Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pregnenolone Can Protect the Brain from Cannabis Intoxication

Counteracting Cannabis What is the role of steroid hormones in vulnerability to addiction? Working with rodents, Vallée et al. (p. 94) found that all major drugs of abuse (morphine, cocaine, alcohol, nicotine) increase neurosteroid levels, with the active ingredient in cannabis (THC) inducing a particularly large increase. THC and other drugs increased levels of pregnenolone, long thought to be an inactive precursor of downstream active steroids. Pregnenolone antagonized most of the known behavioral and somatic effects of THC. The universal precursor of steroid hormones acts as a negative allosteric modulator of cannabinoid receptors. Pregnenolone is considered the inactive precursor of all steroid hormones, and its potential functional effects have been largely uninvestigated. The administration of the main active principle of Cannabis sativa (marijuana), ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), substantially increases the synthesis of pregnenolone in the brain via activation of the type-1 cannabinoid (CB1) receptor. Pregnenolone then, acting as a signaling-specific inhibitor of the CB1 receptor, reduces several effects of THC. This negative feedback mediated by pregnenolone reveals a previously unknown paracrine/autocrine loop protecting the brain from CB1 receptor overactivation that could open an unforeseen approach for the treatment of cannabis intoxication and addiction.
Integration of different sediment characteristics to discriminate between sources of coastal sediments

Abstract In order to investigate the effects of geological setting and the surrounding lithology on coastal sediment samples, four properties were analysed in a series of samples collected from different localities: colour determined by spectrophotometry; particle size distribution determined by laser granulometry; chemical composition determined by ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry); and low-field magnetic susceptibility determined using a susceptibility meter. A hierarchical cluster analysis was applied to ascertain the capacity of the different properties for discrimination between samples from the different geological settings. The study reveals that colour analysis only allowed discrimination between different geographical areas; particle size distribution allowed separation between dune and beach samples; chemical composition allowed discrimination between both different geological settings and also between dune and beach sands; and, finally, the combination of magnetic susceptibility with colour and particle size distribution allowed for clear discrimination between geological settings, and between beach and sand dunes. The studied samples are part of a larger and growing collection of data, and a more extensive evaluation will continue to be made for a more definitive assessment of the use of different characteristics for discrimination. So far, the results give confidence that it is meaningful to use these characteristics, especially when examined in combination, to distinguish between different locations.
Estimates of tidal energy dissipation and diapycnal diffusivity in the Kuril Straits using TOPEX/POSEIDON altimeter data

The Kuril Straits separating the Okhotsk Sea from the North Pacific Ocean are representative regions of strong tidal mixing in the world's oceans. In the present study, we first carry out numerical simulation of the barotropic tidal elevation field in the Okhotsk Sea using a horizontally two-dimensional primitive equation model. It is found that, to reproduce realistic tidal elevations in the Okhotsk Sea, the energy lost by the incoming barotropic tides to internal waves within the Kuril Straits should be taken into account. The numerical experiments show that the model predicted tidal elevations in the Okhotsk Sea best fit the TOPEX/POSEIDON altimeter data when we take into account the baroclinic energy conversion in the Kuril Straits ∼16 GW for the K 1 tidal constituent and ∼37 GW for the major four tidal constituents (K 1, O 1, M 2, S 2 ). For this baroclinic energy conversion, diapycnal diffusivity averaged over the whole area of the Kuril Straits is estimated to be ∼8 x 10 -4 m 2 s -1 . This value is about 1 order of magnitude less than assumed for the Kuril Straits in previous ocean general circulation models. We offer this study as a warning against using diapycnal diffusivity just as a tuning parameter to reproduce large-scale phenomena.
Response of Water Vapor and CO2 Fluxes in Semiarid Lands to Seasonal and Intermittent Precipitation Pulses

