Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quaternary Sedimentation and Subsidence History of Lake Baikal, Siberia, Based on Seismic Stratigraphy and Coring

The long, continuous, high-latitude, stratigraphic record of Lake Baikal was deposited in three broad sedimentary environ- ments, defined by high-resolution seismic-reflection and coring meth- ods: (1) turbidite depositional systems, by far the most widespread, characterizing most of the margins and floors of the main basins of the lake, (2) large deltas of major drainages, and (3) tectonically or topographically isolated ridges and banks. Holocene sedimentation rates based on radiocarbon ages vary by more than an order of mag- nitude among these environments, from less than about 0.03 mm/yr on ridges and banks to more than about 0.3 mm/yr on basin floors. Ex- trapolating these rates, with a correction for compaction, yields ten- tative estimates of about 25 and 11 Ma for the inception of rifting in the Central and North basins, respectively, and less than 6 Ma for the 200-m sediment depth on Academician Ridge. The Selenga Delta has the distinctive form of a classic prograding Gilbert-type delta, but its history appears to represent a complex com- bination of tectonism and sedimentation. The central part of the delta is underlain by prograding, shallow-water sequences, now several hun- dred meters below the lake surface. These deposits and much of the delta slope are mantled by fine-grained, deep-water, hemipelagic de- posits whose base is estimated to be about 650,000 years old. Modern coarse-grained sediment bypasses the delta slope through fault-con- trolled canyons that feed large, subaqueous fans at the ends of the South and Central basins. These relations, along with abundant other evidence of recent faulting and the great depths of the Central and South basins, suggest that these two rift basins have experienced a period of unusually rapid subsidence over the last 650,000 years, dur- ing at least part of which sedimentation has failed to keep pace.
Impact of Climate Change on Extreme Rainfall across the United States

AbstractChanges in climate may alter extreme rainfall intensity in most regions. In order to incorporate potential future changes, tools for planning and design should be capable of considering nonstationary climate conditions. In this study, potential changes in intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curves, which are often used for assessment of extreme rainfall events, were explored using climate model historic runs, reanalysis runs, and future climate projections. The concept of the adjustment factor, which represents the general ability of climate models in representing the reanalysis data that is a reasonable estimate of actual gridded historical climate at the model grid scale, was applied to investigate potential impacts of climate change on IDF curves. For most of the study regions, future climate projections suggested an increase in the intensity of extreme storms for a given return period and duration with strong regional variations. The results also revealed the dependence of the adjustment factor.
Spatial analysis of tuberculosis in four main ethnic communities in Taiwan during 2005 to 2009

The aim of the present study was to assess spatial features of tuberculosis prevalence and their relationships with four main ethnic communities in Taiwan. Methods of spatial analysis were clustering pattern determination (such as global version of Moran’s test and local version of Gi*(d) statistic), using logistic regression calculations to identify spatial distributions over a contiguous five years and identify significant similarities, discriminant analysis to classify variables, and geographically weighted regression (GWR) to determine the strength of relationships between tuberculosis prevalence and ethnic variables in spatial features. Tuberculosis demonstrated decreasing trends in prevalence in both genders during 2005 to 2009. All results of the global Moran’s tests indicated spatial heterogeneity and clusters in the plain and mountainous Aboriginal townships. The Gi*(d) statistic calculated z-score outcomes, categorized as clusters or non-clusters, at at 5% significance level. According to the stepwise Wilks’ lambda discriminant analysis, in the Aborigines and Hoklo communities townships with clusters of tuberculosis cases differentiated from townships without cluster cases, to a greater extent than in the other communities. In the GWR models, the explanatory variables demonstrated significant and positive signs of parameter estimates in clusters occurring in plain and mountainous aboriginal townships. The explanatory variables of both the Hoklo and Hakka communities demonstrated significant, but negative, signs of parameter estimates. The Mainlander community did not significantly associate with cluster patterns of tuberculosis in Taiwan. Results indicated that locations of high tuberculosis prevalence closely related to areas containing higher proportions of the Aboriginal community in Taiwan. This information is relevant for assessment of spatial risk factors, which, in turn, can facilitate the planning of the most advantageous types of health care policies, and implementation of effective health care services.
Variability of remote sensing reflectance and implications for optical remote sensing—A study along the eastern and northeastern waters of Arabian Sea

