Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mantle Structure in the Central Mediterranean Region From P and S Receiver Functions

We investigate the upper mantle discontinuities in the central Mediterranean region by applying the P and S receiver function techniques on waveforms recorded at broadband stations located around the Tyrrhenian basin. P and S wave velocity profiles (down to 300‐km depth) are calculated with joint inversion of P and S receiver functions. We could identify the Moho, lithosphere‐asthenosphere boundary, and an underlying low‐velocity layer between ~60‐ and ~200‐km depth. The low‐velocity layer is interpreted as asthenospheric material, and its lower boundary is identified below the western Ionian and Tyrrhenian basins as a sharp Lehmann discontinuity. Although the stations are located on different lithospheric domains we find a strong correlation between Moho and the lithosphere‐asthenosphere boundary depths, which suggests ubiquitous coupling of the crust and lithospheric mantle, consistently with the southward opening of the Tyrrhenian basin. The Tyrrhenian and western Ionian basins present thinning of the transition zone of ~14 km, as inferred from a reduced P660s‐P410s differential time. Below the southern Apennines we observe a standard differential time that implies an average mantle transition zone thickness. We explain these mantle transition zone thickness variations as due to temperature heterogeneity linked to the area's subduction history. Finally, under central Europe (the location of the deep S‐to‐P conversion points) two strong signals from nonstandard discontinuities within the mantle transition zone are observed. These signals can be explained as being generated at the boundaries of high seismic velocity layers that are spatially correlated with stagnant slabs in the transition zone detected by seismic tomography.
Exercise During Pregnancy

Historically, pregnant women were advised to refrain from exercise because of concerns about fetal risk. Simultaneously, they were advised to increase their caloric intake during pregnancy. However (in part because of these misguided recommendations), some of the weight gained during pregnancy was usually retained. Elevated maternal weight is associated with a higher birth weight of offspring and contributes to the intergenerational transmission of obesity.1 Consequently, pregnancy has evolved as a major contributor to the worldwide obesity epidemic and multiple related maternal and fetal comorbidities, some of which have potential lifelong consequences.
Health-Related Quality of Life of an adult population sample in Barranquilla, Colombia.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to estimate values of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) by focusing on the physical and mental health of an adult population sample in the city of Barranquilla, Colombia. MATERIALS AND METHODS Cross-sectional study with 368 adults representing an adult population. The questionnaires included the health-related quality of life "CDC-Healthy Days", the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale, and the Overall Disability Sum Score. The prevalence of fair or poor health status (FPH), frequent physical distress (FPD), frequent mental distress (FMD), and frequent activity limitation (FAL) was estimated according to socio-demographic characteristics, presence of depression, and physical disability. RESULTS The mean age of 368 adults was 45.6 ± 18.3 years; 55.7% were males. Only 21% of this population considered their general health to be fair or poor. The prevalence of FPH, FPD, FMD and FAL was higher in women than in men, and increased with greater severity of depression and higher physical disability. Moreover, 12% of the population presented with mild depression, 3.8% with moderate depression, and less than 1% with severe depression. 94% of this population did not have an arms or legs disability. DISCUSSION This study provides HRQOL values for an adult sample of the population of Barranquilla, Colombia. Overall, the HRQOL of this population, with subtle differences, is similar to other reports from Colombia. In general, women and people with depression and physical disabilities had a worse quality of life.
Controlling of Water Flowrate in Pipe With Optimal Control

Optimal control application gives more roles for performance improvement. One of control object is water flowrate in pipe with turbulence flow. This water flow kind could disturb process, measurement equipment, and so information from measuring not exactly measurable and observable. According that reason, control system the water flowrate are needed to decrease error from steady state condition. Comparing simulation result from system no control and with optimal control, can be concluded that optimal controller design could improve system performance, with decrease error, because all information about state could be measured and observed. Optimal controller design by simulation is better use with high speed Personal Computer (PC) and capability to process information. PC’s delay effect from low speed PC for data processing which represented by graphic could give unsatisfaction simulation result. Keywords: Flowrate, Optimal Control.
Ecoregions in the Mediterranean Sea Through the Reanalysis of Phytoplankton Functional Types and Carbon Fluxes

