Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Target Oriented Illumination Analysis as a Comparative Approach of PSPI and Finite Difference Methods

The present work discusses an alternative approach for illumination studies using the commonly known Raytracing method. Previous papers have pointed out the effectiveness of the finite difference modeling, despite the fact of the high computational cost. Alves et al. (2009) proposed a technique of target orientating using Finite Difference (FD) which reduces significantly the computational efforts in comparison to the traditional approach based on modeling followed by migration. This work shows the first 2D results of a new approach to target oriented illumination using Phase Shift Plus Interpolation (PSPI) modeling. We make a comparison of illumination studies through FD and PSPI modeling utilizing several velocity models.
Low-angle collision with Earth: The elliptical impact crater Matt Wilson, Northern Territory, Australia

Nearly all meteorite impact craters on Earth are circular. However, ~4% of craters should be formed by impacts at angles lower than 12° from the horizontal, which should result in elongated crater structures. The crater-forming process that produces elliptical shapes is poorly understood. We document the first elliptical crater on Earth that contains a central uplift and that provides insights into the mechanisms of crater formation at a critical threshold angle of 10°–15°. The dimensions of the Proterozoic Matt Wilson impact structure, Northern Territory, Australia, are 7.5 by 6.3 km, corresponding to an aspect ratio of 1.2, with its long axis trending northeast-southwest. The exposed crater floor shows a preferred stacking of thrust sheets within the central uplift and in the surrounding syncline, indicating northeast-southwest shortening and a material transport top-to-the-SW. This is consistent with an up-range to down-range motion of rock, caused by remnant horizontal momentum transferred from the impacting projectile to the target. This preferential deformation interferes with a radially oriented convergent material flow characteristic for crater collapse. The Matt Wilson crater provides evidence for the usefulness of structural asymmetries as a diagnostic tool to infer impact vectors. The new impact crater is confirmed by the presence of planar deformation features, planar fractures in quartz grains, and its structural inventory.
Early middle Pleistocene glacial sediments (780000‐620000 BP) near Kansas City, northeastern Kansas and northwestern Missouri, USA

Two lithologically distinct tills are present near the pre‐Illinoian glacial boundary in northeastern Kansas and northwestern Missouri. The tills are probably early middle Pleistocene (780 000–620 000 BP) based on normal polarity and their stratigraphic relationship to dated terraces. The upper till is sandier than the lower till and contains more expandable clay minerals and less illite than the lower till. Glaciofluvial and supraglacial sediments are preserved between the tills, yet palaeosols, or other evidence of an interglacial, are not present, suggesting that the tills were deposited during a single glaciation. Southeasterly and southwesterly trending striae and till fabric suggest that the glacial succession was deposited by at least two fluctuations (phases) of a lobe, which probably advanced down the axis of the present Missouri River lowland. These tills probably correlate to early middle Pleistocene tills in southwestern Iowa and eastern Nebraska, although it is possible that the lower till may correlate to even older tills in these areas.
Tropical influence independent of ENSO on the austral summer Southern Annular Mode

A link between atmospheric variability in the tropics independent of ENSO and the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) is found based on seasonal mean data for austral summer. Variations associated with El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) are removed using a linear method, and a Tropics Index (TI) is defined as the zonal average of the ENSO‐removed 500 hPa geopotential height between 10°S and 10°N. Since the detrended TI shows no link to sea surface temperature variability in the tropics, it appears to be related to internal atmospheric variability. We find that the TI can explain about 40% variance of the SAM interannual variability and about 75% of the SAM long‐term trend between 1957/1958 and 2001/2002, where here the SAM includes the ENSO signal. Positive/negative values of the TI are associated with the positive/negative SAM. A possible link between the TI and global warming is noted.
Influence of Annealing Temperature on Structural, Electrical, and Magnetic Properties of Nd0.7Ca0.3MnO3

