Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Paleoceanography and biostratigraphy of Paleogene radiolarians from the Norwegian-Greenland Sea

Eocene and Oligocene radiolarians were recovered from two sites on Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 151. Early Oligocene to early late Oligocene radiolarians have been extracted from material cored at Site 908 on the Hovgard Ridge (Fram Strait). Although rare and only moderately preserved, these assemblages represent the northernmost occurrence of radiolarians recovered by either the Deep Sea Drilling Project or ODP thus far. Site 913 on the East Greenland margin has yielded a sequence of moderately diverse middle Eocene to earliest Oligocene radiolarians. In total, -75 species have been documented herein from both sites. Previous radiolarian biostratigraphies developed for the Norwegian-Greenland Sea were used as an initial basis for Leg 151 age dating. However, complications introduced by Leg 38 spot-coring techniques and radiolarian endemism are highlighted by Site 913 material that does not fit easily into either of the previous biostratigraphic zonations proposed for this region. Consequently, age determinations are based in part on comparison of Site 913 with Leg 38 sites as well as calibration of radiolarian events with other microfossil groups (diatoms, silicoflagellates, and dinoflagellates) present in Hole 913B. The combined stratigraphies suggest the presence of the Eocene/Oligocene boundary in the uppermost part of the biosiliceous sequence at Site 913. The uppermost part of this interval is characterized by the dominance of robust radiolarian groups, broken radiolarian tests, rare diatoms and increased reworking of radiolarians and dinoflagellates. These changes are interpreted as evidence for increased bottomwater circulation associated with radiolarian blooms at or just above the Eocene/Oligocene boundary. These findings concur with previous studies indicating increased bottomwater circulation in the North Atlantic during this same period of geologic time.
Project-induced displacement and resettlement: from impoverishment risks to an opportunity for development?

Abstract While the World Bank safeguard policies and International Finance Corporation Performance Standards specify the requirements to be observed when project-induced displacement and resettlement occurs, these international standards are not always followed. Governments often invoke the power of eminent domain and implement expropriation procedures instead of building support for a public or private project by negotiating with project-affected peoples. Evaluations of projects reveal that people are usually made worse off by being resettled. This paper provides a general introduction to the topic of project-induced displacement and resettlement, raising the key issues facing resettlement practice: under what conditions should projects and associated resettlements proceed; what constitutes appropriate compensation; can livelihoods be restored or improved; what is the role of benefit sharing and shared value; and how resettlement practice can be improved. Although there is ongoing improvement in the discourse and practice of project-induced resettlement, being resettled is still likely to be an impoverishment risk and have an emotional toll. Hopefully, however, under the right conditions, resettlement has the potential to be an opportunity for development.
Role of Gut Microbiota, Immune Imbalance, and Allostatic Load in the Occurrence and Development of Diabetic Kidney Disease

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a prevailing complication arising from diabetes mellitus. Unfortunately, there are no trustworthy and efficacious treatment modalities currently available. In recent times, compelling evidence has emerged regarding the intricate correlation between the kidney and the gut microbiota, which is considered the largest immune organ within the human physique. Various investigations have demonstrated that the perturbation of the gut microbiota and its associated metabolites potentially underlie the etiology and progression of DKD. This phenomenon may transpire through perturbation of both the innate and the adaptive immunity, leading to a burdensome allostatic load on the body and ultimately culminating in the development of DKD. Within this literature review, we aim to delve into the intricate interplay between the gut microbiota, its metabolites, and the immune system in the context of DKD. Furthermore, we strive to explore and elucidate potential chemical interventions that could hold promise for the treatment of DKD, thereby offering invaluable insights and directions for future research endeavors.
A Semi-Automated Bone Pretreatment System and the Pretreatment of Older and Contaminated Samples

A semi-automated continuous-flow system used to process archaeological bone to purified gelatin or amino acids for 14C dating is described. Powdered bone is retained in flow cells specifically designed to permit the sequential leaching of the bone with acid, alkali and water. Crude collagen obtained by this process is gelatinized, and than either purified directly using a macroporous cation exchange resin (BioRad AGMP-50), or hydrolyzed and the amino acids desalted on BioRad 50W-X8 resin. When compared with previous methods used by the laboratory, the new method allows more samples to be treated to a higher degree of purification. Examples of dates obtained on “standard” bones are presented, and confirm that no contamination is introduced from the components used in the new process.
Correlation of estimated average glucose with single point glucose values in patients attending a clinical laboratory facility in South-Western Nigeria: a retrospective study