In this work we produced a long ‐ term reanalysis of the phytoplankton community structure in the Mediterranean Sea and used it to de ﬁ ne ecoregions. These were based on the spatial variability of the phytoplankton type fractions and their in ﬂ uence on selected carbon ﬂ uxes. A regional ocean color product of four phytoplankton functional types (PFTs; diatoms, dino ﬂ agellates, nanophytoplankton, and picophytoplankton) was assimilated into a coupled physical ‐ biogeochemical model of the Mediterranean Sea (Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory Coastal Ocean Modelling System ‐ European Regional Seas Ecosystem Model, POLCOMS – ERSEM) by using a 100 ‐ member ensemble Kalman ﬁ lter, in a reanalysis simulation for years 1998 – 2014. The reanalysis outperformed the reference simulation in representing the assimilated ocean color PFT fractions to total chlorophyll, although the skill for the ocean color PFT concentrations was not improved signi ﬁ cantly. The reanalysis did not impact noticeably the reference simulation of not assimilated in situ observations, with the exception of a slight bias reduction for the situ PFT concentrations, and a deterioration of the phosphate simulation. We found that the Mediterranean Sea can be subdivided in three PFT ‐ based ecoregions, derived from the spatial variability of the PFT fraction dominance or relevance. Picophytoplankton dominates the largest part of open ocean waters; microphytoplankton dominates in a few, highly productive coastal spots near large ‐ river mouths; nanophytoplankton is relevant in intermediate ‐ productive coastal and Atlantic ‐ in ﬂ uenced waters. The trophic and carbon sedimentation ef ﬁ ciencies are highest in the microphytoplankton ecoregion and lowest in the picophytoplankton and nanophytoplankton ecoregions. The reanalysis and regionalization offer new perspectives on the variability of the structure and functioning of the phytoplankton community and related biogeochemical ﬂ uxes, with foreseeable applications in Blue Growth of the Mediterranean Sea.
Validity and Time Savings in the Selection of Short Forms of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale--Revised.

Validity and reliability were calculated from data in the standardization sample of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised WAIS-R ; D. Wechsler, 1981) for 565 short forms. Percentage of time savings in comparison to the full WAIS-R was estimated for each subtest combination from the data of J. J. Ryan and S. J. Rosenberg (1984), and short forms were rank-ordered, according to validity, within 5% intervals from 45% to 90% savings. The most efficient combinations for predicting total scores were generally those composed of subtests that are quick to administer, and short forms selected in previous research because of their brief administration times proved to be efficient in comparison to other subtest combinations. Several short forms from each time-savings category had acceptable validities and reliabilities.
Factors Predicting Sick Role Behavioral Compliance in Hemodialysis Patients

Purpose: This study was done to identify factors predicting sick-role behavioral compliance in hemodialysis patients. Methods: The subjects were 133 patients from outpatient dialysis clinics at seven major general hospitals located in D and P cities. Data were collected by self-report questionnaires. For data analysis, SPSS/WIN 14.0 program was utilized including one-way ANOVA, independent t-test, Pearson correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression. Results: This study showed a positive correlation between sick-role behavioral compliance and social support (r=.29 p=.46), knowledge (=.25), and age (=.18). These factors accounted for 36% of the variance of sick-role behavioral compliance in hemodialysis patients. Conclusion: The results indicate that it is necessary to increase self-efficacy and knowledge in order to improve sick-role behavioral compliance in hemodialysis patients.
Impact du stress hyperoxique en période néonatale sur la structure vasculaire : implication des phénomènes de sénescence et rôle possible dans la programmation développementale de l'hypertension artérielle

Ce projet traite de la programmation developpementale de l'hypertension arterielle (HTA) a travers des influences neonatales precoces pouvant moduler le developpement vasculaire. Les bebes prematures presentent des defenses antioxydantes diminuees compares aux nouveau-nes a terme et sont exposes a la naissance a des concentrations elevees en oxygene (O2) engendrant la production d'especes reactives de l'O2 (ERO). Les consequences vasculaires a long terme de dommages lies aux ERO en periode neonatale et les mecanismes impliques sont tres partiellement compris. Les precedents resultats du laboratoire ont montre qu'un stress hyperoxique neonatal conduit chez le rat adulte a de l'HTA, une dysfonction endotheliale et une rigidite arterielle, elements de vieillissement vasculaire. Nous emettons l'hypothese qu'un stress hyperoxique neonatale conduit a long terme a l'alteration de la structure vasculaire et a un vieillissement vasculaire precoce. Nous avons demontre une diminution de la proliferation cellulaire, une capacite angiogenique alteree, des dommages a l'ADN et une augmentation de l'expression de proteines de senescences (des indices de senescence cellulaire) au-dela de la periode neonatale suite a une exposition breve a l'O2 au niveau vasculaire dans un modele animal (ratons Sprague-Dawley exposes a 80 % d'O2 du 3eme au 10eme jour de vie compares a des ratons restes a l'air ambiant) et cellulaire (cellules musculaires lisses d'aortes thoraciques d'embryon de rat exposees a 40% O2 pendant 24h ou 48h, puis remises en normoxie pendant 96h). De plus, des alterations des composants de la structure vasculaire indiquant un remodelage vasculaire aortique ont ete mises en evidence. Ces changements precedent tous l'HTA et la dysfonction vasculaire observees dans le modele animal a l'âge adulte et pourraient y contribuer. L'etude de jeunes adultes nes < 29 semaines compares a des jeunes adultes nes a terme indique une augmentation de marqueurs de rigidite arterielle (indices d'un vieillissement vasculaire precoce) chez la population prematuree. L'ensemble des resultats demontre un vieillissement vasculaire precoce apres une exposition neonatale transitoire a un stress hyperoxique permettant une meilleure comprehension des mecanismes physiopathologiques impliques dans la survenue des troubles vasculaires retrouves chez l'adulte et contribue a la mise en place de moyens de prevention chez des patients prematures
Evidence of Magnetic Nulls in the Reconnection at Bow Shock

