Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Geochemical aspects of the aetiology of trace element related diseases

Abstract Deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in the supply of inorganic elements from dietary sources can have an important influence on animal and human health and susceptibility to disease. Many such situations arise from anomalies in the inorganic element composition of food chains. These, in turn, are frequently attributable to the composition of the geochemical environment as modified by the influence of soil composition and botanical or cultural variables upon the inorganic composition of the diet. Appreciation of the epidemiological importance of such factors in the aetiology of nutritional diseases can contribute, very significantly, to their detection and effective control. Although the agricultural relevance of geochemical data is firmly established and widely appreciated, investigation of its value in the context of anticipation and control of major human nutritional diseases in the third world has yet to be undertaken adequately.
Marine protected areas : a global exploration of their quantity and quality

ii Preface iii Table of contents iv List of tables vii List of figures ix List of abbreviations x Acknowledgements xi Chapter 1: Introduction 1 1.1 Status of MPAs globally 1 1.2 Assessing protected area effectiveness 4 1.2. 1 Designation 4 1.2. 2 Management 5 1.2. 3 Conservation outcomes 6 1.3 MPA management effectiveness 8 1.4 Research aims 10 Chapter 2: An updated assessment of progress towards global MPA coverage targets 13 2.
DETERMINING SOURCES OF WATER QUALITY IMPACTS USING BIOLOGICAL MONITORING: THE MOLYCORP QUESTA MOLYBDENUM MINE EXAMPLE

Biological monitoring was initiated on the Red River in 1997 to evaluate the effects on aquatic biota of open pit mine operations and mine rock piles over nearly a 40-year period. The general public perception was that the mine has had severe effects on the aquatic biota due to the absence of robust biological populations adjacent to the mine. However, initial biological monitoring data provided evidence that the observed negative impacts to fish and benthic invertebrates in the Red River near the mine were actually caused by naturally occurring thermal scars upstream of, and within, the mine area in the Red River drainage. These data indicated the open pit mine and mine rock piles did not measurably impact the suitability of the Red River to support aquatic organisms. Continued biological monitoring has reinforced these earlier conclusions, and has shown that the aquatic biota is most likely limited by episodic summer rain storms which simultaneously add large amounts of sediment and degrade water quality in the Red River downstream of the hydrothermal scars, although groundwater appears to be a contributing factor in low baseflow periods. Fish and macroinvertebrate parameters decreased immediately downstream of the town of Red River, demonstrating that the negative impacts to the aquatic biota begin well upstream of the Molycorp Mine property. Long term biological monitoring has demonstrated the complex nature of factors structuring the aquatic biota in the Red River, and demonstrated the value of well-designed monitoring programs. Additional
Gradient analysis; a quantitative technique for biostratigraphic correlation

Gradient analysis has previously been used by ecologists and paleoecologists to quantify spatial gradients in the distribution of taxa. Temporal gradients can also be quantified by these techniques, which makes them potentially useful in biostratigraphy. Case studies of the methods of detrended correspondence analysis and reciprocal averaging are given in this paper, demonstrating their potential for ordinatingfaunas by age. Detrended correspondence analysis successfully ordinated the Ordovician sequence of Estonia on the basis of its btyozoan fauna, establishing an "age gradient" on the first axis. Previously undated bryozoan faunas of Baltic affinity from erratic boulders in Poland and the Naungkangyi Formation of Burma were dated by establishing their position along the Estonian "age gradient. " The erratic boulder fauna from Poland was determined to be of Hirnantian (Latest Ashgill) age. The Naungkangyi fauna was dated as ranging from Late Caradoc to Early Ashgill in age. Reciprocal averaging was used to group Late Ordovician and Silurian bryozoan faunas into three age categories based on first axis scores and into clastic vs. carbonate facies categories based on second axis scores. These results signify that gradient analysis can be a useful technique for quantitative biostratigraphic correlation and that bryozoans, although rarely used in biostratigraphy, are potentially significant index fossils. INTRODUCTION
Price setting in the euro area: some stylised facts from individual producer price data

