Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Causes of bias and uncertainty in fracture network analysis

Fault and fracture networks are analysed to determine the deformation history and to help with such applications as engineering geology and fluidflow modelling. These analyses rely on quantifying such factors as length, frequency and connectivity. Measurements may, however, be influenced by a range of factors relating to resolution, geology, methods used and to the analyst(s). These factors mean that it can be difficult to obtain a single correct solution, with bias and uncertainty being introduced by different analysts, even for something as simple as counting the number of joint intersection points on a well-exposed bedding plane. These problems suggest there are significant issues in comparing databases, for example when using outcrop analogue data to model subsurface data. Our recommendation is that analysts and modellers should be aware of the potential pitfalls in their measurements of structures and, therefore, be more cautious with resultant analyses and models. We suggest that analysts assess their results by testing the reproducibility. Simple ways of doing this include: (1) checking for change in measurements (e.g., fracture frequencies) during the course of a study; (2) remeasuring part of the fracture network to check if the same results are obtained, and; (3) get one or more other analysts to blind-test the fracture network.
Current Trends in Irrigation Practice during Endodontic Treatment among Dental Practitioners in Nellore Urban Area: A Survey

Aim: The purpose of this study was to determine the current trends in irrigation practice among the practicing dentists in Nellore urban area of Andhra Pradesh, India. Materials and methods: A self-prepared questionnaire comprising 20 questions was given to 150 dentists practicing in Nellore urban area. The information gathered was the individual irrigant selection, irrigant concentration, smear layer removal, and use of adjuncts to irrigation, gauge of needle, tip design of needle, depth of needle penetration, volume of the syringe used, volume of irrigant used, duration of irrigation, choice of irrigant in vital teeth, teeth with radiographic evidence of periapical lesion, and retreatment cases. Results: Our data indicated that majority of respondents (55.6%) are using saline as primary irrigant at a concentration of 0.9% whereas 44.4% of respondents primarily use sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), with 51.4% of them using it at a concentration of 2.6 to 4%. Twenty-six gauge needle with single-beveled tip design being most preferred for syringe irrigation. Only 59.7% of respondents aimed to remove the smear layer during endodontic treatment with only 11.9% using an adjunct to irrigation. Conclusion: Regardless of the critical nature of the irrigation step in the endodontic therapy, the results from the study were not satisfying, especially when it comes to the use of primary irrigant, adjuncts, or newer irrigating systems. Thus there is a need to regularly update and check the practices adopted by dental practitioners.
An investigation of seismic anisotropy in the lowermost mantle beneath Iceland

Iceland represents one of the most well-known examples of hotspot volcanism, but the details of how surface volcanism connects to geodynamic processes in the deep mantle remain poorly understood. Recent work has identified evidence for an ultra-low velocity zone in the lowermost mantle beneath Iceland and argued for a cylindrically symmetric upwelling at the base of a deep mantle plume. This scenario makes a specific prediction about flow and deformation in the lowermost mantle, which can potentially be tested with observations of seismic anisotropy. Here we present an investigation of seismic anisotropy in the lowermost mantle beneath Iceland, using differential shear wave splitting measurements of S–ScS and SKS–SKKS phases. We apply our techniques to waves propagating at multiple azimuths, with the goal of gaining good geographical and azimuthal coverage of the region. Practical limitations imposed by the suboptimal distribution of global seismicity at the relevant distance ranges resulted in a relatively small data set, particularly for S–ScS. Despite this, however, our measurements of ScS splitting due to lowermost mantle anisotropy clearly show a rotation of the fast splitting direction from nearly horizontal for two sets of paths that sample away from the low velocity region (implying VSH > VSV) to nearly vertical for a set of paths that sample directly beneath Iceland (implying VSV > VSH). We also find evidence for sporadic SKS–SKKS discrepancies beneath our study region; while the geographic distribution of discrepant pairs is scattered, those pairs that sample closest to the base of the Iceland plume tend to be discrepant. Our measurements do not uniquely constrain the pattern of mantle flow. However, we carried out simple ray-theoretical forward modelling for a suite of plausible anisotropy mechanisms, including those based on single-crystal elastic tensors, those obtained via effective medium modelling for partial melt scenarios, and those derived from global or regional models of flow and texture development in the deep mantle. These simplified models do not take into account details such as possible transitions in anisotropy mechanism or deformation regime, and test a simplified flow field (vertical flow beneath the plume and horizontal flow outside it) rather than more detailed flow scenarios. Nevertheless, our modelling results demonstrate that our ScS splitting observations are generally consistent with a flow scenario that invokes nearly vertical flow directly beneath the Iceland hotspot, with horizontal flow just outside this region.
Modelling Cooperative Control Problems in the Cyber Environment: Introduction to Quasi Consensus Networks