Abstract Precipitation pulses are important in controlling ecological processes in semiarid ecosystems. The effects of seasonal and intermittent precipitation events on net water vapor and CO2 fluxes were determined for crested wheatgrass (Agropyron desertorum), juniper (Juniperus osteosperma), and sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) ecosystems using eddy covariance measurements. The measurements were made at Rush Valley, Utah, in the northern Great Basin of the United States. Data were evaluated during the growing seasons of 2002 and 2003. Each of these communities responds to precipitation pulses in all seasons, but these responses vary among season and ecosystem, and differ for water vapor and CO2. The degree and direction of response (i.e., net uptake or efflux) depended upon the timing and amount of precipitation. In early spring, both evapotranspiration (ET) and CO2 fluxes responded only slightly to precipitation pulses because soils were already moist from snowmelt and spring rains. As soils dried lat.
Oil spill detection using marine SAR images

A probabilistic approach to distinguish oil spills from other similar oceanic features in marine Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images has been developed and tested. The method uses statistical information obtained from previous mesurements of physical and geometrical characteristics for both oil spill and natural features. A sample image is evaluated using two different procedures to determine the probability that it is an oil spill, the results of the two procedures are then compared. The classification-algorithm performance was evaluated using a test dataset containing 80 examples that were oil spills and 43 that were natural features exhibiting characteristics similar to oil spills: more than 80% of the samples were classified correctly. The reliability of the method was then determined using a new dataset and similar results were obtained.
The price of anarchy in games of incomplete information

We define smooth games of incomplete information. We prove an "extension theorem" for such games: price of anarchy bounds for pure Nash equilibria for all induced full-information games extend automatically, without quantitative degradation, to all mixed-strategy Bayes-Nash equilibria with respect to a product prior distribution over players' preferences. We also note that, for Bayes-Nash equilibria in games with correlated player preferences, there is no general extension theorem for smooth games. We give several applications of our definition and extension theorem. First, we show that many games of incomplete information for which the price of anarchy has been studied are smooth in our sense. Thus our extension theorem unifies much of the known work on the price of anarchy in games of incomplete information. Second, we use our extension theorem to prove new bounds on the price of anarchy of Bayes-Nash equilibria in congestion games with incomplete information.
2-D traveltime and waveform inversion for improved seismic imaging: Naga Thrust and Fold Belt, India

SUMMARY Exploration along the Naga Thrust and Fold Belt in the Assam province of Northeast India encounters geological as well as logistic challenges. Drilling for hydrocarbons, traditionally guided by surface manifestations of the Naga thrust fault, faces additional challenges in the northeast where the thrust fault gradually deepens leaving subtle surface expressions. In such an area, multichannel 2-D seismic data were collected along a line perpendicular to the trend of the thrust belt. The data have a moderate signal-to-noise ratio and suffer from ground roll and other acquisition-related noise. In addition to data quality, the complex geology of the thrust belt limits the ability of conventional seismic processing to yield a reliable velocity model which in turn leads to poor subsurface image. In this paper, we demonstrate the application of traveltime and waveform inversion as supplements to conventional seismic imaging and interpretation processes. Both traveltime and waveform inversion utilize the first arrivals that are typically discarded during conventional seismic processing. As a first step, a smooth velocity model with long wavelength characteristics of the subsurface is estimated through inversion of the first-arrival traveltimes. This velocity model is then used to obtain a Kirchhoff pre-stack depthmigrated image which in turn is used for the interpretation of the fault. Waveform inversion is applied to the central part of the seismic line to a depth of ∼1 km where the quality of the migrated image is poor. Waveform inversion is performed in the frequency domain over a series of iterations, proceeding from low to high frequency (11‐19 Hz) using the velocity model from traveltime inversion as the starting model. In the end, the pre-stack depth-migrated image and the waveform inversion model are jointly interpreted. This study demonstrates that a combination of traveltime and waveform inversion with Kirchhoff pre-stack depth migration is a promising approach for the interpretation of geological structures in a thrust belt.
Tropospheric Response to Stratospheric Sudden Warmings in a Simple Global Circulation Model

