Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fluor-tsilaisite, NaMn3Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3F, a new tourmaline from San Piero in Campo (Elba, Italy) and new data on tsilaisitic tourmaline from the holotype specimen locality

Abstract Fluor-tsilaisite, NaMn3Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3F, is a new mineral of the tourmaline supergroup. It occurs in an aplitic dyke of a LCT-type pegmatite body from Grotta d’Oggi, San Piero in Campo, Elba Island, Italy, in association with quartz, K-feldspar, plagioclase, elbaite, schorl, fluor-elbaite and tsilaisite. Crystals are greenish yellow with a vitreous lustre, sub-conchoidal fracture and white streak. Fluor-tsilaisite has a Mohs hardness of ~7 and a calculated density of 3.134 g/cm3. In plane-polarized light, fluor-tsilaisite is pleochroic (O = pale greenish yellow and E = very pale greenish yellow), uniaxial negative. Fluor-tsilaisite is rhombohedral, space group R3m, a = 15.9398(6), c = 7.1363(3) Å, V = 1570.25(11) Å3, Z = 3. The crystal structure of fluor-tsilaisite was refined to R1 = 3.36% using 3496 unique reflections collected with MoKa X-ray intensity data. Crystal-chemical analysis resulted in the empirical formula: X(Na0.69⃞0.29Ca0.02)Σ1. 00 Y(Mn2+1.29Al1.21Li0.56Ti0.03)S6.00 ZAl6 T(Si5.98Al0.03)S6.00B2. 92O27 V(OH)3 W[F0.39(OH)0.25O0. 36]S1.00. Comparisons were performed between fluor-tsilaisite and a tsilaisitic tourmaline from the same locality as the holotype specimen. This latter tourmaline sample was selected for this study due to its remarkable composition (MnO = 11.63 wt.%), the largest Mn content found in tourmaline so far. Fluor-tsilaisite is related to tsilaisite through the substitution WF ↔ W(OH) and with fluor-elbaite through the substitution Y(Al + Li) ↔ 2YMn2+, and appears to be a stepwise intermediate during tourmaline evolution from tsilaisite to fluor-elbaite.
GPI-anchored uPAR requires Endo180 for rapid directional sensing during chemotaxis

Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and its receptor (uPAR) play an important role in cell guidance and chemotaxis during normal and pathological events. uPAR is GPI-anchored and the mechanism by which it transmits intracellular polarity cues across the plasma membrane during directional sensing has not been elucidated. The constitutively recycling endocytic receptor Endo180 forms a trimolecular complex with uPAR in the presence of uPA, hence its alternate name uPAR-associated protein. Here, we demonstrate that Endo180 is a general promoter of random cell migration and has a more specific function in cell chemotaxis up a uPA gradient. Endo180 expression was demonstrated to enhance uPA-mediated filopodia production and promote rapid activation of Cdc42 and Rac. Expression of a noninternalizing Endo180 mutant revealed that promotion of random cell migration requires receptor endocytosis, whereas the chemotactic response to uPA does not. From these studies, we conclude that Endo180 is a crucial link between uPA–uPAR and setting of the internal cellular compass.
Deep structure of the southeastern margin of the West African craton from seismic reflection data, offshore Ghana

Abstract Seismic reflection data, acquired as part of an oil exploration survey offshore Ghana, have been reprocessed to reveal the deep structure of the Proterozoic continental crust on the continental shelf, off West Africa. The seismic profiles presented are located across the Romanche transform margin, which transects the West African craton (WAC) margin where it is bounded by the Pan-African Dahomeyide orogen. The seismic data reveal highly reflective middle–lower crust of the WAC but a nearly transparent upper crust of c. 10 km thickness. Bundles of discontinuous reflections are located at the base of the unreflective upper crust and locally define the trough of a synformal structure interpreted as the keel of a Palaeoproterozoic (Birimian) greenstone belt exposed onshore. The deepest crust imaged is characterized by more continuous, subhorizontal reflections that are very similar to those observed in the lower crust of cratonic areas such as the Superior Province. Near the WAC margin the subhorizontal reflections are truncated by east-dipping reflections in the Pan-African domain, which are correlated with cratonward directed fold-and-thrust structures formed during the c. 600 Ma Pan-African orogeny. These seismic observations represent, to date, the first deep seismic reflection images of the West African craton margin and the continental lithosphere in the region.
Modulation of the canonical Wnt activity by androgen signaling in prostate epithelial basal stem cells

