avec l’histoire monétaire récente et les évolutions institutionnelles qu’ont connues les économies de l’OCDE depuis le début des années 1980. De surcrôıt, nous montrons que notre mesure fournit des résultats semblables à ceux obtenus récemment par Krause et Méndez [Southern Economic Journal, 2005], dont la mesure de conservatisme des Banques centrales est l’une des plus abouties de la littérature. Enfin, nous discutons les nombreuses pistes de recherche empirique qu’ouvre notre indicateur de conservatisme.
Role and reliability of passive joint motion assessment: Towards multivariable diagnostics and decision-making in manual therapy

Manual therapists strongly rely on passive intervertebral motion (PIVM) assessment for making decisions about spinal joint mobilisation and thrust manipulation in patients with neck or low-back pain. However, uncertainty exists about the use and the value of this physical examination procedure within clinical diagnostics and decision-making in manual therapy. The two main objectives of the research reported in this thesis were: (1) to evaluate the inter-examiner reliability of passive joint motion assessment of the spine and the extremities and (2) to examine the role and position of PIVM assessment within the process of clinical reasoning and decision-making in clinical practice in manual therapy in patients with spine-related disorders. From three systematic reviews, we concluded that the inter-examiner reliability of the tactile and visual judgements by therapists during passive motion assessment of joints of the spine and the extremities is unacceptably low. Two further studies showed that Dutch manual therapists are highly consistent in reporting their use, interpretation, and related perceptions regarding PIVM assessment and we found that PIVM assessment is positioned, albeit more or less routinely, as an ‘add-on’ test after history taking, visual inspection, and active and regional passive motion examination. Our research supports a multivariable, biopsychosocial, hypothesis-oriented approach to evaluating clinical diagnostics and decision-making in manual therapy as opposed to continuing investigating the value of single tests. We propose methods to incorporate such an approach into reliability studies and randomised controlled trials with the aim to, eventually, better identify those patients responding (or not) to spinal manual therapy.
Approximating some network design problems with node costs Guy Kortsarz

We study several multi-criteria undirected network design problems with node costs and lengths. All these problems are related to the Multicommodity Buy at Bulk (MBB) problem in which we are given a graph G = (V,E), demands {dst : s, t ∈ V }, and a family {cv : v ∈ V } of subadditive cost functions. For every s, t ∈ V we seek to send dst flow units from s to t on a single path, so that ∑ v cv(fv) is minimized, where fv the total amount of flow through v. In the Multicommodity Cost-Distance (MCD) problem we are also given lengths {l(v) : v ∈ V }, and seek a subgraph H of G that minimizes c(H)+ ∑ s,t∈V dst ·lH(s, t), where lH(s, t) is the minimum l-length of an st-path in H. The approximation for these two problems is equivalent up to a factor arbitrarily close to 2. We give an O(log n)-approximation algorithm for both problems for the case of demands polynomial in n. The previously best known approximation ratio for these problems was O(log n) [Chekuri et al., FOCS 2006] and [Chekuri et al., SODA 2007]. We also consider the Maximum Covering Tree (MaxCT) problem which is closely related to MBB: given a graph G = (V,E), costs {c(v) : v ∈ V }, profits {p(v) : v ∈ V }, and a bound C, find a subtree T of G with c(T ) ≤ C and p(T ) maximum. The best known approximation algorithm for MaxCT [Moss and Rabani, STOC 2001] computes a tree T with c(T ) ≤ 2C and p(T ) = Ω(opt/ log n). We provide the first nontrivial lower bound on approximation by proving that the problem admits no better than Ω(1/(log log n)) approximation assuming NP 6⊆ Quasi(P). This holds true even if the solution is allowed to violate the budget by a universal constant ρ. Our result disproves a conjecture of [Moss and Rabani, STOC 2001]. Another related to MBB problem is the Shallow Light Steiner Tree (SLST) problem, in which we are given a graph G = (V,E), costs {c(v) : v ∈ V }, lengths {l(v) : v ∈ V }, a set U ⊆ V of terminals, and a bound L. The goal is to find a subtree T of G containing U with diaml(T) ≤ L and c(T ) minimum. We give an algorithm that computes a tree Rutgers University, Camden. Partially supported by NSF support grant award number 0829959 guyk@camden.rutgers. edu The Open University of Israel. nutov@openu.ac. il
Satellite remote sensing of Spratly Islands using SAR

Spratly Islands, located in the southern part of the South China Sea (SCS), consist of more than 100 small islands, coral reefs and banks. Remote sensing is the only way to obtain a synoptic view of all of the islands in such a large area. It has been demonstrated that satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery is a very powerful tool for monitoring meso‐scale and small‐scale ocean processes in a large area. In this study, satellite SAR images were used to study the ocean environment in the area of Spratly Islands. The aim was to understand the capability of satellite remote sensing to monitor ocean processes and provide information for future field studies. Two sets of high‐resolution European Remote Sensing satellite (ERS)‐2 SAR images over the entire Spratly Islands area were collected in April and December 2005. The ocean features were identified/extracted from the SAR images to overlay the bathymetric map for comparison. Some case studies of SAR mapping on Spratly Islands are described and issues regarding existing navigation charts are discussed.
Quantifying the contribution of marine organic gases to atmospheric iodine

