Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Full-wave inversion of near-field ground penetrating radar data for hydrogeophysical characterization of soil

Accurate quantification of soil moisture is crucial for hydrology, meteorology, and environment. Recently, GPR has become a popular technique to characterize soil moisture. Although there have been intensive studies on applications of GPR for soil moisture estimation, significant efforts are still needed to improve its accuracy. In addition, in many applications, knowledge of the soil moisture profile is essential, which has remained a major challenge for many years. For increasing the accuracy of soil moisture estimation, we improved the GPR modeling and petrophysical relationships. For the GPR model, we further developed the near-field antenna model introduced by Lambot and Andre (2013). We successfully calibrated and validated the model using both numerical and laboratory experiments. Then, we improved the petrophysical relationship by coupling full-wave GPR inversion, dielectric mixing model and Debye's equation to account for the frequency dependence of electric properties and directly estimate soil moisture. For estimating the soil hydraulic properties and moisture profile, the GPR model was integrated into the hydrodynamic model in an assimilation framework. The hydrodynamic model was employed to simulate the spatiotemporal dynamics of soil moisture in the unsaturated zone, while the GPR model and petrophysical relationships were used to link the soil moisture profile with GPR data. The assimilation was performed using the Maximum Likelihood Ensemble Filter algorithm. Instead of using the surface soil moisture only, the approach allows us to use the information of the whole soil moisture profile for the assimilation. This thesis opens a new development and application avenue for digital soil mapping and soil water resources monitoring.
Mud Density Prospection Using a Tuning Fork

AbstractSeveral instruments using different technologies are available for the survey and characterization of underwater mud deposits. This paper is concerned with an instrument that uses tuning fork technology to estimate mud density in the field. A model explaining how the tuning fork operates and how it can be used to measure mud properties is presented. In this model, the tuning fork is represented as a damped harmonic oscillator, and the mud is considered a viscoelastic medium showing an elastic response for small deformations and a viscous response for large deformations. The model clearly shows that the tuning fork must be calibrated for the local mud at each survey location. This was confirmed during surveys at the Amazon estuary and the Rio de la Plata during 2011 and 2012. The measurements obtained during these surveys are compared with measurements performed with optical and acoustic instruments with very good results.
Interaction Between Object-Based Attention and Pertinence Values Shapes the Attentional Priority Map of a Multielement Display

Previous studies have shown that the perceptual organization of the visual scene constrains the deployment of attention. Here we investigated how the organization of multiple elements into larger configurations alters their attentional weight, depending on the “pertinence” or behavioral importance of the elements’ features. We assessed object-based effects on distinct aspects of the attentional priority map: top-down control, reflecting the tendency to encode targets rather than distracters, and the spatial distribution of attention weights across the visual scene, reflecting the tendency to report elements belonging to the same rather than different objects. In 2 experiments participants had to report the letters in briefly presented displays containing 8 letters and digits, in which pairs of characters could be connected with a line. Quantitative estimates of top-down control were obtained using Bundesen’s Theory of Visual Attention (1990). The spatial distribution of attention weights was assessed using the “paired response index” (PRI), indicating responses for within-object pairs of letters. In Experiment 1, grouping along the task-relevant dimension (targets with targets and distracters with distracters) increased top-down control and enhanced the PRI; in contrast, task-irrelevant grouping (targets with distracters) did not affect performance. In Experiment 2, we disentangled the effect of target-target and distracter-distracter grouping: Pairwise grouping of distracters enhanced top-down control whereas pairwise grouping of targets changed the PRI. We conclude that object-based perceptual representations interact with pertinence values (of the elements’ features and location) in the computation of attention weights, thereby creating a widespread pattern of attentional facilitation across the visual scene.
Soil organic matter and available water capacity

