Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Compositional Differences between Felsic Volcanic rocks from the Margin and Center of the Northern Main Ethiopian Rift

Pliocene felsic rift margin and Quaternary rift center volcanic rocks from the northern Main Ethiopian Rift (MER) exhibit contrasts in major and trace element contents and Sr-Nd isotopic ratios. Quaternary rift center felsic volcanic rocks are mainly peralkaline trachytes and rhyolites, whereas Pliocene felsic rift margin volcanic rocks are represented by benmoreites, weakly peralkaline trachytes and rare rhyolites. Most of the felsic rift margin volcanic rocks have greater Al2O3, K2O, Nb, Zr, Rb, and Sr, and lesser CaO, Zr/Nb, and CaO/Al2O3 than rift center volcanic rocks. These contrasts may have been inherited from differences in the compositions of their parental basic magmas, which were produced by variable degrees of partial melting. In both series, the felsic volcanic rocks generally have higher initial Sr- isotopic (0.7038-0.7073) ratios than their basic equivalents (0.7035-0.7046). Nd- isotopic ratios of most felsic rift center samples (0.5129-0.5126) are similar to their associated basic volcanic rocks. In contrast, the Nd-isotopic ratios (0.5128-0.5124) of felsic rift margin volcanic rocks are commonly lower than their companion basic volcanic rocks (0.512806-0.512893), and are relatively lower than rift center equivalents. The elemental and Sr-Nd isotopic compositions of the volcanic rocks suggest that fractional crystallization from differing basic parents accompanied by a limited assimilation (AFC) was the dominant process controlling the genesis of the MER felsic volcanic rocks. Keywords: Ethiopia; Northern Main Ethiopian Rift; Bimodal Volcanism; parental difference; Sr-Nd Isotopes, Fractional Crystallisation
Population structure and the impact of regional and local habitat isolation upon levels of genetic diversity of the endangered damselfly Coenagrion mercuriale (Odonata: Zygoptera)

Summary 1. Coenagrion mercuriale is one of Europe's most threatened damselflies. There is concern for the long-term persistence of many of its U.K. colonies because adult lifetime movement is limited, making isolated populations susceptible to extinction. 2. Using 14 microsatellite loci we characterised levels of genetic diversity, evidence for a recent decline and the spatial genetic structure for C. mercuriale population in Wales, U.K. 3. Spatial isolation is not an absolute predictor of low genetic diversity at either local or regional scales. 4. One population inhabiting a remote, edge of range site is genetically impoverished with levels of variability (at microsatellite loci) among the lowest reported for any insect species. 5. Agricultural land and high ground are physical barriers to dispersal by adults. 6. Consistent with work from elsewhere, movement by mature C. mercuriale in Pembrokeshire is sufficient to prevent significant genetic differentiation throughout a habitat matrix of some 3–4 km if the suitable habitat sites are <2 km apart and lack barriers to movement. Even within a good habitat matrix, however, genetic isolation by distance develops within 10 km.
Expression of Toll-like Receptor 9 in Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia from Mexican Women

Introduction: Cervical cancer is a major health problem, is the second leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide and the first in developing countries. Toll-like receptors play an important role in the immune system through the recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns and damage associated with endogenous molecules, so that the role of Toll-like receptors is being explored in cancer. Objective: To evaluate the expression of Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade I, II and III tissues using immunohistochemical staining. Material and Methods: Retrospective, observational and descriptive study, the expression of TLR9 incervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade I (n=124), II (n=68) and III (n=29) tissues were evaluated using immunohistochemical staining. All samples used in this study were from Mexican women. Results: We found the expression levels of TLR9 was higher in CIN I (p<0.001) and CIN-II (p<0.001) than in CIN-III. Conclusion: The low expression of TLR9 may play important roles in the development and progression of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia in Mexican women.
Egyptian Propolis 9- Its Effect on Chicken Productivity and Immune Response Against Newcastle Disease Vaccine