This paper documents patterns of price setting at the retail level in the euro area. A set of stylized facts on the frequency and size of price changes is presented along with an econometric investigation of their main determinants. Price adjustment in the euro area can be summarized in six stylized facts. First, prices of most products change rarely. The average monthly frequency of price adjustment is 15 p.c. , compared to about 25 p.c. in the US. Second, the frequency of price changes is characterized by substantial cross-product heterogeneity and pronounced sectoral patterns: prices of oil-related) energy and unprocessed food products change very often, while price adjustments are less frequent for processed food products, non-energy industrial goods and services. Third, cross-country heterogeneity exists but is less pronounced. Fourth, price decreases are not uncommon. Fifth, price increases and decreases are sizeable compared to aggregate and sectoral inflation rates. Sixth, price changes are not highly synchronized across price-setters. Moreover, the frequency of price changes in the euro area is related to a number of factors, in particular seasonality, outlet type, indirect taxation, use of attractive prices as well as aggregate or product-specific inflation.
Spatiotemporal changes of urban impervious surface area and land surface temperature in Beijing from 1990 to 2014

This study examined changes in urban expansion and land surface temperature in Beijing between 1990 and 2014 using multitemporal TM, ETM+, and OLI images, and evaluated the relationship between percent impervious surface area (%ISA) and relative mean annual surface temperature (RMAST). From 1990 to 2001, both internal land transformation and outward expansion were observed. In the central urban area, the high-density urban areas decreased by almost 7 km2, while the moderate- and high-density urban land areas increased by 250 and 90 km2, respectively, outside of the third ring road. From 2001 to 2014, high-density urban areas between the fifth and sixth ring roads experienced the greatest increase by more than 210 km2, and RMAST generally increased with %ISA. During 1990–2001 and 2001–2014, RMAST increased by more than 1.5 K between the south third and fifth ring roads, and %ISA increased by more than 50% outside of the fifth ring road. These trends in urban expansion and RMAST over the last two decades in Beijing can provide useful information for urban planning decisions.
Effect of Citrus paradisi and Citrus sinensis on glycemic control in rats

This study was conducted to explore the effects of Citrus sinensis (orange juice) and Citrus paradisi (grapefruit juice) at three different doses alone and their two combinations on plasma insulin and blood glucose levels in healthy and diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced by alloxan after which rats were treated with C. sinensis and C. paradisi juices for six weeks, blood glucose and plasma insulin concentration was estimated. C. sinensis showed significant reduction in blood glucose and a significant rise in plasma insulin at all three doses. However C. paradisi revealed highly significant fall in blood glucose and highly significant rise in plasma insulin levels only at 0.5 ml/kg. Whereas combination dose group CSP-2 (5 + 0.3 ml/kg) showed highly significant reduction in blood glucose and highly significant rise in plasma insulin levels as compared to diabetic control. These results suggest that flavonoids and other essential nutrients present in citrus fruits juices might be responsible for these effects. Hence, it may be concluded that these juices may be used in combination to produce a synergistic effect in decreasing blood glucose and elevating plasma insulin levels.
Gully morphology in a semi-arid environment: application of laser scanning techniques

Recent studies carried out in semi-arid Mediterranean regions have shown gully erosion to have an increasingly significant contribution to soil loss in hillslopes. There is therefore a great need for further monitoring, experimental and modelling studies of gully erosion as a basis for predicting the effects of environmental, climatic and land use changes on erosion rates. Fieldwork was carried out at two sites in the Rambla de Nogalte catchment, south east Spain in order to identify factors which influenced gully morphology at different spatial scales. Laser scanning techniques were also applied in order to obtain topographic data that could be related to gully morphology and provide a new level of precision in monitoring gully erosion. The field results showed that there were many components to the erosional response of the hillslopes and gully morphological development, some of which proved to be more significant for gully morphological development than others. At the hillslope scale, the role of topography and land use characteristics were highlighted, and at the smaller scale, the soil surface roughness was the main factor affecting runoff generation and erosional processes.
Differences between Deciduous and Evergreen Broad-leaved Trees in the Pattern of Seasonal Change of Leaf-scale Photosynthetic Net Assimilation Rate and Transpiration Rate.