Regular monitoring of glycaemic levels in patients with diabetes mellitus forms a major fulcrum for ensuring a desirable treatment outcome and a good quality of life in affected individuals. Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) measurement is a common and dependableoption for determining long-term glycaemic control. Unfortunately, it is relatively expensive and not readily available in most low- ncome settings. Measuring fasting plasma glucose (FPG) is the cheaper alternative if it correlates with HbA1c. A retrospective study into clinical records to identify all patients who had HbA1c and FPG was conducted on the same day between January 2021 and July 2022. Estimated average glucose was calculated from the HbA1c and the values were correlated with the FPG. Factors predicting values for HbA1c were also determined. The results obtained showed that a total of 315 patients had clinical records required for the study, 147(46.7%) males and 168 (53.3%) females. They were grouped into diabetic (n=111, with median FPG of 155 mg/dL), impaired fasting glucose (n=67, with median FPG of 108 mg/dL) and non-diabetic (n=137, with median FPG of 92 mg/dL) participants. The estimated average glucose for the three groups was 160 mg/dL, 117 mg/dL and 112 mg/dL, respectively. The FPG of the diabetic group showed a moderate correlation with the estimated average glucose (0.630 and a p-value < 0.001), and factors which predicted a high HbA1c were increasing age, FPG and the presence of diabetes mellitus. This data further encourages the continued use of FPG in monitoring glycaemic control in diabetic patients, especially in resource-poor locations where HbA1c is either too expensive or unavailable.
Self-satisfaction described by Zuckerman’s alternative five factors of personality

This study investigates the relationships between an individual’s self-satisfaction within different life areas, which correspond to Bracken’s self-concept primary domains (competence, family, social, physical, emotional, and academic domains), and Zuckerman’s Alternative Five-Factor Model of Personality (AFFM). It is supposed that the AFFM, as a psychobiological personality model which allows causal explanations, could provide a comprehensive insight into the nature of satisfaction with self.The study included 489 adults (64% women), between 18 and 60 years old, who completed the short Self-Satisfaction Scale (SC-6) and the Zuckerman-Kuhlman-Aluja Personality Questionnaire (ZKA-PQ). Relations between personality factors and facets from the ZKA-PQ and self-satisfaction measures were analyzed using correlational and multiple regression analysis. The relationship of self-satisfaction with gender and age was also analyzed.Based on responses to scales, 11% to 43% of the variance in self-satisfaction responses was predicted by personality, age, and sex. Extraversion had positive predictive weights for each self-satisfaction dimension. Neuroticism had negative predictive weights which were significant except for satisfaction with family. Sensation seeking negatively predicted satisfaction with competencies, family, academic aspects, emotions, and overall satisfaction. Aggression had small negative predictor weights for satisfaction with social and academic aspects. Activity had significant positive predictor weights for competencies, academic aspects, emotions, and overall satisfaction.The findings suggest that personality predicts satisfaction with aspects of the self, and that the AFFM provides an adequate theoretical framework, which includes a lower level of personality traits in the explanation of the nature of a person’s satisfaction, in general or related to specific life contexts.
Climate change-informed dietary modeling in Pacific cod: Experimentally-derived effects of temperature and dietary quality on carbon and nitrogen stable isotope trophic discrimination factors

Stable isotope analysis is a powerful tool for dietary modeling and trophic ecology research. A crucial piece of information for isotopic dietary modeling is the accurate estimation of trophic discrimination factors (TDFs), or the isotopic offset between a consumer’s tissue and its diet. In order to parameterize stable isotope dietary models for future climate scenarios, we investigated the effect of water temperature and dietary protein and lipid content on TDFs in juvenile Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus). Pacific cod are a commercially and ecologically important species, with stock numbers in the northeast Pacific recently having dropped by more than 70%. We tested four water temperatures (6, 8, 10, and 12°C) and two dietary regimens (low and high lipid content), representing a range of potential ocean temperature and prey quality scenarios, in order to determine carbon and nitrogen TDFs in juvenile Pacific cod. Additionally, we assessed dietary intake and proximate composition of the experimental fish in order to estimate consumption, assimilation, and retention of dietary nutrients. The results of this study suggest that dietary protein catabolism is a primary driver of nitrogen TDF variability in juvenile Pacific cod. Across all temperature treatments from 6 to 12°C, fish reared on the lower quality, lower lipid content diet had higher nitrogen TDFs. The mean TDFs for fish raised on the higher lipid, lower protein diet were +3.40 ‰ for nitrogen (Δ15N) and +0.36 ‰ for lipid-corrected carbon (Δ LC 13C). The mean TDFs for fish raised on the lower lipid, higher protein diet were +4.09 ‰ for nitrogen (Δ15N) and 0.00 ‰ for lipid-corrected carbon (Δ LC 13C). Lipid-corrected carbon isotope data showed that, regardless of temperature, fish consuming the lower lipid diet had essentially no trophic discrimination between diet and bulk tissues. We found no ecologically meaningful differences in TDFs due to water temperature across the 6°experimental range. The results of this experiment demonstrate that dietary quality, and more specifically the use of dietary protein for energetic needs, is a primary driver of trophic discrimination factors. The TDFs determined in this study can be applied to understanding trophic ecology in Pacific cod and closely related species under rapidly changing prey availability and ocean temperature conditions.
Spatial and temporal distribution of hydrocarbon production on the UK continental shelf

