Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cretaceous–Neogene tectonic evolution of the northern margin of the Black Sea from seismic reflection data and tectonic subsidence analysis

Abstract Three fundamental stages of the Cretaceous–Neogene tectonic evolution of the Odessa Shelf and Azov Sea (northern margins of western and eastern Black Sea basins, respectively) have been documented from the analysis of reinterpreted regional seismic profiling and one-dimensional (1-D) subsidence analysis of 49 wells, for which the stratigraphic interpretation was recently revised. (1) An initial active rifting stage began within the Early Cretaceous (not later than Aptian–Albian times) and continued until the end of the Santonian in the Late Cretaceous (c. 128–83 Ma). A system of half-grabens with mainly south-dipping normal faults developed on the Odessa Shelf at this time. The most profound faulting, accompanied by volcanic activity, occurred in the NE–SW orientated Karkinit-Gubkin rift basin at the boundary between the Eastern European and Scythian platforms. The footwalls of half-grabens were exposed above sea level and subject to erosion at this time. Active extensional processes affected the western part of Azov Sea and, while the onset and cessation of these cannot be tightly constrained, they are compatible with the well constrained results from the Odessa Shelf. (2) The second tectonic stage is one of passive post-rift thermal subsidence that lasted from the Campanian (Late Cretaceous) until the end of the Middle Eocene (83–38.6 Ma). (3) The third stage of basin evolution is one of inversion tectonics in a compressional setting. Discrete inversion events occurred at the end of the Middle Eocene, during the Late Eocene, during the Early Miocene and at Middle Miocene times (c. 38.6 Ma, c. 35.4 Ma, c. 16.3 Ma, c. 10.4 Ma, respectively) and typical inversion structures developed on the Odessa Shelf, some parts of which were uplifted and significantly eroded (down to the Lower Cretaceous succession). The southern part of the Azov Sea, opening into the northernmost eastern Black Sea basin, subsided rapidly during this time; thereafter, until the Quaternary, rapid subsidence was limited to its southeastern part, which was incorporated into the Indolo-Kuban foreland basin of the Greater Caucasus orogen.
Digital Mapping of Soil Classes Using Decision Tree and Auxiliary Data in the Ardakan Region, Iran

Digital soil mapping (DSM) involves acquisition of field soil observations and matching them with environmental variables that can explain the distribution of soils. The harmonization of these data sets, through computer-based methods, are increasingly being found to be as reliable as traditional soil mapping practices, but without the prohibitive costs. Therefore, the present research developed decision tree models for spatial prediction of soil classes in a 720 km2 area located in an arid region of central Iran, where traditional soil survey methods are difficult to undertake. Using the conditioned Latin hypercube sampling method, the locations of 187 soil profiles were selected, which were then described, sampled, analyzed, and allocated to six Great Groups according to the USDA Soil Taxonomy system. Auxiliary data representing the soil forming factors were derived from a digital elevation model (DEM), Landsat 7 ETM+ images, and a map of geomorphology. The accuracy of the decision tree models was evaluated using overall, user, and producer accuracy based on an independent validation data set. Our results showed some auxiliary variables had more influence on the prediction of soil classes which included: topographic wetness index, geomorphological map, multiresolution index of valley bottom flatness, elevation, and principal components of Landsat 7 ETM+ images. Furthermore, the results have confirmed the DSM model successfully predicted Great Groups with overall accuracy up to 67.5%. Our results suggest that the developed methodology could be used to predict soil classes in the arid region of Iran.
Effects of Remote Generation Sites on Model Estimates ofM2Internal Tides in the Philippine Sea

