Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Origin of the Ilmenogorsk-Vishnevogorsk Nepheline Syenites, Urals, USSR, and Their Time of Emplacement during the History of the Ural Fold Belt: A Rb-Sr Study

Miaskitic nepheline syenites of the Ilmenogorsk-Vishnevogorsk Alkaline Complex in the Ural Mountains were emplaced approximately 450 m.y. ago, as indicated by Rb-Sr whole rock ages. Their intrusion coincided with a dilatation period along the eastern margin of the Russian platform, and predated the compres-sive stage of the Hercynian orogeny in the Urals which began during the Silurian. Thus these rocks are not orogenic type nepheline syenites as previously postulated. Internal mineral isochrons for two nepheline syenites and an alkali-feldspar syenite from different regions of the complex yield consistent Permian ages of 245 m.y. These ages are interpreted as dating the cooling of the alkaline rocks after a final amphibolite grade Hercynian metamorphism. The $$^{87}Sr/^{86}Sr$$ initial ratio of the nepheline syenites is low, being around 0.703. Generation of the alkaline melts from the gneissic country rocks is therefore not likely. It is suggested that a division of miaskitic alkaline complexes into orogenic and non-orogenic is misleading and unjustified.
The Evidence for a Pyrenean Resurrection: a response to Babault et al. (2008)

Belief that a resurrection of the mountainous topography of the Central Pyrenees was carved by the hand of a changing climate is founded on scant evidence; but its potential significance is such that it attracts attention and scrutiny. The reason is that unlike the Alps, the Apennines or the Carpathians, the bulk of the Pyrenees are unquestionably inactive, and have been for at least 20Myr. Hence, there is no ambiguity in differentiating tectonic vs. climatic forcing on the evolution of landscapes and longterm records of erosion. Apatite grains within the granitic peaks of the Pyrenees should record late Neogene cooling that could test whether a changing erosive capacity of the climate has in£uenced erosion rates during this period (Molnar, 2004). This was the premise upon which Gibson et al. (2007) collected and analysed U-Th/He in apatites from the central Pyrenees.
Internal tides and associated vertical mixing in the Indonesian Archipelago

Tidal mixing in the Indonesian Archipelago contributes to regulation of the tropical atmospheric circulation and water-mass transformation in the Indonesian Throughflow. The present study quantifies the vertical diffusivity in the Indonesian Archipelago by driving a high-resolution three-dimensional numerical model and investigates the processes of internal tide generation, propagation, and dissipation. The numerical experiment shows that M2 internal tides are effectively generated over prominent subsurface ridges. The conversion rate from M2 barotropic to baroclinic energy over the whole analyzed model domain is estimated to be 85.5 GW. The generated internal tides dissipate 50–100% of their energy in close proximity to the generation sites (“near-field”), and the remaining baroclinic energy propagates away causing relatively large energy dissipation far from the generation sites (“far-field”). The local dissipation efficiency q, therefore, has an extremely nonuniform spatial distribution, although it has been assumed to be constant in the existing tidal mixing parameterization for the Indonesian Archipelago. Compared with the model-predicted values, the existing parameterization yields the same order of vertical diffusivity averaged within the Indonesian Archipelago, but significantly overestimated (or underestimated) vertical diffusivity in the near-field (or the far-field). This discrepancy is attributable to the fact that the effects of internal wave propagation are completely omitted in the existing parameterization, suggesting the potential danger of using such parameterized vertical mixing in predicting the distribution of SST as well as water-mass transformation in the Indonesian Seas.
Transpiration of a Cryptomeria japonica plantation in winter: analysis based on one-year sap flow measurements

Summary Cryptomeria japonica plantations, a type of coniferous evergreen forest, are one of the mostcommon forest types in Japan. It is critical to clarify the differences between the forest watercycle of C. japonica plantations and that of broad-leaved deciduous forests because as many C.japonica plantations in Japan have been converted from broad-leaved deciduous forests. Thisstudy examined the significance of the transpiration of a C. japonica plantation in winter usingone-year heat pulse velocity (HPV) data. HPV would be linearly related to the canopytranspiration rate and was higher in summer than in winter, with a maximum in August. InJanuary and February, March and April, and D ecember, HPV was approximately 20, 70, and 40%of that in August, respectively. The relatively high HPV in March and April indicated that theforest water cycle of the C. japonica plantation during these months was quite different from thatof broad-leaved deciduous forests in the same region in terms of transpiration.
Cambiamenti nel regime pluviometrico in ecosistemi mediterranei: il progetto MIND

