Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Geochemical Regimes of Piton de la Fournaise Volcano (Reunion) During the Last 530 000 Years

2·1 my) includesIts particularly simple elemental and isotopic geochemistry suggests, early and waning stages with alkalic activity bracketing a steady-however, a rather homogeneous mantle source and makes this volcano state stage of tholeiitic activity. We estimate that Re´union volcanismideally suited for petrogenetic studies. We report mineralogical results from the impingement on the base of lithosphere of a solitarydescriptions, major element, trace element and Sr isotope compositions wave of hotspot material with a radius of 100–130 km and aof four volcanic sequences spanning the 530 ka of the known velocity of 5–9 cm/yr.lifetime of the volcano. The lavas change with time from mildlyalkalic to mildly tholeiitic. This change is due to crystal fractionationbecoming shallower with time as olivine replaces clinopyroxeneas the liquidus phase at lower pressure. Fractionation of anolivine–clinopyroxene assemblage at lithospheric–mantle pressure
of regional cerebral

Chronic administration of antipsychotic drugs has been linked to structural brain changes observed in patients with schizophrenia. Recent MRI studies have shown rapid changes in regional brain volume following just a single dose of these drugs. However, it is not clear if these changes represent real volume changes or are artefacts (‘apparent’ volume changes) due to drug induced physiological changes, such as increased cerebral blood flow (CBF). To address this, we examined the effects of a single, clinical dose of three commonly prescribed antipsychotics on quantitative measures of T1 and regional blood flow of the healthy human brain. Males (n=42) were randomly assigned to one of two parallel groups in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised, three-period cross-over study design. One group received a single oral dose of either 0.5mg, 2mg of risperidone or placebo during each visit. The other received olanzapine (7.5mg), haloperidol (3mg) or placebo. MR measures of quantitative T1, CBF, and T1-weighted images were acquired at the estimated peak plasma concentration of the drug. All three drugs caused localised increases in striatal blood flow, although drug and region specific effects were also apparent. In contrast, all assessments of T1 and brain volume remained stable across sessions, even in those areas experiencing large changes in CBF. This illustrates that a single clinically relevant oral dose of an antipsychotic has no detectable acute effect on T1 in healthy volunteers. We further provide a methodology for applying quantitative imaging methods to assess the acute effects of other compounds on structural MRI metrics.
National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2000 Emergency Department Summary

Objectives—This report describes ambulatory care visits to hospital emergency departments (EDs) in the United States. Statistics are presented on selected hospital, patient, and visit characteristics. Highlights of trends in ED utilization from 1997 through 2000 are also presented. Methods—The data presented in this report were collected from the 2000 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS). NHAMCS is part of the ambulatory care component of the National Health Care Survey that measures health care utilization across various types of providers. NHAMCS is a national probability sample survey of visits to hospital emergency and outpatient departments of non-Federal, short-stay, and general hospitals in the United States. Sample data are weighted to produce annual national estimates. Trends are based on NHAMCS data from 1997 through 2000.
Oxidative stress and its downstream signaling in aging eyes

Background: Oxidative stress (OS) and its biomarkers are the biochemical end point of the imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and the ability of the antioxidant (AOX) biological systems to fight against oxidative injury. Objective: We reviewed the role of OS and its downstream signaling in aging eyes. Methods: A search of the literature and current knowledge on the physiological and pathological mechanisms of OS were revisited in relation to the eyes and the aging process. Most prevalent ocular diseases have been analyzed herein in relation to OS and nutraceutic supplements, such as dry-eye disorders, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy. Results: Clinical, biochemical, and molecular data from anterior and posterior eye segment diseases point to OS as the common pathogenic mechanism in the majority of these ocular disorders, many of which are pathologies causing visual impairment, blindness, and subsequent loss of life quality. Studies with nutraceutic supplements in aging eye-related pathologies have also been reviewed. Conclusion: OS, nutritional status, and nutraceutic supplements have to be considered within the standards of care of older ophthalmologic patients. OS biomarkers and surrogate end points may help in managing the aging population with ocular diseases.
Modeling Load-Transfer Behavior of H-Piles Using Direct Shear and Penetration Test Results

