Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Copper and zinc isotope systematics of altered oceanic crust at IODP Site 1256 in the eastern equatorial Pacific

This paper presents the first combined Cu and Zn isotopic study of altered oceanic crust at Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Hole 1256D that penetrates a volcanic section, a lava‐dyke transition zone, a sheeted dyke complex, and a plutonic complex. In the volcanic section, all but one rocks have Cu and Zn isotopic compositions similar to fresh mid‐ocean ridge basalt (MORB), reflecting restricted seawater circulation and low oxygen fugacity. Rocks in the transition zone have MORB‐like δ65Cu and δ66Zn, indicating the dominant influence of basalt‐derived Cu and Zn during alteration. Rocks in the dyke complex have more variable δ65Cu (−0.50–0.90‰) and δ66Zn (0.19–0.55‰) and those in the plutonic complex have δ65Cu of −0.43 to 0.20‰ and δ66Zn of 0.21 to 0.41‰. The rocks with heavier δ66Zn and heavier or lighter δ65Cu relative to MORB are characterized by Cu‐Zn depletions, low Li/Yb (<1.0) and low δ18O (<5‰), suggesting that hydrothermal extraction during high temperature alteration of oceanic crust can result in significant Cu and Zn isotope fractionation. Such large Cu and Zn isotopic variations are the results of redox transformation of Cu as well as Cu and Zn isotope fractionation between altered basaltic rocks and dissolved Cu and Zn species in hydrothermal fluids (e.g., [CuCl3]1−, Zn(HS)42−). This work is the first to define the distribution of Cu and Zn isotopes in an intact oceanic crust with concentration‐weighted averages of δ65Cu (0.05 ± 0.03‰) and δ66Zn (0.27 ± 0.01‰). The potential implications of these new observations are discussed.
Substrate Specificity Diversity of Human Terminal Deoxynucleotidyltransferase May Be a Naturally Programmed Feature Facilitating Its Biological Function

Terminal 2′-deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) is a unique enzyme capable of catalysing template-independent elongation of DNA 3′ ends during V(D)J recombination. The mechanism controlling the enzyme’s substrate specificity, which is necessary for its biological function, remains unknown. Accordingly, in this work, kinetic and mutational analyses of human TdT were performed and allowed to determine quantitative characteristics of individual stages of the enzyme–substrate interaction, which overall may ensure the enzyme’s operation either in the distributive or processive mode of primer extension. It was found that conformational dynamics of TdT play an important role in the formation of the catalytic complex. Meanwhile, the nature of the nitrogenous base significantly affected both the dNTP-binding and catalytic-reaction efficiency. The results indicated that neutralisation of the charge and an increase in the internal volume of the active site caused a substantial increase in the activity of the enzyme and induced a transition to the processive mode in the presence of Mg2+ ions. Surrogate metal ions Co2+ or Mn2+ also may regulate the switching of the enzymatic process to the processive mode. Thus, the totality of individual factors affecting the activity of TdT ensures effective execution of its biological function.
Getting Users Involved in Idea Crowdsourcing Initiatives: An Experimental Approach to Stimulate Intrinsic Motivation and Intention to Submit

Existing crowdsourcing research largely agrees that intrinsic motivation is essential for users’ intention to submit ideas to company-hosted crowdsourcing initiatives. However, enhancing intrinsic motivation is particularly difficult in crowdsourcing settings, given the limited potential for personal exchange with others. Therefore, identifying effective interventions to stimulate intrinsic motivation is an important gap. In this article, we draw on research in analogous contexts characterized by selection-in decisions (e.g., creative artwork, sports, and self-directed learning). Using the self-determination theory as a theoretical foundation, we theorize that organizers can use monetary incentives (offering small rewards) and nonmonetary rewards (increasing task complexity and using autonomy-supportive linguistic cues) to stimulate intrinsic motivation. In three lab-in-the-field experiments, we test our predictions. Quite counterintuitively, we find that small rewards (rather than no or large rewards) are an effective mechanism to intrinsically motivate users and increase their intention to submit their ideas to company-hosted idea crowdsourcing initiatives. Also, our findings reveal that increasing rather than lowering task complexity and using noncontrolling rather than controlling linguistic cues can stimulate intrinsic motivation and submission intention. Our article sheds light on interventions stimulating intrinsic motivation in idea crowdsourcing. More generally, it also adds to the discussion of the small rewards effect.
Attitudes towards hearing difficulties, health-seeking behaviour, and hearing aid use among older adults in Thailand

