Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CHARACTERIZATION OF PLASTERS AND MORTARS AS A TOOL IN ARCHAEOLOGICAL STUDIES : THE CASE OF LARDIRAGO CASTLE IN PAVIA, NORTHERN ITALY

Plasters and mortars from Lardirago Castle (Pavia, northern Italy) have been characterized by means of petrographical and chemical analyses in order to achieve technical and historical evidence of material production. The study focused on the oldest nucleus of the structure, where hidden plastered masonry has been discovered recently. Textural and compositional data of the binder and the aggregate fractions were collected by means of optical microscopy and electron microscopy coupled with microanalysis. These data permit the identification of building materials with similar technical and compositional characteristics, which can be related to different building phases.
Increased Consumption of Dairy Foods and Protein during Diet- and Exercise-Induced Weight Loss Promotes Fat Mass Loss and Lean Mass Gain in Overweight and Obese Premenopausal Women1234

Weight loss can have substantial health benefits for overweight or obese persons; however, the ratio of fat:lean tissue loss may be more important. We aimed to determine how daily exercise (resistance and/or aerobic) and a hypoenergetic diet varying in protein and calcium content from dairy foods would affect the composition of weight lost in otherwise healthy, premenopausal, overweight, and obese women. Ninety participants were randomized to 3 groups (n = 30/group): high protein, high dairy (HPHD), adequate protein, medium dairy (APMD), and adequate protein, low dairy (APLD) differing in the quantity of total dietary protein and dairy food-source protein consumed: 30 and 15%, 15 and 7.5%, or 15 and <2% of energy, respectively. Body composition was measured by DXA at 0, 8, and 16 wk and MRI (n = 39) to assess visceral adipose tissue (VAT) volume at 0 and 16 wk. All groups lost body weight (P < 0.05) and fat (P < 0.01); however, fat loss during wk 8–16 was greater in the HPHD group than in the APMD and APLD groups (P < 0.05). The HPHD group gained lean tissue with a greater increase during 8–16 wk than the APMD group, which maintained lean mass and the APLD group, which lost lean mass (P < 0.05). The HPHD group also lost more VAT as assessed by MRI (P < 0.05) and trunk fat as assessed by DXA (P < 0.005) than the APLD group. The reduction in VAT in all groups was correlated with intakes of calcium (r = 0.40; P < 0.05) and protein (r = 0.32; P < 0.05). Therefore, diet- and exercise-induced weight loss with higher protein and increased dairy product intakes promotes more favorable body composition changes in women characterized by greater total and visceral fat loss and lean mass gain.
Quantifying the respective roles of aerosols and clouds in the strong brightening since the early 2000s over the Iberian Peninsula

The contribution of clouds and aerosols to the decadal variations of downward surface shortwave radiation (SSR) is a current controversial topic. This study proposes a method, which is based on surface‐based SSR measurements, aerosol observations, and radiative transfer simulations (in cloud‐free and cloud‐ and aerosol‐free scenarios), to evaluate cloud‐aerosol (CARE), cloud (CRE), and aerosol (ARE) radiative effects. This method is applied to quantify the role played by, separately, clouds and aerosols on the intense brightening of the SSR observed in the Iberian Peninsula. Clouds and Earth's Radiation Energy Budget System (CERES) and surface‐based data exhibit an increase in SSR between 2003 and 2012, exceeding +10 W m−2 over this period for some areas of the peninsula. The calculations are performed for three surface‐based sites: Barcelona and Valladolid (Spain), and Évora (Portugal). Ranges in monthly values of CARE, CRE, and ARE are (−80, −20), (−60, −20), and (−30, 0), respectively (in W m−2). The average trends for the analyzed period of CARE, CRE, and ARE are +7, +5, and +2 W m−2 per decade, respectively. Overall, three fourths of the SSR trend is explained by clouds, while the other one fourth is related to aerosol changes. The SSR trends explained by the clouds and aerosol radiative effects are in line with the observed reductions in total cloud cover and aerosol load (both at the surface and in the whole atmospheric column). Furthermore, the CRE values are compared against CERES data showing good agreement between both data series, although some discrepancies are observed in their trends.
Mechanical and geological controls on the long-term evolution of normal faults

