Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Valutazioni sull'impiego della fotogrammetria sferica nella costruzione di modelli digitali 3D: l’oratorio della chiesa di Santa Caterina a Zejtun (Malta).

The use of spherical images for the documentation of architecture is a long-established reality, but only recently we are witnessing the implementation of procedures and the development of software to extract metric information from architectural buildings. This paper investigates the helpfulness and the potential to use spherical images in digital photogrammetry for 3D-models construction through the techniques of image-based 3D modeling. The used metric data are acquired as part of a study of some stone-cut buildings made in Malta between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. Specifically, we describe the methodologies of modeling and comparison of metric information regarding the interior spaces of the Oratory of the Blessed Sacrament annexed to St. Catherine’s Parish Church in Zejtun.
Crosswell seismic imaging in the Buena Vista Hills, San Joaquin Valley: A case history

In March 1997 we acquired four crosswell seismic profiles in a five-well pattern in the Buena Vista (BV) Hills oil field in California’s southern San Joaquin Valley (SJV). The profiles were acquired in a proposed CO2 pilot area as part of the Department of Energy’s Class III Reservoirs Program. One factor that contributed to the success of this survey is that a newly drilled well (653Z) in the center of the pattern is not open to the reservoir and is a relatively quiet one for placement of the receivers.
Arc-tholeiite and ultramafic cumulate, Brook Street Volcanics, west O'Urvilie Island, New Zealand

Abstract Typically porphyritic basaltic to basaltic andesitic pyroclastic rocks (mainly tuff, tuffbreccia and agglomerate), together with subordinate massive and pillowed lava flows, dikes, and interbedded volcaniclastic sediments, comprise the 2400 m thick sequence of Brook Street Volcanics at west D'Urville Island, New Zealand. The Brook Street rocks show a trend of moderate iron enrichment and possess anomalously low Ti, Zr, and Nb abundances, as well as low Zr/Y, Ti/Y, and Nb/Zr ratios, features typical of island arc tholeiites. Rare earth element (REE) abundance patterns are relatively unfractionated and show only slight light rare earth element (LREE) enrichment. The lack of Eu anomalies, as well as the increase of Al2O3 contents with decreasing MgO and the large range of Ni and Cr contents, indicate that fractionation was dominated by ferromagnesian phases over most of the observed range of compositions, typical of island-arc tholeiitic suites. Some of the basalts possess ankaramitic affinities. Ve.
RÉGIMEN TÉRMICO Y VARIABILIDAD ESPACIAL DE LA CAPA ACTIVA EN ISLA DECEPCION, ANTÁRTIDA

Thermal regime and spatial variability of the active layer in Deception Island, Antarctica The Circumpolar Active Layer Monitoring (CALM) program developed over the last two decades has a leading edge in com- prehensive efforts to study the impacts of climate change in permafrost environments. This paper describes results obtained during the last six years, on the active layer thickness, thermal regime and spatial patterns of thaw, at the CALM-S Irizar, Cra- ter Lake and Refugio Chileno sites in Deception Island. In Irizar and Refugio Chileno CALM-S sites the active layer depth varied interannually without any clear trend over the short record available. By contrast, Crater Lake CALM-S showed a slight thinning trend. In all sites, the spatial patterns of thaw and active layer thickness were mainly controlled by snow cover conditions, lithology and the effect of aspect on wind. The relief, the detailed topography and the effect of aspect on solar radiation also exert a local control over its patterns. Air temperature and snow cover controlled the thermal state of active layer. In absence of snow, the use of depth penetration model of the 0 oC isotherm allowed approximated satisfactorily active layer thickness.
Strength of the H2O near-infrared absorption bands in hydrated minerals: Effects of measurement geometry