Both the canonical Wnt signaling and androgen signaling are important factors regulating prostate organogenesis. How these two pathways crosstalk to regulate prostate stem cell functions remain unclear. Here, we show that while canonical Wnt activity is required for prostate basal stem cell multipotency in vivo, ectopic Wnt activity does not promote basal-to-luminal cell differentiation. We provide evidence that androgen signaling may keep Wnt activity in check. In prostate organoid culture from basal cells, dihydrotestosterone (DHT) antagonizes R-spondin-stimulated organoid growth in a concentration-dependent manner. Molecular analyses of organoids under different treatment conditions showed that androgen signaling down-regulated the expressions of a Wnt reporter as well as many Wnt target genes. Pathway analysis and gene set enrichment analysis of organoid RNA-seq data also revealed the canonical Wnt signaling as a key pathway distinguishing organoids treated with or without DHT. Notably, DHT treatment enhanced AR and β–catenin binding in the nuclei of prostate organoids, providing possible mechanistic clues. Our results reveal a critical role of AR signaling in modulating canonical Wnt activity in prostate basal cells to regulate their multipotency.
Urban Growth Using Shannon’s Entropy: a Case Study of Rohtak City

With an extensive history dating back to antiquity urban development, human-induced climate change is one of the most important areas of human induced environment transformation. The study makes use of Shannon’s Entropy with the help of Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing technique. Rohtak city is located amidst fertile agricultural lands; the city has undergone rapid expansion during the recent past. The study spread over a period 38 years. On the basis of Survey of India Toposheet and satellite images, built up cover of Rohtak was classified for different time periods. Data used in the present study are the Survey of India Toposheet, LANDSAT TM 1989, IRS P6 LISS-IV PAN (mono) 2005, image acquired from Google earth 2011, and Census of India. The growth rate of built-up area was around three times more than population growth rate during 1989-2002. The growth rate in built-up area was 24.14 percent and population growth rate was 14.47 percent during 2002-2005. On the basis of these data urban growth are examined with the help of Shannon’s Entropy and found the sprawl direction.
Nicotinamide as potential biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease: A translational study based on metabolomics

Introduction: The metabolic routes altered in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain are poorly understood. As the metabolic pathways are evolutionarily conserved, the metabolic profiles carried out in animal models of AD could be directly translated into human studies. Methods: We performed untargeted Nuclear Magnetic Resonance metabolomics in hippocampus of McGill-R-Thy1-APP transgenic (Tg) rats, a model of AD-like cerebral amyloidosis and the translational potential of these findings was assessed by targeted Gas Chromatography-Electron Impact-Mass Spectrometry in plasma of participants in the German longitudinal cohort AgeCoDe. Results: In rat hippocampus 26 metabolites were identified. Of these 26 metabolites, nine showed differences between rat genotypes that were nominally significant. Two of them presented partial least square-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) loadings with the larger absolute weights and the highest Variable Importance in Projection (VIP) scores and were specifically assigned to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and nicotinamide (Nam). NAD levels were significantly decreased in Tg rat brains as compared to controls. In agreement with these results, plasma of AD patients showed significantly reduced levels of Nam in respect to cognitively normal participants. In addition, high plasma levels of Nam showed a 27% risk reduction of progressing to AD dementia within the following 2.5 years, this hazard ratio is lost afterwards. Discussion: To our knowledge, this is the first report showing that a decrease of Nam plasma levels is observed couple of years before conversion to AD, thereby suggesting its potential use as biomarker for AD progression.
Citrus fertigation – a technology of water and fertilizers saving