: In this paper, we investigated the effect of annealing temperature on the electrical and magnetic properties of polycrystalline Nd 0.7 Ca 0.3 MnO 3 synthesized using the well-known solid-state reaction technique. After the formation of the required Perovskite crystal structure phase, another annealing treatment has been done. The selected annealing temperatures are 700, 800, and 900°C for 12 hours. Structural refinement of the X-ray diffraction patterns showed the formation of a single orthorhombic crystal structure phase the of P b n m space group in Nd 0.7 Ca 0.3 MnO 3 without any impurity peaks. From magneto-resistance measurements, we found that NCMO samples have high-colossal magnetoresistance (CMR). Moreover, the under-investigated NCMO samples showed a high power factor. The resistivity data in the insulating region (T >T MI ) were analyzed by considering, the Mott-variable range hopping model. The phase transition temperature showed dependence on the grain size, where Curie temperature ( T C ) increases with an increase in the grain size.
Oxidized nitrogen chemistry and speciation in the Antarctic troposphere

Understanding the NOy budget at high latitudes is important for our knowledge of present-day clean air chemistry and essential for reliable interpretation of existing ice core nitrate data. However, measurements of NOy components at high latitudes have been limited, and no measurements have attempted to address the budget of NOy. Here we report on a campaign conducted in the austral summer of 1997 at the German Antarctic research station, Neumayer, with first Antarctic measurements for NOy in addition to light alkyl nitrates, NO, HNO3 and p−NO3−. Inorganic nitrate has generally been assumed to be the dominant component of NOy in Antarctica, although this idea has not previously been tested. However, our results show that for this coastal station, methyl nitrate was present in much higher concentration than inorganic nitrate (median CH3ONO2 = 38 pptv, HNO3 = 5 pptv). It has been suggested earlier that some alkyl nitrates might have a marine source. If this suggestion is correct, the implication arises that the oceans are an important source of NOy to the Antarctic troposphere and that their role in determining nitrate concentrations in ice must be considered.
Carboniferous coarsening-upward and non-gradational cyclothems in the Lublin Basin (SE Poland): palaeoclimatic implications

Abstract The paper presents the characteristics of profiles consisting of coarsening-upward and non-gradational cyclothems that correspond to parasequences in the Visean, Serpukhovian and Bashkirian sections of the Lublin Basin in SE Poland. The accompanying single fining-upward cyclothems are also described. Six types of cyclothems are distinguished. The most complete types of coarsening-upward cyclothems Ic, Id and incomplete IIc and IId have been identified. The least complete are non-gradational cyclothems IIIc and IIId. The cyclothems developed within the oscillating environments of shallow carbonate and clay shelf, and in shallow-water deltas. The lowstand systems tract (LST) deposits are composed of fining-upward cyclothems, rarely of coarsening-upward IId and non-gradational IIId. Within the transgressive systems tract (TST), type IIc is dominant, and the quantity of Ic and non-gradational cyclothem IIIc is moderate. The maximum flooding surface (MFS) usually occurs within coarsening-upward cyclothems IIc. The highstand systems tract (HST) consists of similar types of cyclothems as the TST, but their quantity is less. Relative sea-level fluctuations during the Carboniferous deposition in the Lublin Basin are associated with sea-level changes generated by glacial episodes in Gondwana. The relative sea-level fluctations also affected both erosional processes related to the successive relative sea-level lowstands and the formation of stratigraphic gaps. The influence of glacio-eustatic fluctuations was modified by local factors such as the supply of sedimentary material, subsidence rate and local tectonics.
Influence of Social and Psychosocial Factors on Summer Vacationers’ Sun Protection Behaviors, the PRISME Study, France

Objectives: Summer intermittent sun exposure is a major risk factor for melanoma. Socioeconomic position, cognitive and psychosocial factors play a role in sun protection behaviors but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. This study aimed to measure the influence of educational level on sun protection behaviors in French summer vacationers on the Mediterranean coastline, and to identify the mediating psychosocial factors in this pathway. Methods: In summer 2019, French vacationers aged 12–55 staying in coastline campsites were asked about their holiday sun protection behaviors, their knowledge, attitudes, perceived control, and social norm relative to sun protection. A structural equation model measured the direct and indirect effects of educational level on protection behaviors via cognitive and psychosocial factors. Results: Sun protection during vacation increased with educational level. Theoretical knowledge partially mediated this association, from 22% to 86%, particularly for intermediate educational levels. Conclusion: Our results highlight the importance of implementing suitable sun prevention interventions for vacationers, especially those with a lower socioeconomic position. Improving theoretical knowledge around sun protection may be an important part of broader efforts to encouraging improved preventive behaviors.
Evaluation of Optimum Rice Heading Period under Recent Climatic Change in Yeongnam Area