Abstract A composite analysis is made of 132 stratospheric sudden warming (SSW) events obtained in a 10 000-day integration with a simple global circulation model under a perpetual-winter condition. The analysis confirms general features of the SSWs, such as enhanced upward propagation of planetary wave activity from the troposphere to the stratosphere before the SSWs and downward propagation of warming signals to the lower stratosphere after the events. A further dynamical diagnosis shows that the tropospheric circulation is quite different between pre-SSW and post-SSW periods in terms of the zonal mean zonal wind, planetary wave, and synoptic-scale waves. In the pre-SSW period, the planetary wave is more active than normal in relation to the tropospheric westerly jet that shifts poleward. In the post-SSW period, on the other hand, the planetary wave is less active, while the mean zonal wind is close to the climatology. Synoptic-scale waves also exhibit anomalous features in both periods corresponding to.
Modeling the long‐term and transient evolution of biogeochemical and isotopic signatures in coal tar–contaminated aquifers

Reactive transport modeling is a critical element in assessing the potential of natural attenuation of groundwater pollutants. In the present study, we developed a comprehensive quantitative model that incorporates the key processes affecting the long‐term fate of complex organic compound mixtures released from coal tar–type dense nonaqueous phase liquid sources. The model framework addresses the simulation of the long‐term dynamics of source zone depletion, the fate of the released compounds during reactive transport in the groundwater, the evolution of the aquifer's biogeochemical response, in particular its redox conditions, and the redox‐dependent carbon isotope fractionation of selected organic compounds. The modeling framework was applied for the interpretation of observed biogeochemical and isotopic data from a well‐characterized coal tar–contaminated site in northern Germany. The simulations highlight the diversity of fates of the individual compounds, which result from their widely varying physicochemical characteristics, and also how complex interactions develop over the lifetime of the contamination. The highly transient release of contaminants from the coal tar as pool and as heterogeneously distributed blobs in the source zone triggers continuously changing biogeochemical conditions and isotope signatures. The modeling results illustrate how difficult and uncertain the assessment of contaminant fate can be if the collected data cover only a small time window relative to the transport time scale. This emphasizes the need for a holistic understanding of the governing processes that control the effectiveness of monitored natural attenuation before it is implemented as a passive remediation strategy at nonaqueous phase liquid–contaminated sites.
Head waves from a bed of finite thickness

The behavior of the head wave from a high‐speed layer embedded in a low‐speed half‐space has been investigated with two‐dimensional seismic models. Twelve layer thicknesses ranging from four wavelengths to one‐tenth wavelength were used. A simple theory based on interference between the head wave and the reflections from the bottom of the layer gave amplitude‐distance values which agreed with the observations for layer thicknesses down to about one‐third of a wavelength. For thick layers, the experimental amplitude dependence on distance was different from the theoretical law (−3/2 power of the distance). The velocity minimum for thin layers discovered by Lavergne was confirmed and a possible slight velocity maximum at intermediate layer thicknesses noted. The velocity for zero layer thickness appeared to be greater than the free bar velocity. Systematic variations of head‐wave spectra with layer thickness occurred.
Storsteinsfjellbreen: Variations in Mass Balance from the 1960s to the 1990s