Fertigation is the application of soluble fertilizers through micro-irrigation systems, has been used in citrus production since the 1960s. Originally, fertigation was used in arid regions to improve solubility of fertilizers in the root zone and increase uptake efficiently by fruit trees. Without rainfall or irrigation, dry fertilizers often remained on the soil surface and nutrients were lost due to leaching or volatilization. Currently fertigation is being used in many citrus growing regions including Israel, the Mediterranean region, South Africa, and the United States. Nevertheless, many regions in our country still use dry fertilizers due to tradition, lack of fertigation equipment, technique, uneven topography or poor quality irrigation water. The objective of this popular article is to discuss fertigation, advantages and disadvantages of fertigation, methods of fertigation, fertigation in citrus production based on research and observations from citrus growing regions in India.
Seafloor Deposition State Based Geoacoustic Model of the South China Sea

Considered the complexity of the actual seabottom state due to characteristics of layers, diverse temperature and pressure in the South China Sea, sediments are sorted into porosity-unchanged type (PDC) and porosity-decreased type (PDD). By stress-strain analysis of two-phase medium of sediment under gravity, the establishment of a wave propagation model considered depth variety (DFCMCM) theoretically reveals the acoustic properties that with depth PDC type sediments change slowly, while PDD type sediments increase in compressional wave velocity. A novel geoacoustic model expression concerned about seabottom sedimentary state is introduced and four representative basic geoacoustic models of sediments in the South China Sea to be expressed as: low-speed PDC (GMI1), low-speed PDD (GMI2), high-speed PDC (GMII1) and high-speed PDD (GMII2). By using the combination of the four basic models, the actual sedimentary acoustic state could be rationally explained with the example of the Lu's three sound-speed structures of the South China Sea. The understanding of basic geoacousic models will benefit the seafloor detection and classification of bottom region with acoustic means in the South China Sea.
New data concerning the age of the Aksu Thrust in the south of the Aksu valley, Isparta Angle (SW Turkey): consequences for the Antalya Basin and the Eastern Mediterranean

Pliocene sediments in the Aksu valley of the Antalya Neogene basin, located in the central part of the Isparta Angle, are shown to have transgressed a palaeovalley which resulted from deep erosion, probably during a sea‐level lowstand related to the Messinian salinity crisis. The southern part of the Pliocene Aksu Basin exhibits shallow, open‐marine deposits bordered by reefal limestones to the east. The dominant facies are marls and silts, which contain an abundant fauna of molluscs, foraminifera and nannoplankton of Early to Late Pliocene age. The northern part of the basin corresponds to the infill of a canyon (200 m deep) and environs by green marls overlain by massive conglomerates. The marls yielded a microfauna including nannoplankton indicative of a Mid‐Pliocene age (limit N19–N20 and NN15 and NN16). This sequence was affected by strong compression, which resulted in duplication of the succession along several flat thrust faults. Kinematic data indicate a translation towards the west and southwest, related to the regionally important Aksu Thrust. This appears to be contemporaneous with the Levant Fault system and with the thrusting in the Kyrenia Range, north Cyprus. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The structural evolution of the Dalradian of the Central Highlands of Scotland

ABSTRACT The first section of the paper is concerned with a detailed account of the structure of the classic Schiehallion area. The account is extended to the flat belt via the Glen Lyon-Ben Lawers area. It is demonstrated that major D1 folds involve the whole of the Appin and Argyll groups and now face SE. However, the original D1 folds were probably open upward-facing folds which have been refolded and modified by the dominant D2 deformation. D2 is represented by an antiformal complex which culminates downwards in the Boundary Slide, a zone of strong deformation associated with NW translation of Dalradian over the ‘young Moine’ rocks. D3 has been responsible for the rotation of the originally flat D2 structures into their present ‘steep’ attitudes N of Glen Lyon. D4 is represented by the strike-swing of the lower Dalradian formations, possibly related to early movements on the two major faults that bound the area. The concept of a D1 Tay Nappe which roots in the ‘young Moine’ to the N is retained, although the scale and flat attitude of that fold is regarded as in part a product of D2.
Automatic partially supervised classification of multitemporal remotely sensed images