This thesis investigates the long-term evolution of rift-bounding normal faults. To first order, the observed diversity of extensional tectonic styles reflects differences in the maximum offset that can be accommodated on individual faults during their life span. My main objective is to develop a theoretical framework that explains these differences in terms of a few key mechanical and geological controls. I start by laying out the energy cost associated with slip on a normal fault, which consists of (1) overcoming the frictional resistance on the fault, (2) bending the faulted layer and (3) sustaining the growth of topography. In Chapter 2, I propose that flexural rotation of the active fault plane enables faults to evolve along a path of minimal energy, thereby enhancing their life span. Flexural rotation occurs more rapidly in thinner faulted layers, and can potentially explain the wide range of normal fault dips documented with focal mechanisms. In Chapter 3, I show that surface processes can enhance the life span of continental normal faults by reducing the energy cost associated with topography buildup. In Chapter 4, I focus on lithospheric bending induced by fault growth, which is well described by elasto-plastic flexure models. I demonstrate that numerical models that treat the lithosphere as a visco-plastic solid can properly predict fault evolution only when the rate-dependent viscous flexural wavelength of the lithosphere is accommodated within the numerical domain. In Chapter 5, I consider the interplay of faulting and crustal emplacement at a slow mid-ocean ridge. I show that a depth-variable rate of magma emplacement can reconcile the formation of long-lived detachment faults, which requires a moderate melt supply, and the exhumation of large volumes of lower crustal material. Finally, in Chapter 6 I investigate the three-dimensional interactions between normal faults in a lithosphere of varying thickness. I suggest that large along-axis gradients in lithospheric thickness can prevent the growth of continuous faults along-axis, and instead decouple the modes of faulting at the segment center and at the segment end. Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Mark Behn, Associate Scientist with Tenure, WHOI Chair of the Defense: Dr. Jian Lin, Senior Scientist, WHOI Thesis Committee: Dr. Javier Escartin, Directeur de Recherche, CNRS-IPGP Prof. Brian Evans, MIT Prof. Yajing Liu, McGill Dr. Brian E. Tucholke, Scientist Emeritus, WHOI
TO–YOLOX: a pure CNN tiny object detection model for remote sensing images

ABSTRACT Remote sensing and deep learning are being widely combined in tasks such as urban planning and disaster prevention. However, due to interference occasioned by density, overlap, and coverage, the tiny object detection in remote sensing images has always been a difficult problem. Therefore, we propose a novel TO–YOLOX(Tiny Object–You Only Look Once) model. TO–YOLOX possesses a MiSo(Multiple-in-Single-out) feature fusion structure, which exhibits a spatial-shift structure, and the model balances positive and negative samples and enhances the information interaction pertaining to the local patch of remote sensing images. TO–YOLOX utilizes an adaptive IOU-T (Intersection Over Uni-Tiny) loss to enhance the localization accuracy of tiny objects, and it applies attention mechanism Group-CBAM (group-convolutional block attention module) to enhance the perception of tiny objects in remote sensing images. To verify the effectiveness and efficiency of TO–YOLOX, we utilized three aerial-photography tiny object detection datasets, namely VisDrone2021, Tiny Person, and DOTA–HBB, and the following mean average precision (mAP) values were recorded, respectively: 45.31% (+10.03%), 28.9% (+9.36%), and 63.02% (+9.62%). With respect to recognizing tiny objects, TO–YOLOX exhibits a stronger ability compared with Faster R-CNN, RetinaNet, YOLOv5, YOLOv6, YOLOv7, and YOLOX, and the proposed model exhibits fast computation.
An ocean modeling study of the Cenomanian Atlantic: Equatorial paleo‐upwelling, organic‐rich sediments and the consequences for a connection between the proto‐North and South Atlantic