Situated in the eastern and northeastern regions and subjected to similar oceanic processes, the inshore waters north of 20°N and east of 65°E are more optically complex than the offshore waters and waters south of 20°N and east of 65°E. This has been observed through the analysis of variations of the remote sensing reflectance (Rrs(λ)) in the optical spectrum of Electromagnetic radiation. The optical complexity has further been studied through the examination of optically active substances (OAS) such as chlorophyll_a, suspended sediment and coloured dissolved organic matter (CDOM). It is found that CDOM is the significant component in making the area optically non‐linear. For the first time multi‐spatial/temporal band‐ratio algorithms are developed to map OAS from these waters through Ocean Colour Monitor flown on IRS – P4 satellite.
A New Perspective for the Future of Male Infertility Treatment and Research

Fertility and childbirth have been one of the basic needs throughout the human life, which in some cases are failed despite the couple's long efforts. Infertility is defined as the disability of childbearing following one year of unprotected intercourse. Infertility has a prevalence of 10-15% among couples at the reproductive age and therefore it is one of the almost common illnesses for individuals. According to evidence based clinical data, the female and male partners’ role in causes of infertility are approximately equivalent. But the male’s and female’s role in infertility has been unrealistically underestimated or overemphasized in different communities. In fact, the common practice is ignoring the men's role in the causes of infertility and to highlight the role of women in infertility. But over the time and advancement of infertility diagnosis and treatment, the insights into the causes and role of male and female in infertility have become more realistic (1). A quick review on number of researches in each area of male factor and female factor infertility over the past 50 years is also evidence of this fact.
Carbon balance of the Breton Classical Plots over half a century

We related C input and management to soil organic C (SOC) dynamics over 51 yr (1939-1990). We used two rotations from the Breton Classical Plots at Breton, Canada, on a Typic Cryoboralf: (i) wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-fallow (WF) and (ii) wheat-oat (Avena sativa L.)-barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)-hay (primarily alfalfa, Medicago sativa L.)-hay (WOBHH), in factorial combination with three fertility levels: no added fertilizer[Nil], N-P-K-S fertilizers[F], and farmyard manure[M]. Net aboveground C productivity (NAGCP, kg ha-1 yr-1) averaged 576 in WF-Nil and 1078 in WF-F and SOC decreased in both, but NAGCP averaged 1208 in WF-M, where SOC increased. A NAGCP of 853 in WOBHH-Nil maintained SOC, while both 1831 in WOBHH-F and 1714 in WOBHH-M increased SOC. After 51 yr, WOBHH-M had 25 Mg ha-1 more SOC than did WF-Nil. Because of contrasting decay rates and root/shoot ratios, C input needed to maintain the original SOC was twofold greater in WF than in WOBHH, which required a fourfold in crease in NAGCP to attain these inputs. A three-compartment model fitted to the data suggested loss of C from the active compartments and gain of C by the passive compartments. Inputs of C that maintained SOC over 51 yr would leadmore » to a steady state of 2.9 times more C than in 1939, an d26% higher than the native SOC content. Return of 30% of the crop C as manure would sustain SOC sequestration in all WOBHH rotations with NAGCP> 400 kg ha-1 yr-1 and in those WF rotations with NAGCP> 1000 kg ha-1 yr-1. « less
Middle Pleistocene Climate Change in the Colorado Rocky Mountains Indicated by Fossil Mammals from Porcupine Cave