The use of remotely sensed imagery for environmental monitoring naturally leads to operate with multitemporal images of the geographical area of interest. In order to generate thematic maps for all acquisition dates, an unsupervised classification algorithm is not effective, due to the lack of knowledge about the thematic classes. On the other hand, a detailed analysis of all the land-cover transitions is naturally accomplished in a completely supervised context, but the ground-data requirement involved by this approach is not realistic in case of short rivisit time. An interesting trade-off is represented by the partially supervised approach, exploiting ground truth only for a subset of the acquisition dates. In this context, a multitemporal classification scheme has been proposed previously by the authors, which deals with a couple of images of the same area, assuming ground truth to be available only at the first date. In the present paper, several modifications are proposed to this system in order to automatize it and to improve the detection performances. Specifically, a preprocessing algorithm is developed, which addresses the problem of mismatches in the dynamics of images acquired at different times over the same area, by both automatically correcting strong dynamics differences and detecting cloud areas. In addition, the clustering procedures integrated in the system are fully automatized by optimizing the selection of the numbers of clusters according to Bayesian estimates of the probability of correct classification. Experimental results on multitemporal Landsat-5 TM and ERS-1 SAR data are presented.
Geochemical Characteristics of Apatite in Heavy REE‐rich Deep‐Sea Mud from Minami‐Torishima Area, Southeastern Japan

We have conducted geochemical and mineralogical investigations of the rare earth and yttrium (REY)‐rich mud from the Minami‐Torishima area in the Pacific in order to clarify the concentration of REY and their host‐phase in the mud. X‐ray diffraction analysis shows that the mud is mainly composed of phillipsite, fluorapatite, quartz, albite, illite and montmorillonite. Whole‐rock CaO, P2O5 and total REY contents of the mud are positively correlated. Relative abundance of apatite is also positively correlated to P2O5 and total REY contents. These correlations suggest that apatite is the main host of the P2O5 and REY in the mud. We make in situ compositional analyses of constituent minerals in the REY mud. The results show that the apatite is abundant in REY (9300–32,000 ppm) and is characterized by a negative Ce anomaly and enrichment in heavy rare‐earth elements. This abundance and composition of REY of the mud is similar those of fish debris apatites. In contrast, phillipsite is less abundant in REY (60–170 ppm). Therefore we conclude that the main REY host phase of the mud is apatite.
Shocks in a box: An analogue model of subduction earthquake cycles with application to seismotectonic forearc evolution

We introduce and test an experimental approach to simulate elastoplastic megathrust earthquake cycles using an analogue model and apply it to study the seismotectonic evolution of subduction zones. The quasi‐two‐dimensional analogue model features rate‐ and state‐dependent elastic‐frictional plastic and viscoelastic material properties and is scaled for gravity, inertia, elasticity, friction, and viscosity. The experiments are monitored with a high‐resolution strain analysis tool based on digital image correlation (particle imaging velocimetry, PIV), providing deformation time series comparable to seismologic, geodetic, and geologic observations. In order to separate elastic and nonelastic effects inherent the experimental deformation patterns, we integrate elastic dislocation modeling (EDM) into a hybrid approach: we use the analogue earthquake slip and interseismic locking distribution as EDM dislocation input and forward model the coseismic and interseismic elastic response. The residual, which remains when the EDM prediction is subtracted from the experimental deformation pattern, highlights the accumulation of permanent deformation in the model. The setup generates analogue earthquake sequences with realistic source mechanisms and elastic forearc response and recurrence patterns and reproduces principal earthquake scaling relations. By applying the model to an accretionary‐type plate margin, we demonstrate how strain localization at the rupture peripheries may lead to a seismotectonically segmented forearc, including a tectonically stable shelf and coastal high (<20% plate convergence accommodated by internal shortening) overlying the area of large megathrust earthquake slip. Fifty to 75% of plate convergence is accommodated by internal shortening in the slope region where earthquake slip tapers out toward the trench. The inner forearc region remains undeformed and represents a basin.
Reconciling late Neogene Pacific absolute and relative plate motion changes