The paper introduces the novel idea of the application of quasi consensus networks to modelling networked distributed systems. Quasi consensus networks operate alike standard consensus seeking ones without requesting the information state of the contributing systems to converge to a predetermined value. The quasi consensus- modelling paradigm can be used in modelling cooperative control problems in the cyber environment when the achievement of a common value of the information state is not the ultimate goal of the systems operation.
Influences of atmospheric and oceanic low-frequency climate fluctuations on European winter surface air temperatures (1870-2010)

We isolated natural atmospheric and oceanic low-frequency climate fluctuations and its linkages with European winter surface air temperature (SAT) anomalies since 1870. Singular spectrum analysis was applied to SAT, North Atlantic sea surface temperature (SST), and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) time series. The evolution of their low-frequency components was then compared with other time-series variability such as the Arctic Oscillation. The North Atlantic SST was found to be out of phase with the Atlantic sea level pressure and European SAT, following a ~65 yr climate fluctuation reminiscent of the Atlantic multi-decadal oscillation. Atlantic positive/negative SST anomalies preceded negative/positive European SAT anomalies by ~6 yr. Moreover, milder European winters occurred when a negative Atlantic multi-decadal phase overlapped a positive Arctic Oscillation phase (i.e. 1905�1915 and 1985�2000). The quasi- decadal oscillation of SST and the NAO were in-phase and led positive/negative European SAT anomalies by approximately 1 yr. The low-frequency winter SAT variability represented 22.3% of the total variance. From the mid-1980s onward, when a rapid change in climate occurred, involv- ing milder European winters, results showed that the NAO and the Arctic Oscillation phases both remained mostly positive. A strong polar vortex dominated during this period, minimizing merid- ional air-mass exchanges during winter. The anthropogenic component of climate change could modify the Atlantic thermohaline circulation, and with it the low-frequency variability of the North Atlantic SST, as well as the Arctic Oscillation variability, due to changes in the stratospheric thermal state, as shown elsewhere. These complex interactions between the Atlantic Ocean and the overlying atmosphere could have global socio-economical impacts in Europe during the 21st century.
Ostracods as ecological and isotopic indicators of lake water salinity changes: the Lake Van example

Abstract. Ostracods are common lacustrine calcitic microfossils. Their faunal assemblage and morphological characteristics are important ecological proxies, and their valves are archives of geochemical information related to palaeoclimatic and palaeohydrological changes. In an attempt to assess ostracod ecology (taxonomic diversity and valve morphology) combined with valve geochemistry (δ18O and δ13C) as palaeosalinity indicators, we analysed sedimentary material from the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) Ahlat Ridge site from a terminal and alkaline lake, Lake Van (Turkey), covering the last 150 kyr. Despite a low species diversity, the ostracod faunal assemblage reacted sensitively to changes in the concentration of total dissolved salts in their aquatic environment. Limnocythere inopinata is present throughout the studied interval, while Limnocythere sp. A is restricted to the Last Glacial period and related to increased lake water salinity and alkalinity. The presence of species belonging to the genus Candona is limited to periods of lower salinity. Valves of Limnocytherinae species (incl. L. inopinata) display nodes (hollow protrusions) during intervals of increased salinity. Both the number of noded valves and the number of nodes per valve appear to increase with rising salinity, suggesting that node formation is related to hydrological changes (salinity and/or alkalinity). In contrast to Lake Van's bulk δ18O record, the δ18O values of ostracod valves do record relative changes of the lake volume, with lower values during high lake level periods. The δ13C values of different species reflect ostracod habitat preferences (i.e. infaunal vs. epifaunal) but are less sensitive to hydrological changes. However, combined with other proxies, decreasing Holocene δ13C values may indicate a freshening of the lake water compared to the low lake level during the Last Glacial period. The Lake Van example underscores the significance and value of coupling ostracod ecology and valve geochemistry in palaeoenvironmental studies of endorheic lake basins.
Environmental factors influencing cyst formation and preservation of organic-walled dinoflagellates: an environmental and laboratory study

