Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biogenic opal in Southern Ocean sediments over the last 450,000 years: Implications for surface water chemistry and circulation

We present records of biogenic opal percentage and burial rate in 12 piston cores from the Atlantic and Indian sectors of the Southern Ocean. These records provide a detailed, quantitative description of changing patterns of opal deposition over the last 450 kyr. The striking regional coherence of these records suggests that dissolution in the deep sea and sediment pore waters does not obscure the surface productivity signal, and therefore these opal time series can be used in combination with other surface water tracers to make inferences about the chemistry and circulation of the Southern Ocean under different global climate conditions. Three broad depositional patterns can be distinguished. Northernmost records (39°–42°S latitude) are characterized by enhanced opal burial during glacial periods and strong 41 kyr periodicity. Records from cores just north of the present Antarctic Polar Front (46°–49°S) show even larger increases in opal burial rate during glacial intervals, but have variance concentrated in the 100 and 23 kyr bands. Southernmost records (51°–55°S) are completely out of phase with those to the north, with greatly reduced opal burial rates during glacial periods. Taken as a whole, the opal records show no evidence for the increased total Antarctic productivity predicted by recent geochemical models of atmospheric CO2 variability. The areal expansion of Southern Ocean sea ice over the present zone of high siliceous productivity provides one plausible explanation for the glacial-interglacial opal patterns. The excess silica not taken up in this zone during glacial periods would contribute to greater nutrient availability and thus higher productivity in the subantarctic region. However, local circulation changes may act to modify this basic signal, possibly accounting for the observed differences in the opal variance spectra.
Microbial iron uptake in the naturally fertilized waters in the vicinity of the Kerguelen Islands: phytoplankton–bacteria interactions

Abstract. Iron (Fe) uptake by the microbial community and the contribution of three different size fractions was determined during spring phytoplankton blooms in the naturally Fe-fertilized area off the Kerguelen Islands (KEOPS2). Total Fe uptake in surface waters was on average 34 ± 6 pmol Fe L-1 d-1, and microplankton (> 25 μm size fraction; 40–69%) and pico-nanoplankton (0.8–25 μm size fraction; 29–59%) were the main contributors. The contribution of heterotrophic bacteria (0.2–0.8 μm size fraction) to total Fe uptake was low at all stations (1–2%). Iron uptake rates normalized to carbon biomass were highest for pico-nanoplankton above the Kerguelen Plateau and for microplankton in the downstream plume. We also investigated the potential competition between heterotrophic bacteria and phytoplankton for the access to Fe. Bacterial Fe uptake rates normalized to carbon biomass were highest in incubations with bacteria alone, and dropped in incubations containing other components of the microbial community. Interestingly, the decrease in bacterial Fe uptake rate (up to 26-fold) was most pronounced in incubations containing pico-nanoplankton and bacteria, while the bacterial Fe uptake was only reduced by 2- to 8-fold in incubations containing the whole community (bacteria + pico-nanoplankton + microplankton). In Fe-fertilized waters, the bacterial Fe uptake rates normalized to carbon biomass were positively correlated with primary production. Taken together, these results suggest that heterotrophic bacteria are outcompeted by small-sized phytoplankton cells for the access to Fe during the spring bloom development, most likely due to the limitation by organic matter. We conclude that the Fe and carbon cycles are tightly coupled and driven by a complex interplay of competition and synergy between different members of the microbial community.
SENTANDO LAS BASES PARA LA CONSTRUCCIÓN DE UN MODELO DE EVALUACIÓN A LAS COMPETENCIAS DOCENTES DEL PROFESORADO UNIVERSITARIO