We determined the effect of propolis on immune response and performance status of broiler chicks previously vaccinated with Newcastle disease virus (NDV) vaccine. Our results revealed the growth promoting effect of propolis extract. At the same time propolis extract decreased the mortality rate in chicks throughout the experiment. It was also clear that propolis extract caused an increase in the weight of lymphoid organs of chicks. Furthermore, propolis extract treated group was the highest in the (NDV) antibodies titer (4.9, 6.4 and 7.7) when compared with control group (2.7, 2.2 and 1.9) on 14, 21 and 28 days respectively.
Incorporating Structural Models into Research on the Social Amplification of Risk: Implications for Theory Construction and Decision Making

A comprehensive approach to managing risk must draw on both the descriptive insights of the behavioral sciences and the prescriptive clarity of the management sciences. On the descriptive side, this study develops structural models to explain how the impact upon society of an accident or other unfortunate event is influenced by the physical consequences of the event, perceived risk, media coverage, and public response. Our findings indicate that the media and public response play crucial roles in determining the impact of an unfortunate event. Public response appears to be determined by perceptions that the event was caused by managerial incompetence and is a signal of future risk. On the prescriptive side, we briefly discuss how these findings based upon structural models can be incorporated into a decision-analytic procedure known as an influence diagram.
Grounding and Necessity

Abstract The elucidations and regimentations of grounding offered in the literature standardly take it to be a necessary connection. In particular, authors often assert, or at least assume, that if some facts ground another fact, then the obtaining of the former necessitates the latter; and moreover, that grounding is an internal relation, in the sense of being necessitated by the existence of the relata. In this article, I challenge the necessitarian orthodoxy about grounding by offering two prima facie counterexamples. First, some physical facts may ground a certain phenomenal fact without necessitating it; and they may co-exist with the latter without grounding it. Second, some instantiations of categorical properties may ground the instantiation of a dispositional one without necessitating it; and they may co-exist without grounding it. After arguing that these may be genuine counterexamples, I ask whether there are modal constraints on grounding that are not threatened by them. I propose two: that grounding supervenes on what facts there are, and that every grounded fact supervenes on what grounds there are. Finally, I attempt to provide a rigorous formulation of the latter supervenience claim and discuss some technical questions that arise if we allow descending grounding chains of transfinite length.
Identification of phenolic compounds by high performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS) and in vitro evaluation of the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Ceratonia siliqua leaves extracts

Ceratonia siliqua is a typical plant of the Mediterranean area, which is mainly used as animal and human food and in folk medicine for treating some diseases such as antidiarrheal and diuretic. The present study was planned to evaluate the potential of antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of C. siliqua leaves extract and the identification of bioactive compounds by high performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS) in the active extract. The antioxidant activities of the different organic extracts of C. siliqua were assayed by 2,2-diphenyl-l-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and β-carotene tests. Among the tested extracts, results showed that the ethyl acetate extract displayed the greatest DPPH scavenging ability with an IC50 of 1.8 µg/ml and a strong β-carotene bleaching inhibition after 120 min of incubation with an IC50 of 24.01 µg/ml. The investigation of the phenolic and flavonids content showed that the ethyl acetate extract of C. siliqua revealed the highest phenolic contents. Only the ethyl acetate extract of C. siliqua (EACs) showed antimicrobial activity with a broad-spectrum microbiocide with diameter inhibition zones ranging from 12 to 24 mm and MIC values of 0.312 to 1.25 mg/ml. The HPLC finger print of EACs active extract showed the presence of six phenolic compounds. They included (1) 1,6-Di-galloyl-glucose, (2) 1,2,6-Tri-galloyl-glucose, (3) Myricetin glucoside, (4) 1,2,3,6-Tetra-galloyl-glucose, (5) Myricetin rhamnoside and (6) Syringic acid. These results are a good agreement of the popular use and experimentally observed effects of C. siliqua and would promote the reasonable usage and exploitation of the biomolecules of this important plant. Key words: Ceratonia siliqua, Chemical composition, antimicrobial activity, antioxidant activity, phenolic compounds.
Evaluation of Radiometric Calibration Accuracy of GOES Imager Infrared Data Using GSICS GEO-LEO Data