ABSTRACT: For the last 50 years, the consensus view among researchers has been that organic matter (OM) has little or no effect on the available water capacity (AWC) of soil. The historical development of this viewpoint is traced. It is argued that the the literature on this subject has been misconstrued and that the consensus view is wrong. In addition to a critical review of the literature, published data were evaluated to assess the effect of OM content on the AWC of surface soil within three textural groups. Within each group, as OM content increased, the volume of water held at field capacity increased at a much greater rate (average slope = 3.6) than that held at the permanent wilting point (average slope = 0.72). As a result, highly significant positive correlations were found between OM content and AWC for sand (r2 = 0.79***), silt loam (r2 = 0.58***) and silty clay loam (r2 = 0.7G***) texture groups. In all texture groups, as OM content increased from 0.5 to 3%, AWC of the soil more than doubled. Soil OM is an important determinant of AWC because, on a volume basis, it is a significant soil component. In this study, one to 6% OM by weight was equivalent to approximately 5 to 25% by volume.
Chromatin Insulator Factors Involved in Long-Range DNA Interactions and Their Role in the Folding of the Drosophila Genome

Chromatin insulators are genetic elements implicated in the organization of chromatin and the regulation of transcription. In Drosophila, different insulator types were characterized by their locus-specific composition of insulator proteins and co-factors. Insulators mediate specific long-range DNA contacts required for the three dimensional organization of the interphase nucleus and for transcription regulation, but the mechanisms underlying the formation of these contacts is currently unknown. Here, we investigate the molecular associations between different components of insulator complexes (BEAF32, CP190 and Chromator) by biochemical and biophysical means, and develop a novel single-molecule assay to determine what factors are necessary and essential for the formation of long-range DNA interactions. We show that BEAF32 is able to bind DNA specifically and with high affinity, but not to bridge long-range interactions (LRI). In contrast, we show that CP190 and Chromator are able to mediate LRI between specifically-bound BEAF32 nucleoprotein complexes in vitro. This ability of CP190 and Chromator to establish LRI requires specific contacts between BEAF32 and their C-terminal domains, and dimerization through their N-terminal domains. In particular, the BTB/POZ domains of CP190 form a strict homodimer, and its C-terminal domain interacts with several insulator binding proteins. We propose a general model for insulator function in which BEAF32/dCTCF/Su(HW) provide DNA specificity (first layer proteins) whereas CP190/Chromator are responsible for the physical interactions required for long-range contacts (second layer). This network of organized, multi-layer interactions could explain the different activities of insulators as chromatin barriers, enhancer blockers, and transcriptional regulators, and suggest a general mechanism for how insulators may shape the organization of higher-order chromatin during cell division.
Deriving 3D displacement vectors from multi-temporal airborne laser scanning data for landslide activity analyses

Information on geometries and kinematics of landslides are necessary to establish geological slope deformation models. We present two complementary geospatial methods to analyze landslide surface changes even in areas affected by strong surface pattern changes, making use of airborne laser scanning (ALS) data. An image correlation method based on shaded relief images with a uniformly diffuse lighting and a feature tracking based on terrain breaklines are applied on a data set of eight ALS flight campaigns analyzing an active deep-seated rockslide in the Eastern Alps (Austria). Both tracking methods are described in detail, including parameter assessment. Additionally, an accuracy assessment of the input data sets has been conducted. 3D vector displacement maps derived from image correlation are well suited for the study of landslides if only slight surface pattern changes occur. The smallest detectable displacements strongly depend on the accuracy of the ALS data and for image correlation results lie within the range of 0.24 and 0.75 m for this study. Displacement vectors derived by breakline tracking only allow to detect displacements greater than 2 m. However, in comparison to image correlation, breakline tracking is not limited to areas with slight surface pattern changes and allows us to detect displacements even in areas with strong surface pattern changes. For a comprehensive interpretation of landslide activity a combination of both methods, with consideration of additional supportive data such as elevation change images and orthoimages, is recommended.
The response of coastal stratocumulus clouds to agricultural irrigation in California