Abstract: Will Mediterranean terrestrial ecosystems be affected by the expected changes in precipitation regimes? If so, by how much and in which direction? These questions are at the basis of the research performed in context of the EU MIND project, whose key objectives were: i) to investigate the potential effects of increasing drought on Mediterranean terrestrial ecosystems at the process, ecosystem and regional scales and ii) to assess ecosystem vulnerability to changes in rainfall patterns. A network of experimental study sites has been created in Portugal, Spain, France and Italy, where field manipulations alter the amount of water available to the ecosystem. The most up-to-date methods of ecophysiology, micrometeorology, soil ecology and remote sensing have been used to elucidate the mechanisms that regulate the response of vegetation and soil to changes in water availability. This information is providing the basis for the implementation and validation of simulation models capable of predicting the drought response of Mediterranean terrestrial ecosystems, and their vulnerability to future climate change, on a larger scale. The out-coming results are elucidating how water availability affects plant ecophysiological processes, the dynamics of soil carbon and the overall exchange of mass and energy between the land and the atmosphere. This paper focuses on some of the important, yet preliminary, results on C and energy fluxes that have been obtained at the large scale troughfall manipulation experiment (Tolfa, Italy), in a forest dominated by Arbutus unedo L.
Impact des rejets de la ville de Niamey (Niger) sur la qualité des eaux du fleuve Niger

Ce travail est un premier pas dans l'etude de la qualite des eaux du fleuve Niger a Niamey. Il est base sur la physico-chimie et les macroinvertebres de cet ecosysteme aquatique. L'approche physico-chimique met en evidence les changements de la qualite des eaux, le long des rives, en relation avec les rejets de la ville et en fonction du regime du fleuve. L'impact de ces rejets est tres negligeable a l'echelle de l'ecosysteme a cause de la forte dilution. La demande chimique en oxygene, l'oxygene dissous, l'ammonium, les orthophosphates et le phosphore total sont les principaux facteurs environnementaux qui determinent la pollution des eaux liee aux matieres organiques et oxydables, aux matieres azotees et phosphorees dans ce fleuve. L'etude des macroinvertebres fait ressortir 83 taxons repartis le long du fleuve Niger a Niamey. La description des peuplements de macroinvertebres montre une variation de structure des communautes, en passant de l'amont a l'aval des points de rejets, caracterisee par une baisse de la richesse et de la diversite taxonomique en aval immediat des rejets. La presence, dans certaines stations en aval immediat des rejets, des taxons tels que Chironomus gr. plumosus, Melania sp. , les familles des Syrphidae et des Culicidae, est une indication de la degradation de la qualite des eaux liee a la matiere organique. Par contre, les taxons comme Thraulus sp. , Elassoneuria sp. , Afronurus sp. , Centroptiloides sp. , Adenophlebia sp. , Dipseudopsis sp. et Neoperla sp. , appartenant aux Ephemeropteres, Trichopteres et Plecopteres, refletent une meilleure qualite de l'eau dans les stations de reference situees en amont de tous les points de rejets. L'importante diversite de la famille des Chironomidae (20 taxons) dans ce cours d'eau offre de bonnes perspectives pour son utilisation dans l'etude de la qualite des eaux du fleuve Niger a Niamey. Les descripteurs qui expliquent significativement la distribution des communautes de macroinvertebres le long du fleuve Niger a Niamey sont la matiere organique (demande chimique en oxygene) et les nutriments (ammonium, orthophosphates et phosphore total). La technique d'echantillonnage au filet troubleau explique beaucoup plus d'inertie que les substrats artificiels. Quant a la jacinthe d'eau, elle presente peu d'interet dans l'etude de la qualite des eaux du fleuve Niger a Niamey a cause de sa presence uniquement en periode de crue.
The seymouriamorph tetrapod Ariekanerpeton sigalovi from the Lower Permian of Tadzhikistan. Part II: Postcranial anatomy and relationships