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) mission consists of a series of three-axis body-stablized geosynchronous satellites operated by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admistration (NOAA) that provide continuous stream of data covering the United States and its neighbring environs. Two significant issues associated with the three-axis stablized platforms were recognized in the process of onboard calibration for the infrared data: extraneous heating of the instruments around satellite midnight time, and the changes of scan mirror emissivity with incoming radiation at east-west scan direction. In operation, the Midnight Blackbody Calibration Correction (MBCC) method based on the relationship between day-time calibration data and telemetry temperature was developed to empirically compensate for the errorreous instrument responsivity near midnight. The variation in scan mirror emissivities was corrected with a set of fixed angle-dependent correction coefficients derived from full-disk scan space view data. However, uncertaity remains with MBCC calibration accuracy and the scan angle calibration residuals. The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of the MBCC on the diurnal calibration accuracy of the GOES-11 and -12 Imager infrared (IR) channels, as well as to examine the scan-mirror emissivity calibration residuals using collocation data generated by the Global Space based Inter-Calibration System (GSICS) baseline algorithm. Using two new generation hypespectral instruments onboard low-earth orbital (LEO) satellites as references, the results of this study show that most IR channels, especially the long-wave channels, have apparent diurnal calibration variations. The MBCC method, once implemented, can reduce the diurnal calibration variation except for Ch4(10.7μm) on both GOES-11/12 Imagers. Analysis of the GOES with IASI night-time collocation data (before 10:00pm) indicates that scan-angle calibration residual at each IR channel is very small with uncertainty less than 0.1K. The day-time collocation data may be affected with the anisotropic reflectance/emissivity of the collocated scenes. Our results suggest that either night-time GOES vs. IASI collocation data (taken before the midnight calibration anomaly) or daytime collocated scenes taken nadir/near nadir should be used to generate the GSICS GEO-LEO correction coefficients to improve the calibration accuracy of the operational GOES Imager instruments.
Minding the Cyber-gap: The Internet and Social Inequality

The digital divide is a new frontier where social inequalities are shaping and being shaped by the latest development of technology. Social inequality has been increasing both in developed and developing countries since the 1990s. At the same time, the internet has grown exponentially. Yet, the diffusion of the internet is extremely uneven. As science fiction writer William Gibson put it: “The future is here already; it just isn’t evenly distributed”1.
A photochemical modeling study of ozone and formaldehyde generation and budget in the Po basin

[1] In this work, a photochemical dispersion model, CAMx (Comprehensive Air quality Model with eXtensions) was used to simulate a high ozone episode observed in the Po basin during the 2003 FORMAT (Formaldehyde as a Tracer of Oxidation in the Troposphere) campaign. The study focuses on formaldehyde and ozone, and a budget analysis was set up for interpreting the importance of different processes, namely emission, chemistry, transport and deposition, for three different areas (urban, downwind, suburban) around the Milan metropolitan region. In addition, a sensitivity study was carried out based on 11 different VOC emission scenarios. The results of the budget study show that the strongest O3 production rate (4 ppbv/hour) occurs in the downwind area of the city of Milan, and that accumulated O3 is transported back to Milan city during nighttime. More than 80% of the HCHO concentration over the Milan metropolitan region is secondary, i.e., photochemically produced from other VOCs. The sensitivity study shows that the emissions of isoprene are not, on average, a controlling factor for the peak concentrations of O3 and HCHO over the model domain because of very few oak trees in this region. Although the paraffinic (PAR) emissions are fairly large, a 20% reduction of PAR yields only 1.7% of HCHO reduction and 2.7% reduction of the O3 peak. The largest reduction of O3 levels can be obtained by reduced xylene (XYL) emissions. A 20% reduction of the total anthropogenic VOC emissions leads to 15.5% (20.3 ppbv) reduction of O3 peak levels over the Milan metropolitan region.
Two different routes to complex dynamics in an heterogeneous triopoly game

