Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Orography-driven chemical denudation in the Lesser Antilles: Evidence for a new feed-back mechanism stabilizing atmospheric CO2

In this paper we present chemical composition data for major elements in rivers from three islands of the Lesser Antilles. The Lesser Antilles are a tropical volcanic subduction arc and are characterized by steep gradients of relief, bedrock age and precipitation. They constitute a natural laboratory where the response of the weathering engine to large variations of runoff can be understood. Data indicate that the Lesser Antilles are characterized by extremely variable chemical weathering (40-430 t/km2/a) and CO2 consumption (300-3500.103 mol/km2/a) rates, amongst the highest found on Earth and consistent with the previous studies on the weathering of volcanic rock. A noteworthy observation is that, along the runoff gradient, concentrations of rock-derived solutes do not follow a pure dilution law and that a buffering mechanism exists stabilizing solute concentrations. As a result concentrations vary much less than runoff and chemical weathering rates are mainly controlled by runoff. Precipitation patterns in the Lesser Antilles are essentially orographic and controlled by the adiabatic decompression of the water-saturated Atlantic air masses. The production of acidity by volcanic degassing is an additional factor that modulates the runoff effect. Two main conclusions can be drawn from this study. First, chemical weathering fluxes of oceanic islands are strongly dependent upon relief repartition, which cautions the use of regional mean values to compare volcanic islands. Second, volcanic activity in the Lesser Antilles subduction arc, by creating relief, promotes high orographic precipitation and/or infiltration regimes, that in turn results in elevated chemical weathering and atmospheric CO2 consumption fluxes. This feedback mechanism, implying mainly precipitation and relief, is proposed to act in complement to the temperature-related feedback proposed by previous authors for stabilizing the atmospheric CO2 content of the atmosphere in response to volcanic CO2 degassing. This study highlights the importance of the water cycle in controlling chemical weathering of volcanic arc islands and associated CO2 consumption rates.
Stability of Andalusite and Sillimanite and the Al2SiO5 Triple Point: Constraints from the Ballachulish Aureole, Scotland

Andalusite (And) and sillimanite (Sil) occur in well-defined zones in the Ballachulish aureole. In most of the aureole's sillimanite-bearing rocks, sillimanite grain diameters range from ≤ 2 μm to ≥ 10 μm. The boundary between prograde andalusite and prograde sillimanite is constrained to a zone of max. 30 m width upgrade of the muscovite + quartz = andalusite + K-feldspar + $$H_{2}O$$ reaction isograd. This boundary is interpreted to correspond to the And = Sil equilibrium. The common occurrence of andalusite well upgrade of the first occurrence of sillimanite is ascribed to sluggish kinetics of the polymorphic inversion. The P-T position of the And = Sil equilibrium in the aureole is estimated as 645 ± 20°C and 3.0 ± 0.4 kbar, based on a combination of (1) location of the Ms + Qtz = And + Kfs + $$H_{2}O$$ reaction, corrected for non-end member fluid and mineral compositions, and (2) independent pressure estimates obtained from equilibria in metapelites, marbles, calcsilcates, and granitoids, all in excellent agreement. The effects of grain size and minor element content of andalusite and sillimanite on the equilibrium appear negligible. From this P-T constraint, the And = Sil equilibrium was extrapolated, using entropy and volume data, to intersect the overlapping uncertainty envelopes for the Ky = And and Ky = Sil equilibria, giving an estimate of the triple point of 4.5 ± 0.5 kbar, 550 ± 35°C, midway between Richardson's and Holdaway's determinations, and satisfying the petrological criteria used to support either.
Floral phenology and pollen potential of honey bee plants in NorthEast dry land areas of Amhara region, Ethiopia

