Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characteristics and origin of agates in sedimentary rocks from the Dryhead area, Montana, USA

Abstract Agates from the Bighorn district in Montana (USA), the so-called Dryhead area, and their adjacent host rocks have been examined in the present study. Analyses by XRD, polarizing microscopy, LA-ICP-MS, cathodoluminescence (CL), SEM and of oxygen isotopes were performed to obtain information surrounding the genesis of this agate type. Investigations of the agate microstructure by polarizing microscopy and CL showed that chalcedony layers and macrocrystalline quartz crystals may have formed by crystallization from the same silica source by a process of self-organization. High defect densities and internal structures (e.g. sector zoning) of quartz indicate that crystallization went rapidly under non-equilibrium conditions. Most trace-element contents in macrocrystalline quartz are less than in chalcedony due to a process of ‘self-purification’, which also caused the formation of Fe oxide inclusions and spherules. Although the agates formed in sedimentary host rocks, analytical data indicate participation of hydrothermal fluids during agate formation. Trace elements (REE distribution patterns, U contents up to 70 ppm) and CL features of agate (transient blue CL), as well as associated minerals (fluorite, REE carbonates) point to the influence of hydrothermal processes on the genesis of the Dryhead agates. However, formation temperatures <120°C were calculated from O-isotope compositions between 28.9‰ (quartz) and 32.2 ‰ (chalcedony).
Energy provisioning in wireless rechargeable sensor networks

Wireless rechargeable sensor networks (WRSNs) have emerged as an alternative to solving the challenges of size and operation time posed by traditional battery-powered systems. In this paper, we study a WRSN built from the industrial wireless identification and sensing platform (WISP) and commercial off-the-shelf RFID readers. The paper-thin WISP tags serve as sensors and can harvest energy from RF signals transmitted by the readers. This kind of WRSNs is highly desirable for indoor sensing and activity recognition, and is gaining attention in the research community. One fundamental question in WRSN design is how to deploy readers in a network to ensure that the WISP tags can harvest sufficient energy for continuous operation. We refer to this issue as the energy provisioning problem. Based on a practical wireless recharge model supported by experimental data, we investigate two forms of the problem: point provisioning and path provisioning. Point provisioning uses the least number of readers to ensure that a static tag placed in any position of the network will receive a sufficient recharge rate for sustained operation. Path provisioning exploits the potential mobility of tags (e.g., those carried by human users) to further reduce the number of readers necessary: mobile tags can harvest excess energy in power-rich regions and store it for later use in power-deficient regions. Our analysis shows that our deployment methods, by exploiting the physical characteristics of wireless recharging, can greatly reduce the number of readers compared with those assuming traditional coverage models.
Taitao ophiolite: a ridge collision ophiolite in the forearc of southern Chile (46°S)

RESUMEN. Un dique basaltico y minerales de un gabro del Complejo ofiolitico Tortuga, pertenecientes al suelo malico igneo de la cuenca trasarco Rocas Verdes del Jurasico Superior en el extremo sur de Sudamerica, tienen razones iniciales de 87Sr/86Sr desde 0,70323 hasta 0,70429. Este intervalo se debio a las variaciones en la cantidad de agua oceanica que interactuo con los diferentes niveles seudoestratigraficos del Complejo Tortuga, durante el episodio de metamorfismo hidrotermal de 'fondo oceanico', que afecto a las Rocas Verdes. Se ha estimado una razon magmatica original de 87Sr/86Sr de 0,7031 para las rocas igneas maficas del Complejo Tortuga, la cual, junto a su ENdi de +6,8 a +7,6, se encuentra dentro del intervalo de valores del manto astenosferico empobrecido del Jurasico Superior. Esto es consistente con el caracter oceanico, petroquimico y estructural, previamente documentado para el Complejo Tortuga. Los basaltos de la Formacion Barros Arana (Cretacico Inferior), productos de erupcion en la plataforma continental, a lo largo del borde oriental de la Cuenca Rocas Verdes, tienen una razon inicial 87Sr/86Sr similar (0,7030), pero ENdi mas bajo (+5,0 a +5,2). Esto se interpreta como un reflejo de la contribucion del manto litosferico subcontinental, mesozoico, que, como el actual manto litosferico bajo el extremo sur de Sudamerica, tiene caracteristicas isotopicas indicativas de un empobrecimiento integrado a traves del tiempo por elementos litofilos de iones grandes. La informacion disponible apoya la idea de que, por el contrario, hasta los gabros mas maficos del Batolito Patagonico han incorporado componentes corticales.
Gravity and Crustal Structure in the Western Snake River Plain, Idaho