Introduction This qualitative study explores older adults' attitudes towards hearing difficulties, health-seeking behaviour and hearing aid use in Samutprakarn, Thailand. Method Three focus groups (n=25), with adults aged 60-88 years, were conducted within a residential complex for older adults. Qualitative data analysis, employing a phenomenological approach was completed. Results Four themes are presented: (1) Perception of hearing difficulties, (2) Experience of receiving care, (3) Attitudes towards wearing hearing aids, and (4) Raising awareness of hearing difficulties in older adults. Findings indicate that Thai older adults may not be aware or accepting of their hearing difficulties, due to the stigma associated hearing loss, older age, and disability. The consequential impact of these unacknowledged issues manifest in communication challenges and the adoption of avoidance behaviours across diverse situational contexts. Conclusion This study enhances our understanding of how Thai older adults perceive hearing problems and ear care. Findings underscore the potential pivotal role of familial and social networks in mitigating barriers associated with hearing difficulties among older adults in Thailand. These insights can raise awareness and inform effective management for older adults and their families. Additionally, the findings could guide healthcare providers, researchers, and policy makers, fostering improved care for this demographic.
Probiotic Interventions in Coeliac Disease: A Systematic Review with a Focus on Cardiovascular Risk

People with coeliac disease (CD) have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD), potentially due to inflammation. Probiotics can influence CVD risk through several mechanisms including modifying inflammation. We performed a systematic review of probiotic interventions in people with CD. In total, 4 databases were systematically searched for studies published up to March 2023. All outcomes, inclusive of any cardiovascular risk factors, were collated and reported. We screened 8084 articles and 11 publications reporting on 7 RCTs and 2 non-RCTs met the inclusion criteria for qualitative analysis. In total, 1 RCT and both non-RCTs were considered to have a high risk of bias. There was large heterogeneity between the studies and adherence to a gluten-free diet was only measured in two studies. No specific outcomes related to cardiovascular risk were reported. Two studies reported a significant reduction on serum TNF-α in children over time after probiotic supplementation. One study reported no significant change in intestinal permeability over a 3-week intervention. Currently there is insufficient evidence to advocate a positive impact of probiotics on inflammation in CD, due, in part, to the limited data on adherence to the gluten-free diet and active disease.
OPTIMIZATION OF FAST-DISSOLVING TABLETS OF CARVEDILOL USING 23 FACTORIAL DESIGN

Objective: Optimization of carvedilol fast-dissolving tablets through a 23 factorial design employing starch hyaluronate as a new superdisintegrating agent. Methods: The esterification method was used for producing starch hyaluronate. A direct compression process was used to develop carvedilol tablets utilizing a mix of starch hyaluronate (SH) as a novel superdisintegrant, crospovidone, and sodium starch glycolate. The prepared tablets are analyzed for physical characteristics, drug dissolution, in vivo pharmacokinetic, and stability studies. Results: New superdisintegrant synthesized was a fine, free-flowing crystalline powder. In the DSC study, starch hyaluronate had no interaction with the drug. NMR and FTIR investigations supported the ester connection between starch and hyaluronic acid. CF2, the optimized formulation, had the shortest disintegration time of 26±2 seconds. The percentage of drugs dissolved in ten minutes from the optimized composition was 93.4±1.32%. The optimized composition achieved peak plasma concentration in a short time and demonstrated higher relative bioavailability for the drug. Conclusion: A formula containing a 5% concentration of starch hyaluronate was optimized and has a proper potential for application in the formulation of rapidly disintegrating tablets, in addition to improving clinical obedience throughout the efficacious treatment of hypertension.
Knickpoints as geomorphic markers of active tectonics: A case study from northeastern Sicily (southern Italy)