Under project EA2009-0005 of the General Management of Universities (Ministry of Education), this paper aims to inform teachers about the competences Spanish universities define as essential to describe the role of teachers. From the analysis of these competences, we set up a system of indicators for the assessment of teaching quality. In order to do so and after asking the quality units of Spanish universities for the instruments currently in use to carry out teacher assessment, we analysed the different models received in order to extract the dimensions, competences and indicators for estimating the quality of the teaching activity of teachers. Also, measurement systems used for evaluation were analysed. A pilot instrument was set up for the assessment of teaching competences validated with the Delphi assessment technique in compliance with a group of experts on evaluating teaching from the University of Cordoba, Salamanca, Jaume I de Castellon, Huelva and Seville.
3-D finite-difference reflection travel times

SUMMARY A method has been developed to compute seismic reflection traveltimes in complex 3-D velocity models with complex 3-D reflector geometry. An existing finitedifference algorithm for calculating first-arrival traveltimes was modified to handle large, sharp velocity contrasts properly. The modified algorithm is faster and more accurate than several alternative schemes, and was incorporated in a procedure to compute reflection traveltimes. Snell's law for reflections is used in the vicinity of the reflecting interface. The reflector model is allowed to vary smoothly in depth, increasing the accuracy compared with a discretized reflector model. Reflection traveltimes are computed simultaneously for all revivers, requiring only two applications of the finite-difference algorithm for each shot. This results in a significant saving in computation time in comparison with other algorithms which require one pass of the finite-difference algorithm for each shot and each receiver. The reflection traveltime procedure is well suited for incorporation in inversion schemes for 3-D velocity and reflector structure.
Coupled fluid flow and sediment deformation in margin‐scale salt‐tectonic systems: 1. Development and application of simple, single‐lithology models

A methodology is presented to model coupled fluid flow and deformation in rifted continental margin composite salt and siliciclastic tectonic systems; and we investigate their compaction and overpressuring behavior associated with continental margin‐scale gravitational spreading. Compaction‐driven Darcy fluid flow in clastic sediments is coupled through the effective pressure to their frictional‐plastic yielding and mechanical deformation. Viscous flow of underlying salt is independent of fluid pressure. Numerical models are adapted to the Oligo‐Miocene phase of large‐scale gravitational failure in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, and represent the first study of this system that includes dynamically evolving fluid pressure. Here we present the methodology and prototype models with single uniform sediment lithologies and simple parameterizations of their properties. The models serve to illustrate the interactions among compaction, generation of fluid overpressure, and gravitational failure and spreading. Mechanical and viscous compaction behavior of sandstone‐type and shale‐type sediments are investigated. Results demonstrate that mechanical compaction can generate moderate overpressure in thick shale‐type material, whereas high overpressure requires viscous compaction. In sandstone‐type material, only viscous compaction can generate significant overpressure, though this requires tens of millions of years. Changes in the stress regime during gravitational‐driven deformation enhance compaction and overpressure. Although illustrative of the methodology and basic processes, none of the prototype single‐lithology models satisfactorily reproduces Oligo‐Miocene fluid pressure and deformational regimes of the Gulf of Mexico. Numerical models of layered sediments together with an improved formulation of viscous compaction, presented in part 2 of this set of companion papers, are more successful.
Improving ASR Output for Endangered Language Documentation.

Documenting endangered languages supports the historical preservation of diverse cultures. Automatic speech recognition (ASR), while potentially very useful for this task, has been underutilized for language documentation due to the challenges inherent in building robust models from extremely limited audio and text training resources. In this paper, we explore the utility of supplementing existing training resources using synthetic data, with a focus on Seneca, a morphologically complex endangered language of North America. We use transfer learning to train acoustic models using both the small amount of available acoustic training data and artificially distorted copies of that data. We then supplement the language model training data with verb forms generated by rule and sentences produced by an LSTM trained on the available text data. The addition of synthetic data yields reductions in word error rate, demonstrating the promise of data augmentation for this task.
Resprouting responses of Acacia shrubs in the Western Desert of Australia - fire severity, interval and season influence survival