The load transfer analysis (or t–z analysis) has long been used to predict the load-displacement response of axially loaded driven piles. However, the t–z curves along the pile length and q–z curve at the pile tip, required for the t–z analysis, are routinely obtained based on empirical correlations using field and/or laboratory soil tests. This study focuses on the use of a modified Direct Shear Laboratory Test (mDST) to directly quantify the t–z curves and the use of a penetration test, namely the Pile Tip Resistance test (PTR) to quantify the q–z curve, for partial-displacement piles. As part of this study, two instrumented steel H-piles driven in sandy soils were load tested and soil layers at the two sites were characterized using in situ and laboratory tests. A load transfer analysis was conducted utilizing the directly quantified t–z and q–z curves from the mDST and PTR, respectively, to calculate the response of the load tested piles. When compared to the measured load-displacement response and load distribution along pile length, the t–z analysis based on the mDST and PTR measurements showed very good agreement with the measured pile responses. Therefore, and despite the limited database availability at present, the proposed mDST–PTR based model is promising as it represents a simple and cost-effective means to accurately predict the load–displacement response of partial-displacement piles driven in cohesionless soils.
Movement of some heavy metals in poorly drained fadama soils in the Southern Guinea savannah zone of Nigeria

The movement of heavy metals (Pb, Fe, Cu, and As) down the soil profile was studied on two fadama crop lands under rice and sugar cane cultivation in Minna, Niger State of Nigeria. Soil type in the experimental fields was loamy sand or sandy clay loam, clay content 13-34%, pH(H 2 O) 7.04-7.68. In the rice farm organic matter content (1.5-2.0%) and CEC (7.2–22.8 mol kg -1 ) were higher than in the sugar cane farm (1.1-1.5%; 6.32–9.45 mol kg -1 ). The ranges of heavy metals (mg kg -1 ) were for rice farm Pb 0.04–0.16, Fe 0.04–0.08, Cu 0.07–0.2, As 0.12–0.22 and for sugar cane farm Pb 0.04–0.15, Fe 0.05–0.11, Cu 0.06-0.13, As 0.10–0.26. Significant proportions of these heavy metals were accumulated in the top soil. The relatively high organic matter content in the top soil appeared to bind the metals in non-leachable forms thereby reducing their mobility. It was evident that all the heavy metals in the soil depths examined exceeded the acceptable standards for table water and therefore, there is possibility of contamination of ground water.
Optimal risk management strategies for a cattle backgrounding operation in the Peace River area

Backgrounding cattle is risky. Large amounts of short-term capital are required to buy feeders and feedstuffs, and a ten month cost-revenue gap makes financial planning difficult. In addition, finished cattle prices are volatile and, frankly, unknown at the time the management places its feeders. Income risk and financial risk must be addressed by the management. Several strategies are available to reduce return risk, including anticipatory hedging with cattle futures contracts, placing custom feeders, placing feeders at different months and investing off-farm. This study developed a shot-term decision making model for a backgrounding operation that addresses the interaction between feeder ownership options, the feeder placement month, cash flow requirements, hedging alternatives, off-farm investments, the line of credit and the management's degree of risk-aversity. The following backgrounding issues were examined: (1) whether participation in a classical hedging program with Feeder and Live Cattle contracts would result in lower farm return variability and would increase owned feeder placements, (2) whether managements would be deterred from using hedging strategies if a gradually increasing downward BIAS was introduced, (3) whether managements would be deterred from using hedging strategies if margin calls had to be deposited during the hedging period and (4) to what extent cash flow constraints would affect the management's decision set. The literature of decision making under uncertainty was reviewed to determine the approach which would best accommodate the backgrounding management's risk concerns.
Rainwater harvesting systems and their influences on field scale soil hydraulic properties, water fluxes and crop production.