We study a triopoly game with heterogeneous players. The market is characterized by a nonlinear (isoelastic) demand function and three competitors. The main novelty is the double route to complex dynamics that we find and is quite rare in heterogeneous triopoly models. We show that the two routes have important implications for the economic interpretation of the dynamics emerging when the Cournot–Nash equilibrium becomes locally unstable. Moreover the model displays multistability of different attractors, requiring a global analysis of the dynamical system.
Pedal Operation by the Seated Operator

Abstract : The paper attempts to serve three purposes: (1) To summarize the open scientific literature on muscular force applicable to pedals, and on the efficiency of foot motions on or between pedals depending on the body support and the body posture of the seated operator. (2) To discuss the applicability of such studies in automobile(or other equipment) design, especially to the design, selection, and arrangement of foot-operated controls. (3) To point out that for most conventional vehicles and equipment, modes of seating, and of a pedal arrangement and operation follow largely common experience and tradition, and only partly scientific findings. For new man-machine systems, new solutions seem possible.
Hisingerite Occurring as a Weathering Product of Iron-Rich Saponite

Hisingerite occurs as a weathering product of iron-rich saponite in rhyolitic tuff of Oya, Tochigi Prefecture. The chemical composition: SiO2, 40·68%; Al2O3, 4·44%; Fe2O3, 28·54%; MgO, 1·85%; CaO, 1·42%; Na2O, 1·50%; K2O, 0·33%; H2O+, 6·43%; H2O−, 13·70%; total 98·89%. Very broad and weak X-ray powder reflections occur at 16, 4·5, 2·5, 1·7 and 1·5 Å, which correspond to the main peaks of nontronite. It is considered that trioctahedral iron-rich saponite was altered to hisingerite, a very poorly crystalline form of nontronite, by oxidation of iron and advanced leaching of octahedral Mg ions.
Cervical Cancer Screening In Benin City , South-South Nigeria

This study is to evaluate the cytopathological profile of cervical smear of women that came for voluntary screening at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, from August 2008 –to July 2012. A total of 3,284 cervical smears were done during the study period with age range of 15-89yrs. There were 2,021 (61.5%) normal smears, 478 (14.6%) inflammatory smears, 533 (16.2%) abnormal epithelial lesions (squamous and glandular lesions) and 232 (7.7%) unsatisfactory smears. Of the premalignant lesions, LSIL accounted for 74.1% of them with the majority of them (48.6%) occurring in the age group 50-59years. The major finding of this study is the relatively high rate of premalignant/malignant lesions (16.2%) in comparison to those reported from the western world and other developing countries. Since this is the first study of this kind in our centre, it means that more emphasis should be placed on routine screening and patients found to be positive for premalignant lesions should be managed seriously and closely monitored. Preventive vaccine should also be given to females less than 13 years of age, since this study shows that the pattern of cervical screening in our environment is not favorable.
Assessment of Soil Organic Carbon Stock of Temperate Coniferous Forests in Northern Kashmir

Soil organic carbon (SOC) estimation in temperate forests of the Himalaya is important to estimate their contribution to regional, national and global carbon stocks. Physico chemical properties of soil were quantified to assess soil organic carbon density (SOC) and SOC CO 2 mitigation density at two soil depths (0-10 and 10-20 cms) under temperate forest in the Northern region of Kashmir Himalayas India. The results indicate that conductance, moisture content, organic carbon and organic matter were significantly higher while as pH and bulk density were lower at Gulmarg forest site. SOC % was ranging from 2.31± 0.96 at Gulmarg meadow site to 2.31 ± 0.26 in Gulmarg forest site. SOC stocks in these temperate forests were from 36.39 ±15.40 to 50.09 ± 15.51 Mg C ha -1 . The present study reveals that natural vegetation is the main contributor of soil quality as it maintained the soil organic carbon stock. In addition, organic matter is an important indicator of soil quality and environmental parameters such as soil moisture and soil biological activity change soil carbon sequestration potential in temperate forest ecosystems. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.3126/ije.v4i1. 12186 International Journal of Environment Volume-4, Issue-1, Dec-Feb 2014/15; page: 161-178
Drained and Undrained Shear Behavior of Compacted Coal Wash