[1] Quantitative effects of incidence and emergence angles variations on the 1.9- and 3-μm H2O bands are experimentally investigated for two hydrated minerals: smectite and altered volcanic tuff. Near-infrared bidirectional reflectance spectra are measured with various incidence and emergence angles leading to phase angles varying between 10° and 140°. We observe a decrease of both band strengths when phase angle increases. The relationship between band strength and phase angle depends on both the absorption intensity, i.e., strong or weak band, and the particle size of the material. We compare experimental results with radiative transfer modeling with optical constants of a smectite. Numerical models can reproduce the changes in band strength with incidence and emergence angles if the value of the single particle scattering anisotropy varies over the absorption band. We attribute this wavelength-dependent scattering effect to enhanced surface scattering within the absorption bands compared to volume scattering outside the bands. Relative variations of band strength induced by measurement geometry variations can reach tens of percent at high phase angle. Therefore these effects have to be taken into account when mapping spectral parameters on a planetary surface or comparing spectral parameters between two surfaces if measurement geometries are subject to large variations.
Inherent correlation between decreased marine sedimentary phosphorus and glacial atmospheric CO2 decline

The environmental and biogeochemical information implicated by a sediment column from the northern shelf of the South China Sea suggests that the vertical phosphorus variation in the sediment column bares a negative correlation with those of calcium carbonate and cadmium. The functional correlation between CO2 and PO43− in seawater is given by calculating a series of chemical equilibriums, indicating a coupling relationship between the accumulation of marine sedimentary P and the atmospheric CO2 change. The decreased P accumulation in marine sediments correlated to the increase of marine primary production during the glacial period might act as a key factor causing glacial atmospheric CO2 decline.
Ultra-compact imaging spectrometer for the lunar surface (UCIS-Moon): instrument alignment and laboratory optical performance

The Ultra-Compact Imaging Spectrometer Moon (UCIS-Moon) instrument is a pushbroom shortwave infrared (SWIR) imaging spectrometer prototype developed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), California Institute of Technology under the Development and Advancement of Lunar Instrumentation (DALI) program. It is designed for integration with a lander or rover for lunar surface science missions. Operating over a 0.6 to 3.6 micron spectral range with 10 nm sampling and a 36 degree field of view, UCIS-Moon is capable of detecting spectral absorptions from common lunar materials, OH species, molecular H2O, water ice, organics, and placing mineral identifications within an established geologic context at the cm to m scale. We discuss instrument assembly, alignment, and measured laboratory optical performance, which meets or exceeds the high-uniformity and high-resolution requirements while achieving a wide spectral range, field of view, and environmental tolerance, with limited mass and power resources. As such, the UCIS-Moon imaging spectrometer is well-suited to address key science questions about lunar geology, the abundance, sources, and sinks of volatiles at the Moon, and the distribution of possible in situ resources for future human exploration.
Using the Child's Environment To Teach at Home and School. ERIC/CSMEE Digest.

Using the Child's Environment To Teach at Home and School. ERIC/CSMEE Digest. 1 BASIC PRINCIPLES OF ECOLOGY. 2 WHAT IS THE "HOME"? 2 TEACHING ENVIRONMENT THROUGH THE HOME. 3 LIVING AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE--CONSUMERISM.5 ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES. 6 REFERENCES. 6
An intracloud lightning parameterization scheme for a storm electrification model