Magnetic nulls are believed to play important roles in the energy dissipation during reconnection. Such nulls have been observed in reconnection at the magnetopause, magnetosheath, and magnetotail but have never been observed in reconnection at the bow shock. Recently, four reconnection events were reported at the terrestrial bow shock, by utilizing Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) data. We examine whether the magnetic nulls exist in these events. We successfully find radial nulls in three of the events, meaning that spacecraft were close to X points in these events; we, however, cannot find radial nulls in another event, which was actually a crossing of the reconnection exhaust region. The minimum distance between radial nulls and spacecraft is 8 km, about 0.3 ion inertial length. We reconstruct topologies of these nulls and subsequently resolve the reconnection rates in these events. We find that the resolved reconnection rates are comparable with those at the magnetopause and magnetotail. Surprisingly, we do not find electron heating at the radial nulls. Our results are useful to understand the reconnection at bow shock.
Retinal electrophysiological characteristics of the myopic eye

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The Planet's Stressed River Basins: Too Much Pressure or Too Little Adaptive Capacity?

Freshwater is one of the most critical elements for sustainable development of ecosystems and societies. River basins, concomitant with administrative zones, form a common unit for freshwater management. So far, no comprehensive, global analysis exists that would link the ecological challenges of the planet's river basins to the capacity of the societies to cope with them. We address this gap by performing a geospatial resilience analysis for a global set of 541 river basins. We use the social‐ecological systems approach by relating three ecological vulnerability factors (human footprint, natural hazards, and water scarcity) with three adaptive capacity factors (governance, economy, and human development), based on temporal trajectories from 1990 to 2015. Additionally, we examine resilience by subtracting ecological vulnerability from adaptive capacity. The most striking result is the fundamentally different patterns of controlling factors of the resilience in different developing regions, particularly those of Africa and Asia. Their root causes are particularly low adaptive capacity in Africa and high ecological vulnerability in Asia. Alarmingly, the difference between those continents grew within the study period. Finally, this study highlights the rapid dynamics of adaptive capacity in comparison to ecological vulnerability, the latter having more inertia. Their fragile balance is of our interest; they can either support or counteract each other depending on the geographic location.
Hydraulic Connectivity in Pannonian Sandstones of the Mezőberény Geothermal Doublet

The geothermal doublet at Mezőbereny in SE Hungary has suffered from poor productivity and injectivity since it began operation in 2012. The injection and production wells of the doublet are near vertical and have ~400 m production interval, consisting of few thin sandstone bodies in a shale matrix. Previous studies have considered chemical factors, such as scaling and clay mobilisation, as possible causes of injectivity and productivity limitations. So far, however, the possible impact of poor hydraulic connectivity on these limitations has not been considered. Therefore, a geological model describing the geometry of the sandstone bodies in the aquifer and its net sandstone content have been derived in this study. The model is based on a geological dataset from the Bekes Basin including core samples, 2D seismic lines and Gamma Ray logs of nearby petroleum wells. Dozens of aquifer realisations of this model were generated, which capture the sedimentary architecture of the aquifer utilising an object-based modelling approach. For each realisation, the volume of sandstone bodies that both wells intersect was calculated. We found that only a small percentage of the total sandstone volume in the realisations was intersected by both wells. This indicates that the net aquifer volume is most likely much smaller than the net-sandstone content of 11% that was derived from the well logs. Therefore, these results suggest that it is likely that hydraulic connectivity is poor between the injection and production well in the doublet, limiting injection and production rates. In addition, our results highlight the importance of sedimentary facies analysis as a tool for successful exploitation of geothermal resources.
Challenges for the closure and natural rehabilitation of bauxite residue disposal sites