This study was conducted to analyze the optimum heading period according to the recent climatic change for improvement of rice yield and grain quality in the Yeongnam area. We analyzed climatic elements including daily mean air temperature, daily range of air temperature, sunshine hours, and amount of precipitation from 1996 to 2005 in comparison with those of the 1971 to 2000 normal. Daily mean air temperature and amount of precipitation in the recent 10 years increased, but daily range of air temperature and sunshine hours decreased in comparison with the norm. Also, monthly mean air temperature was lowered remarkably in July and August. The monthly amount of precipitation largely increased in August and September. The daily range of air temperature and sunshine hours were greatly decreased from August to October, Possible cultivation periods for rice in the recent 10 years ranged from 171 days in Boughwa to 228 days in Busan and was expanded about days in comparison with the normal. Optimum heading date by local regions for the maximum climatic yield potential was estimated as July 31 at Bonghwa to September 7 at Busan, Masan, and Tongyeong in the recent 10 years. There was a wide difference in optimum heading date according to local legions of the Yeongnam area. Compared to the normal, optimum heading date in the recent 10 years was delayed about I~8 days in most local regions except Bonghwa, Mungyeong, and Yeongdeok. These results suggested that it is necessary to develop late maturity rice cultivars for producing high yield and quality rice grain due to the recent climatic change. Moreover, it is still more important to select the most suitable cultivation period appropriate to the changed climate of each local region in Yeongnam area.
Overview of Actuated Arm Support Systems and Their Applications

Arm support systems provide support throughout daily tasks, training or in an industrial environment. During the last decades a large diversity of actuated arm support systems have been developed. To analyze the actuation principles in these systems, an overview of actuated arm support systems is provided. This overview visualizes the current trends on research and development of these support systems and distinguishes three categories. These categories depend mainly on the functional status of the user environment, which defines the specifications. Therefore, the actuated arm support systems are classified according to their user environment, namely: ambulatory, rehabilitation and industrial. Furthermore, three main actuation principles and three mechanical construction principles have been identified.
A reexamination of the “stratospheric fountain” hypothesis

We reexamine the “stratospheric fountain” hypothesis by comparing estimates of the annually and zonally averaged volume mixing ratio (vmr) of water vapor entering the stratosphere to annually and zonally averaged estimates of the saturation vmr of the tropical tropopause‐region. We find that the vmr of water vapor entering the stratosphere (3.8±0.3 ppmv) agrees well with the saturation vmr of the tropical tropopause‐region (4.0±0.8 ppmv). Consequently, our analysis provides no support for the “stratospheric fountain” hypothesis, which required troposphere‐to‐stratosphere transport to occur preferentially in regions where the tropical tropopause is colder than average.
Variantional autoencoder with decremental information bottleneck for disentanglement

One major challenge of disentanglement learning with variational autoencoders is the trade-off between disentanglement and reconstruction fidelity. Previous studies, which increase the information bottleneck during training, tend to lose the constraint of disentanglement, leading to the information diffusion problem. In this paper, we present a novel framework for disentangled representation learning, DeVAE, which utilizes hierarchical latent spaces with decreasing information bottlenecks across these spaces. The key innovation of our approach lies in connecting the hierarchical latent spaces through disentanglement-invariant transformations, allowing the sharing of disentanglement properties among spaces while maintaining an acceptable level of reconstruction performance. We demonstrate the effectiveness of DeVAE in achieving a balance between disentanglement and reconstruction through a series of experiments and ablation studies on dSprites and Shapes3D datasets. Code is available at https://github.com/erow/disentanglement_lib/tree/pytorch#devae.
Statistical and Observation Comparison of Weyl-Type $f(Q,T)$ Models with the $\Lambda$CDM Paradigm