A reduced‐gravity ocean model is used to determine the pattern of upwelling in the Cenomanian Atlantic. The deposition of organic‐rich sediments on the margins of the equatorial region is found to be consistent with the patterns of upwelling in simulations which incorporate only a shallow (≤300m) equatorial connection between the North and South Atlantic. Fracture zone ridges were probably responsible for the effective shallowness of the gateway. If a deep equatorial channel is assumed the modeling results are consistent only with the more recent, Turonian, sedimentary record. We suggest, therefore, that reduced‐gravity models provide a mean of predicting areas of the continental margins which may be underlain by hydrocarbon‐rich sedimentary rocks.
Research on feature point localization technology based on binocular vision

AGV navigation indoor mobile object positioning, tracking and service applications in all aspects of life plays a vital role, the market has a more in-depth demand for indoor positioning accuracy and continuity. In this paper, the binocular stereo model with parallel optical axis is used to realize the transformation from two-dimensional coordinates to three-dimensional coordinates, and the feature point detection algorithm and matching algorithm are written for the designed feature points to get the three-dimensional coordinates of the feature points, which can realize the functions of label recognition and position detection. For the actual experimental equipment accuracy, experimental equipment debugging parameters, experimental environment and other factors, the data calculated by the algorithm and the real three-dimensional position of the feature point inevitably has deviation. Therefore, this paper also uses the Kalman filter algorithm to estimate and predict the position information of the feature points extracted based on binocular vision, design related experiments to verify the effect of the above algorithms, analyze the effect of Kalman filter from a three-dimensional point of view, and analyze the three-dimensional data of the origin of the label coordinate system using the Kalman filter for estimation of Kalman filtering algorithm for processing so that the data is relatively smooth, and further improves the localization accuracy, and lays the foundation for the subsequent application of the AGV’s navigation.
The relationship between P/Fe and V/Fe ratios in hydrothermal precipitates and dissolved phosphate in seawater

A strong positive relationship between the molar P/Fe ratio in fresh hydrothermal Fe ferrihydrite precipitates and seawater‐dissolved phosphate has been demonstrated using samples from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. We ascribe this relationship to scavenging of dissolved phosphate from seawater during the formation of hydrothermal Fe‐rich particles above hydrothermal vents. In contrast, molar V/Fe ratios in hydrothermal particles are inversely correlated with dissolved phosphate. These results indicate that inter‐ocean variations in dissolved phosphate control the P/Fe and V/Fe ratios in hydrothermal Fe precipitates, one of the precursors of metalliferous sediment.
Non-Contact Measurement of Blood Oxygen Saturation Using Facial Video Without Reference Values

The continuous measurement of percutaneous oxygen saturation (SpO2) enables diseases that cause hypoxemia to be detected early and patients’ conditions to be monitored. Currently, SpO2 is mainly measured using a pulse oximeter, which, owing to its simplicity, can be used in clinical settings and at home. However, the pulse oximeter requires a sensor to be in contact with the skin; therefore, prolonged use of the pulse oximeter for neonates or patients with sensitive skin may cause local inflammation or stress due to restricted movement. In addition, owing to COVID-19, there has been a growing demand for the contactless measurement of SpO2. Several studies on measuring SpO2 without contact used skin video images have been conducted. However, in these studies, the SpO2 values were estimated using a linear regression model or a look-up table that required reference values obtained using a contact-type pulse oximeter. In this study, we propose a new technique for the contactless measurement of SpO2 that does not require reference values. Specifically, we used certain approaches that reduced the influence of non-pulsating components and utilized different light wavelengths of video images that penetrated subcutaneously to different depths. We experimentally investigated the accuracy of SpO2 measurements using the proposed methods. The results indicate that the proposed methods were more accurate than the conventional method.
Bentonite and fuller's earth resources of the United States