Fossil dinoflagellate cyst assemblages are increasingly used in paleoclimatic research to establish palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. To obtain reliable reconstructions, it is essential to know which physical factors influence the cyst production. Most information about the relationship between variations in physical parameters and cyst production is known from middle and higher latitudes. Information from the (sub)tropics is rare. To increase this information, the temporal variation in cyst assemblages from the upwelling area off north-west Africa (off Mauritania) has been compared to environmental conditions of the upper water column. Samples were collected by the sediment trap CB9, off north-west Africa (Cape Blanc, 21°15’2’’N, 20°42’2’’W) between 11 June 1998 and 7 November 1999 at 27.5-day intervals. Off Cape Blanc, upwelling occurs throughout the year with variable intensity. This region is also characterized by frequently occurring Saharan dust storms. Seasonal variations in dust input, upwelling intensity and sea surface temperature are reflected by the production of organic-walled dinoflagellate cyst assemblages. Several cyst taxa are produced throughout the sampling interval, with the highest fluxes at times of strongest upwelling relaxation and/or dust input (Echinidinium aculeatum Zonneveld, Echinidinium delicatum Zonneveld, Echinidinium granulatum Zonneveld, Echinidinium spp., Impagidinium aculeatum (Wall) Lentin et Williams, Impagidinium sphaericum (Wall) Lentin et Williams, Protoperidinium americanum (Gran et Braarud) Balech, Protoperidinium stellatum (Wall in Wall et Dale) Rochon et al., Protoperidinium spp. , Selenopemphix nephroides (Benedek) Benedek et Sarjeant and Selenopemphix quanta (Bradford) Matsuoka). Species such as, for example, Bitectatodinium spongium (Zonneveld) Zonneveld et Jurkschat and Impagidinium patulum (Wall) Stover et Evitt do not show any production pattern related to a particular season of the year or to specific environmental conditions in the upper water column. The production of cysts of Protoperidinium monospinum (Paulsen) Zonneveld et Dale is restricted to intervals with increased nutrient concentrations in upper waters when sea surface temperatures at the sampling site is below approximately 24°C.
Remediation of a Pb-Contaminated Soil Cultivated with Rose Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) Using Nano-Zeolite

A greenhouse experiment was carried out on a sandy clay soil cultivated with rose geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) which is a hyper-accumulator plant. The experiment was in a randomized complete block design (factorial ) with two factors : (1) Zeolite application at seven levels: Z0 (no zeolite addition),nZ1 (nano zeolite 0.5 g kg -1 soil), nZ2 (nano zeolite 1.0 g kg -1 soil), nZ3 (nano zeolite 1.5 g kg soil), Z1 (ordinary zeolite 0.5 g kg -1 soil), Z2 (ordinary zeolite 1.0 g kg -1 soil), and Z3 (ordinary zeolite 1.5 g kg -1 soil) and (2) Pb pollution at two levels Pb1 (500 mg Pb kg -1 soil) and Pb2 (1000 mg Pb kg -1 soil). Pb uptake (by shoots, roots, plant) and residual Pb in soil significantly decreased due to zeolite application. The average decrease was in the following descending order: nZ3> nZ2> nZ1> Z3> Z2> Z1. Highest decrease in soil residual Pb was attributed to nZ3 (75.7%) which also had the lowest Pb uptake by shoots (76.9%), roots (70.6%), and plant (75.5%). Nano zeolite treatments were more effective than ordinary ones in decreasing residual Pb in soil (ranging from 63.39 to 75.7%); and Pb uptake by shoots(ranging from 65.2 to 76.9%), by roots (ranging from 57.8 to 70.55% ) and by plant (ranging from 63.5 to 75.5%); and increasing fresh and dry weight of shoots (ranging from 5.4 to 13.2%) and roots( ranging from 7.5 to 11.7%). The most effective treatment for plant weight (fresh and dry) was nZ1. Pb pollution significantly increased Pb uptake (by shoots, roots, and plant). Zeolite increased Pb immobilization at end of experiment with 46.0 to 83.9% immobilized in soils polluted with the low Pb rate; and with 38.7 to 80.1% in soils polluted with the high Pb rate (comparing with initial Pb applied to soil).
Half‐a‐Degree Matters for Reducing and Delaying Global Land Exposure to Combined Daytime‐Nighttime Hot Extremes