Abstract Fossiliferous sediments from The Pit Locality in Porcupine Cave, Park County, Colorado, span multiple glacial and interglacial cycles between ca. 800,000 and 400,000 yr B.P. at 2900 m elevation. The uppermost cycle probably represents oxygenisotope glacial Stage 12 (stratigraphic Levels 4 and 3) and interglacial Stage 11 (Levels 3, 2, and 1) as determined by arvicoline biostratigraphic data that place the sequence between 487,000 and 365,000 yr B.P. A no-analog assemblage comprising the bog lemming Mictomys meltoni (of the M. borealis lineage) and the sagebrush vole Lemmiscus curtatus (=Lagurus curtatus) characterizes both the glacial and the interglacial deposits. Climatographs for these two species suggest that, compared to present conditions, the following local climatic limits can be imposed on oxygenisotope Stages 12 and 11: (1) January effective moisture was greater, resulting from average temperatures of at least 5°C cooler and/or at least 15 mm more precipitation; (2) January solar radiation was lower by at least 75 Langleys; (3) effective July solar radiation might have been lower by at least 50 Langleys. Seasonal temperature extremes were not necessarily different from those of the present, but seasonal precipitation was more equable. Relative abundance of mammal taxa and sedimentological data indicate that aridity increased at the onset of the interglacial.
Decomposition of multicomponent ocean-bottom data: inversion for the sub-bottom parameters

Summary The aim of wavefield decomposition of multicomponent seismic ocean-bottom data, is to separate the measurements into upand downgoing P- and S-waves. To accomplish this separation, the medium parameters (compressional wave velocity , shear wave velocity and density ) just below the receiver level need to be known. In this paper, estimates of these parameters have been obtained from the data itself. Using an adaptive decomposition scheme, least-squares decomposition filters are obtained. These filters are inverted into sub-bottom parameters. For the inversion two forward models for the ocean-bottom were investigated. In the first model, the direct arrival and the deeper reflection events are well separated in time. The second model consists of a thin layer beneath the ocean-bottom. Reverberations inside the thin layer interfere with the first arrival. For both models velocity and density estimates were obtained.
Assessing potential of MODIS derived temperature/vegetation condition index (TVDI) to infer soil moisture status

High‐resolution soil moisture holds the key to improving weather forecast, drought monitoring and hydrological modelling. Therefore, the present study investigates the potential of the temperature/vegetation dryness index (TVDI) from the MODIS to assess soil moisture status in sub‐humid parts of India (western Uttar Pradesh). The TVDI was calculated by parameterizing the normalized difference vegetation index–surface temperature space from 8 day MODIS reflectance and surface temperature products. Correlation and regression analysis was carried out to relate the TVDI against in‐situ measured soil moisture during early (April) and peak (October) stages of growth in sugarcane crop. Spatio‐temporal patterns in the TVDI shows that northern areas had more surface wetness compared to southern areas. The results further reveal that a significantly strong and negative relationship exists between the TVDI and in‐situ soil moisture, particularly when vegetation cover is sparse. The dryness index was also found satisfactory to capture the temporal variation in the surface moisture status in terms of antecedent precipitation index.
Interannual Bottom Pressure Signals in the Australian–Antarctic and Bellingshausen Basins

AbstractAnalyses of large-scale (>750 km) ocean bottom pressure pb fields, derived from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and from an Estimating the Circulation & Climate of the Ocean (ECCO) state estimate, reveal enhanced interannual variability, partially connected to the Antarctic Oscillation, in regions of the Australian–Antarctic Basin and the Bellingshausen Basin, with pb magnitudes comparable to those of sea level and good correlation between the GRACE and ECCO pb series. Consistent with the theory of Gill and Niiler, the patterns of stronger pb variability are partly related to enhanced local wind curl forcing and weakened gradients in H/f, where H is ocean depth and f is the Coriolis parameter. Despite weaker H/f gradients, motions against them are sufficiently strong to play a role in balancing the local wind input. Topographic effects are as or more important than changes in f. Additionally, and contrary to the dominance of barotropic processes at subannual time scales, barocl.
Regions where lightning flashes began