Smallholder farmers occupy fragile environments where relatively small perturbations in water input can have a strong effect on the generation of livelihood goods and services. Timeliness in operations e.g. sowing and weed control is crucial. To understand how and when water limits crop production and thus seek ways to optimize its use, knowledge of its temporal and spatial quantities and trends is necessary. This information could also aid decision making in traditional leadership typical of rural smallholder farmers. Using daily rainfall time series data (1901-1999) from eight weather stations in the Thukela catchment, the Mann-Kendall (MK) test, Kendall test and the Spearman’s rank correlation (SRC) coefficients were used to detect trends in the annual and monthly rainfall. Pettitt’s test was conducted to identify abrupt changes in the annual time series. Several other statistical analyses were done which enabled the derivation of indices that contributed to the evaluation of suitable sowing dates and the risks of maize production (Zea Mays L.) in the Thukela basin. INSTAT+ for Windows was used to identify the suitable sowing dates. The length of the growing season was constrained by dry spells at the beginning of the season and soil moisture and heat units at the end. Increasing trends in annual rainfall of up to 5.5 mm/year were observed in some stations. This was attributed to increases in rainfall intensities and/or amounts per day rather than an increase in rainy days. Rainfall was more variable in winter compared to summer. On average the return period of droughts was between 2-4 years in all stations. Rainfall variability was found to influence sowing dates. Although dry spell occurrences were higher in 1951-1999 compared to 1901-1950, there was an advance in the potential date of sowing of up to 2.5 weeks in some ∗ Corresponding author
fNIRS‐based evaluation of the impact of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection central auditory processing

Coronavirus disease‐2019 due to SARS‐CoV‐2 infection has been associated with neurological and neuropsychiatric illnesses as well as auditory system problems. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the impact of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection on the central auditory system by assessing the hemodynamic activation changes using functional near‐infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).
An overview of the PETS 2009 challenge

This paper describes the crowd image analysis challenge that forms part of the PETS 2009 workshop. The aim of this challenge is to use new or existing systems for i) crowd count and density estimation, ii) tracking of individual(s) within a crowd, and iii) detection of separate flows and specific crowd events, in a real-world environment. The dataset scenarios were filmed from multiple cameras and involve multiple actors.
Floristics and successional patterns of microbiotic crusts in ponderosa pine forests of Southern Inland British Columbia

Microbiotic crusts are an important component of the ecology and species diversity of terrestrial ecosystems in semiarid regions. This study documents 72 lichen species and 48 bryophyte species occurring in the ponderosa pine forests Of southern inland British Columbia and contains a key to common species. Successional patterns are described for vascular plants, lichens, and bryophytes along a disturbance gradient reflecting past grazing activity by livestock. While species richness among vascular plants varied little with disturbance, microbiotic species richness was found to differ significantly. Maximum richness occurred in moderately disturbed sites. Indicator species for early versus late successional sites were discerned using Principal Components Analysis. Early successional sites were often dominated by xerophytic crustose and squamulose lichens, while late successional sites also supported foliose lichens, fruticose lichens, and bryophytes. It is hypothesized that this trend from smaller to larger species relates to increased moisture retention, and denotes a positive feedback mechanism. This study describes the floristics and successional patterns of microbiotic crusts; this is important for managing species diversity in one of British Columbia's most restricted ecosystems. Table of
Platelet Factor 4 Antibodies and Severe AKI