Oceanic emissions of gaseous organic iodine‐atom precursors have the potential to significantly affect atmospheric chemistry and climate, however there is currently considerable uncertainty associated with quantifying their sources. We present sea‐air fluxes calculated from simultaneous air and seawater measurements of a comprehensive range of volatile organic iodine compounds (VOICs), including CH3I and the less commonly reported dihalomethanes CH2ICl, CH2IBr and CH2I2, made during two cruises in the Atlantic Ocean between 15–58°N. The combined dihalomethane flux provides a global iodine source (∼0.33 ± 0.19 Tg I y−1) comparable to that of CH3I, and a surface iodine atom source 3–4 times higher. However, a 1D atmospheric model reveals that, in the tropical east Atlantic Ocean in the vicinity of Cape Verde, even these combined VOIC fluxes are capable of supporting only ∼10–25% of the observed IO levels, and suggests that a substantial (340–640 nmol I m−2 d−1) additional photochemical source of iodine is required.
A review article on edible pigments properties and sources as natural biocolorants in foodstuff and food industry.

Consumers are avoiding foods containing synthetic colourants, which lead food industries to replace them by natural pigments. Food colorants may be classified into synthetic, nature-identical, inorganic and natural colorants. Natural colorants for food are made from renewable sources. Most often, the colorants are extracted from plant material, but other sources such as insects, algae, cyanobacteria and fungi are used as well. Natural colorants are usually extracted and concentrated using either water or lower alcohols for water-soluble pigments and organic solvents for lipophilic pigments. Legislation restricts which colorants are allowed, what sources may be used for that particular colorant, what solvents may be used to extract it and the purity of the pigment. Colorants are formulated to make them more suitable for a variety of foods and drinks and to increase their stability.
Black + White = White: A Minority Bias in Categorizations of Black-White Multiracials

In three experiments, we used a novel Implicit Association Test procedure to investigate the impact of group memberships on implicit bias and implicit group boundaries. Results from Experiment 1 indicated that categorizing targets using a shared category reduced implicit bias by increasing the extent to which positivity was associated with Blacks. Results from Experiment 2 revealed that shared group membership, but not mere positivity of a group membership, was necessary to reduce implicit bias. Quadruple process model analyses indicated that changes in implicit bias caused by shared group membership are due to changes in the way that targets are evaluated, not to changes in the regulation of evaluative bias. Results from Experiment 3 showed that categorizing Black targets into shared group memberships expanded implicit group boundaries.
Traditional knowledge on zootherapeutic practices among some folk medicinal practitioners of Bangladesh.

Although medicinal plants form the chief ingredient in the formulations of folk medicinal practitioners of Bangladesh, there are also occasional uses of animal parts. The present study explores the use of various animal, bird and insect species among three randomly selected folk medicinal practitioners in Brahmanbaria, Narsinghdi, and Rajshahi districts of the country. The three practitioners, among themselves, were observed to use thirteen species of animals, which included turtle, cockroach, bull, goat, wild cattle, camel, fox, crow, crab, leech, earthworm, sparrow, and water hen. These species were used for treatment of asthma, insanity, being touched by ‘evil wind’, to increase sexuality in males, epilepsy, as female contraceptive, eye disorder, mental disorder, rheumatic pain, to improve health of weak children, any type of severe pain in body, and puerperal fever. Turtle shell was used for treatment of infections in leg of cattle. Zootherapy is common in many traditional medicinal systems of the world. It is suggested that scientific attention be given to the traditional use of animals for therapeutic purposes, the scientific validation of which can lead to improvement of health in people.
Evolution study of a regional groundwater system using hydrochemistry and stable isotopes in Songnen Plain, northeast China

Groundwater is often a critical source of water for municipal, industrial and agricultural uses, especially in arid and semi‐arid environments. Songnen Plain, located in the central part of northeast China, is such a region, it being an important productive base of commodity grain in this country. In the past two decades, groundwater quality in the region, especially salinization, has deteriorated under natural changes and human activities, and has become a crucial factor restricting sustainable eco‐environmental and socio‐economic development. In this paper, The Taoer River catchment, situated in the middle of the region, was selected as the study area for the groundwater quality evolution study using hydrochemistry and stable isotopes to obtain a better understanding of the system. Fifty‐two groundwater samples were collected with systematic design during the low‐water and high‐water periods in 2003. A series of comprehensive quality data interpretations, e.g. statistics, ratios of ions and Piper diagrams, together with stable isotope data, have been used to gain an insight into the spatial and temporal variations and evolution laws of groundwater hydrochemistry. The following main hydrochemical processes were identified as controlling the water quality of the groundwater system: weathering–dissolution, evaporation–condensation, ion‐exchange reactions and groundwater salinization. This latter process, salinization, is the most important process and is caused by the leaching of superficial or near‐surface salts from the saline–alkaline soil into shallow groundwater. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.