AbstractThis study investigates the impact of remotely generated internal tides on model estimates of barotropic to baroclinic tidal conversion for two generation sites bounding the Philippine Sea: the Luzon Strait and the Mariana Island Arc. A primitive equation model is used to characterize the internal tides generated by the principal semidiurnal tide (M2) over a domain encompassing the two generation sites. Energetic internal tides are generated at the Luzon Strait where nearly 17 GW of barotropic tide energy is converted to baroclinic energy, of which 44% (4.78 GW) is radiated eastward into the Philippine Sea. From the Mariana Arc, baroclinic energy propagates westward into the Philippine Sea as a result of 3.82 GW of barotropic to baroclinic energy conversion. Simulations that focus on each generation site without influence of the other are performed, and comparisons show that remotely generated internal tides have a significant effect on local conversion at the two sites. Total conversion is greate.
Age Hardening of Snow at the South Pole

The age hardening of artificially and naturally compacted snow has been investigated at the South Pole. Results show that the age-hardening process is greatly retarded at low temperatures. Artificially compacted samples of density 0.55 g. /cm.3 attained a compressive strength of less than 3.0 kg. /cm.2 after one year’s ageing at −49° C. Exposure to solar radiation accelerated the age hardening. Irradiated samples attained a strength of 6.0 kg. /cm.2 after 100 hr. , increasing to a virtual maximum of 8.0 kg. /cm.2 at the end of 600 hr. Compressive strengths increased with decrease in snow-particle size and with increasing angularity of the particles. Below 3 m. the strength of naturally compacted snow was found to increase rapidly with increase in density. Naturally compacted snow of density 0.55 g. /cm.3 possessed considerably greater strength than any of the age-hardened samples of artificially compacted snow of the same density. Thin-section studies show that age hardening can be correlated with the formation and growth of intergranular bonds, and that bond growth falls off rapidly with decreasing temperature. In view of the low strengths found in both naturally compacted snows near the surface and in artificially compacted snow at the South Pole, “cut-and-cover” under-snow camp construction may not prove too practical at the South Pole.
Dislocation creep of fine‐grained olivine

[1] Deformation experiments conducted in a gas medium apparatus at temperatures from 1200 to 1350°C with a fine-grained, solution-gelation derived Fe-bearing olivine show a stress dependence of the strain rate at stresses above ∼150 MPa, which is much stronger than previously reported for polycrystalline samples. The data can be fit by a power law with σn with n ∼ 7–8, or equally well by a Peierls creep law with exponential stress dependence. Due to the observed strong stress dependence the samples deform at significantly higher strain rates at a given stress than single crystals or coarse-grained polycrystals with n ∼ 3.5. TEM observations indicate the presence of dislocations with at least two different Burgers vectors, with free dislocations predominantly of screw character. Subgrain walls are present but are only weakly developed and have small misorientation angles. Both the rheology and dislocation structures are consistent with creep rate-limited by dislocation glide or cross slip for aggregates with grain sizes smaller than or approaching the recrystallized grain size. Deformation mechanism maps extrapolated to lithospheric temperatures using the melt-free diffusion creep rheology of Faul and Jackson (2007), the dislocation creep rheology of Hirth and Kohlstedt (2003), and the results described here indicate that deformation conditions of ultramylonitic shear zones fall near the triple point of Peierls, dislocation, and diffusion creep.
Structures of TorsinA and its disease-mutant complexed with an activator reveal the molecular basis for primary dystonia

The most common cause of early onset primary dystonia, a neuromuscular disease, is a glutamate deletion (ΔE) at position 302/303 of TorsinA, a AAA+ ATPase that resides in the endoplasmic reticulum. While the function of TorsinA remains elusive, the ΔE mutation is known to diminish binding of two TorsinA ATPase activators: lamina-associated protein 1 (LAP1) and its paralog, luminal domain like LAP1 (LULL1). Using a nanobody as a crystallization chaperone, we obtained a 1.4 Å crystal structure of human TorsinA in complex with LULL1. This nanobody likewise stabilized the weakened TorsinAΔE-LULL1 interaction, which enabled us to solve its structure at 1.4 Å also. A comparison of these structures shows, in atomic detail, the subtle differences in activator interactions that separate the healthy from the diseased state. This information may provide a structural platform for drug development, as a small molecule that rescues TorsinAΔE could serve as a cure for primary dystonia. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.17983. 001
DNA-m6A calling and integrated long-read epigenetic and genetic analysis with fibertools