The Paris Agreement has motivated rapid analysis differentiating changes in frequency/intensity of weather and climate extremes in 1.5 versus 2 °C warmer worlds. However, implications of these global warming levels on locations, spatial scales, and emergence timings of hot spots to extremes are more relevant to policy‐making but remain strikingly under‐addressed. Based on a bivariate definitional framework, we show that compared to 2 °C, the 1.5 °C target could avoid a transition of prevailing type of summertime hot extremes from daytime‐/nighttime‐only events to combined daytime‐nighttime hot extremes in approximately 18% of global continents and protect 14–26% of land areas from seeing over threefold‐to‐tenfold increases in occurrence of combined hot extremes. This half‐a‐degree reduction also matters for around 21% of global lands, mostly within the tropics, in constraining historically unprecedented combined hot extremes from becoming the new norm within just one to three decades ahead. By contrast, previous analyses based on univariate‐defined hot days substantially underestimate the magnitude, areal extent, and emergence rate of 0.5 °C‐caused aggravation of summertime hot extremes. These projected changes of bivariate‐classified hot extremes, therefore, underline not only the imperative but also the urgency of striving for the lower Paris target.
Effect of human development index on tuberculosis incidence in Asia: An ecological study

Objective: Tuberculosis (TB) is a global health concern and is one of the main reasons responsible for the death of people by infectious diseases. We conducted this study to investigate the effect of human development index (HDI) on the incidence of TB in Asia. Methods: This ecological study was conducted in Asia to evaluate the correlation between the incidence of TB and HDI (life expectancy at birth, years of education mean and gross national income per capita). Data on TB from 2000 to 2016 were obtained from the World Bank Institution. The bivariate method and regression test were used to evaluate the correlation between incidence and mortality with HDI. Statistical analysis was conducted using Stata-14, and the significance level was considered 0.05. Results: In the recent years, the most occurrence of this disease in Eastern Asia is reported in Democratic Republic of Korea (513 persons/100,000), South-Eastern Asia in Philippines (520–590 persons/100,000), Cambodia (345–575 persons/100,000) and Timor-Leste (498 persons/100,000). A significant negative correlation was found between the incidence of TB and the HDI index in South Eastern (R = −0.609,P
Miocene potassic and adakitic intrusions in eastern central Lhasa terrane, Tibet: Implications for origin and tectonic of postcollisional magmatism

Miocene postcollisional potassic and adakitic rocks are widely distributed in the southern Lhasa terrane and western central Lhasa terrane. However, coeval potassic and adakitic rocks in eastern central Lhasa terrane were rarely recognized, and their origins and formation mechanism remain controversial. In this paper, we provide new geochronological and geochemical data for the Miocene postcollisional potassic and adakitic intrusions exposed in the Qingdu area, eastern central Lhasa terrane, southern Tibet. The Qingdu Miocene intrusions consist of quartz monzonite porphyry and biotite granite with coeval zircon U–Pb ages of 14.1 Ma and 14.0 Ma, respectively. They have high SiO2 (67.98–75.32 wt.%), Al2O3 (14.13–14.78 wt.%), and K2O (4.06–6.18 wt.%) and low MgO (0.25–1.46 wt.%) contents. They are both enriched in light rare earth elements (LREEs) and depleted in heavy rare earth elements (HREEs), with high (La/Yb)N (25.37–42.32) ratios. The biotite granite samples have low Y (7.10–9.96 ppm) and Yb (0.61–0.85 ppm) contents, and high Sr (229–384 ppm) contents and high Sr/Y (30–41) ratios, which show adakitic geochemical characteristics, whereas the quartz monzonite porphyry samples show potassic geochemical characteristics. They display initial (87Sr/86Sr)i ratios of 0.7083–0.7103, εHf(t) values of −6.7 to −0.1, εNd(t) values of −8.96 to −7.44, (208Pb/204Pb)i ratios of 39.028–39.110, (207Pb/204Pb)i ratios of 15.662–15.684, and (206Pb/204Pb)i ratios of 18.541–18.577. These signatures indicate that both the potassic and adakitic intrusions are more likely to originate from partial melting of a thickened lower crust, which were mainly the products of the binary mixing between the juvenile and ancient crust components. Based on the spatial distributions and isotopic features of the postcollisional potassic and adakitic rocks in the Lhasa terrane, we suggest that the differences of the lower crustal composition played a crucial role in causing the geochemical variations of the Miocene postcollisional adakitic and potassic rocks in Lhasa terrane.
Impact of data resolution on meteorological fields over the polar regions