Stratocumulus clouds (SC) often exist over the eastern subtropical oceans during the summer and have significant impacts on the surface radiation budget. Both atmospheric subsidence and lower troposphere stability (LTS) have been found to play important roles in maintaining SC. Using global climate model simulations, we find that irrigation in California's Central Valley results in a decrease of land surface temperature, leading to a smaller land‐sea heat contrast, and a corresponding reduction in sea breeze, subsidence, and LTS over the near‐coastal region. The decrease in LTS directly drives a reduction in modeled SC coverage, and it would arguably do so in reality because of the well‐known link between LTS and SC coverage. Consequently, simulated absorbed surface solar radiation over this region increases by 8 W/m2 (3.7%) due to the reduction in SC cover, resulting in the warming at the Earth's surface. This study has important implications for how SC can change with regard to future climate. In contrast to the general effects of climate change on the formation of SC, our results suggest that irrigation practices in the Central Valley may drive a decrease in nearby SC coverage.
Overview of the NOAA/NASA advanced very high resolution radiometer Pathfinder algorithm for sea surface temperature and associated matchup database

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)/NASA Oceans Pathfinder sea surface temperature (SST) data are derived from measurements made by the advanced very high resolution radiometers (AVHRRs) on board the NOAA 7, 9, 11, and 14 polar orbiting satellites. All versions of the Pathfinder SST algorithm are based on the NOAA/National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service nonlinear SST operational algorithm (NLSST). Improvements to the NLSST operational algorithm developed by the Pathfinder program include the use of monthly calibration coefficients selected on the basis of channel brightness temperature difference (T4–T5). This channel difference is used as a proxy for water vapor regime. The latest version (version 4.2) of the Pathfinder processing includes the use of decision trees to determine objectively pixel cloud contamination and quality level (0–7) of the SST retrieval. The 1985–1998 series of AVHRR global measurements has been reprocessed using the Pathfinder version 4.2 processing protocol and is available at various temporal and spatial resolutions from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory Distributed Active Archive Center. One of the highlights of the Pathfinder program is that in addition to the daily global area coverage fields, a matchup database of coincident in situ buoy and satellite SST observations also is made available for independent algorithm development and validation.
Modeling the Effects of Groundwater-Fed Irrigation on Terrestrial Hydrology over the Conterminous United States

Human alteration of the land surface hydrologic cycle is substantial. Recent studies suggest that local water management practices including groundwater pumping and irrigation could significantly alter the quantity and distribution of water in the terrestrial system, with potential impacts on weather and climate through land‐ atmosphere feedbacks. In this study, the authors incorporated a groundwater withdrawal scheme into the Community Land Model, version 4 (CLM4). To simulate the impact of irrigation realistically, they calibrated the CLM4 simulated irrigation amount against observations from agriculture censuses at the county scale over the conterminous United States. The water used for irrigation was then removed from the surface runoff and groundwater aquifer according to a ratio determined from the county-level agricultural census data. On the basis of the simulations, the impact of groundwater withdrawals for irrigation on land surface and subsurface fluxes were investigated. The results suggest that the impacts of irrigation on latent heat flux and potential recharge when water is withdrawn from surface water alone or from both surface and groundwater are comparable and local to the irrigation areas. However, when water is withdrawn from groundwater for irrigation, greater effects on the subsurface water balance are found, leading to significant depletion of groundwater storage in regions with low recharge rate and high groundwater exploitation rate. The results underscore the importance of local hydrologic feedbacks in governing hydrologic response to anthropogenic change in CLM4 and the need to more realistically simulate the two-way interactions among surface water, groundwater, and atmosphere to better understand the impacts of groundwater pumping on irrigation efficiency and climate.
Responder analysis for pain relief and numbers needed to treat in a meta-analysis of etoricoxib osteoarthritis trials: bridging a gap between clinical trials and clinical practice