The parameterization of an intracloud lightning discharge has been implemented in our Storm Electrification Model. The initiation, propagation direction, and termination of the discharge are computed using the magnitude and direction of the electric field vector as the determining criteria. The charge redistribution due to the lightning is approximated assuming the channel to be an isolated conductor with zero net charge over its entire length. Various simulations involving differing amounts of charge transferred and distribution of charges have been done. Values of charge transfer, dipole moment change, and electrical energy dissipation computed in the model are consistent with observations. The effects of the lightning-produced ions on the hydrometeor charges and electric field components depend strongly on the amount of charge transferred. A comparison between the measured electric field change of an actual intracloud flash and the field change due to the simulated discharge shows favorable agreement. Limitations of the parameterization scheme are discussed.
Effect of Botulinum Toxin on Masticatory Muscle Pain in Patients with Temporomandibular Disorders: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of botulinum toxin type A (BoNT/A) in patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) associated with masticatory muscle pain (MMP) and headaches. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study is the first clinical trial to evaluate both disorders simultaneously. Twenty-one patients with myogenous TMD were randomly assigned to two groups. The experimental and control groups received injections of either BoNT/A or saline into the sites showing tenderness after palpation of a total of 16 muscle areas, including each masseter, a temporalis, splenius capitis, sternocleidomastoid, and trapezius muscle. During each visit, the clinical effects, based on the intensity of orofacial pain (OVAS), headache (HVAS), number of tender points (TPs), maximum mouth opening (MMO), and headache frequency (HF), were evaluated at four time points, namely, pre-injection and 4, 8, and 12 weeks after the injection, in both groups. Friedman and Mann–Whitney tests were used for the analyses. In the experimental group, the reductions in OVAS, TP, HVAS, and HF showed significant differences over time, excluding MMO, whereas there was no significant difference in any of the variables in the control group. In addition, the decline in TPs was significantly different between the experimental and control groups at all time points, especially after 4 and 12 weeks, compared to that during pre-injection. In conclusion, treatment with BoNT/A was relatively effective for masticatory muscle pain caused by TMDs and headache compared to the saline placebo.
The first shelly fauna from metamorphic rocks of the Sierras Pampeanas (La Cébila Formation, Sierra de Ambato, Argentina): age and paleogeographic implications

In Argentina, Cambro-Ordovician shelly faunas are confined to the Precordillera, Famatina and Northwestern basins within the present-day Andean belt. Outside the Andes, fossiliferous rocks are known only from the Tandilia System, in the Buenos Aires province. These rocks, however, though rich in Ordovician trace fossils, are barren in body fossils. The Sierras Pampeanas of central Argentina are a series of mountainous ridges bounded by reverse faults, uplifted during the Tertiary Andean Orogeny in response to the flat-subduction of the Nazca plate at this latitude (Jordan et al., 1983). This basement complex is largely composed of lowto high-grade polymetamorphic rocks and extensive granitoid plutons whose Mesoproterozoic to early Paleozoic ages were based essentially on U-Pb isotopic data (Pankhurst and Rapela, 1998 and references therein). Here we provide the first report of a shelly fauna from metamorphic rocks of the Sierras Pampeanas, consisting of numerous, relatively well-preserved rhynchonelliformean brachiopod valves, and a few trilobite and bivalve remains. This fauna allows to better constrain the age of the La Cébila Formation and sheds new light on the lower Paleozoic paleogeography and depositional history of the Gondwana margin. Moreover, this discovery opens new and exciting perspectives for searching fossils in the metamorphic rocks formerly considered of Neoproterozoic-Cambrian age exposed in large areas between 27° S and 33° S, through Tucumán, Catamarca, La Rioja, Córdoba and San Luis provinces. Specimens illustrated in this paper are housed in the paleontological collection of Centro de Investigaciones Paleobiológicas (CIPAL), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina (prefix CEGHUNC).
Diagnostic yield of pipelle biopsy in detection of endometrial carcinoma in patients with abnormal uterine bleeding

Introduction: Endometrial carcinoma is the type of cancer of the female genital tract that occurs most frequently. Pipelle is an excellent method for screening and diagnostic purposes and has a high degree of sensitivity and specificity for the detection of endometrial carcinoma. Objective: To determine the diagnostic yield of pipelle biopsy in detection of endometrial carcinoma in patients with abnormal uterine bleeding. Methodology: The current cross-sectional (Descriptive) study was carried out at the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology in Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar. The study duration was one years from December 2021 to December 2022. From all of the women who fulfilled the inclusion criteria, biopsy were performed on an outpatient basis. Performa developed for this study was used to record all the data. SPSS version 17.0 was used to input the data and evaluate the results. Results: A total of 107 women presenting with abnormal uterine bleeding were included in the study. Average age of the patients was 54.52 years with standard deviation of ±8.16. The Diagnostic yield in patients with abnormal uterine bleeding was observed in 99(92.52%). Conclusion: Our research shows that pipelle is a good device for diagnosing carcinoma in patients with abnormal uterine bleeding.
Review of the Pilbara Craton and Fortescue Basin, Western Australia: Crustal evolution providing environments for early life