Regions where 773 flashes began during 13 thunderstorms were located by calculating centroids of the sources of the first six or 10 VHF pulses that were emitted by each flash. Sources were located by measuring differences in the times at which their pulses arrived at five widely spaced receivers stationed on the ground. We found that the distribution of origin heights was bimodal with peaks at 5.3 and 9.2 km above mean sea level (amsl). Standard errors in the coordinates of flash origins were estimated to be 20–80 m in X and Y and 160–240 m in the height coordinate Z. There were 431 flashes in the lower group and 342 in the higher. Flashes in the lower group were more numerous in 10 storms; in three storms, high flashes were in the majority. There was evidence to suggest that this condition depended partly on the phase of the host thunderstorm. Recorded E field changes produced by 165 flashes whose paths we had mapped convinced us that the vast majority of the 773 flashes, including the 342 high flashes, had also been negative. Flash origins tended to cluster in regions that were a few kilometers or less in horizontal diameter. Densities of flash origins in these regions ranged from 1.25 to 25 km−3. The origins of 658 flashes were mapped onto radar precipitation patterns of their host storms. We found that 66% of the flashes began within one picture element, approximately 270 m, of the contours for 20 dBZ; 27% began inside these contours, and most of these began at edges of high-reflectivity cores. The remaining 7% began outside the 20-dBZ contours. Similar results (73%: 19%: 8%) were obtained for 276 high flashes that began at heights above 7.4 km amsl, but 195 ground flashes scored 54%: 36%: 9% and showed a greater tendency to begin inside the 20-dBZ contours. The distribution of distances between origins and their nearest 20-dBZ contours showed a marked peak near zero. We concluded that charge-density in thunderclouds was affected by the presence of heavy precipitation and that 20-dBZ surfaces enclosed regions that carried excess negative charge.
The water balance of an arctic lake and its dependence on climate change: Tvillingvatnet in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard

Lake Tvillingvatnet is the water supply to the arctic research settlement Ny-Ålesund in Svalbard. In the period 1920-1930 it was observed that the lake received groundwater from a sandstone-aquifer underlying the lake. Recent water balance studies indicate that there is no longer any groundwater flow of that type into the lake. This change can be explained by a warmer climate resulting in a fast retreat of the glaciers after the Little Ice Age. Large amounts of melt water combined with a steep hydraulic gradient may have caused partial melting of permafrost along the front of the Brøggerbreen Glacier, which was situated c . 0.5 km west of Lake Tvillingvatnet at that time. Today, the glacier front is more than a kilometre SW of the lake. The formation of new permafrost has resulted in freezing of the previously active groundwater outflow channels. The present flow of water into Tvillingvatnet during the autumn is probably due to shallow groundwater in the active layer along the talus of the Zeppelinfjellet Mountain.
Environmental Evaluation: Fuzzy Impact Aggregation

This article reviews some of the theory of fuzzy sets or subsets and illus­ trates, by way of a simple example, an application to environmental impact assessment. INTRODUCTION Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a formalized approach for assessing the positive and negative impacts of a development project on human welfare and on the environment and provides information which can be used to determine whether project characteristics conform to statutory requirements or are perceived as being acceptable [ 1 ]. The range of methodologies available to assist EIA can be classified as identification methods, predictive methods or evaluation methods [2]. Identification methods commonly record the presence or absence of impacts, while predictive methods estimate the likely magnitude of impacts distributed in space and time. Evaluation methods attempt to assess the "aggregate worth" of projects in human and environmental terms. These are commonly either qualita­ tivelyor quantitatively-oriented. Each approach has its advocates, though a middle ground approach has been proposed [3]. Evaluation methods often employ the additive weighting format, which involves forming the weighted sum of quantified environmental impacts. For example, the Battelle Environmental Evaluation System [4] and methods proposed by Odum [5], Sondheim [6], and Prasartseree [7] are examples of additive weighting. In addition, Allett proposed an additive weighting method which involved aggregating environmental impacts distributed spatially in terms of a grid system [8]. 191 © 1995, Baywood Publishing Co., Inc. doi: 10.2190/JTXG-JRWJ-TE8W-XQBL http://baywood.com
Density measurements of liquid Fe‐S alloys at high‐pressure