温帯性落葉広葉樹と常緑広葉樹における, 個葉の光合成速度・蒸散速度・気孔コンダクタンスの季節変動特性を比較するために, 野外観測を行った。 観測の結果, 落葉広葉樹では光合成速度および気孔コンダクタンスが展開後早い時期にピークを持ち, 夏以降急激に減少する一方, 常緑広葉樹では春の光合成速度および気孔コンダクタンスが最適な環境条件の割に低く, 定常に達するのは遅いが, 秋から冬にかけての減少は落葉広葉樹ほど急激ではないという傾向が検出された。 この傾向はクロロフィル濃度の変化と密接な関係があると考えられているSPAD値の季節変動特性と連動するものであった。
Bmc Structural Biology a Knowledge-based Structure-discriminating Function That Requires Only Main-chain Atom Coordinates

Background: The use of knowledge-based potential function is a powerful method for protein structure evaluation. A variety of formulations that evaluate single or multiple structural features of proteins have been developed and studied. The performance of functions is often evaluated by discrimination ability using decoy structures of target proteins. A function that can evaluate coarse-grained structures is advantageous from many aspects, such as relatively easy generation and manipulation of model structures; however, the reduction of structural representation is often accompanied by degradation of the structure discrimination performance.
The crustal structure of the Canary Basin: Accretion processes at slow spreading centers

Multichannel seismic reflection and gravity data define the structure of Mesozoic ocean crust of the Canary Basin, formed at slow spreading rates. Single and multichannel seismics show a transition from smooth to rough basement topography from Jurassic to Cretaceous crust and a coeval change in crustal structure. Internal reflectivity of the rough basement area comprises upper, upper middle or whole crust cutting discrete dipping reflections. Lower-crustal reflectivity is almost absent and reflections from the crust-mantle transition are short and discontinuous or absent for several kilometers. In contrast, crust in the smooth basement area is characterized by sparse lower crustal events and common reflections from the crust-mantle boundary. The crustal structure of fracture zones in the rough basement area is associated with depressions in the basement top and in most cases with thin crust. In the smooth basement area, fracture zones exhibit neither a clear topographic expression nor crustal thinning. We interpret these characteristics as indicative of an increase in extensional tectonic activity and decrease in magmatic activity at the spreading ridge associated with a general decrease of spreading rate from Jurassic to Cretaceous times. In addition, the crust imaged across the path of the Cape Verde Hot Spot in the Canary Basin exhibits a widespread lower crustal reflectivity, very smooth topography and apparently thick crust. Our data document significant changes in the structure of crust formed at slow spreading rates which we attribute to thermal changes in the lithosphere due either to variations in spreading rate or to the presence of a hot spot beneath the Mesozoic Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
Magnetic and Electric Signals Precursory to Earthquakes An Analysis of Japanese Data

Magnetic and electric data of earthquake precursor amounting to 61 in number so far obtained in Japan are analyzed. The relations between main shock magnitude (M), precursor time (T) and epicentral distance (D) are studied for precursors of five subdisciplines g (geomagnetic field change), earth currents (e), resistivity measured by electrodes having a long distance interval (R), resistivity measured by a resistivity variometer (r) and electromagnetic radiation (w). Linear relations between log T and M are obtained for subdisciplines g, e and R. T for the latter two subdisciplines is smaller than that for subdiscipline g for a fixed M. Such a difference can be understood by taking stress build-up and dilatancy-diffusion processes in the earth's crust into consideration.M-log D relations suggest that a subdiscipline g precursor represents a premonitory crustal strain of the order of 10-7-10-6, while that for subdiscipline r a strain of 10-9-10-8. Precursors for other subdisciplines represent a strain of 10-8-10-7. It is remarkable that precursors are sometimes observed at a point of which the epicentral distance is several times as large as that of epicentral area.
Corruption, Social Trust and Transition: the Case of the Czech Republic