Background: Population mean changes from clinical trials are difficult to apply to individuals in clinical practice. Responder analysis may be better, but needs validating for level of response and treatment duration. Methods: The numbers of patients with pain relief over baseline (⩾15%, ⩾30%, ⩾50%, ⩾70%) at 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks of treatment were obtained using the WOMAC 100 mm visual analogue pain subscale score for each treatment group in seven randomised placebo-controlled trials of etoricoxib in osteoarthritis lasting ⩾6 weeks. Dropouts were assigned 0% improvement from baseline from then on. The numbers needed to treat (NNTs) were calculated at each level of response and time point. Results: 3554 patients were treated with placebo, etoricoxib 30 mg and 60 mg, celecoxib 200 mg, naproxen 1000 mg or ibuprofen 2400 mg daily. Response rates fell with increasing pain relief: 60–80% experienced minimally important pain relief (⩾15%), 50–60% moderate pain relief (⩾30%), 40–50% substantial pain relief (⩾50%) and 20–30% extensive pain relief (⩾70%). NNTs for etoricoxib, celecoxib and naproxen were stable over 2–12 weeks. Ibuprofen showed lessening of effectiveness with time. Conclusion: Responder rates and NNTs are reproducible for different levels of response over 12 weeks and have relevance for clinical practice at the individual patient level. An average 10 mm improvement in pain equates to almost one in two patients having substantial benefit.
Natural Lead Concentrations in Pristine Boreal Forest Soils and Past Pollution Trends: A Reference for Critical Load Models

Knowledge of natural, prepollution concentrations of heavy metals in forest soils and temporal trends of soil pollution are essential for understanding present-day pollution (ecotoxicological assessments) and for establishing realistic goals for reductions of atmospheric pollution deposition (critical loads). Soils not exposed to deposition of atmospheric pollution no longer exist and, for example, present lead (Pb) pollution conditions in northern European soils are a consequence of nearly 4,000 years of atmospheric pollution. We use analyses of Pb concentrations and stable Pb isotopes (206Pb/207Pb ratios) of ombrotrophic peat and forest soils from southern Sweden and a model for Pb cycling in forest soils to derive an estimate for the prepollution concentration of Pb in the mor layer of boreal forest soils and to back-calculate Pb concentrations for the last 5,500 years. While the present-day concentra tions of the mor layer are typically 40−100 μg g-1 (0.25−1.0 g m-2), Pb concentrations of pristine for.
Climate model genealogy

Climate change projections are often given as equally weighted averages across ensembles of climate models, despite the fact that the sampling of the underlying ensembles is unclear. We show that a hierarchical clustering of a metric of spatial and temporal variations of either surface temperature or precipitation in control simulations can capture many model relationships across different ensembles. Strong similarities are seen between models developed at the same institution, between models sharing versions of the same atmospheric component, and between successive versions of the same model. A perturbed parameter ensemble of a model appears separate from other structurally different models. The results provide insight into intermodel relationships, into how models evolve through successive generations, and suggest that assuming model independence in such ensembles of opportunity is not justified.
Joint remote sensing of aerosol optical properties and surface reflectance by sun-photometer and satellite in the urban area of Beijing, China

Aerosol optical depth in the urban area of Beijing has been measured by multi-wavelength sun-photometer during a one-year period from Apr. 1999 to Mar. 2000. Using the aerosol optical depth as the atmospheric correction parameter, the reflectance of the urban surface and the mean aerosol type have been retrieved by the apparent reflectance of the visible channel of the Visible and Infrared Spin Scan Radiometer (VISSR) onboard the Japanese Geostationary Meteorology Satellite.
Basin-scale analysis of rainfall and runoff in Peru (1969–2004): Pacific, Titicaca and Amazonas drainages