A gravity survey was made over the western Snake River Plain, Idaho, during the summers of 1959 and 1960. The data were reduced to sea level and expressed as simple Bouguer gravity anomalies for an assumed density of 2.67 g/cm3. Three elongated, northwest-trending, en echelon gravity highs were defined by the survey. The largest high is about 150 km long and 40 km wide; its maximum amplitude is 70 mgal. Application of limiting-depth methods implies that the tops of the disturbing bodies can be no deeper than 5 km below sea level. Two-dimensional analyses, based on a density contrast of 0.3 g/cm3, indicate that the anomaly-causing bodies extend from near sea level to at least 6 km below sea level and possibly to as much as 18 km below sea level. The total mass excess of the disturbing bodies is estimated to be 1×1019 g, and the corresponding volume for material 0.3 g/cm3 more dense than the surrounding material is approximately 33,000 km3. If the highlands on either side of the plain are regionally compensated, the crust under the plain is probably undercompensated by an amount proportional to the local anomalous bodies.
Aural Barotrauma in Submarine Escape: Is Mastoid Pneumatization of Significance?

Objective: Submarine escape training is carried out by preselected, healthy young men under strictly controlled conditions regarding exposure to pressure and the rate of pressure change. This provides a unique opportunity to investigate the relations between middle ear characteristics and susceptibility to barotrauma while avoiding possible confounding parameters. We examined a possible association between mastoid pneumatization and middle ear barotrauma (MEB) in submarine escape trainees.
The 18.6‐year period moon‐tidal cycle in Pacific Decadal Oscillation reconstructed from tree‐rings in western North America

Time‐series of Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) reconstructed from tree‐rings in Western North America is found to have a statistically significant periodicity of 18.6‐year period lunar nodal tidal cycle; negative (positive) PDO tends to occur in the period of strong (weak) diurnal tide. In the 3rd and 5th (10th, 11th and 13rd) year after the maximum diurnal tide, mean‐PDO takes significant negative (positive) value, suggesting that the Aleutian Low is weak (strong), western‐central North Pacific in 30–50°N is warm (cool) and equator‐eastern rim of the Pacific is cool (warm). This contributes to climate predictability with a time‐table from the astronomical tidal cycle.
Adherence of slime-producing strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis to smooth surfaces

Slime production is not a generally recognized feature of Staphylococcus epidermidis. In a recent outbreak of S. epidermidis intravascular catheter-associated sepsis, we noted that 63% of clinically implicated strains grew as a slimy film coating the culture tube walls when propagated in tryptic soy broth. Only 37% of randomly collected blood culture contaminants and skin isolates demonstrated a similar phenomenon (p less than 0.05). Transmission electron micrographs of these coating bacteria showed them to be encased in an extracellular matrix that stained with alcian blue. Slime production was most evident in autoclaved media containing Casamino Acids and glucose supplementation (0.25% wt/vol). There were strain and media preparation variability of slime production in the presence of other carbohydrates. Some strains were not able to produce slime under any of the tested conditions. The production or nonproduction of slime did not influence growth rate. When grown in vitro, slime producers accumulated on the surface of intravascular catheters as macrocolonies, whereas non-slime, producers did not. Transmission and scanning electron micrographs showed slime producers to be encased in an adhesive layer on the catheter surface, whereas nonproducers were not encased. These results suggest that slime-mediated adherence may be a critical factor in the pathogenesis of S. epidermidis infections of medical devices.
Channel Prediction in Time-Varying Massive MIMO Environments