ABSTRACT The postcranial skeleton of Ariekanerpeton sigalovi (Seymouriamorpha: Discosauriscidae; Lower Permian, Tadzhikistan) differs from that of like-sized Discosauriscus specimens in showing: wider interclavicle anterior plate with smaller, rhomboidal sculptured field on its ventral surface not reaching plate posteromedial margins; broader interclavicle plate-stem junction; slightly narrower interclavicle posterior stem; anteroposteriorly narrower clavicle ventral plate with convex posterior margin; shorter, more robust humerus; four phalanges on fourth manus digit (five phalanges in Discosauriscus); ilium more elongate dorsoventrally with anteroposteriorly narrower neck; posterior process of iliac blade oriented distinctly posterodorsally rather than horizontally; more gracile atlantal rib; broadened distal end of second presacral rib. A revised cladistic analysis of the best known seymouriamorph species retrieves Ariekanerpeton either as sister group to both species of Discosauriscus, or to D. austriacus only.
Lifestyle Intervention’s Effect and Predictive Value on Weight Loss for University Employees

Obesity is a costly and pervasive risk factor that requires attention to reduce chronic disease rates. This study evaluated the effect of a lifestyle medicine intervention, Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP), on reducing weight, blood pressure, lipid levels, and hemoglobin A1c. A secondary aim was to build a preliminary predictive model for computing new participants’ potential weight change from CHIP. We evaluated pre- and post-intervention biometric data of 68 individuals who completed a 10-week CHIP intervention at a Midwestern university clinic. Significant reductions (p < 0.05) were observed in weight, diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, and A1c. Regression analyses indicated that the best linear model for predicting change in weight was a one-predictor model with systolic blood pressure. The CHIP intervention effectively promoted weight loss and meaningful reductions in chronic disease risk factors. Larger samples are needed for future regression analyses to create a more robust linear model.
Reliability of knee extensor and flexor muscle strength measurements in persons with late effects of polio.

OBJECTIVE To assess the reliability of knee extensor and flexor muscle strength measurements in persons with late effects of polio. DESIGN A test-retest reliability study. SUBJECTS Thirty men and women (mean age 63 (standard deviation 6.4) years) with verified late effects of polio. METHODS Knee extensor and flexor muscle strength in both lower limbs were measured twice 7 days apart using a Biodex dynamometer (isokinetic concentric contractions at 60 degrees /sec and isometric contractions with knee flexion angle 90 degrees) and a Leg Extension/Curl Rehab exercise machine with pneumatic resistance (HUR) (isotonic contractions). Reliability was assessed with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC1,1), the mean difference between the test sessions (d) together with the 95% confidence intervals for d, the standard error of measurement (SEM and SEM%), the smallest real difference (SRD and SRD%) and Bland-Altman graphs. RESULTS Test-retest agreements were high, (ICC1,1 0.93-0.99) and measurement errors generally small. The SEM% was 4-14% and the SRD% 11-39%, with the highest values for the isokinetic measurements. CONCLUSION Knee muscle strength can be measured reliably and can be used to detect real changes after an intervention for a group of persons with late effects of polio, whereas the values may be too high for single individuals or to detect smaller short-term changes over time for a group of individuals.
The ecology of British upland peatlands : climate change, drainage, keystone insects and breeding birds