The term bentonite is defined as any natural material composed dominantly of the clay minerals of the smectite group and whose properties are controlled by these clay minerals. Fuller's earth refers to naturally occurring material that has a high absorptive capacity. Both bentonite and fuller's earth have a wide variety of physical properties that make them suitable for many commercial uses and applications. The sodium or Wyoming bentonite is a high swelling variety used in drilling muds, bonding foundry sand, and pelletizing taconite iron ores. The calcium or southern bentonite is a low or nonswelling variety used for bonding foundry sand where a highstrength green bond is required. Large amounts of fuller's earth are utilized to make granules that are used as an absorbent for oils, grease, chemicals, as an animal litter, and as a soil conditioner. Almost all of the commercial deposits of bentonite and fuller's earth are in geologic formations that are either Cretaceous or Tertiary in age. Bentonite occurs in Tertiary rocks in the Atlantic Coastal Plain, the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Plain, and in the Mississippi embayment. The best grade swelling bentonite occurs in the Mowry Shale of Cretaceous age in Wyoming and Montana. The most abundant nonswelling bentonite is found in Tertiary formations of the Jackson and Claiborne Groups in Texas. An important geologic unit for fuller's earth deposits is the Tertiary Hawthorn Formation of Georgia and Florida. In 1988, almost 75 percent of the bentonite production in the United States came from Wyoming. Alabama and Mississippi together produced about 14 percent; California produced about 4 percent, and Arizona, Texas, and Utah each produced about 1 percent. States producing less than 1 percent of the U.S. bentonite were Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Tennessee. In 1988, almost 50 percent of the fuller's earth produced in the United States came from Georgia and Florida. Other States producing fuller's earth were Illinois, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.
Development, validation and comparison of three methods of sample preparation used for identification and quantification of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene and products of its degradation in sediments by GC-MS/MS

Large amounts of ammunition were dumped in seas and oceans after World War II. After more than 70 years, these munitions still pose a threat to marine environments and humans. In this study, methods used for the analysis of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and its degradation products from environmental samples were successfully developed, validated and compared. Three sample preparation techniques were selected: solid–liquid extraction, accelerated solvent extraction and Soxhlet extraction. Due to the short process time and lack of need to use complicated equipment, the method recommend for the analysis of explosives in bottom sediments is solid–liquid extraction. The detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) limits of TNT and its degradation products determined with GC-MS/MS range from 0.3 ng mL−1 to 173.4 ng mL−1. 4-Nitrotoluene is characterized by the lowest LOQ and LOD, respectively, of 0.9 ng mL−1 and 0.3 ng mL−1. The analyte recoveries of all compounds ranged from 64.6% to 91.8%, with good accuracies (from 96.7% to 103.1%) and good precision, expressed as the coefficient of variation (CV, from 2.1% to 6.4%).
Geomorphic Analysis of Mattituck Inlet and Goldsmith Inlet, Long Island, New York

Abstract : This study of Mattituck Inlet and Goldsmith Inlet, Long Island, NY, covers the historic and geomorphic background, literature, field measurements, numerical modeling of tidal circulation, and analysis of inlet morphologic properties. The inlets are located 8.2 km apart on the eastern end of the north shore of Long Island, NY, facing Long Island Sound Mattituck Inlet has a federally maintained channel and dual jetties, and it connects the sound to Mattituck Creek. Mattituck Inlet is the only major harbor on the north fork of Long Island is a commercial and recreational boating center. The navigation channel is maintained to a depth of 7 ft mean low water with a 2-ft allowable overdraft. Goldsmith Inlet connects the sound to Goldsmith Pond. The inlet has a nonfunctional jetty on its west side and is non-navigable, with typical depths ranging from 0.5 to 3 ft. Tidal inlets on the north shore of Long Island have received little study compared to those on the south shore that open to the Atlantic Ocean. It appears that most inlets on the north shore have been more stable and in existence longer than the inlets on the south shore. Inlets on the north shore, therefore, hold value for further understanding of basic inlet processes, in particular, of channel cross section and locational stability. Another motivation for the study of inlets along the north shore of Long Island is the large range in grain size of the sediments on this coast. Given their significant differences, it is remarkable that Mattituck Inlet and Goldsmith Inlet have remained open for more than two centuries and likely much longer. The stability of inlets on the north shore derives in part from a relatively steep inner shore face, presence of geologic controls such as glacial erratics or hard points on shore, origins of ponds as low-lying areas created after glaciation, and relatively weak longshore sediment transport that is about an order of magnitude less than that on the south shore of Long Islan7
Working Papers in Economics and Statistics Productive disasters ? Evidence from European firm level data

