Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multicomponent reactive transport simulation of the Elder problem: Effects of chemical reactions on salt plume development

A numerical modeling approach was used to investigate the relevancy of the feedback mechanisms between geochemical reactions and variable density flow during free convection. The problem was studied by reformulating the classic Elder problem as a reactive multicomponent transport problem. It was found that for the studied system, the importance of this feedback decreased with increasing density contrast between intruding salinized water and the ambient fresh water body. For the smaller density contrasts, the flow patterns that develop during intrusion in the reactive simulations are characterized by different convection cells, higher rates of plume descent, and an increase in the total mass of solutes by up to 22% at the end of the simulation compared to the nonreactive simulations. For field situations, the results suggest that it may be necessary to consider the feedback between reactions and variable density flow where subtle density variations drive flow such as in contaminant plumes. For seawater intrusion problems, however, the feedback mechanism appears to be negligible for most cases.
Crustal structure and tectonics from the Los Angeles basin to the Mojave Desert, southern California

A seismic refraction and low-fold reflection survey, known as the Los Angeles Region Seismic Experiment (LARSE), was conducted along a transect (line 1) extending from Seal Beach, California, to the Mojave Desert, crossing the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley basins and San Gabriel Mountains. The chief result of this survey is an interpreted cross section that addresses a number of questions regarding the crustal structure and tectonics of southern California that have been debated for decades and have important implications for earthquake hazard assessment. The results (or constraints) are as follows. (1) The maximum depth of the Los Angeles basin along line 1 is 8–9 km. (2) The deep structure of the Sierra Madre fault zone in the northern San Gabriel Valley is as follows. The Duarte branch of the Sierra Madre fault zone forms a buried, 2.5-km-high, moderately north dipping buttress between the sedimentary and volcanic rocks of the San Gabriel Valley and the igneous and metamorphic rocks of the San Gabriel Mountains. (For deeper structure, see following.) (3) There are active crustal decollements in southern California. At middle-crustal depths, the Sierra Madre fault zone appears to sole into a master decollement that terminates northward at the San Andreas fault and projects southward beneath the San Gabriel Valley to the Puente Hills blind thrust fault. (4) The dip and depth extent of the San Andreas fault along line 1 dips steeply (∼83°) northward and extends to at least the Moho. (5) The subsurface lateral extent of the Pelona Schist in southern California is as follows. Along line 1, the Pelona Schist underlies much, if not all of the San Gabriel Mountains south of the San Andreas fault to middle-crustal depths. North of the San Andreas fault, it is apparently not present along the transect.
Determination the Optimum Conditions for Antibiotics Production from Streptomyces albus that Locally Isolated

A total of 31 different Streptomyces isolates were recovered from 25 samples of soil collected from different sites in Tikrit University gardens. There were 14 isolates showed as activity against pathogenic bacterial isolates, 6 (43)% isolates were effected against Staph. aureus. and E. coli, while 3 (21)% isolates showed impact high against Staphylococcus aureus only, and did not show any effect against Escherichia coli, while 5 (36)% isolates showed impact against E. coli only, Streptomyces albus were identified which gave the high effectiveness against pathogenic bacteria on the bases of morphological and biochemical tests and sensitivity to some antibiotics. This isolate was gave high production at 30 C for 7 days and pH 7, the best carbon source when used glucose at concentrations 15-20 g / l and the level of salt was at 1.5 g / l and with the use of Cysteine as a nitrogen source oncluded that AEA has a therapeutic activity against nephrotoxicity induced by gentamicin in male rats.
The “Pains of Employment”? Connecting Air and Sound Quality to Correctional Officer Experiences of Health and Wellness in Prison Space

