Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Experimental evidence for frequency-dependent velocity-porosity equations

Summary Simple frequency-dependent corrections to static velocityporosity relationships are derived for wave propagation at finite frequencies in consolidated porous media (rocks). These corrections are explained in terms of multiplescattering and self-field theories. Results of published laboratory measurements for several composite materials and rock samples are compared to the predictions of these two theories. A third approach is based upon the modified Biot’s theory of friction between the pore fluid and skeleton. Numerical tests show that for a finite range of frequencies this theory is equivalent to the GurevichLopatnikov dispersion law for wave propagation in a stack of random thin layers.
Down-regulation of CD44 inhibits Wnt/β-catenin mediated cancer cell migration and invasion in gastric cancer

Recent studies tried to find the genes that are associated with gastric cancer patient’s survival. Many studies focused on CD44, which is associated with gastric cancer tumorigenesis and metastasis. However, the mechanisms by which molecules downstream of CD44 contribute to gastric cancer cell migration and invasion remain poorly studied. The lack of information on CD44 downstream mechanism limits the development of effective therapies for patients with gastric cancer. In this study, we aimed to characterize CD44-mediated regulation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, which promotes cancer invasion and metastasis. We hypothesized that CD44 down-regulation will inhibit gastric cancer cell migration and invasion by leading to down-regulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. We found that CD44 up-regulation was significantly related to poor prognosis in gastric cancer patients. We demonstrated the CD44 down-regulation decreased β-catenin protein expression level. Our results suggest that CD44 down-regulation inhibits cell migration and invasion by down-regulating β-catenin expression level. We determined not only that CD44 regulates the expression level of β-catenin, but also discovered a novel CD44/β-catenin pathway that regulates cell migration and invasion in gastric cancer. Our findings suggest that targeting the CD44/β-catenin pathway may be an effective therapeutic strategy for gastric cancer patients.
Spallation products distributed in a thick iron target bombarded by 3-Bev protons

The distribution of several spallation products, covering a wide range of atomic number, has been measured in a thick iron target (30×30×90 cm) bombarded by 3-bev protons at the Brookhaven cosmotron. Measurements were made of the radioactivity of γ-, β-, and X-ray emitters, either directly or after chemical separation, in iron and nickel foils placed at different depths. Products such as Co isotopes in Ni and Fe55, Mn54, and Cr51 in Fe, which are close to the target mass, were produced in important amounts at large angles to the primary beam. Production of nuclides of lower A showed gradually better collimation, Na22 and Be7 showing the smallest spread. These data provide useful information on the production rates of cosmogenic nuclides in meteorites and on their variation with depth and size. The results of this experiment may be compared with the available meteorite data and with other calculations.
Improving Prospective Mathematics Teachers’ Writing Skills in Drafting Research Proposals Through the Think, Talk, Write (TTW) Learning Model

This research was to improve the prospective mathematics teachers’ writing skills in one of the universities in Indonesia. This was classroom-action research to improve students’ skills in writing research proposals. The quantitative and qualitative methods were used. Final year students were selected as the subjects. Observation sheets, questionnaires, interviews, anecdotal notes, and student final manuscripts were used as the instruments. The data were analyzed quantitatively to see improvements between cycles and learning completion. Data was also analyzed qualitatively to describe the improvements due to the TTW model after the data reduction and triangulation. The results showed that there were improvements to students’ writing skills by using the TTW model. Cycle #1 completion was 45.45%, Cycle #2 was 69.7%, and Cycle #3 was 81.82%. Students’ skills were improved because TTW provided exercises for thinking skills. TTW also improving speech skills by training students to speak in front of class forums, and improving writing skills by training the students to compile research proposals and providing opportunities to consult with teachers.
Chlorophyll a reconstruction from in situ measurements: 2. Marked carbon uptake decrease in the last century

A chlorophyll a hindcast in the Madeira Basin from 1871 to 2008 was used to analyze the long‐term variability in the oligotrophic, subtropical gyres in relation to the climate change of the last century. The deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM), as dominant pattern of the chlorophyll a field, showed a fast decrease in its strength in the 1940s. An absolute minimum was reached between 1967 and 1973 when no DCM established with a recovering to the end of the time series. Long‐term variability of the DCM was related to the North Atlantic Oscillation with a time delay of 9 years. The marked decrease in the 1940s was correlated to the drop of the solar radiation in transition from early brightening to global dimming. Caused by the influence of the solar radiation and maybe related to increasing global temperatures in the last century, the integrated chlorophyll a concentration decreased by about 0.7 mg m−2 in 2008 compared to 1871. The high‐resolved chlorophyll a hindcast allowed an estimation of the carbon uptake by the ocean due to primary production in the euphotic zone. A rough calculation over the area of the global subtropical oceans showed 700 megaton less carbon uptake in 2008.
Deglacial meltwater discharge, North Atlantic Deep Circulation, and abrupt climate change