The purpose of this paper is to propose research into corruption and social trust and their effect on businesses in transition economies with special reference to the Czech Republic. The literature review discusses the concepts of corruption and social trust and provides an explanation of how these can be used, in the case of the Czech Republic, when investigating the influence of these two phenomena on businesses operating in this environment. The discussion is augmented by a preliminary analysis based on secondary data obtained from Transparency International, the World Values Survey, the World Bank and the Polity IV project. This suggests that the assumptions derived from the literature review are valid. The paper concludes by proposing a methodology for further research.
Rediscovering the Macroeconomic Roots of Financial Stability Policy: Journey, Challenges and a Way Forward

The recent financial crisis has triggered a major rethink of analytical approaches and policy toward financial stability. The crisis has encouraged a sharper focus on systemic risk, the inclusion of a financial sector in macroeconomic models, a shift from a microprudential to a macroprudential orientation in regulation and supervision, and questions about whether price stability is a sufficient criterion to guide monetary policy. In the process, it has led to a rediscovery of the macroeconomic roots of financial instability. This review argues that this development is welcome but has not gone far enough. To substantiate this conclusion, the review documents this analytical and policy journey before suggesting a way forward.
Effects of tillage on variability in soil penetration resistance in an olive orchard

Spatial variability of soil properties such as soil structure and soil penetrometer resistance (SPR) is relevant for identifying those zones with physical degradation. We used classical statistical and multifractal analyses for characterising the spatial patterns of SPR distributions and compared them at different soil depths to investigate the tillage effect in soil compaction. The study was conducted on an Ochrept dedicated to olive orchards for the last 70 years. Two parallel transects of 64 m were selected as different soil-management plots: conventional tillage and no tillage. Penetrometer resistance readings were carried out at 50-cm intervals within the first 20 cm of soil depth. Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) highlighted that tillage system, soil depth and their interaction were statistically significant to explain the variance of SPR data from 5 to 20 cm soil depth. The scaling properties of each SPR profile were characterised by τ(q) function, calculated in the range of moment orders (q) between −5 and +5 taken at 0.5 lag increments. Several parameters were calculated from this: the singularities of strength (α); the Hausdorff dimension (f(α)); entropy dimension (α1); and their multifractal spectrum, i.e. graph α v. f(α). Multifractal scaling was evident and added valuable information to describe the spatial arrangement of depth-dependent penetrometer datasets in all soil layers, which was complementary to the ANOVA results.
Oral Health Knowledge , Attitude and Practice among Primary School Children In Rural Areas of Assiut Governorate

Background: Oral health is fundamental to general health and well-being. Little is known about the oral health attitudes and behavior of children from developing countries such as Egypt in comparison with those from developed countries. Objective: To study the oral health knowledge, attitudes, and practice among primary school children in rural areas of Assiut governorate. methods: A cross-sectional school-based study design was carried out. Data were collected by using structured interview questionnaires. The questionnaire was designed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of primary school children regarding their oral health and dental treatment. Results: This study included 1036 primary school students distributed along 8 public schools in 4 districts of Assiut governorate. The overall knowledge was satisfactory in 22.2% of students. The overall attitude was positive in 72.3% of students. About 60% of children usually clean their teeth. The most commonly used material for teeth cleaning was tooth brush and tooth paste (65.9%). Parents follow the children during teeth cleaning in 18.9% of cases. 55.6% of children visited the dentist before. In general, the most common cause of dentist's visit was suffering from toothache (75.3%). It was concluded that knowledge and practice about oral health among study participants were poor and needs to be improved. Therefore, comprehensive oral health educational programs for both children and their parents are required to achieve this goal.
Private Money and Reserve Management in a Random‐Matching Model