This article highlights Canadian federal correctional officers’ (COs) sensory engagements with their workplace to reveal how, in particular, air quality and sound quality generate physical feelings that create health and wellness concerns. These “pains of employment” support calls to improve prison space. However, these sensations conflate with perceptions of space, which infer that prisoners, not infrastructure, create poor environments. Such perceptions seemingly influence COs’ approaches to prisoner management. Accordingly, the physical quality of prison air and sound not only shapes CO constructions of health and wellness, but also has the potential to influence how they discharge their role.
Monitoring the Jason-2/AMR Stability Using SNO Observations from AMSU on MetOp-A

The microwave radiometers aboard the Jason satellites for altimetry missions are a key component of the Jason system, providing important measurements for water vapor correction, which is the most variable path delay correction in the altimeter measurement system. Unfortunately, these radiometers have exhibited on-orbit calibration drifts, step jumps, and other types of irregularities that can result in height rate errors comparable to 1 mm/yr, the stability requirement for measuring global mean sea level rise. Therefore, the calibration accuracy and short- and long-term stability of these radiometers are critical for the Jason mission to meet the stringent requirements. This study investigates the stability of the Jason-2 Advanced Microwave Radiometer (AMR) relative to the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU) on the MetOp-A satellite using the Simultaneous Nadir Overpass (SNO) time series method. Preliminary results show that using the AMSU as a stable reference, which has a demonstrated stability of better than 0.5 K per decade in previous studies, the Jason radiometer stability can be reliably monitored at 0.1 K per year level. The method has successfully detected a downward trend in the 23.8 GHz AMR channel (the primary one for detecting atmospheric water vapor) relative to the same AMSU channel for about −0.48 K per year since its launch on June 20, 2008, until February 2010, which is likely caused by AMR calibration problems during the period.
Nature à vendre, les limites des services écosystémiques

Cet ouvrage met en evidence les limites de l’approche des services ecosystemiques pour mesurer et evaluer monetairement les ecosystemes et l’usage que l’espece humaine en tire. L’auteur montre comment cette approche a renforce et multiplie les tentatives d’evaluation monetaire de la biodiversite. Pour elle, l’instrumentalisation de la nature puis sa quantification par l’evaluation monetaire participent d’une dynamique de marchandisation de la nature avec des strategies de conservation adossees a des logiques de marche.
Multi-modal chemical characterization of highly viscous submicrometer organic particles

Abstract Distinguishing highly viscous organic particles within complex mixtures of atmospheric aerosol and accurate descriptions of their composition, size distributions, and mixing states are challenges at the forefront of aerosol measurement science and technology. Here, we present results obtained from complementary single-particle measurement techniques employed for the in-depth characterization of highly viscous particles. We demonstrate advantages and synergy of this multi-modal particle characterization approach based on the analysis of individual viscous particles formed in the air-discharged waste produced by a common sewer pipe rehabilitation technology. Using oil immersion flow microscopy, we investigate particle size distributions and morphology of colloidal components present in field-collected aqueous waste condensates. We compare these results with corresponding measurements of viscous particles formed in drying droplets of the aerosolized discharged waste. The colloidal components and viscous particles were found to be approximately 10 µm and 0.5 µm, respectively. The aerosolized viscous particles exhibited a spherical morphology, while the colloidal particles appeared noticeably fractal, resembling fragments of a cured composite material. Chemical imaging of the viscous particles collected on substrates was performed using scanning electron microscopy and soft X-ray spectro-microscopy techniques. Through these methods, comprehensive description of these particles emerged, confirming their high solid-like viscosity, wide-ranging sizes, diverse carbon speciation with high degrees of oxygenation, and high organic volume fractions. The aerosolized viscous particles were further characterized using high-throughput single particle mass spectrometry. This technique provides real-time measurements of composition, size, and morphological metrics for large numbers of individual particles, enabling the identification of their distinct mass spectrometric signatures. Copyright © 2023 American Association for Aerosol Research Graphical Abstract
Quasi real‐time fault model estimation for near‐field tsunami forecasting based on RTK‐GPS analysis: Application to the 2011 Tohoku‐Oki earthquake (Mw 9.0)