High-resolution paleogeochemical data from the North Atlantic Ocean indicate that in the interval 15,000 to 10,000 14C years before present (B.P.) North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) production was decreased or eliminated four times: at about 14,500 (and probably older), 13,500, 12,000 and 10,500 years B.P. Each of these changes occurred at the same time as abrupt events of meltwater discharge to the surface ocean (inferred from oxygen isotope studies of planktonic foraminifera and from glacial geological studies on land). In addition, each of these times may be associated with brief episodes of cooler climate in the North Atlantic region, the best example of which is the Younger Dryas cooling of 10,500 years ago. These results support models linking meltwater discharge, decreased NADW production, and decreased North Atlantic heat flux.
Three-dimensional ozone analyses and their use for short-term ozone forecasts

[1] A statistical interpolation method is evaluated for routine production of ozone three-dimensional fields over western Europe. These fields are used for initializing short-term ozone forecasts issued from a chemistry-transport model. We mainly address two questions: (1) To what extent can the use of surface ozone observation data improve the description of ozone fields relative to raw simulations? (2) Does the use of ozone analysis improve short-term forecasts of the troposphere's chemical composition? The method consists of combining ozone simulations with surface ozone measurements. The resulting analyses are compared with independent observations in a statistical way over a long period of time (four consecutive summers). The improvement of the root-mean-square (RMS) error of the analyses relative to the raw simulations is ∼30%. The short-term (1–2 days in advance) ozone forecasts are improved on average (by ∼1 ppb of RMS error) if ozone analyses are used for initialization. The improvement is almost lost after a lead time of 36 hours. However, in cases where a model error propagates throughout the model domain, the improvement can be much larger (∼10 ppb). We analyze one such case.
The Right to Work and American Inequality

Labor historians describe Right to Work (RTW) as among the most consequential pushbacks against the early twentieth-century ascent of labor unions. Yet research on the economic consequences of RTW remains mixed, with nearly all research centered empirically and theoretically on the time surrounding RTW passage. In the current study, I use 41 waves of longitudinal data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics between 1968 and 2019 to empirically and theoretically extend the mechanisms that link RTW and economic outcomes. First, following the vast majority of research on RTW, I show the demobilizing effects for labor following RTW passage: mean wages decline, wage inequality increases, and the union premium is halved in the middle and lower portion of the wage distribution. Second, I move theoretical focus beyond the time surrounding law enactment, arguing for a second-order effect whereby RTW institutionalizes a logic of polarized economic distributions and low labor power. To test this mechanism, I develop a novel strategy of comparison across respondents who are differentially mobile across state boundaries. I find individuals who cross RTW contexts experience a unique decline in mean wages and increase in wage variance, but this distinct trend can be explained by state-level institutional variation across RTW and non-RTW states. Thus, RTW is not only consequential in the periods around its passage, but also in establishing a long-standing, high-inequality regime. Results reveal multiple mechanisms by which RTW contributes to the long-run processes of union decline and broadly shared inequality growth.
Late Pan-African Magmatism and Crustal Development In Northeastern Egypt: Reply

The voluminous Pan-African calc-alkaline granitic suite of the Ras Gharib crustal segment in northeastern Eygpt provides a typical example of orogenic magmatism. The 552 ± 7 Ma-old granodiorite–adamellite and leucogranite suite is compositionally broad (58 to 77 wt.% SiO2) and exhibits calc-alkaline geochemical trends and trace-element characteristics typical of the volcanic-arc granites. The rocks contain oligoclase, albite, K-feldspar, calcic amphibole, biotite, titanite, zircon, and magnetite. The suite exhibits typical features characteristic of I-type granites. We contend that the magma was formed by partial melting of a modified oceanic crust at an active continental margin during the late stage of the Pan-African orogeny. The process may have involved assimilation of Early Pan-African dioritic country rocks. The more felsic units were produced by progressive fractionation of that magma. The petrological–geochemical evidence suggest that the Pan-African crust in northeastern Egypt did not develop in an extensional tectonic regime, as proposed recently.
Analogue modeling of flank instability at Mount Etna: Understanding the driving factors