When the Norwegian State Power Board decided to plan an extensive water power development in the mountainous areas southeast of Narvik in northern Norway, a large mapping project was started. Detailed maps were constructed at a scale of 1:10 000 from aerial photographs taken in 1960. Several hydrometric stations were installed, and three glaciers were selected for mass balance observations. Storsteinsfjellbreen was the largest of these, and a special glacier map with 10 m contours was printed in four colours, to be used in the field work. Mass balance studies were carried out initially during one 5-year period (1964–68), and also later during another 5-year period (1991–95). Results from these periods are compared with similar data from the Swedish glacier Storglaciaren, about 45 km to the southeast. For all the years except one (1968), the net balance of these glaciers shows a similar pattern: positive years and negative years are synchronous. A new glacier map was made from a special aerial survey in 1993 at the same scale and of similar accuracy as the first map, so a comparison could be made to calculate the change in glacier volume from 1960 to 1993. From digital terrain models it could be shown that the glacier surface had dropped more than 60 m vertically on the tongue, while the thickness increased above the equilibrium line by up to 20 m. The overall mass loss amounted to 16.8×106 m3 water during 33 years, which corresponds to an extra 2.6 l·s−1·km−2 (litres per sec. per sq. km) delivered to the river, in addition to the “normal” discharge due to annual precipitation, which is 36 l·s−1·km−2 in the area. A copy of the new glacier map is enclosed with this article.
Reappearance of a stable auroral red arc at midlatitudes

A stable auroral red (SAR) arc was recorded the night of September 28/29 from stations at Fritz Peak, Colorado, and Richland, Washington. The first direct determination of position and altitude of an SAR arc was accomplished by triangulation from these two stations. The appearance of this arc marks the definite recurrence of this phenomenon after an apparent absence of four years. The arc occurred southward of an intense auroral display, and it was aligned parallel to lines of constant L. Average intensity of [O I] 6300 A emission in the brightest part of the arc was approximately 150 R. Altitude of the brightest region was determined from angular coordinates at the two stations to be 400 km at 0745 UT. A typical width across the narrow dimension of the arc was 160 km between half-maximum intensity values. A sector of the arc almost 4200 km long was simultaneously within the combined range of the two stations. The arc occurred during a period of high magnetic activity, and though a comparably intense aurora borealis occurred the night before (September 27/28), no SAR arc was observed from either station.
Soil Organic Matter: Biological and Ecological Effects

Organic Matter: A Dynamic Soil Component. Organic Matter Transformations: Ecosystem Examples. Biological Mediators of Soil Organic Matter Transformations. Soil Enzymes and Organic Matter Transformations. Source and Transformations of Readily Metabolized Organic Matter. Humification and Organic Matter Stability. Lignin: Decomposition and Humification. Humic and Fulvic Acids: Formation and Decomposition. Soil Organic Matter as a Plant Nutrient Reservoir. Mineral Availability and Soil Organic Matter. Organic Matter and Soil Physical Structure. Mathematical Modeling of Soil Organic Matter Transformation. Ecostytem Management and Soil Organic Matter Levels. Soil Organic Matter: A Current and Future Concern. Index.
Using high-frequency sampling to detect effects of atmospheric pollutants on stream chemistry

We combined information from long-term (weekly over many years) and short-term (high-frequency during rainfall and snowmelt events) stream water sampling efforts to understand how atmospheric deposition affects stream chemistry. Water samples were collected at the Sleepers River Research Watershed, VT, a temperate upland forest site that receives elevated atmospheric deposition of pollutants such as nitrogen (N) and mercury (Hg). Our use of high-frequency sampling documents responses of nutrients and mercury in streamflow to atmospheric deposition inputs to the watershed.
Enhanced Low-Latency Detection of Motor Intention From EEG for Closed-Loop Brain-Computer Interface Applications

In recent years, the detection of voluntary motor intentions from electroencephalogram (EEG) has been used for triggering external devices in closed-loop brain-computer interface (BCI) research. Movement-related cortical potentials (MRCP), a type of slow cortical potentials, have been recently used for detection. In order to enhance the efficacy of closed-loop BCI systems based on MRCPs, a manifold method called Locality Preserving Projection, followed by a linear discriminant analysis (LDA) classifier (LPP-LDA) is proposed in this paper to detect MRCPs from scalp EEG in real time. In an online experiment on nine healthy subjects, LPP-LDA statistically outperformed the classic matched filter approach with greater true positive rate (79 ± 11% versus 68 ± 10%; p = 0.007) and less false positives (1.4 ± 0.8/min versus 2.3 ± 1.1/min; p = 0.016). Moreover, the proposed system performed detections with significantly shorter latency (315 ± 165 ms versus 460 ± 123 ms; p = 0.013), which is a fundamental characteristics to induce neuroplastic changes in closed-loop BCIs, following the Hebbian principle. In conclusion, the proposed system works as a generic brain switch, with high accuracy, low latency, and easy online implementation. It can thus be used as a fundamental element of BCI systems for neuromodulation and motor function rehabilitation.
Assessing Recovery from the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami : An Application of Night-time Light Data and Vegetation Index