[1] Real-time crustal deformation monitoring is extremely important for achieving rapid understanding of actual earthquake scales, because the measured permanent displacement directly gives the true earthquake size (seismic moment, Mw) information, which in turn, provides tsunami forecasting. We have developed an algorithm to detect/estimate static ground displacements due to earthquake faulting from real-time kinematic GPS (RTK-GPS) time series. The new algorithm identifies permanent displacements by monitoring the difference of a short-term average (STA) to a long-term average (LTA) of the GPS time series. We assessed the noise property and precision of the RTK-GPS time series with various baseline length conditions and orbits and discerned that the real-time ephemerides based on the International GNSS Service (IGS) are sufficient for crustal deformation monitoring with long baselines up to ∼1,000 km. We applied the algorithm to data obtained in the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku earthquake (Mw 9.0) to test the possibility of coseismic displacement detections, and further, we inverted the obtained displacement fields for a fault model; the inversion estimated a fault model with Mw 8.7, which is close to the actual Mw of 9.0, within five minutes from the origin time. Once the fault model is estimated, tsunami waveforms can be immediately synthesized using pre-computed tsunami Green's functions. The calculated waveforms showed good agreement with the actual tsunami observations both in arrival times and wave heights, suggesting that the RTK-GPS data by our algorithm can provide reliable rapid tsunami forecasting that can complement existing tsunami forecasting systems based on seismic observations.
Enhancing T cell anti-tumor efficacy with a PD1-TIGIT chimeric immune-checkpoint switch receptor

ABSTRACT Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell immunotherapy has demonstrated success in the treatment of hematological malignancies; however, its efficacy and applications in solid tumors remain limited. Immunosuppressive factors, particularly inhibitory checkpoint molecules, restrict CAR T cell activity inside solid tumors. The modulation of checkpoint pathways has emerged as a promising approach to promote anti-tumor responses in CAR T cells. Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD1) and T cell immunoreceptor with Ig and ITIM domains (TIGIT) are two critical immune-checkpoint molecules that suppress anti-tumor activity in T cells. Simultaneous targeting of these two inhibitory molecules could be an efficient checkpoint modulation strategy. Here, we developed a PD1-TIGIT chimeric immune-checkpoint switch receptor (CISR) that enhances the efficacy of CAR T cell immunotherapy by reversing the inhibitory checkpoint signals of PD1/PDL1 and/or TIGIT/CD155. In addition to neutralizing PDL1 and CD155, this chimeric receptor is engineered with the transmembrane region and intracellular domain of CD28, thereby effectively enhancing T cell survival and tumor-targeting functions. Notably, under simultaneous stimulation of PDL1 and CD155, CISR-CAR T cells demonstrate superior performance in terms of cell survival, proliferation, cytokine release, and cytotoxicity in vitro, compared with conventional CAR T cells. Experiments utilizing both cell line- and patient-derived xenotransplantation tumor models showed that CISR-CAR T cells exhibit robust infiltration and anti-tumor efficiency in vivo. Our results highlight the potential for the CISR strategy to enhance T cell anti-tumor efficacy and provide an alternative approach for T cell-based immunotherapies.
Generalized sliding event‐triggered control for dissipative performance of Markov switching dynamic systems

In this paper, a generalized sliding event‐triggered control for the closed‐loop Markov switching systems (CLMSSs) is studied. It is proved that the system is driven to the designed sliding mode surface under a given sliding mode controller. A generalized sliding event‐triggered controller is developed to obtain strictly (𝒬,𝒮,ℛ)−γ− dissipative performance of CLMSSs, in which the combination of sliding mode control and event‐triggering protocol makes the control performance more efficient and generalized. Further, two dissipative criteria for CLMSSs are established. Finally, the results of numerical simulations give a witness for the effectiveness of the given theorems and methods.
Using satellite imagery and LIDAR data to corroborate an adjudicated ordinary high water line