In the Bayer process, bauxite ore is digested with NaOH at high temperature and pressure, which results in the production of alumina and the recrystallisation of various residual minerals ending up in a bauxite residue. The main minerals in this residue, which is commonly referred to as ‘red mud’, are iron and aluminium oxides (goethite, hematite, gibbsite and boehmite), Na- and Ca-aluminosilicate phases (e.g. sodalite and cancrinite) and titanium oxide. The main challenges facing the natural rehabilitation (direct revegetation) of bauxite residues are related to inherent physicochemical properties of the bauxite residue, in particular alkalinity, salinity, sodicity and low hydraulic conductivity. Physical restrictions to growth of vegetation in bauxite residue material include low hydraulic conductivity (low transport of water), poor drainage (water logging) and restricted root growth. Additionally, in dry periods, capillary rise of water and dissolved salts can occur, salts may accumulate at the cap surface, and drying cracks will occur. Pilot studies have been initiated to compare different closure solutions that take into consideration the physical, chemical and biological limitations of bauxite residues. Methods include the use of different liners, geomembranes, drainage systems and topsoil covers. Gypsum amendment and the addition of organic matter are studied as potential natural rehabilitation methods that can limit the use of pristine soil in the construction of the top cover. The study is part of the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute’s research program on sustainable mine tailings, which comprises studies on material properties, modelling and prediction of physical and chemical stability, remote sensing for long-term monitoring and risk-informed decision-making.
Neuromuscular Aspects of Physical Activity

Muscle fibre types: grouping fibres by myosin heavy-chain (MHC) composition functional properties of fibres containing different myosin heavy-chain profiles fibre types and performance. Motoneurons and the muscle units they innervate: the muscle unit and muscle unit types the motoneuron component of the motor unit the Heckman-Binder model of motor unit recruitment motor unit recruitment during different types of voluntary contractions. Neuromuscular fatigue: two basic fatigue mechanisms involving the nervous system - neuromuscular transmission failure and decreased motoneuron activity reduced motoneuron activity during various types of contractions evidence from reduced animal preparations on mechanisms of neuromuscular fatigue. Endurance training of the neuromuscular system: muscle adaptations the neuromuscular junction motoneuron adaptations to endurance training spinal cord adaptations to endurance training. Strength training: acute effects of strength training on protein synthesis and degradation the chronic effect of resistance overload on muscle phenotype neural effects of resistance training. Neuromuscular responses to decrease in normal activity: general principles underlying neuromuscular responses to reduced activity models of decreased neuromuscular usage.
A Darcy‐Brinkman‐Biot Approach to Modeling the Hydrology and Mechanics of Porous Media Containing Macropores and Deformable Microporous Regions

The coupled hydrology and mechanics of soft porous materials (such as clays, hydrogels, membranes, and biofilms) is an important research area in several fields, including water and energy technologies as well as biomedical engineering. Well‐established models based on poromechanics theory exist for describing these coupled properties, but these models are not adapted to describe systems with more than one characteristic length scale, that is, systems that contain both macropores and micropores. In this paper, we expand upon the well‐known Darcy‐Brinkman formulation of fluid flow in two‐scale porous media to develop a “Darcy‐Brinkman‐Biot” formulation: a general coupled system of equations that approximates the Navier‐Stokes equations in fluid‐filled macropores and resembles the equations for poroelasticity in microporous regions. We parameterized and validated our model for systems that contain either plastic (swelling clay) or elastic microporous regions. In particular, we used our model to predict the permeability of an idealized siliciclastic sedimentary rock as a function of pore water salinity and clay content. Predicted permeability values are well described by a single parametric relation between permeability and clay volume fraction that agrees with existing experimental data sets. Our novel formulation captures the coupled hydro‐chemo‐mechanical properties of sedimentary rocks and other deformable porous media in a manner that can be readily implemented within the framework of Digital Rock Physics.
3D Reconstruction and Geographical Referencing of Lightning Discharges

Photogrammetric survey of lightning discharges is a very challenging task as lightning discharges are very transient, unpredictable, and random structures. In order to acquire images of lightning discharges outdoors, a stereo image acquisition system has been designed and implemented. Two cameras observe a limited area and autonomously detect occurrences of lightning discharges within their field of view. Furthermore a reconstruction procedure consisting of typical computer vision steps is presented: Camera calibration and orientation, lightning discharge segmentation, stereo point matching, and triangulation are described in detail within this diploma thesis. It is shown that photogrammetric reconstruction of lightning discharges is feasible and that a reconstruction accuracy of a few meters in an observation area of few kilometers is reachable. In comparison with state of the art non-visual lightning detection systems this is a considerable improvement and brings large benefit, as 3D shape information of acquired lightning discharges is extracted.