It has been 10 years since the Indian Ocean Tsunami caused serious damage to the coastal areas in South and Southeast Asia. The effects on vegetation and human settlements in the affected areas were enormous. This study presents the results of an analysis estimating the long-term recovery using two longitudinal remotely sensed dataset: 1. Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer enhanced vegetation index (MODIS EVI), a dataset accounting for change in the landscape and vegetation; and 2. Defense Meteorological Satellite Program-Optical Line Scanner (DMSP-OLS) night-time light data in order to estimate the effects on human and economic activities. It is evident from the results of this study that the night-time light and vegetation index datasets can both be beneficial in identifying changes caused by natural disasters and can be used to track recovery. The results using night-time light indicates a large loss of lighted area but also a rapid recovery of night-time light after the tsunami. Already in year 2005-2006, the levels of lighted area and sum of the lighting (SOL) intensity reached the same levels as pre-tsunami. For MODIS vegetation index, a drop can be observed in 2005/2006 on locations close to the coastline using 1 year temporal resolution; however, when utilizing the 16 day temporal resolution, the impact of the tsunami is illustrated as a dramatic drop, mostly in pixels located within 3km from the coast. Following the drop in vegetation index due to the tsunami, it was observed that most pixels exhibited at least some level of recovery in 2 years after the event. (Less)
Studies of efficiency of the Kratta detectors in the deuteron breakup experiment.

An experiment focused on studies of relativistic effects in the proton-deuteron breakup reaction has been performed at Cyclotron Center Bronowice in Kraków, Poland with the use of the Kratta detectors. Thirty Kratta modules have been arranged in a planar symmetric around beam axis configuration at few selected polar angles at which significant relativistic effects have been predicted. In front of each Kratta module 4 thin plastic scintillators were installed acting as a fast timing detectors to improve a trigger system. Determination of acceptance and efficiency of the detectors is discussed.
Cirrus cloud diagnosis using numerical weather-prediction model and a comparison with observations

Cirrus clouds in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS) can impact the efficiency and effectiveness of infrared directed energy (laser) applications, including laser communications systems, due to attenuation (absorption and scattering) of energy. The accurate prediction of cirrus clouds, including subvisual cirrus, is often difficult for operational numerical weather prediction (NWP) models because the models require high resolution and advanced cloud microphysics schemes. We solved the fully three-dimensional, moist, compressible, non-hydrostatic Navier-Stokes equations using a vertically-stretched adaptive grid nested within the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model over a geographical region of interest. We used an adaptive time-split integration scheme for the temporal discretization. We used the Thompson cloud microphysical parameterization scheme for the cirrus cloud development. The initial conditions and boundary conditions for the WRF simulations were extracted from the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF) T799L91 global analyses. We ran the simulation for a domain centered on the coast of Southern California and the results are compared to meteorological satellite and radiosonde observations for selected locations.
Inversion of gravity gradiometry data using a neural network

The purpose of this investigation is to develop an algorithm which can successfully map an observed gradient signature into the basement rock structure giving rise to that signature. Equipped with such an algorithm we intend to compare neural network based inversion to a previous conventional inversion of real gravity gradiometry data (Vasco and Taylor, 1990). This data set was gathered along 7 north south tracks in south-central Oklahoma over the easterly striking Anadarko basin. Fault throws of several kilometers display a large gravity gradient signal with a magnitude of up to 58 Eotvos.