[1] Mount Etna is characterized by significant flank instability, whose triggering factors are still a matter of debate. We use analog models to investigate the role of different factors. In the models, a cone and base of granular material simulate the volcanic edifice and its basement. The asymmetric geometry of the basement simulates the topographic gradient around the volcano. Injections of silicone (sets A and B) and low-viscosity vegetable oil (set C) simulate the pressurization of plutonic complex, deep reservoirs, and the emplacement of dikes, respectively. Other experiments (set D) reproduce regional extensional tectonics in the last 105 years, within layers with different cohesion simulating strength differences in the basement. Laser scanner and control points allow the tracking of surface deformation with submillimeter precision. The asymmetric topography enhances flank instability on the side with the weakest confinement (i.e., seaside), providing the preparing factor for instability. In sets A and B, any type of pressurized reservoir enhances, up to 10 times, the amount of flank instability toward the seaside with respect to the other flanks of the volcano. In set C, dike emplacement enhances seaside flank instability up to 8 times. Regional tectonics and crustal layering in set D enhance flank instability up to 2 and 1.3 times, respectively. Considering the duration and frequency of the simulated processes in nature, we propose a semiquantitative evaluation and hierarchy of the factors controlling flank instability at Etna. Magmatic activity (point-like source inflation and dike emplacement) provides the most important triggering factor. Extensional tectonics, in the last 105 years, and crustal layering are more than 10 times less effective. This study shows the importance of differential buttressing at the volcano base for flank instability. This condition is an important indication to expect asymmetric activity in any volcano (flank eruptions and deformation).
The public health implications of microbiological contamination of groundwater

Abstract The microbiological contamination of groundwater has profound and severe implications for public health, particularly in small communities and developing countries where groundwater is often the preferred source of drinking water. Although natural groundwater is usually of good quality, this can deteriorate rapidly due to inadequate source protection and poor resource management. Contaminated groundwater can contribute to high morbidity and mortality rates from diarrhoeal diseases and sometimes lead to epidemics. The disposal of excreta using land-based systems is a key issue for groundwater quality and public health protection. The use of inappropriate water supply and sanitation technologies in peri-urban areas leads to severe and long-term public health risks. The use of poorly constructed sewage treatment works and land application of sewage can lead to groundwater contamination close to water supply sources. Microbiological, in particular virus survival in these circumstances is not well understood, but there are indications of extended pathogen survival and therefore increased public health risk.
Two Wrongs Could Make a Right: Food Waste Compost Accelerated Polystyrene Consumption of Tenebrio molitor

Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is a type of plastic that poses serious impact to the environment. The ingestion of EPS can kill animals and cause harm to the entire food chain. It takes one thousand years for the complete degradation of EPS in nature. Previous work showed that mealworms, the larvae of Tenebrio molitor, are capable of digesting EPS. However, the use of mealworms for EPS degradation is not popular because of the slow rate. We herein report that food waste compost (FWC) is an effective additive to accelerate EPS consumption in mealworms. In our experiment, we investigated the effect of FWC and oats on the EPS consumption rate and lifecycle of mealworms. The effect of FWC on the EPS consumption rate of superworm (Zophobas morio) and greater waxworm (Galleria mellonella) was also studied. EPS consumption rate of mealworm gained a 78% increase when FWC was added. Oats, a common feed for mealworms, increased the EPS consumption rate, but the effect was significantly lower than that by FWC. FWC and oats promoted weight gain and survival of mealworms. A stronger positive correlation between weight gain and EPS consumption was observed in mealworms that were co-fed with FWC when compared with that with oats. In addition, the larval period of mealworms fed with FWC was significantly longer than that fed with oats. Finally, we found that FWC also accelerated EPS consumption in superworm and greater waxworm, but FWC-accelerated EPS consumption by mealworms showed the highest efficiency in terms of mass-to-mass ratio. These findings shed light on a potential industrial application for degrading EPS. Not only could the method degrade EPS in a more efficient manner, it could also provide a proper use of food waste.
Geotechnical Properties of Paper Mill Sludges for Use in Landfill Covers

This study investigates the geotechnical properties of seven paper mill sludges. Paper mill sludges have a high water content and a high degree of compressibility and behave like a highly organic soil. Consolidation tests reveal a large reduction in void ratio and high strain values that are expected due to the high compressibility. Triaxial shear-strength tests conducted on remolded and undisturbed samples showed variations in the strength parameters resulting from the differences in sludge composition (i.e., water content and organic content). Laboratory permeability tests conducted on in-situ specimens either met the regulatory requirement for the permeability of a landfill cover or were very close. With time, consolidation and dewatering of the paper sludge improved the permeability of cover. Freezing and thawing cycles increased the sludge permeability about one to two orders of magnitude. Maximum permeability changes occurred within 10 freeze and thaw cycles.
AUTOMATIC POLYP SEMANTIC SEGMENTATION USING WIRELESS CAPSULE ENDOSCOPY IMAGES WITH VARIOUS CONVOLUTIONAL NEURAL NETWORK AND OPTIMIZATION TECHNIQUES: A COMPARISON AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