The massive MIMO channel is characterized by non-stationarity and fast variation, thereby the channel state information obtained by traditional methods will be outdated and the system performance will be degraded. In this paper, we propose a channel prediction algorithm in massive MIMO environments. First, considering the channel characteristics, we propose a first-order Taylor expansion-based predictive channel modeling method. Then, a channel prediction algorithm consisting of the estimation stage and prediction stage is proposed and the interval of effective prediction (IEP) is derived. The performance of the proposed algorithm is testified by numerical simulations. It is shown that, within the IEP, a reliable channel prediction can be obtained with low computational complexity.
Processes of Selective Grain Transport and the Formation of Placers on Beaches

Placers are found on many beaches of the Oregon coast. In the beach that is the focus of this study, the principal placer minerals are ilmenite (22.0%), epidote (20.0%), garnet (18.7%), augite (15.5%), hypersthene (8.1%), hornblende (5.8%) and zircon (2.0%), the "ilmenite" fraction actually being partly chromite. A series of beach-face sand samples was obtained along a profile when sand was being eroded from the upper beach and transported to offshore bars, since the processes of grain-selective sorting leading to placer formation were probably most active at such a time. The landward-most sample contained 96% heavy minerals, being part of the placer. This concentration systematically decreased offshore to a 6% heavy-mineral content in the seaward-most sample (54 m offshore). Determinations of individual heavy mineral concentrations revealed that, although they all tended to become concentrated within the placer with light quartz and feldspar dominating the offshore transport, the sorting processes were most effective in concentrating the ilmenite (concentration factor = 1403) and least efficient in concentrating the hornblende (factor = 5). All of the minerals form a pattern of increasing efficiency of concentration within the placer with an increase in grain density and decrease in mean grain size. Thus the sorting processes are most effective in concentrating the ilmenite, which is both the densest and finest-grained of the minerals present in the beach, least efficient for the hornblende, which has the lowest density and is the coarsest of the heavy minerals. Measurements of grain settling velocities indicate that this parameter cannot account for the observed selective grain sorting. Instead, evaluations of the selective entrainment and transport rates of the mineral grains yield trends which exactly parallel their observed concentration factors within the placer, indicating the probable dominance of these grain-sorting processes in placer formation. Shear sorting of the light and heavy minerals may also be an important process, but its role could not be determined in the present study.
Carbonaceous aerosols in the industrial era

Carbonaceous aerosols are increasingly recognized as an important atmospheric constituent. These small atmospheric particles are predominately soot produced by incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, biofuels, and outdoor biomass that generally form through condensation of vaporized organic matter “Chylek et al., 2003”. However, biogenic emissions from trees, other vegetation, and animals are also sources of carbonaceous aerosols. Elemental carbon, in the form of graphite, is the main cause of the blackness of soot; it absorbs sunlight strongly and almost uniformly across the solar spectrum. However, the graphite seldom is pure carbon, instead involving varying proportions of other atoms. Furthermore, the carbonaceous aerosols include an enormous variety of organic compounds of carbon.
ModelCraft: capturing freehand annotations and edits on physical 3D models

With the availability of affordable new desktop fabrication techniques such as 3D printing and laser cutting, physical models are used increasingly often during the architectural and industrial design cycle. Models can easily be annotated to capture comments, edits and other forms of feedback. Unfortunately, these annotations remain in the physical world and cannot be easily transferred back to the digital world. Here we present a simple solution to this problem based on a tracking pattern printed on the surface of each model. Our solution is inexpensive, requires no tracking infrastructure or per object calibration, and can be used in the field without a computer nearby. It lets users not only capture annotations, but also edit the model using a simple yet versatile command system. Once captured, annotations and edits are merged into the original CAD models. There they can be easily edited or further refined. We present the design of a SolidWorks plug-in implementing this concept, and report initial feedback from potential users using our prototype. We also present how this prototype could be extended seamlessly to a fully functional system using current 3D printing technology.
The variability of vertical structure of precipitation in Huaihe River Basin of China: Implications from long‐term spaceborne observations with TRMM precipitation radar