The hummock grasslands of arid Australia are fire-prone ecosystems in which the perennial woody plants mostly resprout after fire. The resprouting ability among these species is poorly understood in relation to environmental variation; consequently, little is known about the impacts that contemporary fire regimes are having on vegetation within these systems. We examined the resprouting ability of adults and juveniles of four widespread Acacia species (A. aneura, A. kempeana, A. maitlandii, A. melleodora) by experimentally testing the effects of fire severity, interval and season. We found that fire severity and season strongly affected survival, but the magnitude of the effects was variable among the species. Unexpectedly, a short fire interval of 2 years did not have a strong negative effect on resprouting of any species. Fire severity had variable effects among the four species, with those species with more deeply buried buds being more resilient to high-severity soil heating than those with shallow buds. Season of fire also strongly affected survival of some species, and we propose that seasonal variation in soil heating and soil moisture mediated these effects. The species by environment interactions we observed within one functional group (resprouters with a soil-stored seed bank) and in one genus suggest that modelling landscape response to fire regimes will be complex in these arid ecosystems. We predict, however, that the dominant resprouting acacias in hummock grasslands of central Australia are highly resilient to a range of fire regimes.
Application of Artificial Intelligence on Black Shale Lithofacies Prediction in Marcellus Shale, Appalachian Basin

Organic-rich shale lithofacies, primarily defined by mineral composition and organic matter richness, reflects the features of the two critical factors for unconventional shale reservoirs. The research of shale lithofacies can aid in identifying shale gas productive zones and designing horizontal well and hydraulic fracturing. Seven shale lithofacies in Marcellus Shale have been defined by mineral composition and TOC content. Prediction of shale lithofacies by conventional logs is the key step to define the distribution of shale lithofacies laterally and vertically, but the relationship between lithofacies and logs is non-linear and complex. The effectiveness of conventional mathematical methods is limited. Artificial intelligence (AI) classifiers, such as artificial neural network (ANN), and support vector machine (SVM), can solve complex nonlinear problems. In addition, learning algorithms based on AI could also work together with AI classifiers to recognize shale lithofacies. Meanwhile, an innovative decomposition method, hierarchical decomposition, has been proposed and used to enhance the performance of ANN and SVM classifiers in predict Marcellus Shale lithofacies. In this paper, we devoted ourselves to comprehensively discuss the strength and weakness of these AI algorithms in pattern recognition and present an integrated workflow for organicrich shale lithofacies prediction. This methodology should be helpful for recognizing shale lithofacies in other shalegas plays, which aids in identifying high productive shale gas sweet spots.
The near-bottom chlorophyll A maximum in Onslow Bay : effects of wave events on benthic microalgae resuspension

Both a significant benthic microflora and a near-bottom chlorophyll a maximum are present in Onslow Bay, NC. Over 80% of the chlorophyll a is associated with the sediments, supporting previous findings that primary production by microalgae on the continental shelf out to the shelf break is important. Benthic microalgae are likely to be the major producers in continental shelves like Onslow Bay where light flux to the bottom appears to be adequate to support them. The existence of a near-bottom chlorophyll a maximum is due partly to resuspension by surface gravity waves. Orbital velocities and bottom shear stresses exceeded thresholds of 0.2-0.3 m/s and 0.2 N/m2, respectively, and caused statistically significant increases in turbidity (NTU) and fluorescence (RFU). In addition to the magnitude of the orbital velocity measured by Turner SCUFA II in situ loggers the change in orbital velocity (or bottom shear stress) before and after a storm event, and the duration of the event also control the resuspension phenomena. However, other processes such as in situ growth of near-bottom microflora, sinking, and the spring bloom have to be considered as well in studying formation of near-bottom chlorophyll maxima. I observed anomalously high values of turbidity and fluorescence at 1 m from the bottom in May-June 2002 and the lowest concentration of phytoplankton in the water column (near-bottom, mid-depth, surface) during this event. I hypothesize that demersal zooplankton moved into the water column at night and reentered the substrate by day and that holozooplankton were down in the water column near the bottom during the day and migrated upward at night. These migration patterns were responsible for the fluorescence and turbidity pattern. The high spikes in turbidity signals at 1 m were probably produced by the high density of zooplankton (~10 4m-2) and the fluorescence signal at 1 m was the result of their nocturnal feeding (the fluorescence signal was related to the chlorophyll a content in their guts).
The complete mitochondrial genome of Tanacetipathes thamnea Warner, 1981 (Antipatharia: Myriopathidae)