Unsteady base-level fall at river mouths generates knickpoints that migrate as a transient upstream through the drainage network, climbing at the same rate as long as the fluvial erosion process follows a detachment-limited stream power law. Here we demonstrate unsteady and nonuniform rock uplift using knickpoints as geomorphic markers in streams draining the eastern flank of the Peloritani Mountains (northeast Sicily), the footwall of an ∼40-km-long offshore northeast-southwest–oriented normal fault where the uplift is documented by a flight of mapped and dated Pleistocene marine terraces. Using slope-area analysis on the major streams, we project the tops of prominent knickpoints down to the coast, intersecting the marine terraces, thus providing an age for that specific knickpoint and the paleo–longitudinal profile. We model the migration rate of those dated knickpoints to locally solve for the parameters in the detachment-limited stream power law, and apply the results to model the age of other knickpoints with no clear connection to marine terraces. In summary, we demonstrate that the eastern Peloritani Mountains have been nonuniformly uplifted in an along-strike elliptical pattern, consistent with the general model for the footwall of an active normal fault. A calculation of the long-term erosion rate by the volume beneath the dated paleo–longitudinal profiles reveals a tight positive nonlinear relationship with the modeled normalized channel steepness ( k sn). Our analysis provides a method for using knickpoints as geomorphic markers in steep, rapidly eroding landscapes that commonly lack datable river terraces.
A comparison of Aqua MODIS ice and liquid water cloud physical and optical properties between collection 6 and collection 5.1: Pixel‐to‐pixel comparisons

We compare differences in ice and liquid water cloud physical and optical properties between Aqua Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) collection 6 (C6) and collection 5.1 (C51). The C6 cloud products changed significantly due to improved calibration, improvements based on comparisons with the Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization, treatment of subpixel liquid water clouds, introduction of a roughened ice habit for C6 rather than the use of smooth ice particles in C51, and more. The MODIS cloud products form a long‐term data set for analysis, modeling, and various purposes. Thus, it is important to understand the impact of the changes. Two cases are considered for C6 to C51 comparisons. Case 1 considers pixels with valid cloud retrievals in both C6 and C51, while case 2 compares all valid cloud retrievals in each collection. One year (2012) of level‐2 MODIS cloud products are examined, including cloud effective radius (CER), optical thickness (COT), water path, cloud top pressure (CTP), cloud top temperature, and cloud fraction. Large C6–C51 differences are found in the ice CER (regionally, as large as 15 μm) and COT (decrease in annual average by approximately 25%). Liquid water clouds have higher CTP in marine stratocumulus regions in C6 but lower CTP globally (−5 hPa), and there are 66% more valid pixels in C6 (case 2) due to the treatment of pixels with subpixel clouds. Simulated total cloud radiative signatures from C51 and C6 are compared to Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System Energy Balanced And Filled (EBAF) product. The C6 CREs compare more closely with the EBAF than the C51 counterparts.
Removing Grazing Pressure from a Native Pasture Decreases Soil Organic Carbon in Southern New South Wales, Australia

Grazing management is a known influence of carbon accumulation in agricultural soil, but there is conflicting evidence on the extent. This study compared organic carbon and nitrogen stocks at the conclusion of a 5‐year grazing trial on a fertilised native pasture in south‐eastern Australia. The study included three grazing treatments: ungrazed, tactically grazed (set stocking with biannual rest periods) and cell grazed (intense stocking with frequent long rest periods). There was no influence of grazing treatment detected on pasture sward composition when averaged over seasons or on total nitrogen or bulk density. The cell grazing treatment had total carbon stock of 32·9 Mg C ha−1 (SE = 1·8) in the 0–0·30 m soil layer, which was a significant increase (p < 0·05) relative to the ungrazed treatment at 25·6 Mg C ha−1 but not statistically greater than the tactical treatment at 29·5 Mg C ha−1. There was no difference detected in labile carbon stocks to 0·30 m, which indicates that differences in soil carbon due to grazing was accumulated over the 5‐year trial rather than reflecting short‐term seasonal impacts. We propose that a combination of factors contributed to a greater stock of soil carbon under grazed pastures including differences in plant shoot/root allocation, root growth and root turnover with defoliation under grazing as well as lower plant productivity where grazing is excluded because of shading and nutrient tie‐up. This study demonstrates removing grazing pressure may lead to lower soil carbon stocks in native pastures over time and provides evidence of the potential for grazing management to increase soil carbon in the short‐term. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Endometrial Stem Cells: Orchestrating Dynamic Regeneration of Endometrium and Their Implications in Diverse Endometrial Disorders