This paper examines the impact of floods on firms’ capital accumulation, employment growth and productivity by using a difference-indifference approach and considering firms’ asset structure. We find evidence that companies in flooding regions show higher growth of total assets and employment than firms in areas which did not face a flooding. This positive effect is even more pronounced for companies with larger shares of intangible assets. Regarding the firms’ productivity a significantly negative flood effect is observable which declines with increasing share of intangible assets. JEL Codes: D24, Q54, R10, C21
Sometimes it takes a Village: Collective Efficacy and Children’s Use of Preventive Health Care

This paper addresses the question of whether collective efficacy affects children’s use of preventive health care. In a low-income setting collective efficacy at the community-level is shown to increase parental investments in young children. The context for the research is Indonesia before and during the major economic downturn of the late 1990s— a period during which unexpected and substantial changes in neighborhood characteristics took place. Before the crisis collective efficacy has a stronger impact on the use of preventive care by children from socioeconomically disadvantaged households than on children who are better off. During the crisis parental investments in preventive health care for young children were protected in communities where collective efficacy was relatively high. The results are robust to inclusion of a number of other time-varying community factors, as well as to community-level fixed effects. Similar results emerge in a model of individual-level changes in use of care over time.
Exploring the Sensitivity of Subtropical Stand Aboveground Productivity to Local and Regional Climate Signals in South China

Subtropical forest productivity is significantly affected by both natural disturbances (local and regional climate changes) and anthropogenic activities (harvesting and planting). Monthly measures of forest aboveground productivity from natural forests (primary and secondary forests) and plantations (mixed and single-species forests) were developed to explore the sensitivity of subtropical mountain productivity to the fluctuating characteristics of climate change in South China, spanning the 35-year period from 1981 to 2015. Statistical analysis showed that climate regulation differed across different forest types. The monthly average maximum temperature, precipitation, and streamflow were positively correlated with primary and mixed-forest aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) and its components: Wood productivity (WP) and canopy productivity (CP). However, the monthly average maximum temperature, precipitation, and streamflow were negatively correlated with secondary and single-species forest ANPP and its components. The number of dry days and minimum temperature were positively associated with secondary and single-species forest productivity, but inversely associated with primary and mixed forest productivity. The multivariate ENSO (EI Niño-Southern Oscillation) index (MEI), computed based on sea level pressure, surface temperature, surface air temperature, and cloudiness over the tropical Pacific Ocean, was significantly correlated with local monthly maximum and minimum temperatures (Tmax and Tmin), precipitation (PRE), streamflow (FLO), and the number of dry days (DD), as well as the monthly means of primary and mixed forest aboveground productivity. In particular, the mean maximum temperature increased by 2.5, 0.9, 6.5, and 0.9 °C, and the total forest aboveground productivity decreased by an average of 5.7%, 3.0%, 2.4%, and 7.8% in response to the increased extreme high temperatures and drought events during the 1986/1988, 1997/1998, 2006/2007, and 2009/2010 EI Niño periods, respectively. Subsequently, the total aboveground productivity values increased by an average of 1.1%, 3.0%, 0.3%, and 8.6% because of lagged effects after the wet La Niña periods. The main conclusions of this study demonstrated that the influence of local and regional climatic fluctuations on subtropical forest productivity significantly differed across different forests, and community position and plant diversity differences among different forest types may prevent the uniform response of subtropical mountain aboveground productivity to regional climate anomalies. Therefore, these findings may be useful for forecasting climate-induced variation in forest aboveground productivity as well as for selecting tree species for planting in reforestation practices.