Abstract Specimens of the black coral Tanacetipathes thamnea were collected from the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico. The complete mitochondrial genome of one of these specimens was obtained from genomic DNA by next-generation sequencing technology on the Illumina HiSeq 2500. Only three species of black corals have a completely sequenced mitochondrial genome. These were used to reconstruct the phylogeny for the order Antipatharia. The mitochondrial genome of T. thamnea is 17,712 base pairs and contains 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNAs, and 2 transfer RNAs in the following order: 16s RNA, COX3, COX1 (with intron), ND4L, COX2, ND4, ND6, ATP8, ATP6, and ND5 (with intron and copies of ND1 and ND3), tRNA-Trp, ND2, 12s RNA, CYTB, tRNA-Met. The gene arrangement is the same as that for Myriopathes japonica with a nearly identical sequence (99.35% identical). These results show that the mitochondrial genome within the family Myriopathidae is highly conserved.
EGM_TIM_RL05: An independent geoid with centimeter accuracy purely based on the GOCE mission

After more than 4.5 years in orbit, the Gravity field and steady‐state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) mission ended with the reentry of the satellite on 11 November 2013. This publication serves as a reference for the fifth gravity field model based on the time‐wise approach (EGM_TIM_RL05), a global model only determined from GOCE observations. Due to its independence of any other gravity data, a consistent and homogeneous set of spherical harmonic coefficients up to degree and order 280 (corresponding to spatial resolution of 71.5 km on ground) is provided including a full covariance matrix characterizing the uncertainties of the model. The associated covariance matrix realistically describes the model quality. It is the first model which is purely based on GOCE including all observations collected during the entire mission. The achieved mean global accuracy is 2.4 cm in terms of geoid heights and 0.7 mGal for gravity anomalies at a spatial resolution of 100 km.
Ecotourism development and local community participation : case studies of Batu Puteh and Sukau village in Lower Kinabatangan area of Sabah, Malaysia

The issues of ecotourism development in Malaysia, which could benefit the local communities in remote areas, were rarely mentioned in the federal government’s tourism policies. The issues that were mentioned are often limited to factors such as supplementing income in (eco)tourism activities which was regarded as a priority, but never beyond that. This was the dilemma in the early phase of the implementation in the 1990s of sustainable (eco)tourism development in Malaysia, particularly in the state of Sabah. This is a qualitative research approach or specifically case study approach based on the critical theory paradigm or perspectives. Two villages were observed in this research: namely Batu Puteh village and Sukau village. These villages are located in the floodplain of Lower Kinabatangan River. This area is an extremely important site for ecotourism in Sabah and/or Malaysia: especially through ecotourists activities such as river boating, jungle trekking and wildlife viewing. The local people generally known as “orang sungai” (the river people) have recently participated in many aspects of ecotourism activities such as tourist guides, conservation volunteers, tourist lodges workers, homestay providers etc. Thus the main issues for these villages are: to what extent does ecotourism development in Batu Puteh and/or Sukau village have positive and negative impacts on the socio-cultural life of the local community? How and why are the local communities involved directly or indirectly in ecotourism development? To what extent has ecotourism development increased the level of participation, and improved the standard of living of the local community? To what extent can ecotourism be considered a potential instrument for rural economic development and/or environmental conservation to achieve sustainable development in the destination areas? These issues will be explored thoroughly in this research.
Financing of Public Goods Through Taxation in a General Equilibrium Economy: Experimental Evidence