Northern peatlands provide important ecosystem services and support species adapted to cold, wet conditions. However, drainage and climate change could cause peatlands to become drier, threatening ecosystem functions and biodiversity. British blanket bogs occur towards the southern extent of northern peatlands and have been extensively drained, so present an excellent opportunity to examine climate change and drainage impacts. Craneflies (Diptera: Tipulidae) are a major component of upland peatland invertebrate communities and provide a key food resource to breeding birds. However, larvae are highly susceptible to desiccation, so environmental changes that dry peat surfaces could harm cranefly populations and, in turn, bird populations. This thesis aims to examine effects of soil moisture, drainage and climate change on craneflies, and the relationship between craneflies and birds. A large-scale field experiment showed that adult cranefly abundance increased with soil moisture. Areas with blocked drainage ditches showed significantly higher soil moisture and cranefly abundance than areas with active drainage. A model of monthly peatland water tables driven by simple climate data was developed. The model accurately predicted water table position, and predicted up to two thirds of water table variation over time. Performance declined when modelling drained sites. The water table model was combined with empirical relationships to model cranefly abundance under climate change. Falling summer water tables were projected to drive cranefly population declines. Drain blocking would increase abundance and slow declines, thus aiding population persistence. Finally, modelled cranefly abundance was found to be a significant predictor of observed Golden Plover abundance, extinctions and colonisations on a large spatial scale. Across multiple species, variation explained by cranefly abundance was positively correlated with the proportion of craneflies in the diet. Managing peatlands to maintain and increase cranefly abundance could be an important part of conserving upland bird populations.
Climate Impacts on Chinese Corn Yields: A Fractional Polynomial Regression Model

In this study, we examine the effect of climate on corn yields in northern China using data from ten districts in Inner Mongolia and two in Shaanxi province. A regression model with a flexible functional form is specified, with explanatory variables that include seasonal growing degree days, precipitation, technical change and dummy variables to account for regional fixed effects. Results indicate that a fractional polynomial model in growing degree days explains variability in corn yields better than a linear or quadratic model. Among the tested models, the other factors show steady effects on corn yields. Growing degree days, precipitation in July, August and September, and technical change are important determinants of corn yields.
Spatial and temporal variability of air temperature on a melting glacier: Atmospheric controls, extrapolation methods and their effect on melt modeling, Juncal Norte Glacier, Chile

[1] Temperature data from three Automatic Weather Stations and twelve Temperature Loggers are used to investigate the spatiotemporal variability of temperature over a glacier, its main atmospheric controls, the suitability of extrapolation techniques and their effect on melt modeling. We use data collected on Juncal Norte Glacier, central Chile, during one ablation season. We examine temporal and spatial variability in lapse rates (LRs), together with alternative statistical interpolation methods. The main control over the glacier thermal regime is the development of a katabatic boundary layer (KBL). Katabatic wind occurs at night and in the morning and is eroded in the afternoon. LRs reveal strong diurnal variability, with steeper LRs during the day when the katabatic wind weakens and shallower LRs during the night and morning. We suggest that temporally variable LRs should be used to account for the observed change. They tend to be steeper than equivalent constant LRs, and therefore result in a reduction in simulated melt compared to use of constant LRs when extrapolating from lower to higher elevations. In addition to the temporal variability, the temperature-elevation relationship varies also in space. Differences are evident between local LRs and including such variability in melt modeling affects melt simulations. Extrapolation methods based on the spatial variability of the observations after removal of the elevation trend, such as Inverse Distance Weighting or Kriging, do not seem necessary for simulations of gridded temperature data over a glacier.
Attracting Applicants on the Web: PO Fit, Industry Culture Stereotypes, and Website Design

This study tested the extent to which industry culture stereotypes influence job-seekers' Person Organization fit when job-seekers inspect organizations' websites. We proposed that PO fit would relate to Person-Industry (PI) fit, which is the fit between personal values and industry culture stereotypes. Furthermore, a good website design should negatively relate to the use of industry culture stereotypes for assessing actual organizations, yet this relationship should be moderated by job-seekers' PI fit. Our hypotheses were confirmed. An organization's website design affects the use of industry culture stereotypes, but this depends on an individual's PI fit. Individuals use industry culture stereotypes when inspecting organizations' websites particularly if they find the website less attractive and if PI fit is low.
Wave-equation-based travel-time seismic tomography – Part 1: Method