Beekeeping serves as a source of additional cash income for hundreds of thousands of farmer beekeepers in the country and plays a significant role in conserving the natural resources and contributes to the globe through environmental protection. Furthermore, even if the potential and success in beekeeping development is dependent first and foremost on the type and quantity of flora available, botanical composition of natural vegetation varies significantly. This study was conducted targeting identification and documentation of major honeybee floras, their phenology and pollen potential in the study area. For this, three representative agroecologies, respective sites and localities were selected using stratified random sampling procedures. A total of 120 Beekeepers were also purposively selected and interviewed to collect relevant information. Density and frequency of flowering plants was determined using appropriate vegetation determination techniques. Pollen was collected using pollen traps and was analyzed and verified for its traceability using appropriate mellissopalynological procedures and references. Trapped pollen analysis data were also traced back to plant species level. The study has revealed that the families diversity, directly attributed to the species diversity, in sample plots were generally higher in higher altitudes of the study area and deceasing towards lower altitudes. The density of the plant species per plot were higher for herbaceous plant species represented by plant families Pedaliaceae, Asteraceae and Papilionaceae. As a tip, 73.33% of the flowering plants identified from the trapped pollen were found to be propagated by their seeds indicating the point of entrance for rehabilitation. the highest amount of pollen was collected from those plants categorized as very good in their use to quality honey production (46.23%), in their acceptance by the bees (56.62%) and in their abundance (48.4%) comprising 22.22%, 26.67%, 31.11% and 28.89% of the total honey source plants identified throughout the study period respectively. Moreover, a total of 418.45gm of pollen (36.11%, 39.08% and 20.98% from herbaceous, shrub and tree species respectively) was collected by honeybees during the study period. It was found that 12 plant species (contributing 69.24% of the pollen) have been confirmed to be major pollen source plants of the area. Generally, we would like to recommend that wise use and rehabilitation of these potentially identified bee plant species shall be considered in attempting beekeeping development and environmental protection.
Stable Isotope-Assisted Untargeted Metabolomics Identifies ALDH1A1-Driven Erythronate Accumulation in Lung Cancer Cells

Using an untargeted stable isotope-assisted metabolomics approach, we identify erythronate as a metabolite that accumulates in several human cancer cell lines. Erythronate has been reported to be a detoxification product derived from off-target glycolytic metabolism. We use chemical inhibitors and genetic silencing to define the pentose phosphate pathway intermediate erythrose 4-phosphate (E4P) as the starting substrate for erythronate production. However, following enzyme assay-coupled protein fractionation and subsequent proteomics analysis, we identify aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A1 (ALDH1A1) as the predominant contributor to erythrose oxidation to erythronate in cell extracts. Through modulating ALDH1A1 expression in cancer cell lines, we provide additional support. We hence describe a possible alternative route to erythronate production involving the dephosphorylation of E4P to form erythrose, followed by its oxidation by ALDH1A1. Finally, we measure increased erythronate concentrations in tumors relative to adjacent normal tissues from lung cancer patients. These findings suggest the accumulation of erythronate to be an example of metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells, raising the possibility that elevated levels of erythronate may serve as a biomarker of certain types of cancer.
Soil conservation as a goal among farmers: Results of a survey and cluster analysis

ABSTRACT: Using data from a survey of farmers in southern Illinois, cluster analysis was performed to group farmers into classes based on the nature of their farming operations; 264 farmers were studied and grouped into 20 classes. Among other data studied, information was acquired on farmers9 goals and their rank ordering of those goals. Farmers9 selection of goals and their ranking varied significantly by class. The frequency of farmers selecting soil conservation as a goal and its rank ordering varied with the type of farm and farm size. Soil conservation was chosen as the first goal by only 1.8% of the sample population. Given the importance of soil conservation in an area characterized by highly erodible soils, the results were interpreted in terms of the need to develop proactive conservation policies under the Conservation Title of the 1985 Food Security Act.
Developing an empirical model of canopy water flux describing the common response of transpiration to solar radiation and VPD across five contrasting woodlands and forests