Hydrocarbon production from oil and gas fields is controlled by a variety of interconnected factors with a hierarchy of significance that is, for the most part, difficult to untangle. This article documents and investigates the spatial and temporal distribution of key hydrocarbon field parameters on the UK Continental Shelf. Data have been compiled from publicly available sources for 424 fields. Variables are considered as “descriptive parameters,” “control parameters” and “outcomes”. Descriptive parameters are metadata such as field name, location, etc. Control Parameters include depositional environment, present depth of burial, porosity, permeability, reservoir formation pressure, reservoir temperature, average net‐to‐gross, number of fault populations, hydrocarbon API, field area, bulk rock volume, well density, number of wells (production and injection), well spacing, gas oil ratio, reservoir thickness, fluid saturation, compartmentalization (quantitated by number of observable non‐communicating fault compartments), structural complexity (scaled from 0 to 5), field production strategy, trap type and stratigraphic heterogeneity. Outcomes are used to assess field performance and include final recovery factor (estimated), maximum production rate, and cumulative monthly production. Analysis of the database illustrates a number of empirical observations regarding hydrocarbon production on the UKCS. The Jurassic plays have been the most successful in the region in terms of total volumes produced while the Permian reservoirs of the SNS account for the majority of the gas. Most of the UKCS reservoirs record top depths between 2000 and 4500 m with good reservoir quality. The best reservoir quality is observed in reservoirs that were deposited within deep marine systems. The largest hydrocarbon reserves are found in the Northern North Sea basin in these deep marine (as well as paralic and shallow marine) reservoirs. Using the data from this article and affiliated data, potential exists for extracting insight beyond spatio‐temporal distributions.
Dielectric Spectroscopy Studies of Conformational Relaxation Dynamics in Molecular Glass-Forming Liquids

We review experimental results obtained with broadband dielectric spectroscopy concerning the relaxation times and activation energies of intramolecular conformational relaxation processes in small-molecule glass-formers. Such processes are due to the interconversion between different conformers of relatively flexible molecules, and generally involve conformational changes of flexible chain or ring moieties, or else the rigid rotation of planar groups, such as conjugated phenyl rings. Comparative analysis of molecules possessing the same (type of) functional group is carried out in order to test the possibility of assigning the dynamic conformational isomerism of given families of organic compounds to the motion of specific molecular subunits. These range from terminal halomethyl and acetyl/acetoxy groups to both rigid and flexible ring structures, such as the planar halobenzene cycles or the buckled saccharide and diazepine rings. A short section on polyesters provides a generalisation of these findings to synthetic macromolecules.
Disentangling the relationship between Big-Five personality characteristics and work engagement: Evidence from India

This study aims to empirically examine the effect of Big-Five personality traits on employee engagement. A carefully crafted survey instrument was developed, and data were collected from 486 employees working in the banking sector in southern India. After checking the instrument’s measurement properties, data was analyzed using covariance-based structural equation modeling by the Smart-PLS (partial least squares). The results indicate (i) extraversion and agreeableness were positively related to vigor, (ii) conscientiousness is positively related to dedication and absorption, (iii) neuroticism is negatively related to dedication, and (iv) openness to experience is positively related to vigor and absorption. Contrary to what was hypothesized, the results suggest that (i) extraversion is negatively related to absorption, (ii) agreeableness is negatively related to dedication, (iii) neuroticism is positively related to vigor, and (iv) openness to experience is negatively related to dedication. This research demonstrates that all five dimensions of personality characteristics have different impacts on employee engagement. This research advances the bourgeoning literature on personality and employee engagement. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
The TB Surge intervention: an optimized approach to TB case-finding in Nigeria