Determination of the ordinary high water line (OHWL) has been and continues to be an important issue. The OHWL defines the separation of sovereignty lands and private ownership on non‐tidal water bodies. Determination of OHWL is conducted on a case‐by‐case basis in Florida through court challenges. A judge makes the decision on where the line exists based upon several criteria—including remote sensing data. This study investigated the possibility of using various remote sensing technologies to provide an efficient and accurate means of determining OHWL for a lake in central Florida. Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM) satellite imagery was compared with the higher resolution imagery IKONOS and Light Detection And Ranging (LIDAR) imagery in order to determine the water's edge and location of vegetation communities that may be correlated with OHWL. It was found that ETM imagery could be used only for mapping vegetation community transition zones and that this zone provided limited insight to OHWL. IKONOS imagery, on the other hand, was more promising for land cover mapping, but requires further study in order to draw general conclusions regarding its application to OHWL. LIDAR data provided the best results for determining OHWL, but also need further study over a larger area in order to draw final conclusions.
French Adaptation of the Strengths Use Scale

Background Positive psychology focuses on enhancing attitudes and behaviors that support well-being, with a key pillar being the use of psychological strengths for optimal functioning. This is linked to positive outcomes such as increased happiness and life satisfaction. Objective This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric validity of the French adaptation of the Strengths Use Scale (SUS), a self-report tool measuring how individuals use their strengths in daily life. The original SUS, developed by Govindji and Linley (2007), has not been thoroughly assessed across languages and cultures. Method The French SUS’s psychometric properties were examined using data from six independent French-speaking Canadian samples (N = 1397). After removing cases with missing data, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted on a subsample to establish the optimal factor structure. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was then performed to assess the factor structure’s goodness-of-fit. Results Both EFA and CFA supported a unidimensional structure of the scale. The French SUS demonstrated good internal consistency (α = .94). The one-factor model yielded an RMSEA of . 122, indicating some model misspecification. However, allowing residuals of some items to covary improved the model fit (RMSEA = .077). Conclusion The adapted French SUS exhibits similar properties to the original and presents no new consistency issues. This study contributes to adapting and validating the SUS in French for research and clinical practice. Future research should focus on developing a shorter version by eliminating redundancies and adapting the scale for children to evaluate positive psychology interventions' efficacy in youth.
Large bulk-yard 3D measurement based on videogrammetry and projected contour aiding

Fast and accurate 3D measurement of large stack-yard is important job in bulk load-and-unload and logistics management. Stack-yard holds its special characteristics as: complex and irregular shape, single surface texture and low material reflectivity, thus its 3D measurement is quite difficult to be realized by traditional non-contacting methods, such as LiDAR(LIght Detecting And Ranging) and photogrammetry. Light-section is good at the measurement of small bulk-flow but not suitable for large-scale bulk-yard yet. In the paper, an improved method based on stereo cameras and laser-line projector is proposed. The due theoretical model is composed from such three key points: corresponding point of contour edge matching in stereo imagery based on gradient and epipolar-line constraint, 3D point-set calculating for stereo imagery projected-contour edge with least square adjustment and forward intersection, then the projected 3D-contour reconstructed by RANSAC(RANdom SAmpling Consensus) and contour spatial features from 3D point-set of single contour edge. In this way, stack-yard surface can be scanned easily by the laser-line projector, and certain region's 3D shape can be reconstructed automatically by stereo cameras on an observing position. Experiment proved the proposed method is effective for bulk-yard 3D measurement in fast, automatic, reliable and accurate way.
Sorption Isotherm‐Sequential Extraction Analysis of Heavy Metal Retention in Landfill Liners