The oldest part of the Pilbara Craton is 3.80–3.55 Ga crust. Between 3.53 and 3.22 Ga, mantle plume activity resulted in eight successive volcanic cycles forming the Pilbara Supergroup. Large volumes of granitic magma were intruded during the same period. By 3.22 Ga, a thick continental crust, the East Pilbara Terrane, had been established. Between 3.22 and 3.16 Ga, rifting of the East Pilbara Terrane separated off two additional terranes (Karratha and Kurrana), with intervening basins of oceanic crust. After 3.16 Ga, the three terranes began to converge, resulting in both obduction of oceanic crust (Regal Terrane) and, in another area, subduction to form a 3.13 Ga island arc (Sholl Terrane). At 3.07 Ga, the Karratha, Regal, and Sholl Terranes collided to form the West Pilbara Superterrane, and this collided with the East Pilbara Terrane. The 3.05–2.93 Ga De Grey Superbasin was deposited as a succession of basins: Gorge Creek, Whim Creek, Mallina, and Mosquito Creek. Eventual closure of the basins, between 2.94 and 2.93 Ga, formed two separate orogenic belts on either side of the East Pilbara Terrane. Post‐orogenic granites were intruded between 2.89 and 2.83 Ga. The 2.78–2.63 Ga Fortescue Basin developed in four stages: (i) rifting of the Pilbara Craton; (ii) folding and erosion; (iii) large igneous province (LIP) volcanism; and (iv) marine sedimentation on a passive margin. A review of all known evidence for early life in the Pilbara Craton is provided. In hydrothermal settings, most of the evidence occurs as filamentous and spheroidal microfossils, organic carbon, microbial mats, and rare stromatolites. By contrast, shallow‐water marine sedimentary rocks contain a diverse range of stromatolites, and microbial mats. Lacustrine and shallow‐water marine carbonate rocks in the Fortescue Basin contain abundant and morphologically diverse stromatolites, widespread microbial mats, and organic carbon.
THE ATMOSPHERIC NITROGEN BUDGET OVER THE SOUTH AFRICAN HIGHVELD

Molecular nitrogen is a highly abundant element in the atmosphere; it is stable and not very reactive. Anthropogenic activities have caused greater concentrations of nitrogencontaining compounds that are highly reactive and ultimately toxic. Reactive nitrogen concentrations have become a growing concern on the South African Highveld, with satellite images indicating very high nitrogen dioxide concentrations in the region. This study investigates the nitrogen budget on the Highveld through the analysis of the nitrogen species emitted into the atmosphere on a temporal scale as well as the atmospheric conversion, transport and removal of these species. Data was collected at Elandsfontein monitoring site, which is centrally located on the industrialised Highveld. The formation and interaction of nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and nitrate (NO3) are a major focus in the study. NOx concentrations are higher in winter (6.5 to 8.5 μg.m) as a result of stable atmospheric conditions. NO3 concentrations also peak during winter (3.5 to 5.5 μg.m), with a distinct biomass burning peak during July and August. Diurnally, NOx concentrations indicate a tall-stack industrial source, with concentrations peaking at midday. NO3 concentrations are higher at night and lower during the day, as during the day the NO3 radical is rapidly photolysed and nitrates cannot be produced. Case studies indicate that the conversion rate of NO to NO2 is highly variable as a result of varying atmospheric factors. These rates range from 11% to 59% per hour. Rates of dry deposition of NO, NO2 and NO3 are generally higher during winter as a result of higher concentrations and increased atmospheric stability, which prevents transport out of the region. Nitrogen is predominantly deposited as NO2 throughout the year, except during spring when NO3 deposition dominates. The total amount of nitrogen deposited to the Mpumalanga Highveld region is in the range of 6.7 to 13.1 kg ha yr, which is well below the stipulated critical load value. Such deposition therefore does not pose significant threats to the natural environment on the Highveld. Between 4% and 14% of the total emitted nitrogen on the Highveld is deposited to the surface via wet and dry deposition. The remainder stays in the atmosphere and is advected out of the region.
Molecular Characteristics and Prevalence of Rifampin Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus Isolates from Patients with Bacteremia in South Korea