Key Points Patients testing positive for platelet factor 4 antibodies have a >50% higher odds of developing severe AKI compared with those who test negative. The relationship between platelet factor 4 antibodies and severe AKI was independent of demographics, comorbidities, laboratory values, and severity-of-illness characteristics. Background Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, which results from production of antibodies that bind to heparin-platelet factor 4 (PF4) complexes, is a hypercoagulable state associated with considerable morbidity and mortality due to thrombotic complications. We investigated whether PF4 antibodies are associated with an increased risk of AKI. Methods We conducted a cohort study of hospitalized adults who underwent testing for PF4 antibodies at two large medical centers in Boston between 2015 and 2021. The primary exposure was PF4 test positivity. The primary outcome was severe AKI, defined by Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes stage 3 as a ≥3-fold increase in serum creatinine or receipt of KRT within 7 days after the PF4 test. We used multivariable logistic regression to adjust for potential confounders. Results A total of 4224 patients were included in our analysis, 469 (11.1%) of whom had a positive PF4 test. Severe AKI occurred in 50 of 469 patients (10.7%) with a positive PF4 test and in 235 of 3755 patients (6.3%) with a negative test (unadjusted odds ratio, 1.79 [95% confidence interval, 1.30 to 2.47]). In multivariable analyses adjusted for demographics, comorbidities, laboratory values, and severity-of-illness characteristics, PF4 test positivity remained associated with a higher risk of severe AKI (adjusted odds ratio, 1.56 [95% confidence interval, 1.10 to 2.20]). Conclusions Among hospitalized adults, the presence of PF4 antibodies is independently associated with a 56% higher odds of developing severe AKI. Additional studies are needed to investigate potential mechanisms that may underlie these findings, such as pathogenic effects of PF4 antibodies on the microvasculature of the kidneys.
The impact of nursing home residency on psychotropic drug use in major neurocognitive disorder: A nationwide comparison

Psychotropic drugs are utilized against neuropsychiatric symptoms among people with major neurocognitive disorder (NCD) despite well‐documented risks, and older people in nursing homes are expected to be more frequently exposed to those medicines. This study compared psychotropic drug use and associated factors between older people with major NCD and matched references.
Mangrove expansion on the low wooded islands of the Great Barrier Reef

Mangrove forests are the dominant vegetation growing on low wooded islands, which occur in the Caribbean, Indian and Pacific Oceans. In the northern Great Barrier Reef, we map remarkable, undocumented mangrove forest extension on 10 low wooded islands in the Howick Group that collectively equates to an area of 667 000 m2 (66.7 ha). We combine extensive field survey with canopy height models derived from RPA imagery and allometric scaling to quantify above ground biomass in both old (pre-1973) and new (post-1973) forest areas. Forest expansion added approximately 10 233 tonnes of new biomass since the early 1970s. We suggest that such substantial expansion of mangrove forest has occurred within a short time span in response to changing environmental controls. These may include sea-level rise, sediment transport and deposition, cyclone impact and the development of associated reef flat sedimentary landforms including unconsolidated and lithified shingle ridges, which influence reef flat hydrodynamics. Our observations highlight the globally dynamic response of mangrove distribution and forest structure to environmental change and provide timely new estimates from understudied reef island settings.
Genomic epidemiology of Acinetobacter baumannii goes global

ABSTRACT Acinetobacter baumannii is a major public health concern, for which many genomic epidemiology studies have been conducted in the last decade. However, the vast majority of these are local studies focusing on hospitals from one or a few countries. Proper global genomic epidemiology studies are needed if we are to understand the worldwide dissemination of A. baumannii clones. In this regard, a recent study published in mBio is a good step forward. Müller et al. (mBio e2260-23, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.02260-23) sequenced the genomes of 313 carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii isolates from over 100 hospitals in almost 50 countries from Africa, Asia, Europe, and The Americas. With this data set the authors provide an updated view of the global distribution of the major international clones and their carbapenemase genes. Future global genomic epidemiology studies can be enhanced by considering not only human but also non-human isolates, and by considering isolates despite their antibiotic resistance profile.
Diverse roles of biomolecular condensation in eukaryotic translational regulation