We compare laboratory general equilibrium economies in which maintenance of a depreciating public facility is financed either by anonymous voluntary contributions or taxes. Agents individually allocate their private goods between consumption and investment in production. The experimental economies sustain public goods at 80-90 percent of the infinite horizon but 25-30 percent above the finite horizon optimum. Payoff efficiency is around 90 percent. This contrasts with rapid decline of public goods under voluntary contributions. When subjects have the choice between a system with voluntary contributions or taxation, 23 out of 24 voting decisions favor taxation. Taxation appears to be superior on grounds of both long run efficiency and fairness. Economy is too complex for subjects to solve for optimally, but simple institutional constraints yield aggregate efficiency.
Regression Discontinuity Designs in Economics

This paper provides an introduction and “user guide” to Regression Discontinuity (RD) designs for empirical researchers. It presents the basic theory behind the research design, details when RD is likely to be valid or invalid given economic incentives, explains why it is considered a “quasi-experimental” design, and summarizes different ways (with their advantages and disadvantages) of estimating RD designs and the limitations of interpreting these estimates. Concepts are discussed using examples drawn from the growing body of empirical research using RD. ( JEL C21, C31)
Rapid degradation of ground ice in a ventilated talus slope: Flüela Pass, Swiss Alps

The degradation of ground ice in talus deposits, which are important forms of debris storage in mountain environments, can cause mass movements, subsidence or instability of mountain infrastructure. Two 20 m deep boreholes instrumented with thermistors and located in a talus slope at 2400 m asl above a lake at Flüela Pass in the eastern Swiss Alps allow the analysis of the evolution of ground temperature and permafrost thickness between 2003 and 2008. The occurrence of intra‐talus ventilation can be discerned due to thermal anomalies within a layer of coarse blocks with large voids at around 15 m depth near the base of the slope and at 10 m depth mid‐slope. Intra‐talus ventilation is particularly effective in winter when subzero air temperatures coincide with snow depths less than 50 cm and reverses to a gravity discharge of intra‐talus air when air temperatures become positive. Despite the lack of annual variability in active layer depth, rapid permafrost degradation and thinning of ground ice (from 7 m thickness to 3.5 m in 4 years) is currently occurring. It is attributed to latent heat transfer from the moving air stream, caused by the flux of vapour from the relatively warm lake water table at 20 m depth and its condensation at the base of the permafrost body. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
World population scenarios for the 21st century.

This chapter presents a synthesis of the expert views on likely future global trends in fertility mortality and migration expressed elsewhere in this book together with two alternative scenario projections for global population in the twenty-first century: "one set in which the fertility mortality and migration components are assumed to be deterministic independent of one another and not subjected to any feedbacks; and another set in which certain consistent `stories are defined and the components interact and react to certain outcomes of the projections such as population growth and aging. " (EXCERPT)
A generic differential interferometric SAR processing system, with applications to land subsidence and snow-water equivalent retrieval

Implementation of a repeat-pass differential interferometric SAR (D-InSAR) processing facility is a challenging task, involving among other things a precise coregistration of two (or more) complex SAR images, removal of the contribution from topography using a Digital Elevation Model (DEM), and band-pass filtering of common bandwidth to reduce out-ofband noise. Other useful functionality includes multi-looking, identification of layover and shadow areas, and geocoding. In this paper we describe the design and implementation of a flexible and fully automatic D-InSAR processing facility. The design is generic, in the sense that the only part that depends on the actual SAR mission is the data reader. The data readers are designed to implement a generic interface to data, as well as necessary metadata retrieved from data headers or auxiliary metadata files. We will also present examples from different applications based on the processing system, including use of the ubiquitous ASAR data set showing land subsidence due to the earthquake disaster in Bam, long-term subsidence in Oslo based on ERS data, as well as results from an experiment performed to retrieve the snow-water equivalent (SWE) in a Norwegian hydropower catchment from ASAR data.