Improvements to numerical weather prediction (NWP) models are actively pursued in the arenas of improved data inputs (through data assimilation), model physics (through field campaigns and process studies) and improved numerics. Additionally, it is often assumed that increasing the model resolution will also lead to improved analyses and forecasts as a matter of course, especially for severe weather events.
Epidemiologic Profile of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Between 2010 - 2016 in an Endemic Area of Fars Province, South Iran

Background: Leishmaniasiscontainsagroupof zoonoticdiseasesthatiscausedbyinfectedphlebotominesandﬂieswithﬂagellate protozoa of the genus Leishmania . Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine some epidemiological aspects of patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis referring to Marvdasht health center, Fars Province, Iran. Methods: Demographic and clinical data of all patients recorded in Marvdasht Health Center, the Infectious Diseases Unit from 2010 to 2016. Results: 7418 conﬁrmed cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis referred to health centers for receiving treatment. The mean age of the patients was 32.9 ± 26.9 year and the incidence of disease in men was higher than women. The age group was 21 to 30 years old (22.9%) had the most cases. The average duration of exposure to detection of the disease was 4.9 ± 1.38 months. The prevalence of wetlesionswassigniﬁcantlyhigherthandrylesions,andtheaveragesizeof thelesionswas4.27cm. Theaveragenumberof lesions was1.58perperson,andmostof themwereinhands(39.6%)andfeet(21.4%). Theincidenceof diseasewashigherintheautumnthan other seasons and it occurred more in rural areas. Conclusions: Marvdasht city is an endemic area of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Iran. Our results showed that the number of cases reportedhasﬂuctuatedinrecentyears. Therefore,itisveryimportantforthehealthsystemtoimplementanaccurateandeﬀective continuous monitoring strategy for this important vector-borne disease in this part of the country.
Observed Impacts of Anthropogenic Climate Change on Wildfire in California

Recent fire seasons have fueled intense speculation regarding the effect of anthropogenic climate change on wildfire in western North America and especially in California. During 1972–2018, California experienced a fivefold increase in annual burned area, mainly due to more than an eightfold increase in summer forest‐fire extent. Increased summer forest‐fire area very likely occurred due to increased atmospheric aridity caused by warming. Since the early 1970s, warm‐season days warmed by approximately 1.4 °C as part of a centennial warming trend, significantly increasing the atmospheric vapor pressure deficit (VPD). These trends are consistent with anthropogenic trends simulated by climate models. The response of summer forest‐fire area to VPD is exponential, meaning that warming has grown increasingly impactful. Robust interannual relationships between VPD and summer forest‐fire area strongly suggest that nearly all of the increase in summer forest‐fire area during 1972–2018 was driven by increased VPD. Climate change effects on summer wildfire were less evident in nonforested lands. In fall, wind events and delayed onset of winter precipitation are the dominant promoters of wildfire. While these variables did not change much over the past century, background warming and consequent fuel drying is increasingly enhancing the potential for large fall wildfires. Among the many processes important to California's diverse fire regimes, warming‐driven fuel drying is the clearest link between anthropogenic climate change and increased California wildfire activity to date.