We study the $f(Q, T)$ gravity in the framework of Weyl geometry (known as Weyl-type $f(Q, T)$ gravity), where $Q$ denotes the non-metricity scalar, and $T$ denotes the energy-momentum tensor trace. In this work, we consider the $f(Q,T)$ model, which is defined as $f(Q,T)=\alpha Q^{m+1}+\frac{\beta}{6\kappa^2}T$ and investigating two scenarios: $(I)$ $m=0$ (linear model) and $(II)$ $m\neq 0$ (nonlinear model). For both scenarios, we find the explicit solution for the field equations by using the barotropic equation of state as $p=\omega\rho$, where $\omega$ is the equation-of-state (EoS) parameter. Further, we study the obtained solutions statistically using the $Pantheon^+$ dataset with 1701 data points. For both models, the best-fit values of model parameters for $1-\sigma$ and $2-\sigma$ confidence level are mentioned in table 1 and 2. We statistically compare our models to the $\Lambda$CDM model using ${{\chi}^2_{min}}$, ${{\chi}^2_{red}}$, $AIC$ and $\Delta AIC$. We also examined the current values of cosmological parameters such as deceleration and EoS parameters to determine the current acceleration expansion of the universe. Furthermore, we test our model using $Om$ diagnostic and compare it to the $\Lambda$CDM model to determine its dark energy profile. Finally, we draw the conclusion that, statistically speaking, Weyl $f(Q,T)$ model I (linear model) is more compatible with the $\Lambda$CDM model than Weyl $f(Q,T)$ model II (nonlinear model).
Dynamic Spread of Happiness in a Large Social Network: Longitudinal Analysis Over 20 Years in the Framingham Heart Study

Objectives To evaluate whether happiness can spread from person to person and whether niches of happiness form within social networks. Design Longitudinal social network analysis. Setting Framingham Heart Study social network. Participants 4739 individuals followed from 1983 to 2003. Main outcome measures Happiness measured with validated four item scale; broad array of attributes of social networks and diverse social ties. Results Clusters of happy and unhappy people are visible in the network, and the relationship between people ’ s happiness extends up to three degrees of separation (for example, to the friends of one ’ s friends ’ friends). People whoaresurroundedbymanyhappypeopleandthosewho arecentralinthenetworkaremorelikelytobecomehappy in the future. Longitudinal statistical models suggest that clusters of happiness result from the spread of happiness and not just a tendency for people to associate with similar individuals. A friend who lives within a mile (about 1.6km)andwhobecomeshappyincreasestheprobability that a person is happy by 25% (95% confidence interval 1% to 57%). Similar effects are seen in coresident spouses (8%, 0.2% to 16%), siblings who live within a mile (14%, 1% to 28%), and next door neighbours (34%, 7% to 70%). Effects are not seen between coworkers. The effect decays with time and with geographical separation. Conclusions People ’ s happiness depends on the happiness of others with whom they are connected. This provides further justification for seeing happiness, like health, as a collective phenomenon.
Pluriharmonic maps into buildings and symmetric differentials

Given a complex quasi-projective manifold $X$, a semisimple algebraic group $G$ defined over some non-archimedean local field $K$ and a Zariski dense representation $\varrho:\pi_1(X)\to G(K)$, we construct a $\varrho$-equivariant (pluri-)harmonic map from the universal covering of $X$ into the Bruhat-Tits building $\Delta(G)$ of $G$, with some suitable asymptotic behavior. This theorem generalizes the previous work by Gromov-Schoen to the quasi-projective setting. We also construct logarithmic symmetric differential forms over $X$ when the image of $\varrho$ is unbounded. As applications, we prove that any reductive representation $\sigma: \pi_1(X)\to {\rm GL}_N(\mathbb{C})$ is rigid and integral provided that $X$ does not admit logarithmic symmetric differentials; we also prove that $X$ has nonzero global logarithmic symmetric differential forms if there exists a linear representation $\pi_1(X)\to {\rm GL}_N(\mathbb{K})$ with infinite image, where $\mathbb{K}$ is any field.
Mapping Continuous Geographical Distributions Using Dot-Density Shading