New models of Pacific absolute plate motion relative to hot spots and models of relative plate motion involving the Pacific plate all agree there was a significant change in the late Neogene (Chron 3A, ∼5.89 Ma), reflecting a more northerly absolute motion than previously determined. As Pacific absolute plate motion became slightly more northerly, left‐stepping transform segments came under compression. Some left‐stepping segments became microplates with clockwise rotation; others show clear evidence of compressional deformation. Conversely, right‐stepping transforms came under tension, and many developed intratransform spreading centers or show similar evidence for transform magmatism. Several large left‐stepping transform offsets represent portions of the Nazca plate protruding into the Pacific and as such act as obstacles to the more northerly Pacific absolute plate motion. We suggest these obstructions act to enhance the generally tensile equatorial Pacific stress regime caused by distant slab pull. As a consequence, the greater French Polynesia region has experienced diffuse volcanism that increased considerably following the Chron 3A plate motion change. We propose that since the Hawaii‐Emperor Bend time, the distant Pacific slab pull and the friction between the large, buoyant Ontong Java plateau and the northern margin of the Australia plate have produced episodes of increased tensile stresses in the equatorial Pacific. We believe these stress excursions are responsible for much of the intraplate volcanism observed in a wide triangular region from Samoa to the East Pacific and Pacific‐Antarctic Rises.
A hydrogeological model for the early diagenesis of Late Triassic alluvial sediments

The late Triassic Mercia Mudstone Group of southwest Britain, a problematic, complex arid playa-floodplain-aeolian deposit, contains a variety of Mg clays and carbonates. Recent interpretations have invoked marine waters as a source of Mg in clays. However, both the Mg-rich clays and other early diagenetic features seen in the late Triassic in Europe are directly analogous to those found in the inland drainage basins of Australia. A simple hydrogeological model is offered based on these basins where shallow groundwater evolution takes place within the basin producing a range of early diagenetic products including groundwater dolocretes and Mg clays. Such a model, as developed in Australia, is probably widely applicable to ancient arid alluvial systems. The Mercia Mudstone Group is a problematic sequence of predominantly red siltstones and mudstones with minor sand, dolomite and limestone intercalations (Ruffell 1991). It has been extensively studied in outcrops in southwest and southern Britain, particularly in the Bristol Channel area. The siltstones and mudstones, of late Triassic age, are the distal equivalents to alluvial fan deposits and are associated, at least locally, with lake margin and spring travertine deposits (Leslie et al. 1992). Some workers have favoured a marine-influenced setting for the deposition of the mudrocks or playa lakes (see review in Taylor 1983). Most recently they have been interpreted as the deposits of complex floodplain-playa systems with a signficant aeolian input (Talbot et al. 1994). Extensive evaporites occur locally in the unit, including thick halite deposits and have been interpreted as evidence of marine
Estimation of cellular fabric in embryonic epithelia

Recent computational and analytical studies have shown that cellular fabric—as embodied by average cell size, aspect ratio and orientation—is a key indicator of the stresses acting in an embryonic epithelium. Cellular fabric in real embryonic tissues could not previously be measured automatically because the cell boundaries tend to be poorly defined, significant lighting and cell pigmentation differences occur and tissues contain a variety of cell geometries. To overcome these difficulties, four algorithms were developed: least squares ellipse fitting (LSEF), area moments (AM), correlation and axes search (CAS) and Gabor filters (GF). The AM method was found to be the most reliable of these methods, giving typical cell size, aspect ratio and orientation errors of 18%, 0.10 and 7.4°, respectively, when evaluated against manually segmented images. The power of the AM algorithm to provide new insights into the mechanics of morphogenesis is demonstrated through a brief investigation of gastrulation, where fabric data suggest that key gastrulation movements are driven by epidermal tensions circumferential to the blastopore.
Life form classification and biological spectrum of Chiktan valley, North West Himalaya.

The life form classification and construction of biological spectrum of Chiktan valley of Kargil district in Ladakh region of North West Himalaya has been done after complete enumeration of floristic composition. A total of 79 plant species has been listed and grouped into various life form classes after Raunkiaer (1934). Hemicryptophytes (40.50%) and Therophytes (24.05%) dominated the landscape of this area followed by Chamaephyte (17.72%), Phanerophytes and Geophytes (8.86%). The life form spectrum was the characteristic of desert climate with scanty rainfall and steppe vegetation. Compared to the normal biological spectrum of Raunkiaer, Phanerophytes showed maximum deviation (37.14) followed by Hemicryptophytes (+14.50) and Therophyte (+11.50).