In this paper, we develop a model of money and reserve‐holding banks. We allow for private liabilities to circulate as media of exchange in a random‐matching framework. Some individuals, which we identify as banks, are endowed with a technology to issue private notes and to keep reserves with a clearinghouse. Bank liabilities are redeemed according to a stochastic process that depends on the endogenous trades. We find conditions under which note redemptions act as a force that is sufficient to stabilize note issue by the banking sector.
Market Belief Risk and the Cross-Section of Stock Returns

This paper studies the eff ect of market belief risk on the cross-section of stock returns. Using actual and analyst EPS forecast data, we construct the market belief as the cross-sectional average of individual beliefs for all sample stocks, with individual belief de fined as the mean analyst EPS forecast minus the one derived from the Brown and Roze (1979) EPS model. We observe that a portfolio that is long in stocks with the highest sensitivities and short in stocks with the lowest sensitivities to innovations in market belief earns an average yearly return of 5.4%. This positive relationship between market belief risk and stock returns persists after accounting for traditional risk factors and is particularly strong for large-cap stocks. These findings are robust when considering alternative speci cations of market belief risk. Finally, we fi nd that stocks' exposure to market belief risk increases with their market beta, volatility, turnover rate, and their sale-to-asset ratio and decreases with their size, momentum, and analyst coverage.
Mapping the three-dimensional variation of electrical conductivity in a paddy rice soil.

Soil salinity is widespread in a variety of environments, and land managers need to map its severity and extent both laterally and vertically from sample data. We have explored the use of apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) measured with an EM38 conductivity meter and Tikhonov regularization to obtain conductivity profiles. We then used geostatistics to predict the conductivity between sampling points in coastal saline paddy land in the Yangste delta of China. The ECa matched closely the directly measured conductivity (ECb) using the WET sensor system near the surface of the soil. Discrepancies increased down the profile to a maximum at about 80 cm, below which they converged again, and were judged small enough for monitoring purposes and to map soil salinity. The ECa was determined with the EM38 at 56 positions in an adjacent field at 10 depths down to 110 cm, and the data analysed geostatistically. A linear model of coregionalization was used to cokrige the ECa on a fine grid from which maps were made. The results revealed an irregularly shaped patch of salinity, serious at the base of the soil but of diminishing size and severity nearer to the soil surface.
Complete Nucleotide Sequence of the IncN Plasmid Encoding IMP-6 and CTX-M-2 from Emerging Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae in Japan

ABSTRACT We have determined the DNA sequence of Klebsiella pneumoniae multidrug resistance plasmid pKPI-6, which is a self-transmissible IncN-type plasmid. pKPI-6 harboring blaIMP-6 and blaCTX-M-2 confers a stealth-type carbapenem resistance phenotype on members of the family Enterobacteriaceae that is not detectable with imipenem. pKPI-6 is already epidemic in Japan, favoring the dissemination of IMP-6 and CTX-M-2 in members of the family Enterobacteriaceae.
When Do People Make the Place ? Considering the Interactionist Foundations of the Attraction-Selection-Attrition Model

Without question, one of Ben Schneider’s most important contributions has been to formulate and test the attraction-selection-attrition (ASA) model (e.g., Schneider, 1987). One can view his 1987 seminal paper in the context of research and debates that preceded it, particularly through the theoretical lens of the person-situation debate. Though psychologists had long struggled to answer the nature-nurture question of whether stable person characteristics or situational attributes account for more variation in behavior, the debate became most heated after Walter Mischel wrote a treatise on the primacy of situations in 1968. Many, such as Block (1978) and Bowers (1973), argued against Mischel’s initial position. Most researchers in organizational psychology now accept that behavior is a function of characteristics of the person and the environment (Magnusson & Endler, 1977). The challenge, however, as Schneider (1987) astutely noted, has been to develop concepts and methods that determine not only