ABSTRACT Biomolecular condensates, forming membrane-less organelles, orchestrate the sub-cellular compartment to execute designated biological processes. An increasing body of evidence demonstrates the involvement of these biomolecular condensates in translational regulation. This review summarizes recent discoveries concerning biomolecular condensates associated with translational regulation, including their composition, assembly, and functions. Furthermore, we discussed the common features among these biomolecular condensates and the critical questions in the translational regulation areas. These emerging discoveries shed light on the enigmatic translational machinery, refine our understanding of translational regulation, and put forth potential therapeutic targets for diseases born out of translation dysregulation.
Tidal Response in Estuaries

Abstract A new general theory has been developed to determine both the tidal response of estuaries and the effects of cross-channel tidal barriers on this response. The theory is shown to be widely applicable and provides a connecting framework against which the response of different estuaries can be compared. Assuming a breadth variation BL(X/λ)mM and a depth variation HL(X/λ)nM where X is the distance from the head of the estuary, general solutions are obtained for the, shallow-water wave equations expressed in a linearized one-dimensional form. These solutions introduce an important new parameter. v=(n+1)/(2−m), referred to as the estuarine shape number. For any estuary, tidal elevations and velocities are expressed as a function of position along the estuary and the appropriate v, value. By introducing a further dimensionless parameter y to represent position along the estuary, the expression for tidal elevation (or velocity) can be illustrated in a single diagram with v and y as orthogonal axes. For .
Cytochrome P450 Family 46 Subfamily A Member 1 Promotes the Progression of Colorectal Cancer by Inducing Tumor Cell Proliferation and Angiogenesis

Background/Aim: Cytochrome P450 family 46 subfamily A member 1 (CYP46A1) has been implicated in the development and progression of various cancers. This study aimed to analyze the expression of CYP46A1, examining its relationship with oncogenic behaviors, and determining its prognostic implications in colorectal cancer (CRC). Materials and Methods: A total of 225 patients with CRC who underwent curative surgical resection were examined using paraffin-embedded tissue blocks and subjected to tumor-specific survival analysis. The expression of CYP46A1 was assessed in CRC tissues through reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. The CRC cells’ apoptosis, proliferation, angiogenesis, and lymphangiogenesis were analyzed using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assays, alongside immunohistochemical staining for Ki-67, CD34, and D2-40 antibodies. Results: CYP46A1 expression was found to be up-regulated in CRC tissues compared to normal colorectal mucosa. Such expression was significantly associated with advanced stage, deeper tumor invasion, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, and decreased survival. Furthermore, the mean Ki-67 labeling index and microvessel density values in CYP46A1-positive tumors were significantly elevated compared to CYP46A1-negative tumors. However, there was no discernible correlation between CYP46A1 expression and either the apoptotic index or lymphatic vessel density value. Conclusion: CYP46A1 promotes CRC progression, specifically through the induction of tumor cell proliferation and angiogenesis. The insights provided may hold potential implications for future therapeutic interventions targeting CYP46A1.
MICROBIAL PRODUCTS AS NATURAL ALTERNATIVE TO FERTILISERS : ISOLATION AND CHARACTERISATION OF NITROGEN FIXING BACTERIA

Bacteriile fixatoare de azot au o importanţă mare în ciclul biologic al azotului, ei sunt capabile să fixeze azotul atmosferic cu ajutorul sistemelor de enzime – nitrogenaze, şi aşa fel să imobilizeze azotul pentru plante. Izolarea se întâmplă cu inoculare repetată pe medii selective. Caracterizarea culturilor pure a fost realizat prin determinarea proprietăţiilor morfologice al celulelor şi tulpinilor (formă, pigmentare, suprafaţă, margină, consistenţă). Pentru caracterizarea genetică am folosit digestia cu enzime de restricţie (RFLP restriction fragment length polymorphism). Diferenţa între ADN ribosomal a fost realizat folosind enzimele de restricţie TaqI, HaeIII, ApaI.