Abstract According to the Peruvian agricultural ministry, the Pacific watersheds where the great cities and intense farming are located only benefit from 1% of the available freshwater in Peru. Hence a thorough knowledge of the hydrology of this region is of particular importance. In the paper, analysis of this region and of the two other main Peruvian drainages, the Titicaca and Amazonas are reported. Rainfall and runoff data collected by the Peruvian National Service of Meteorology and Hydrology (SENAMHI) and controlled under the Hydrogeodynamics of the Amazon Basin (HyBAm) project is the basis of this basin-scale study that covers the 1969–2004 period. Beyond the strong contrasting rainfall conditions that differentiate the dry coastal basins and the wet eastern lowlands, details are given about in situ runoff and per basin rainfall distribution in these regions, and about their different altitude–rainfall relationships. Rainfall and runoff variability is strong in the coastal basins at seasonal and inter-annual time scales, and related to extreme El Niño events in the Pacific Ocean. However, rainfall and runoff are more regular in the Andes and Amazonas at the inter-annual time scale. Warm sea-surface temperatures in the northern tropical Atlantic tend to produce drought in the southern Andes basins. Moreover, significant trends and change-points are observed in the runoff data of Amazonas basins where rainfall and runoff decrease, especially after the mid-1980s and during the low-stage season. Almost all the coastal basins show some change in minimum runoff during the last 35 years while no change is observed in rainfall. This means that human activity may have changed runoff in this region of Peru, but this hypothesis deserves more study. Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz; Associate editor Š. Blažková Citation Lavado C. , W.S. , Ronchail, J., Labat, D. , Espinoza, J.C. and Guyot, J.L. , 2012. Basin-scale analysis of rainfall and runoff in Peru (1969–2004): Pacific, Titicaca and Amazonas watersheds. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 57 (4), 625–642.
Structural characterization of a partially arabinosylated lipoarabinomannan variant isolated from a Corynebacterium glutamicum ubiA mutant

Arabinan polysaccharide side-chains are present in both Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Corynebacterium glutamicum in the heteropolysaccharide arabinogalactan (AG), and in M. tuberculosis in the lipoglycan lipoarabinomannan (LAM). This study shows by quantitative sugar and glycosyl linkage analysis that C. glutamicum possesses a much smaller LAM version, Cg-LAM, characterized by single t-Araf residues linked to the α(1→6)-linked mannan backbone. MALDI-TOF MS showed an average molecular mass of 13 800–15 400 Da for Cg-LAM. The biosynthetic origin of Araf residues found in the extracytoplasmic arabinan domain of AG and LAM is well known to be provided by decaprenyl-monophosphoryl-d-arabinose (DPA). However, the characterization of LAM in a C. glutamicum : : ubiA mutant devoid of prenyltransferase activity and devoid of DPA-dependent arabinan deposition into AG revealed partial formation of LAM, albeit with a slightly altered molecular mass. These data suggest that in addition to DPA utilization as an Araf donor, alternative pathways exist in Corynebacterianeae for Araf delivery, possibly via an unknown sugar nucleotide.
Electric and magnetic fields and field derivatives from lightning stepped leaders and first return strokes measured at distances from 100 to 1000 m

[1] Using electric and magnetic field and field derivative sensors arrayed over an area of about 1 km2, we measured the close fields of stepped leaders and first return strokes in 18 negative cloud-to-ground lightning flashes at distances to individual sensors ranging from about 100 m to about 1 km. We present examples of the close field waveforms along with their statistical characterization as a function of the distance to the lightning. Statistical data are presented for the half-peak width of the stepped-leader/return-stroke electric field waveform; the stepped-leader electric field change; the return-stroke electric field change at 20, 100, and 1000 μs after return-stroke initiation; the peak electric field derivative; the risetime of the electric field derivative waveform; and the magnetic field initial peak, largest peak, risetime, and half-peak width. For example, in the 100–200 m range, the average half-peak width of the leader/return-stroke electric field change was about 0.8 ms; the average observed leader electric field change was about 40 kV m−1; the average return-stroke electric field change at 20 μs was about 35 kV m−1; and the average peak electric field derivative was about 15 kV m−1μs−1, the largest unsaturated measurement being about 20 kV m−1μs−1. Peak derivative values observed at close range are consistent with derivative measurements made for return strokes over salt water at distances of some tens of kilometers if an inverse-distance dependence is assumed for the field amplitude.