Long-read DNA sequencing has recently emerged as a powerful tool for studying both genetic and epigenetic architectures at single-molecule and single-nucleotide resolution. Long-read epigenetic studies encompass both the direct identification of native cytosine methylation as well as the identification of exogenously placed DNA N6-methyladenine (DNA-m6A). However, detecting DNA-m6A modifications using single-molecule sequencing, as well as co-processing single-molecule genetic and epigenetic architectures, is limited by computational demands and a lack of supporting tools. Here, we introduce fibertools, a state-of-the-art toolkit that features a semi-supervised convolutional neural network for fast and accurate identification of m6A-marked bases using PacBio single-molecule long-read sequencing, as well as the co-processing of long-read genetic and epigenetic data produced using either PacBio or Oxford Nanopore sequencing platforms. We demonstrate accurate DNA-m6A identification (>90% precision and recall) along >20 kilobase long DNA molecules with a ∼1,000-fold improvement in speed. In addition, we demonstrate that fibertools can readily integrate genetic and epigenetic data at single-molecule resolution, including the seamless conversion between molecular and reference coordinate systems, allowing for accurate genetic and epigenetic analyses of long-read data within structurally and somatically variable genomic regions.
Effect of carbon derivatives in sulfonated poly(etherimide)–liquid crystal polymer composite for methanol vapor sensing

A class of highly sensitive chemiresistive sensors is developed for methanol (MeOH) vapor detection in ambient atmosphere by introducing conductive nanofillers like carbon black, multi-wall carbon nanotubes, and reduced graphene oxide into sulfonated poly(etherimide) (PEI)/liquid crystal polymer (LCP) composite (sPEI-LCP). Polar composites are prepared by a sulfonation process for instantaneous enhancement in adsorption capability of the sensing films to the target analyte (MeOH). Sensing properties exhibit that polymer composite-based fabricated sensors are efficient for the detection of different concentration of methanol vapor from 300–1200 parts-per-million (ppm) at room temperature. The incorporation of nanofiller induces the dramatic change in sensing behavior of base composite film (sPEI-LCP). Thus, less mass fraction of nanofillers (i.e. 2 wt%) influences the nonlinear sensing behavior for the entire range of methanol vapor. The simple method and low fabrication cost of the prepared sensor are compelling reasons that methanol vapor sensor is suitable for environmental monitoring.
Observations and parameterization of the stratospheric electrical conductivity

Simultaneous in situ measurements of the stratospheric electrical conductivity, made from multiple balloon platforms during the 1992–1993 Extended Life Balloon-Borne Observatories (ELBBO) experiment, have yielded the most comprehensive data set on the stratospheric electrical conductivity. The ELBBO project involved launches of five superpressure balloons into the stratosphere from Dunedin, New Zealand, beginning November 10, 1992, and lasting through March 18, 1993. Most of the balloons floated at a constant altitude of 26 km for over 3 months, covered a wide range of latitudes from the South Pole to 28°S, and circled around the southern hemisphere several times. On average, the positive polar conductivity (conductivity of positive ions alone) was about 15% higher than that of the negative conductivity, suggesting that differences may exist between the mobilities of positive and negative ions. Data from each polarity of polar conductivity also indicate persistent, apparently organized, short-term and localized variations, with amplitude within 30% of the mean value. In corrected geomagnetic (CGM) coordinates the conductivity variations were found to be a function of latitude but not of longitude. The total conductivity can increase 150% from low latitude to high latitude, and does remain nearly constant at latitudes above 55° (namely, the cosmic ray knee latitude). Calculations based on ionization theory demonstrate that the latitudinal variations in the conductivity measurements were mainly due to the latitudinal variations in incident galactic cosmic ray intensity, with only little effect from the air temperature variations. The calculations shown here also suggest that small ions (as opposed to large ions) provide the main contribution to the stratospheric conductivity. The comparisons between conductivity measurements and models show that commonly used models can underestimate the latitudinal variation by a factor of 2. In this paper the stratospheric conductivity is parameterized based on the measurements, and a simple empirical model is presented in geographic coordinates.
Investigating evidence of geologically recent liquid water on Mars