Rifampin resistance (RIF-R) in Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) with rpoB mutations as one of its resistance mechanisms has raised concern about clinical treatment and infection prevention strategies. Data on the prevalence and molecular epidemiology of RIF-R S. aureus blood isolates in South Korea are scarce. We used broth microdilution to investigate RIF-R prevalence and analyzed the rpoB gene mutation in 1615 S. aureus blood isolates (772 methicillin-susceptible and 843 methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA)) from patients with bacteremia, between 2008 and 2017. RIF-R prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility were determined. Multilocus sequence typing was used to characterize the isolate’s molecular epidemiology; Staphylococcus protein A (spa), staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec), and rpoB gene mutations were detected by PCR. Among 52 RIF-R MRSA isolates out of 57 RIF-R S. aureus blood isolates (57/1615, 0.4%; 5 methicillin-susceptible and 52 MRSA), ST5 (44/52, 84.6%), SCCmec IIb (40/52, 76.9%), and spa t2460 (27/52, 51.9%) were predominant. rpoB gene mutations with amino acid substitutions showed that A477D (17/48, 35.4%) frequently conferred high-level RIF resistance (MIC > 128 mg/L), followed by H481Y (4/48, 8.3%). RIF-R S. aureus blood isolates in South Korea have unique molecular characteristics and are closely associated with rpoB gene mutations. RIF-R surveillance through S. aureus–blood isolate epidemiology could enable effective therapeutic management.
End-to-end models of marine ecosystems: exploring the consequences of climate change and fishing using a minimal framework

Marine ecosystems are vital to human society: as a source of food, for economic growth and for their potential to mitigate climate change. With marine ecosystems threatened by climate change and overfishing, there is a need for sustainable fisheries management, which has been the basis for an ecosystem-based approach to management. This has led to considerable interest in end-to-end ecosystem models, where the physical effects of the environment and the population dynamics of all marine organisms are coupled together into one framework. In this thesis, I studied an end-to-end model which coupled together a box-component model representing phytoplankton and zooplankton, with a size-structured fish community model. I investigated the potential artefacts in model results, caused by numerical methods or by model architecture. I found that care needs to be taken with the choice of numerical method used to simulate size-structured models, as the choice of numerical resolution can yield numerically stable results but can also affect large-scale behaviours of the system, such as the slope and mathematical stability of the size-spectra solutions. With regards to model architecture, coupling together two submodels which differ in structure and resolution can lead to large-scale behaviours of the system which appear plausible and consistent with empirical data, but which impose serious discrepancies in the underlying life-histories of the fish. By distinguishing model artefacts from ecosystem-effects, the interactions and feedbacks between the higher and lower trophic level organisms can be investigated. I studied the potential impact of climate change upon the marine ecosystem, and in particular, upon the seasonal dynamics of phytoplankton. I found that under a warming climate, the spring phytoplankton bloom occurs earlier and for a longer duration, and the model predicts the loss of the autumn phytoplankton bloom. These changes were not solely due to the direct effect of temperature, but also due to the indirect effect of the interactions of the fish population with zooplankton. The effect of fishing upon the marine ecosystem was also explored with this end-to-end model, with two potential fishing strategies applied to the system. Regardless of the choice of fishing strategy, intensive exploitation of fish stocks can lead to a significant shift in the dynamics of phytoplankton. The phytoplankton's dynamics change from stable annual patterns to unpredictable periodic behaviours. This thesis has developed an end-to-end model which uses a minimal framework to study the interactions of organisms at different trophic levels, and highlights the importance of these interactions and the associated feedbacks under different scenarios. It combines important theoretical insights into the consequences of model architecture and model-derived artefacts upon ecosystem-scale behaviours, at the same time as highlighting the potential for end-to-end models as a practical and flexible management tool.