The chemical partitioning of heavy metals in soil materials is of great importance in risk assessment, landfill bottom liner design, and remedial investigation. The sorption characteristics of clayey calcareous sediments used to construct landfill bottom liners at four sites in southeastern Michigan were studied using a new method : combined sequential extraction-sorption isotherm analysis (CSSA). After spiking to simulate high levels of contamination, the sediments sorbed large quantities of Pb (∼1480-145 000 mg kg -1 ), Ni(∼750-8100 mg kg -1 ), and Cd (∼980-5070 mg kg -1 ). Sequential extraction data indicated that Pb and Ni were principally in a carbonate-occluded form, whereas Cd was mainly in an exchangeable form at high levels (>1000 mg kg -1 ) of contamination. These results suggest that Pb and Ni will be immobilized by the liner materials but Cd will probably be highly mobile. By applying sequential extraction analysis after spiking, Langmuir sorption isotherms were constructed successfully for most of the individually targeted phases. Thus, CSSA appears to be a promising method for predicting the attenuation capabilities of soils and sediments because it allows the sorption capacities of individual phases to be determined while together in a natural system.
Suburban Destiny: Disrupting the Density Debate

Since the 1980's a 'great debate' has raged about the future of Australia's cities and the question of their density (Searle 2004: Forster 2006). In reality this was a continuation of a much longer struggle over the form and structure of human settlements and is tied to similar struggles in North America and elsewhere. Paul Mees' scholarly work (2000,2010) on the independent role of transport policy in urban transport and land-use patterns, and its disruption of the debate are the focus of this chapter. We consider the higher order questions of whether increases in density are necessary for transition towards sustainability and resilience, and what policy settings and institutional arrangements might be needed to provide better intervention and regulation of urbanisation and transport systems, as part of a shift towards a public city (See Gleeson and Beza, this volume).
Analog Quantum Bit Based on Pancharatnam‐Berry Phase Metasurfaces

The emergence of information metamaterials has spurred significant advances in the field of information sciences. However, the current studies are predominantly focused on classical bits as the fundamental information units, and the classical bit can only be located at two poles of Bloch sphere, resulting in limited information capacity. To break such limit, quantum bits (qubits) offer a promising solution since they have superposition states anywhere on the Bloch sphere. Here, a Pancharatnam‐Berry (PB) phase metasurface is used to emulate the qubits. Firstly, it proposes a theoretical concept of analog quantum bit and develops its mathematical and geometrical representations. Subsequently, a meta‐atom is designed as a physical platform to implement the concept of analog qubits. By manipulating the geometric configuration of the proposed meta‐atom, it achieves arbitrary superpositions of polarization states. A PB phase metasurface is experimentally fabricated to validate that the proposed analog qubit can be used to emulate the quantum bit in terms of both mathematical and geometrical representations. This work not only provides a theoretical foundation to go beyond the information limit of classical bits but also develops a feasible physics platform to investigate quantum information metasurfaces, which would complement and revolutionize classical information science.
Projection of changes in the frequency of heavy rain events over Hawaii based on leading Pacific climate modes

[1] This study investigates the frequency of heavy rainfall events in Hawaii during the wet season (October-April) 1958–2005 and their conditional dependence on the Pacific-North American (PNA) pattern and El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Heavy rain events are defined by the 95% quantile in the rainfall distribution of the wet seasons. Twelve stations with daily reports of rainfall amounts were used to count the number of heavy rain days during wet seasons. Multiple linear regression (MLR) indicated that the PNA index (PNAI) and the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) can explain a significant amount of the interannual to interdecadal variability for 9 out of 12 stations. Cross validation showed that PNAI and SOI together explain about 18–44% of the variability in the number of heavy rain events. Furthermore, the MLR model reproduces the trend toward fewer heavy rain events in the years after the Pacific climate shift in the mid-1970s. The MLR model was applied to the projected PNAI and SOI indices that were obtained from six IPCC AR4 climate models. The current suite of AR4 simulations based on the A1B and A2 emissions scenarios projects small and equivocal changes in the mean state of the SOI and PNAI during the 21st century. The covariance between PNAI and SOI in these simulations appears to be stable. To the extent that variations in the frequency and magnitude of ENSO and the PNA mode are responsible for modulating extreme rainfall occurrence in Hawaii, our results indicate small changes in the projected number of heavy rainfall days with large uncertainties resulting from disparities among the climate models.