A modified Jarvis–Stewart model of canopy transpiration (Ec) was tested over five ecosystems differing in climate, soil type and species composition. The aims of this study were to investigate the model's applicability over multiple ecosystems; to determine whether the number of model parameters could be reduced by assuming that site‐specific responses of Ec to solar radiation, vapour pressure deficit and soil moisture content vary little between sites; and to examine convergence of behaviour of canopy water‐use across multiple sites. This was accomplished by the following: (i) calibrating the model for each site to determine a set of site‐specific (SS) parameters, and (ii) calibrating the model for all sites simultaneously to determine a set of combined sites (CS) parameters. The performance of both models was compared with measured Ec data and a statistical benchmark using an artificial neural network (ANN). Both the CS and SS models performed well, explaining hourly and daily variation in Ec. The SS model produced slightly better model statistics [R2 = 0.75–0.91; model efficiency (ME) = 0.53–0.81; root mean square error (RMSE) = 0.0015–0.0280 mm h‐1] than the CS model (R2 = 0.68–0.87; ME = 0.45–0.72; RMSE = 0.0023–0.0164 mm h‐1). Both were highly comparable with the ANN (R2 = 0.77–0.90; ME = 0.58–0.80; RMSE = 0.0007–0.0122 mm h‐1). These results indicate that the response of canopy water‐use to abiotic drivers displayed significant convergence across sites, but the absolute magnitude of Ec was site specific. Period totals estimated with the modified Jarvis–Stewart model provided close approximations of observed totals, demonstrating the effectiveness of this model as a tool aiding water resource management. Analysis of the measured diel patterns of water use revealed significant nocturnal transpiration (9–18% of total water use by the canopy), but no Jarvis–Stewart formulations are able to capture this because of the dependence of water‐use on solar radiation, which is zero at night. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Acoustic and reservoir properties of microporous carbonate rocks: Implication of micrite particle size and morphology

This integrated study provides significant insight into parameters controlling the acoustic and reservoir properties of microporous limestones, improving the knowledge of the relationships among petrophysic and microstructural content. Petrophysical properties measured from laboratory and logging tools (porosity, permeability, electrical conductivity, and acoustic properties) have been coupled with thin section and scanning electron microscope observations on the EST205 borehole from the Oxfordian limestone aquifer of the eastern part of the Paris Basin. A major achievement is the establishment of the link between micrite microtexture types (particle morphology and nature of intercrystal contacts) and the physical response, introducing a new effective and interesting rock‐typing approach for microporous reservoirs. Fluid‐flow properties are enhanced by the progressive augmentation of intercrystalline microporosity and associated pore throat diameter, as the coalescence of micrite particles decreases. Concerning acoustic properties, the slow increase of P wave velocity can be seen as a reflection of crystal size and growing contact cementation leading to a more cohesive and stiffer micrite microtexture. By applying poroelasticity theory on our samples, we show that velocity dispersion can be a very useful tool for data discrimination in carbonates. This dispersion analysis highlights the presence of microcracks in the rocks, and their overall effect on acoustic and transport properties. The presence of microcracks is also confirmed with observations and permeability measurements under high confining pressure. Finally, a possible origin of high porous levels in neritic limestones is a mineralogical transformation of carbonates through freshwater‐related diagenesis during subaerial exposure time. Finally, by applying poroelasticity theory on our samples, we show that velocity dispersion can be a very useful tool for data discrimination in carbonates.
Summer and spring elbow rashes is a variant of polymorphous light eruption: confirmation by photoprovocation and histopathology in a series of five cases

Background Summer and spring eruptions on the elbows are a variant of polymorphous light eruption described on clinical and histopathological grounds; however, to our knowledge, they have not been confirmed by photobiological studies. Objective Based on photobiological studies, this study aimed to demonstrate the involvement of ultraviolet-A (UVA) radiation in this variant of polymorphous light eruption occurring exclusively on the elbows. Methods A series of five patients with polymorphous light eruption lesions on the elbows were included in our study. All patients underwent phototesting and photoprovocation of the skin lesions after exposure to a UVA light source [Philips UVA HPA lamp (400 W)]. All patients underwent punch biopsy and histopathological and immunohistochemical studies with anti-CD123. Results In all the cases, UVA irradiation caused the appearance of skin lesions on the elbows with characteristic polymorphous light eruption. Histological data showed edema in the superficial dermis and a perivascular lymphocytic infiltrate compatible with polymorphous light eruption. Immunohistochemical staining for CD1-23 showed negative results. Conclusions For the first time, photobiological photoprovocation studies demonstrated that repeated exposure to UVA radiation leads to the generation of skin lesions on the elbows, which are clinically and histologically consistent with summer and spring eruptions, confirming that elbow rash is a variant of polymorphous light eruption.
AZD-7648, a DNA-PK Inhibitor, Induces DNA Damage, Apoptosis, and Cell Cycle Arrest in Chronic and Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells

The non-homologous end joining pathway is vital for repairing DNA double-strand breaks (DSB), with DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) playing a critical role. Altered DNA damage response (DDR) in chronic (CML) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) offers potential therapeutic opportunities. We studied the therapeutic potential of AZD-7648 (DNA-PK inhibitor) in CML and AML cell lines. This study used two CML (K-562 and LAMA-84) and five AML (HEL, HL-60, KG-1, NB-4, and THP-1) cell lines. DDR gene mutations were obtained from the COSMIC database. The copy number and methylation profile were evaluated using MS-MLPA and DDR genes, and telomere length using qPCR. p53 protein expression was assessed using Western Blot, chromosomal damage through cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay, and γH2AX levels and DSB repair kinetics using flow cytometry. Cell density and viability were analyzed using trypan blue assay after treatment with AZD-7648 in concentrations ranging from 10 to 200 µM. Cell death, cell cycle distribution, and cell proliferation rate were assessed using flow cytometry. The cells displayed different DNA baseline damage, DDR gene expressions, mutations, genetic/epigenetic changes, and p53 expression. Only HEL cells displayed inefficient DSB repair. The LAMA-84, HEL, and KG-1 cells were the most sensitive to AZD-7648, whereas HL-60 and K-562 showed a lower effect on density and viability. Besides the reduction in cell proliferation, AZD-7648 induced apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and DNA damage. In conclusion, these results suggest that AZD-7648 holds promise as a potential therapy for myeloid leukemias, however, with variations in drug sensitivity among tested cell lines, thus supporting further investigation to identify the specific factors influencing sensitivity to this DNA-PK inhibitor.
TEMPORAL CHANGES IN A COMMUNITY OF DUNG BEETLES (INSECTA: COLEOPTERA: SCARABAEINAE) RESULTING FROM THE MODIFICATION AND FRAGMENTATION OF TROPICAL RAIN FOREST

In order to determine the changes in biological diversity over time in different habitats of a fragmented tropical rain forest in Manaus, Brazil, we compared capture data from two windows in time: 1986 and 2000. W e used beetles of the subfamily Scarabaeinae as an indicator group. Both sets of samples were collected from the same sites and following the same methodology. The only difference was that in 2000 most of the pastures that had been created as isolation barriers had been replaced by secondary vegetation in different stages of development. Beetles were collected from the following habitats: pasture, secondary vegetation, 1 ha, and 10 ha fragments of forest, and continuous rainforest. The main results follow. 1) After the dramatic decrease in Scarabaeinae species richness that followed the creation of the pastures and the isolation of the fragments there was a notable recovery of biodiversity. We associate this with the enormous tract of continuous rainforest that surrounds the study area since the sites were recolonized by rainforest species. 2) The high number of tourist species recorded for the pastures is evidence of the ease with which Scarabaeinae can overcome the physical barriers imposed by fragmentation. Over time, many of the tourist species coming from the intact forest can become colonizers. 3) Even when there is no human intervention, there is a high degree of heterogeneity in the spatial and temporal distributions of the Scarabaeinae in the rainforest. 4) For coprophagous beetles, the effects of forest fragmentation are a function of both forest fragment size and the nature of the matrix in which the fragments occur. In our study the development of secondary vegetation favored the connection between fragments and the continuous forest.
Gyrokinetic modelling of non-linear interaction of Alfvén waves and EGAMs in ASDEX-Upgrade