The current study investigates the variability of vertical structure of precipitation in the Huaihe River Basin (HRB) of China. The precipitation characteristics have been revealed by the long‐term observations of vertical profile of reflectivity (VPR) from the first spaceborne precipitation radar (PR) onboard the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)'s Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite. This study has statistically analyzed the latest TRMM 2A‐23 and 2A‐25 products (version 7, released in 2012) with ∼15 years time span (from 11 December 1997 to 19 August 2012). First, the spatial and seasonal variations of storm height and freezing level have been investigated. The results show a climatological relation connecting the storm height with the rainfall rate in HRB. Second, mean VPRs have been studied for the stratiform and convective precipitation. The VPR variability has been analyzed for different seasons and rain intensities. Third, the characteristics of rain intensification and weakening in the vertical direction have been examined by the statistical analysis of VPR slope below the melting layer. The results show that the rainfall tends to be reduced (or intensified) with the height changing downward in the light (or moderate and heavy) precipitating clouds, no matter stratiform or convection. Finally, the S‐band climatological VPRs have been characterized by converting the VPR from Ku‐band to S‐band. Considering the wide application of national radar network for weather surveillance in China, the developed S‐band climatological VPRs can be potentially applied in a VPR correction scheme to improve the ground radar‐based quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE) in this river basin.
On Seasonal Variation of Solar Irradiation in Kuwait

The technology for solar power generation is limited to numerous conditions that could affect the amount of energy received by the solar collector. In justifying the economic potential of solar energy at any geographical location the average data on solar irradiation is normally used. Nevertheless, it is not clear whether the use of average data is appropriate because irradiation could vary with seasons even in the desert. In the present work, the characteristics of solar radiation energy at a selected location in Kuwait were studied by measuring irradiance,using a pyranometer mounted on a shade-free area, throughout a year for comparison of extreme levels.The study revealed that the solar irradiation level was the lowest in winter and the highest in summer (three times the levels in winter), with an average monthly irradiation of170.4 kWh/m². The variation in monthly irradiation was relatively high with standard deviation of 61.3 kWh/m². Consequent to this, there would be four months during which the irradiation would be far below the average value; i.e. lower than 120 kWh/m², and thus leading to requirement for backup power by mean of other source of energy.
A Fast Algorithm for Recovery of Jointly Sparse Vectors based on the Alternating Direction Methods

The standard compressive sensing (CS) aims to recover sparse signal from single measurement vector which is known as SMV model. By contrast, recovery of sparse signals from multiple measurement vectors is called MMV model. In this paper, we consider the recovery of jointly sparse signals in the MMV model where multiple signal measurements are represented as a matrix and the sparsity of signal occurs in common locations. The sparse MMV model can be formulated as a matrix (2, 1)-norm minimization problem, which is much more difficult to solve than the l1-norm minimization in standard CS. In this paper, we propose a very fast algorithm, called MMV-ADM, to solve the jointly sparse signal recovery problem in MMV settings based on the alternating direction method (ADM). The MMVADM alternately updates the recovered signal matrix, the Lagrangian multiplier and the residue, and all update rules only involve matrix or vector multiplications and summations, so it is simple, easy to implement and much faster than the state-of-the-art method MMVprox. Numerical simulations show that MMV-ADM is at least dozens of times faster than MMVprox with comparable recovery accuracy. Appearing in Proceedings of the 14 International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Statistics (AISTATS) 2011, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA. Volume 15 of JMLR: W&CP 15. Copyright 2011 by the authors.
Runtime validation of behavioural contracts for component software