Geologically young gullies have been proposed to be evidence of recent liquid water on Mars. This dissertation details work I have done to address issues surrounding the Martian gullies and recent water on Mars. In order to determine the elevations at which gullies occur, I created a set of Interactive Data Language programs and Unix C-shell scripts to coregister Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter topography with high resolution Mars images. My scripts represent the first public method that does this. Recently, the Mars Orbiter Camera detected changes in the form of new bright deposits in two gullies. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera detected more gullies with bright deposits. I used my scripts to identify some of the best candidates for liquid water formation based on their shallow average slopes. A Digital Elevation Model (DEM) was produced using HiRISE stereo images of my selected candidates in Hale Crater. I model two gullies with bright slope deposits in Hale Crater and find that both water-rich and sediment-rich flows could reproduce the bright deposits’ locations and morphologies. Since liquid water is rarely stable on Mars today, I suggest that dry flows formed the bright deposits. The channel gradient where flows deposit, the apex slope, can tell us whether a flow was likely dry and non-fluidized (slopes ~21°) or fluidized (shallower slopes). I measured the apex slope of 75 gullies located in five HiRISE DEMs. I find that 72% of the gullies studied were likely emplaced by a fluidized flow. I also find that modified
Dual and common agency issues in international joint ventures: Evidence from China

With the help of a theoretical model we analyze the relation between equity sharing in an international joint venture (EJV) and local public goods provision in a setting where the local government faces a commitment problem to provide public services ex post to the set-up of the firm. We show that to overcome such a dual agency problem, the multinational leaves more local rents to the local partner than in the first-best, so as to provide stronger incentives for the government to supply public goods. Applying dynamic panel data estimation, we test the trade-off between local public goods and ownership shares across 31 Chinese provinces to find support for our mechanism
Continuous canopy temperature as a tool for managing deficit irrigation

Deficit irrigation is becoming a trend in agricultural lands with reduced water. With the declining water resources comes renewed interest in deficit irrigation strategies and enhanced management capabilities to provide water when and where it is needed. However, in the past, plant-monitoring capabilities to assess water status of the plant were very costly and labor intensive. The innovation in infrared thermometry systems has allowed for the technology to become smaller and more cost efficient. This investigation uses the established method of BIOTIC developed by research scientists at USDA/ARS. The BIOTIC method has been patented and licensed by a new technology startup company, Smartfield™, under the moniker Smartcrop™. The research conducted used the Smartcrop™ technology, which consists of wireless infrared sensors and base stations for recording data from sensors. This thesis focused on the 2009 and 2010 cotton growing seasons in the Lubbock area. Water and yield data were discussed and analyzed in detail along with other environmental data relevant to plant growth and yield. Analysis and discussion of large temperature data sets were conducted. Canopy temperature comparisons were made using the BIOTIC method along with air vs. canopy temperature comparisons and treatment temperature comparisons. Vapor pressure deficits were also discussed in detail for selected treatments over the growing seasons. Finally, daytime average canopy temperature comparisons provided accurate estimates of water through the plant as a predictor of yield.
Source analysis of the February 12th 2007, Mw 6.0 Horseshoe earthquake: Implications for the 1755 Lisbon earthquake

While very large earthquakes are generally confined to subduction zones, the SW Iberian margin –setting of the famous Mw 8.5–8.7, 1755 Lisbon tsunami earthquake‐ may be an exception to this rule. Evidence for active subduction is not conclusive here, but instead plate convergence in old oceanic lithosphere with large brittle layer thickness can account for the occurrence of great earthquakes along moderate‐length faults. We estimate the source parameters of the February 12th 2007, Horseshoe earthquake. Regional moment tensor inversion yields an Mw 6.0, reverse to strike‐slip faulting source in the upper mantle. Modelling teleseismic, surface‐reflected body waves (pP, pwP, sP) indicates a source depth of 40 km beneath the seafloor. Analysing apparent source time functions allows identifying the preferred fault plane (strike N245°E/ dip 55°/ rake 50°), and estimating rupture area (53 km2) and average slip (0.27 m). Scaling the source characteristics to the size of the 1755 earthquake suggests a fault length of 230–315 km, being compatible with the length of mapped faults in the area.
Desalination Technologies: Hellenic Experience