Colorectal cancer (CRC), ranking third most prevalent cancer type, can be diagnosed with the detection of polyps in the colon and rectum through endoscopic procedures facilitating prompt treatment. During visualization of gastrointestinal tract by the physician, there is high probability of miss rates and reviewing of the images is laborious. Automatic segmentation and detection are enabled with the convolutional neural networks (CNN). We segmented the polyps from the wireless capsule endoscopy images of Kvasir dataset using various CNN models. We have presented nine optimizers for each architecture and evaluated the performance parameters. The optimizers were graded based on the performance metrics in order to provide an insight for the researchers on the selection of optimizer and architecture. On comparison of the performance metrics of the pretrained and U-net-based architecture, the Adaptive Moment Estimation (ADAM) and Root Mean Squared Propagation (RMSPROP) optimizers received the highest score of 43 in the ranking, DiffGrad and Nesterov-accelerated Adaptive Moment Estimation (NADAM) ranked second with the score of 13, the Adaptive Delta (ADADELTA) ranked third with a score of 2, whereas Stochastic Gradient Descent (SGD), Adaptive Gradient Descent (ADAGRAD), and Adaptive Max (ADAMAX) optimizers performed least in the evaluation. Based on the deep learning application, the optimizer employed varies by considering computational speed, memory and computational time. This preliminary research provides the necessary key information for consideration in the development of an architecture with utilization of an optimizer.
The evolution of the core-surface flow over the last seven thousands years

[1] We analyze the core-surface flow over the last seven thousands years derived from CALS7k.2, a continuous model of the geomagnetic field and its secular variation for the period 5000 BC to 1950 AD. This model relies on indirect observations of the geomagnetic field through the sampling of natural archives (lake sediments, lavas) and archaeological artifacts. An extensive comparison between gufm1, a historical field model spanning the interval 1590 to 1990, and CALS7k.2 is carried out. While both are similar in their descriptions of the large scale core field, their agreement compares poorly in terms of secular variation. The differences are primarily caused by the different data quality used to build these models. Such a comparison is essential for assessing the reliability of the results of flow inversion. We seek instantaneous core flow solutions that are purely toroidal and tangentially geostrophic for which we can reasonably neglect the effect of magnetic diffusion. Our flow solutions suggest that the core-surface flow undergoes different regimes of zonal flow direction, with epochs of mainly westward flow alternating with epochs of mainly eastward flow. The episodes of eastward and westward flow are robust as they are obtained for purely toroidal and tangentially geostrophic flow. The changes in the large scale zonal flow direction seem to recur with a typical period of between 540 and 1050 years. Variations in thermal and magnetic winds occurring on timescales comparable with the convective overturn of the liquid outer core could account for the observed zonal flow variations.
Effect of the Zipingpu reservoir impoundment on the occurrence of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake and local seismicity

SUMMARY The occurrence of the 2008 May 12 Wenchuan earthquake (M 7.9) near the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau triggered a debate whether it was influenced by the newly impounded Zipingpu reservoir, located only about 21 km east of the earthquake epicentre. We calculated change in stresses due to the 3-D reservoir water load using Boussinesq theory and pore pressure diffusion due to the actual variation of water level in the reservoir. Using the stresses and pore pressure due to the reservoir impoundment, we calculated the Coulomb stress on the NW dipping fault plane of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. We find that the reservoir operation did not cause any increase in the Coulomb stress at the earthquake hypocentre and the region around it, rather it decreased the stress by a nominal amount of about 1 KPa. Thus, we suggest that the reservoir probably did not play a role in the occurrence of this earthquake. However, our analysis suggests that the slightly enhanced low-magnitude shallow seismicity after the reservoir impoundment, but prior to the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, was positively influenced by the reservoir impoundment.
Fire Behavior Experiments in Mixed Fuel Complexes

A series of laboratory fire experiments were conducted in fuel beds consisting of either excelsior (wood wool), or 6.35 mm sticks, or a mixture of these. Tests were done both with and without wind. Various characteristics of the fire, including rate of spread and fireline intensity, were compared with predictions from the Rothermel model. The behavior of the mixed fuel fires, compared to that of the fires in the constituent fuels, did not agree well with the predictions of the model. We conclude that, in order to model the behavior of fire in mixed fuels, the Rothermel model needs modification.