Dot-density shading is proposed as an automated method of representing continuous geographical distributions. Clusters of dots, each representing a value in a gridded data matrix, are scaled proportionally to data intensity. Dots are plotted by quasi-random dot placement that assures non-overlap of dots, accurate proportions of dot coverage, and is algorithmically efficient. Dot-density shading was developed as an adjunct to isoline mapping, and appears to present better thematic views of spatial trends in continuous data. On the other hand, isoline maps are more effective vehicles for data storage and extraction. Both types of maps can be used together because of their complementary informational character. Examples of isoline and dot-density maps for identical data are shown; scaling and plotting algorithms are explained; and interpretational examples are given.
Is the Colonsay-west Islay block of SW Scotland an allochthonous terrane? Evidence from Dalradian tillite clasts

In the Scottish Caledonides context, the Colonsay-west Islay terrane has seemed anomalous and therefore likely to be allochthonous. New studies suggest, however, that its basement is not necessarily exotic but represents the missing early Proterozoic link between Greenland and Scandinavia. Recent interpretations of the Scottish mainland deformation history imply that the age of the Grampian events there resembles that of the late Proterozoic deformation previously identified in the Colonsay Group cover succession. Reconnaisance studies of Dalradian tillite provenance suggest that the Colonsay-west Islay basement was a source of Dalradian sediment and perhaps floored that basin. There is, therefore, less reason now to regard the Colonsay-west Islay terrane as allochthonous, and recent hypotheses of its tectonic emplacement being the cause of the Grampian orogeny should be viewed with caution.
Validation of a phosphorus index applied to a watershed by geoprocessing techniques

Fabiola Lopes, PPG Solos – UFRGS e-mail: fabilopes@pop.com. br Gustavo H. Merten, IPH – UFRGS e-mail: merten@iph.ufrgs. br Fernanda Helfer, PPG IPH – UFRGS e-mail: fehelfer@ppgiph.ufrgs. br Alfonso Risso, IPH – UFRGS e-mail: risso@iph.ufrgs. br Luiz F. Cybis, IPH – UFRGS e-mail: lfcybis@iph.ufrgs. br Melissa Franzen, PPG IPH – UFRGS e-mail: maismel@yahoo.com. br
Tourism climatic index in the valorisation of climate in tourist centers of Montenegro

Climate is one of the main factors for the development of recreational forms of tourism in Montenegro. It affects the temporal arrangement and spatial distribution of tourists throughout the year. It determines the context of the environment in which the activities of tourists take place and represents the tourism resources. It is important for the planning and construction of tourism facilities and infrastructure, as well as the organization of tourism activities. This paper presents the tourism climatic index as a bioclimatic indicator for determining the conditions suitable for recreational tourism throughout the year. Research results according to the case study indicate the comparative advantages and also the lack of climate as the resource in tourism of Montenegro. There is an apparent underutilization of periods with climate conditions that work in favour of recreational forms of tourism. The uneven spatial and temporal arrangement of suitable climatic conditions in the tourist centres is the factor of the formation of seasonality of tourism trends. However, the results of linear correlation of tourism climatic index and monthly visits point to the incompatibility of potentials with capacity utilization. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 176008]
Enhanced Snake Based Segmentation of Vocal Folds

We present a system to segment the medial edges of the vocal folds from stroboscopic video. The system has two components. The first learns a color transformation that optimally discriminates, according to the Fisher linear criterion , between the trachea and vocal folds. Using this transformation , it is able to make a coarse segmentation of vocal fold boundaries. The second component uses an active contour formulation recently developed for the Insight Toolkit to refine detected contours. Rather than tune the internal energy of our active contours to bias for specific shapes, we optimize image energy so as to highlight boundaries of interest. This transformation of image energy simplifies the contour extraction process and suppresses noisy artifacts, which may confound standard implementations. We evaluate our system on stroboscopic video of sustained phonation. Our evaluation compares points on automatically extracted contours with manually supplied points at perceived vocal fold edges. Mean deviations for points located on the minor axes of the vocal folds averaged 2.2 pixels across all subjects, with a standard deviation of 3.6.