We present the first static measurements of the density of metallic liquids in the Fe‐S system in the pressure and temperature range 1.5 GPa–6.2 GPa and 1500 K–1780 K. Density is inferred from X‐ray absorption experiments carried out with a large volume press at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. It is shown that increasing the amount of sulfur in liquid iron decreases the bulk incompressibility by −2.5 GPa per 1 weight% of S. These data are important for constraining the presence and amount of sulfur in the cores of small planetary bodies.
Some late Wenlock and Ludlow monograptid graptolites, Cornwallis Island, Arctic Canada

Seven species of uncompressed latest Wenlock and Ludlow monograptid graptolites, isolated from calcareous concretions, are described and illustrated. The biostratigraphically important species "Pristiograptus" ludensis, of latest Wenlock age, and Saetograptus fritschi linearis and Monograptus ceratus, of mid-Ludlow age, are illustrated in uncompressed form for the first time. The remaining species described include Bohemograptus bohemicus tenuis, Colonograptus colonus, Saetograptus ex gr. chimaera, and Pristiograptus dalejensis, all of Ludlow age. The last-named species is the most common but is biostratigraphically long ranging.
Hydrological and hydraulics modelling to assess mitigation effectiveness of floodplain reconnection in the context of a mountain river

Abstract Engineering projects combining protection against floods and reconnection of diked areas to the natural flooding regime are very complex and difficult to design at large scale. By using hydrological and hydraulics modelling, engineer and scientists should be able to assess the effectiveness of strategies based on detention in natural or restored floodplains. Flood modelling is based on fine topographic data set on the whole floodplain. Digital Elevation Models with very good altimetric accuracy are now available thanks to airborne laser surveys. Two points must be carefully dealt with in the modelling: unsteady flow simulations must be performed in order to take into account the dynamic storage on floodplain, the hydrographs used as input must be designed in order to yield peak flows of given frequency. We used a stochastic model for hourly rainfall, coupled with a conceptual rainfall‐runoff model, to compute many hydrographs for different catchments scales. We built hydrographs which have the same peak flow frequency anywhere along the river. By comparing different restoration scenarios, we can assess the hydrological effectiveness of re‐entering river waters onto floodplains. For mountain rivers, floodplain reconnection can be advocated to preserve water quality and floodplain biodiversity, but is not a good solution to improve flood mitigation.
Emergent synergistic lysosomal toxicity of chemical mixtures in 1 molluscan blood cells ( hemocytes ) 2 3

17 The problem of effective assessment of risk posed by complex mixtures of toxic chemicals in 18 the environment is a major challenge for government regulators and industry. The biological 19 effect of the individual contaminants, where these are known, can be measured; but the 20 problem lies in relating toxicity to the multiple constituents of contaminant cocktails. The 21 objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that diverse contaminant mixtures may 22 cause a greater toxicity than the sum of their individual parts, due to synergistic interactions 23 between contaminants with different intracellular targets. Lysosomal membrane stability in 24 hemocytes from marine mussels was used for in vitro toxicity tests; and was coupled with 25 analysis using the isobole method and a linear additive statistical model. The findings from 26 both methods have shown significant emergent synergistic interactions between 27 environmentally relevant chemicals (i.e., polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pesticides, 28 biocides and a surfactant) when exposed to isolated hemocytes as a mixture of 3 & 7 29 constituents. The results support the complexity-based hypothesis that emergent toxicity 30 occurs with increasing contaminant diversity, and raises questions about the validity of 31 estimating toxicity of contaminant mixtures based on the additive toxicity of single 32 components. Further experimentation is required to investigate the potential for interactive 33 effects in mixtures with more constituents (e.g., 50 –100) at more environmentally realistic 34 concentrations in order to test other regions of the model, namely, very low concentrations 35 and high diversity. Estimated toxicant diversity coupled with tests for lysosomal damage may 36 provide a potential tool for determining the toxicity of estuarine sediments, dredge spoil or 37 contaminated soil. 38 39 Two line capsule of paper: 40 Synergistic interactions have been observed in mixtures of toxic chemicals and relatively non41 toxic chemicals increase the toxicity of the mixture. Toxicity increases with chemical diversity. 42 43