Abstract. In this paper, we propose a wave-equation-based travel-time seismic tomography method with a detailed description of its step-by-step process. First, a linear relationship between the travel-time residual Δt = Tobs–Tsyn and the relative velocity perturbation δ c(x)/c(x) connected by a finite-frequency travel-time sensitivity kernel K(x) is theoretically derived using the adjoint method. To accurately calculate the travel-time residual Δt, two automatic arrival-time picking techniques including the envelop energy ratio method and the combined ray and cross-correlation method are then developed to compute the arrival times Tsyn for synthetic seismograms. The arrival times Tobs of observed seismograms are usually determined by manual hand picking in real applications. Travel-time sensitivity kernel K(x) is constructed by convolving a~forward wavefield u(t,x) with an adjoint wavefield q(t,x). The calculations of synthetic seismograms and sensitivity kernels rely on forward modeling. To make it computationally feasible for tomographic problems involving a large number of seismic records, the forward problem is solved in the two-dimensional (2-D) vertical plane passing through the source and the receiver by a high-order central difference method. The final model is parameterized on 3-D regular grid (inversion) nodes with variable spacings, while model values on each 2-D forward modeling node are linearly interpolated by the values at its eight surrounding 3-D inversion grid nodes. Finally, the tomographic inverse problem is formulated as a regularized optimization problem, which can be iteratively solved by either the LSQR solver or a~nonlinear conjugate-gradient method. To provide some insights into future 3-D tomographic inversions, Frechet kernels for different seismic phases are also demonstrated in this study.
Déglaciation Würmienne dans des conditions lacustres à la terminaison occidentale du bassin lémanique ( Suisse occidentale et France )

At the end of the last glacial cycle, one single moraine ridge has been reported by literature in the alpine Rhone system to indicate a short stop (or a stage) between the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) near Lyon and the Alps , over a distance of 200 km. The glacier margin deposits of this so-called Laconnex- stage in the Geneva basin have been investigated and are compared here with the sediments in the western part of Lake Geneva, known from geotechnical drilling and high resolution reflection seismic records. The main results of this research are the following: 1. The Laconnex stage and a further stage up valley in the town of Gene- va indicate deglaciation in lacustrine environments, in a large lake covering a much wider area at a higher level than the actual Lake Geneva. Late Wurmian lake levels linked ta the Rhone glacier have been identified at altitudes of 470 m, close to 430 m and 405 m. Little is known about the position and nature of the lake dams. 2. The subbottom of Lake Geneva shows particular sedimentary geome- try of the deglaciation. Over sub-glacial tunnel-channels, a sequence of glacial diamicts has been deposited below an ice tangue of a thickness close to the floating equilibrium. Esker deposits are interstratified in the diamicts. Pro- glacial turbidites with dropped boulders and till layers indicate two short glacial stops and advances at about 12 and 18 km up Geneva, near Coppet and the town of Nyon. 3. The large volume of glacial sediments accumulated in the central part of the basin suggests that the Rhone glacier is affected by a rapid melting under relatively warm and wet climatic conditions, as indicated by palynologi- cal evidence and high lake levels. Also , the fading glacier tangue was actively fed with rock debris and water from precipitation and melting in the high areas of the drainage basin. A new 14Cage (18,900 yr. B.P.) indicates early melting of the Rhone glacier system.
Discrete metamorphic events in the Limpopo belt, southern Africa: Implications for the application of P-T paths in complex metamorphic terrains

Essentially all models for the tectonic evolution of the high-grade Limpopo belt of southern Africa invoke a single orogenic event at 2.7 Ga involving the collision of the Zimbabwe and Kaapvaal cratons with a distinct central zone. By implication, rocks within the belt must have followed parallel pressure- temperature-time ( P - T - t ) paths. The main reasons for this situation are the belief that syn- to postdeformational granitic magmatism in the belt was coeval and the fact that P - T paths are similar. New geochronological data indicate, however, that this magmatism occurred at distinct times in different parts of the belt over a span of at least 70 m.y. In addition, the data indicate that high-grade metamorphism and associated tectonism in the central and southern marginal zones occurred at about 2.0 and 3.15 Ga, respectively. Therefore, P - T - t paths of these zones were independent until their juxtaposition more recently than 2.0 Ga.