AbstractCoal wash is a granular waste material that is readily available in the vicinity of coal mining operations. While its potential use in structural fills has been recognized in the past, the effects of particle breakage on the geomechanical performance of the material have not been thoroughly investigated. In this paper, an experimental study on a selected coal wash is undertaken to characterize the influence of compaction and particle breakage on its corresponding stress-strain behavior. Particular emphasis is given to the role of compaction energy level and associated breakage incurred during compaction on the drained and undrained shearing behavior. The incidence of particle breakage for undrained and drained shearing was observed to be different, which in turn had a strong influence in the yielding behavior and the critical state. Furthermore, the critical state conditions for coal wash seem to be better described through a three-dimensional surface incorporating the effect of breakage.
Microsaccade rate varies with subjective visibility during motion-i= blindness

Motion-induced blindness (MIB) occurs when a dot embedded in a motion field subjectively vanishes. Here we report the first psychophysical data concerning effects of microsaccade/eyeblink rate upon perceptual switches during MIB. We find that the rate of microsaccades/eyeblink rises before and after perceptual transitions from not seeing to seeing the dot, and decreases before perceptual transitions from seeing it to not seeing it. In addition, event-related fMRI data reveal that, when a dot subjectively reappears during MIB, the blood oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) signal increases in V1v and V2v and decreases in contralateral hMT+. These BOLD signal changes observed upon perceptual state changes in MIB could be driven by the change of perceptual states and/or a confounding factor, such as the microsaccade/eyeblink rate. Citation: Hsieh P-J, Tse PU (2009) Microsaccade Rate Varies with Subjective Visibility during Motion-Induced Blindness. PLoS ONE 4(4): e5163. doi:10.1371/ journal.pone. 0005163 Editor: Sheng He, University of Minnesota, United States of America Received November 18, 2008; Accepted March 13, 2009; Published April 9, 2009 Copyright: 2009 Hsieh, Tse. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Funding: This project was funded by NIH R03 MH0609660-01 grant to PUT. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. * E-mail: pjh@mit.edu
Toxins from Lonomia obliqua — Recombinant Production and Molecular Approach

Few species of butterflies and moths (order Lepidoptera) are involved in human envenoming [1]. Caterpillars are the larval forms of moths and butterflies. Toxins are usually found in the caterpillar’s hairs and spines with defense purposes. The majority of medically important encounters with lepidopterans occur with exposure to the caterpillar’s urticating hairs or spines, but hemolymph can also have toxic properties [1, 2]. A variety of clinical effects have been described, which depend on the family and species involved, ranging from local to systemic reactions [3, 4].
Vegetation change at high elevation: scale dependence and interactive effects on Niwot Ridge

Background: High-elevation mountain systems may be particularly responsive to climate change. Aims: Here we investigate how changes along elevation gradients in mountain systems can aid in predicting vegetation distributional changes in time, focusing on how changing climatic controls affect meso-scale transitions at the lower and upper boundaries of alpine vegetation (with forest and subnival zones, respectively) as well as micro-scale transitions among plant communities within the alpine belt. We focus on climate-related drivers, particularly in relation to climate change, but also consider how species interactions, dispersal and responses to disturbance may influence plant responses to these abiotic drivers. Results: Empirical observations and experimental studies indicate that changing climatic controls influence both meso-scale transitions at the upper and lower boundaries of alpine vegetation and micro-scale transitions among plant communities within tundra. Micro-scale heterogeneity appears to buffer response in many cases, while interactions between climate and other changes may often accelerate change. Conclusions: Interactions with microtopography and larger edaphic gradients have the capacity to both facilitate rapid changes and reinforce stability, and that these interactions will affect the responsiveness of vegetation to climate change at different spatial scales.