INTRODUCTION: TB remains one of the leading causes of death in Nigeria, and despite progress in treatment coverage, a 56% gap in national case notifications remains. This gap is attributable in part to underdiagnosis due to missed cases in health facilities. The TB Surge intervention presented an opportunity to address barriers to optimal case detection in public health facilities. METHODS: KNCV Nigeria implemented the TB Surge intervention under the USAID-funded TB-LON Project in 1,041 public facilities from June 2020 to September 2022. Trained ad-hoc staff screened hospital attendees, linked identified presumptive TB cases to diagnosis and confirmed TB cases to treatment. Data were reported using the Commcare application. Robust project monitoring was used to address gaps. RESULTS: Of a total of 12,195,874 hospital attendees screened for TB, 729,369 identified as presumptive TB were tested and 65,029 TB cases were diagnosed; 8% of the TB cases were children. Overall TB yield was 9%. Medical ward service delivery point had the highest TB yield of 21%. The number needed to test was 11 and the number needed to screen was 188. CONCLUSION: The TB Surge intervention was of strategic importance in addressing missed cases and barriers to prompt TB diagnosis in health facilities.
Cleaning symbiosis in coral reefs of Jardines de la Reina National Park

Background Cleaning symbiotic interactions are an important component of coral reef biodiversity and the study of the characteristics of these interacting species networks allows to assess the health of communities. The coral reefs of Jardines de la Reina National Park (JRNP) are subject to a protection gradient and there is a lack of knowledge about the effect of different levels of protection on the cleaning mutualistic networks in the area. The present study aims to characterize the mutualistic cleaning networks in the reefs of JRNP and to assess the potential effect of the protection gradient on their characteristics. Methods We visited 26 reef sites distributed along the National Park and performed 96 band transects (50 m × 4 m). Low, medium and highly protected regions were compared according to the number of cleaning stations and the abundance and number of species of clients and cleaners associated with them. Additionally, we built interaction networks for the three regions and the entire archipelago based on a total of 150 minutes’ video records of active cleaning stations. We assessed ecological networks characteristics (specialization, nestedness) using network topological metrics. Results We found a high diversity and complex cleaning interaction network with 6 cleaner species and 39 client species, among them, the threatened grouper Epinephelus striatus was one of the most common clients. No clear effect of the protection level on the density, abundance or diversity of cleaners and clients was detected during this study. However, we found that the network structure varied among regions, with the highly protected region being more specialized and less nested than the other regions. Our research reveals some patterns that suggest the effect of fishing pressure on cleaning symbiosis, as fishing may reduce the abundance and composition of client species, especially those that are targeted by fishers. However, fishing pressure may not be the main factor influencing cleaning symbiosis inside of the National Park, as other factors, such as habitat quality or environmental conditions may have stronger effects on the demand for cleaning services and the interactions between cleaners and clients. Our research provides insights into the factors that influence cleaning symbiosis and its implications for coral reef conservation and management.
GLI1+ perivascular, renal, progenitor cells: The likely source of spontaneous neoplasia that created the AGMK1-9T7 cell line

The AGMK1-9T7 cell line has been used to study neoplasia in tissue culture. By passage in cell culture, these cells evolved to become tumorigenic and metastatic in immunodeficient mice at passage 40. Of the 20 x 106 kidney cells originally plated, less than 2% formed the colonies that evolved to create this cell line. These cells could be the progeny of some type of kidney progenitor cells. To characterize these cells, we documented their renal lineage by their expression of PAX-2 and MIOX, detected by indirect immunofluorescence. These cells assessed by flow-cytometry expressed high levels of CD44, CD73, CD105, Sca-1, and GLI1 across all passages tested; these markers have been reported to be expressed by renal progenitor cells. The expression of GLI1 was confirmed by immunofluorescence and western blot analysis. Cells from passages 13 to 23 possessed the ability to differentiate into adipocytes, osteoblasts, and chondrocytes; after passage 23, their ability to form these cell types was lost. These data indicate that the cells that formed the AGMK1-9T7 cell line were GLI1+ perivascular, kidney, progenitor cells.
Haloperidol inhibits inflammasome activation via LAMTOR1 and reduces the risk of arthritides

Gout is the most prevalent form of inflammatory arthritis in the world. Although multiple treatments exist, many patients are poorly responsive. Here we report, using a health insurance database analysis, that use of the anti-psychotic haloperidol is associated with a reduced risk of incident gout. Haloperidol inhibits ASC speck formation, caspase-1 activation, and release of IL-1beta; and IL-6, suggesting that it inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome activation and downstream cytokine responses. We also identified LAMTOR1 as a novel binding partner for haloperidol and demonstrate that haloperidol inhibits the aggregation of LAMTOR1 and NLRP3. Since NLRP3 inflammasome activation has been implicated in gout, these data provide a foundation for exploring haloperidol as a potential therapy.