In component software, the independence of components is achieved by separating their interfaces from implementations. The interface definition of a component serves as the contract with its neighbouring components regarding the use of its services. In general, such a contract should cover issues beyond interface signatures, such as service functionality, usage and quality. The interface definition languages (IDLs) used by commercial middleware such as CORBA, however, lack mechanisms for capturing such semantic characteristics. In this paper, we introduce a framework and associated techniques that augment commercial IDLs with behavioural contract specifications and validate at runtime component interactions against such contracts. The behavioural contract of a component describes occurrence or sequencing constraints on its interactions with the environment. The validation of such constraints is achieved by intercepting runtime interactions between components and validating them against the finite state automata that semantically represent the constraints. The validation provides a useful tool for testing whether the component services are used properly and whether the component fulfils its behavioural obligations in a distributed system.
Regulatory Multitasking of Tolerogenic Dendritic Cells – Lessons Taken from Vitamin D3-Treated Tolerogenic Dendritic Cells

Tolerogenic dendritic cells (DCs) work through silencing of differentiated antigen-specific T cells, activation and expansion of naturally occurring T regulatory cells (Tregs), transfer of regulatory properties to T cells, and the differentiation of naïve T cells into Tregs. Due to an operational definition based on T cell activation assays, the identity of tolerogenic DCs has been a matter of debate and it need not represent a specialized DC subset. Human tolerogenic DCs generated in vitro using inhibitory cytokines, growth factors, natural immunomodulators, or genetic manipulation have been effective and several of these tolerogenic DCs are currently being tested for clinical use. Ex vivo generated tolerogenic DCs reduce activation of naïve T cells using various means, promote a variety of regulatory T cells and most importantly, frequently show stable inhibitory phenotypes upon repetitive maturation with inflammatory factors. Yet, tolerogenic DCs differ with respect to the phenotype or the number of regulatory mechanisms they employ to modulate the immune system. In our experience, tolerogenic DCs generated using the biologically active form of vitamin D (VD3-DCs), alone, or combined with dexamethasone are proficient in their immunoregulatory functions. These tolerogenic DCs show a stable maturation-resistant semi-mature phenotype with low expression of activating co-stimulatory molecules, no production of the IL-12 family of cytokines and high expression of inhibitory molecules and IL-10. VD3-DCs induce increased apoptosis of effector T cells and induce antigen-specific regulatory T cells, which work through linked suppression ensuring infectious tolerance. Lessons learned on VD3-DCs help understanding the contribution of different pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs) and secondary signals to the tolerogenic function and how a cross-talk between DCs and T cells translates into immune regulation.
Identification of a Novel Antigen of Schistosoma mansoni Shared with Plasmodium falciparum and Evaluation of Different Cross-Reactive Antibody Subclasses Induced by Human Schistosomiasis and Malaria

ABSTRACT Plasmodium falciparum and Schistosoma mansoni are often found in human coinfections, and cross-reactive antibodies to different components of the two parasites have been detected. In this work, we identified a cross-reactive S. mansoni gene product, referred to as SmLRR, that seems to belong to the leucine-rich repeat protein family. Comparative analysis of SmLRR revealed 57% similarity with a putative gene product encoded in the P. falciparum genome. Antibodies to SmLRR were found in experimental infections and in both S. mansoni- and P. falciparum-infected individuals. Correlative analysis of human anti-SmLRR responses in Kenya and Uganda suggested that malaria and schistosomiasis drive the immunoglobulin G3 (IgG3) and IgG4 isotypes, respectively, against SmLRR, suggesting that there is differential regulation of cross-reactive isotypes depending on the infection. In addition, the levels of anti-SmLRR IgG4, but not the levels of IgG3, correlated positively with the intensity of S. mansoni infection.
Premalignant Breast Neoplasia: A Paradigm of Interlesional and Intralesional Molecular Heterogeneity and Its Biological and Clinical Ramifications

As is well established in invasive breast disease, it is becoming increasingly clear that molecular heterogeneity, both between and within lesions, is a prevalent, distinct phenotype of premalignant lesions of the breast. Key pathways of tumorigenesis modulate critical features of premalignant lesions such as proliferation, differentiation, stress response, and even the generation of diversity. Current studies show that evaluation of these lesions may provide clinically useful information on future tumor formation as well as biological insights into the origin and functional significance of this distinct phenotype. Cancer Prev Res; 3(5); 579–87. ©2010 AACR.