Energetic particle (EP) dynamics and excitation of EP driven instabilities is an important topic of study for the physics of fusion reactors. In this paper we consider EPs injected in the plasma by neutral beams at high energies to heat it. EP species exist far from thermal equilibrium in the form of anisotropic non-Maxwellian distribution functions. EP driven modes, such as Alfvén waves (AWs) and EP driven geodesic acoustic modes (EGAMs), can redistribute EPs in phase-space and harm confinement. We examine the effects of experimental-like anisotropic EP distribution functions on the excitation and the non-linear coupling of such instabilities with the gyrokinetic particle-in-cell code ORB5. The growth rate of EGAMs is found to be sensitively dependent on the phase-space shape of the distribution function as well as on the non-linear wave-wave coupling with AWs. Experimental findings are compared with numerical results.
Decoupling of seasonal temperature and precipitation over the western Pacific during the early mid‐Holocene

This paper considers seasonal patterns of temperature and precipitation over the western Pacific during the early mid‐Holocene through an analysis of seasonal variations in sea surface temperature (SST, reconstructed from coral Sr/Ca ratios) and seawater δ18O (δ18Osw, generated from coral Sr/Ca and δ18O ratios) in both modern corals and fossil corals from the early mid‐Holocene (ca. 6.7–6.5 ka Before Present (BP)). The modern coral, from the northern South China Sea (SCS) in the northwest Pacific, shows relatively negative δ18Osw values during the warmer seasons (May–December), but relatively positive values during the colder seasons (January–April). In contrast, the fossil coral shows relatively negative δ18Osw values during the cold seasons (February–May), but relatively positive values during the warm seasons (June–October). This contrast is also evident in the Vanuatu corals from the southwest Pacific. In detail, the modern coral record shows low δ18Osw values during most of the year, but with a positive δ18Osw peak in October (cold season), while the two early mid‐Holocene corals record a positive δ18Osw peak in February (summer) and a negative peak in August (winter). Seasonal patterns preserved in coral δ18Osw series reflect seasonal variations in precipitation, both in the northern SCS and Vanuatu; consequently, their contrasting seasonal coral δ18Osw variations during the early mid‐Holocene and at present indicate that the configuration of temperature and precipitation during the early mid‐Holocene differed to the present‐day situation. This decoupling of seasonal temperature and precipitation variations occurred over the western Pacific, which means that it was a regional, rather than simply a local climate phenomenon. This seasonal decoupling may have resulted from the synchronous northward shift of both the Intertropical Convergence Zone and South Pacific Convergence Zone during the early mid‐Holocene, which seems to be controlled by orbital forcing.
Serum Cytokines and Growth Factors in Subjects with Type 1 Diabetes: Associations with Time in Ranges and Glucose Variability

The detrimental effect of hyperglycemia and glucose variability (GV) on target organs in diabetes can be implemented through a wide network of regulatory peptides. In this study, we assessed a broad panel of serum cytokines and growth factors in subjects with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and estimated associations between concentrations of these molecules with time in ranges (TIRs) and GV. One hundred and thirty subjects with T1D and twenty-seven individuals with normal glucose tolerance (control) were included. Serum levels of 44 cytokines and growth factors were measured using a multiplex bead array assay. TIRs and GV parameters were derived from continuous glucose monitoring. Subjects with T1D compared to control demonstrated an increase in concentrations of IL-1β, IL-1Ra, IL-2Rα, IL-3, IL-6, IL-7, IL-12 p40, IL-16, IL-17A, LIF, M-CSF, IFN-α2, IFN-γ, MCP-1, MCP-3, and TNF-α. Patients with TIR ≤ 70% had higher levels of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-12 p70, IL-16, LIF, M-CSF, MCP-1, MCP-3, RANTES, TNF-α, TNF-β, and b-NGF, and lower levels of IL-1α, IL-4, IL-10, GM-CSF, and MIF than those with TIR > 70%. Serum IL-1β, IL-10, IL-12 p70, MCP-1, MCP-3, RANTES, SCF, and TNF-α correlated with TIR and time above range. IL-1β, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12 p70, MCP-1, RANTES, MIF, and SDF-1α were related to at least one amplitude-dependent GV metric. In logistic regression models, IL-1β, IL-4, IL-10, IL-12 p70, GM-CSF, HGF, MCP-3, and TNF-α were associated with TIR ≤ 70%, and MIF and PDGF-BB demonstrated associations with coefficient of variation values ≥ 36%. These results provide further insight into the pathophysiological effects of hyperglycemia and GV in people with diabetes.