Beyond doubt, desalination is growing rapidly worldwide. However, there are still obstacles to its wider implementation and acceptance such as: (a) high costs and energy use for fresh water production; (b) environmental impacts from concentrate disposal; (c) a complex, convoluted and time-consuming project permitting process; and (d) limited public understanding of the role, importance, benefits and environmental challenges of desalination. In this paper, a short review of desalination in Greece is being made. Data on the cost of desalination shows a decrease in the future and the potential of water desalination in Greece. The paper summarizes the current status in southeastern Greece (e.g., Aegean islands and Crete), and investigates the possibility of production of desalinated water from brackish water.
Spectral-element simulations of global seismic wave propagation—I. Validation

SUMMARY We use a spectral-element method to simulate seismic wave propagation throughout the entire globe. The method is based upon a weak formulation of the equations of motion and combines the flexibility of a finite-element method with the accuracy of a global pseudospectral method. The finite-element mesh honours all first- and second-order discontinuities in the earth model. To maintain a relatively constant resolution throughout the model in terms of the number of grid points per wavelength, the size of the elements is increased with depth in a conforming fashion, thus retaining a diagonal mass matrix. In the Earth’s mantle and inner core we solve the wave equation in terms of displacement, whereas in the liquid outer core we use a formulation based upon a scalar potential. The three domains are matched at the inner core and core‐ mantle boundaries, honouring the continuity of traction and the normal component of velocity. The effects of attenuation and anisotropy are fully incorporated. The method is implemented on a parallel computer using a message passing technique. We benchmark spectral-element synthetic seismograms against normal-mode synthetics for a spherically symmetric reference model. The two methods are in excellent agreement for all body- and surface-wave arrivals with periods greater than about 20 s.
PROTECTING AN ISLAND'S DRINKING WATER AND DESALINATION PLANT

ABSTRACT On February 6, 1986, the barge St. Thomas struck a submerged piling in Crown Bay, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. It is estimated that up to 70,000 gallons of an intermediate fuel oil were spilled from both this initial incident and a secondary spill which occurred the following day in Charlotte Amalie Harbor. The spilled oil threatened the island's primary source of drinking water: the desalination plant. St. Thomas' only alternative source of fresh water is rain water collected in cisterns. Due to its limited supply, potable drinking water is a precious commodity in the Caribbean Islands, and protection of the desalination plant became a crucial part of the spill response. When officials in charge of the desalination plant believed that oil had entered the plant's intakes, they shut down the desalination plant. Residents were warned by local officials not to drink the water to avoid serious health effects. The island's hospital feared their water supply had become contaminated and began using .
Study Abroad Experiences and Global Citizenship

Short-term study abroad programs currently account for more than 50% of students who study overseas. Using an adaptation of the Value–Belief–Norm theory of proenvironmental behavior (Stern, 2000), we hypothesized that study abroad nurtures global citizenship related to ecologically conscious behaviors by strengthening core relations among environmental values, beliefs, and norms. The sample consisted of students (n = 623) from 10 U.S. universities participating in a 4-week study abroad program to either Australia or New Zealand in 2008 and 2009. A pre-, posttest design was adopted in which students voluntarily completed a survey instrument on the first and last days of the program in the destination country. Results of the study suggested that the modified Value–Belief–Norm approach provides a robust theoretical framework, used in conjunction with theories of learning, for explaining how proenvironmental behavior is nurtured. These findings provided empirical support for the efficacy of short-term study abroad programs and developed further support for the importance of strong pedagogical techniques implemented by competent instructors.