The human endometrium, a vital component of the uterus, undergoes dynamic changes during the menstrual cycle to create a receptive environment for embryo implantation. Its remarkable regenerative capacity can be attributed to the presence of tissue-resident stem cell populations within the endometrium. Despite variations in characteristics among different subtypes, endometrial stem cells exhibit notably robust self-renewal capacity and the ability to differentiate into multiple lineages. This review offers a comprehensive insight into the current literature and recent advancements regarding the roles of various endometrial stem cell types during dynamic regeneration of the endometrium during the menstrual cycle. In addition, emerging evidence suggests that dysfunction or depletion of endometrial stem cells may play critical roles in the development and progression of various endometrial disorders, such as endometriosis, uterine fibroids, adenomyosis, infertility, and endometrial cancer. Therefore, we also highlight potential roles of endometrial stem cells in the development and progression of these endometrial diseases, including their ability to accumulate genetic mutations and express genes associated with endometrial diseases. Understanding the dynamic properties of the endometrium and the roles of endometrial stem cells in various endometrial disorders will shed light on potential therapeutic strategies for managing these conditions and improving women's fertility outcomes.
THE SIMULTANEOUS QUANTIFICATION OF RIFAMPICIN AND ISONIAZID IN PATIENTS WITH TUBERCULOSIS APPLIED TO VOLUMETRIC ABSORPTIVE MICROSAMPLING DEVICES USING HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY

Objective: Rifampicin and isoniazid are the main tuberculosis treatment regimens requiring blood level measurement to optimize the treatment process. This study aims to analyze rifampicin and isoniazid quantitatively in volumetric absorptive microsampling (VAMS) prepared from a small volume of TB patients using HPLC. Methods: Analytes on the VAMS tip were extracted using 1000 ml of acetonitrile containing 10 µg/ml of cilostazol as an internal standard. Analytical separation was performed on the C-18 column at 40 ℃ with a mobile phase mixture of 50 mmol ammonium acetate buffer pH 5.0-acetonitrile-methanol (40:30:30), flow rate 0.5 ml/min. The analysis was carried out with the calibration curve over a range of 1.0–30 µg/ml for rifampicin and 0.4-20 µg/ml for isoniazid. Results: Analyte analysis in 21 patients showed that the measured value of rifampicin was 3.39–16.77 µg/ml, and isoniazid was 2.63–10.43 µg/ml at 2 h post-dose. 52.38% of patients had low blood concentrations in at least one of the drugs, 28.57% of the patients were in the therapeutic range, and 23.81% had a high blood concentration of isoniazid alone. Conclusion: The concentration of rifampicin and isoniazid in 21 tuberculosis patients varied. Dose adjustment is needed because most patients had low blood concentrations of one of the drugs, and a limited number had a high blood isoniazid concentration alone. Only some patients simultaneously had plasma concentrations within the target range of the drugs. This method was valid and reliably utilized for therapeutic drug monitoring of antituberculosis.
Effect of dried distillers grains (DDGS) on diet digestibility, growth performance, and carcass characteristics in Creole wool lambs fed finishing diets

Dried corn distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) can partially replace grains and forages in diets for ruminants. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of replacing grains and soybean meal with DDGS (0%, 15%, 30% and 45%) in the diet of lambs. Thirty-two native lambs were used (initial bodyweight = 28.6 ± 2.19 kg) in a completely randomized design. Initial body weight was a co-variable, and the means were compared with the Tukey test. The dry matter intake was significantly higher in DDGS containing diet than in the control treatment. The daily weight gain was higher in the diets with 15% of DDGS compared with the control. Dry matter digestibility was lower by 7% with 45% of DDGS. The hot and cold carcass weights were significantly higher by 8% in DDGS treatments compared to the control. The inclusion of increasing levels of DDGS in the diet of fattening lambs increased their dry matter intake, improved carcass weight, and did not adversely affect carcass characteristics. Keywords: Carcass, by-products, animal production, ruminant nutrition
Late Jurassic Magmatism and Stratigraphy in the Eastern Sakarya Zone, Turkey: Evidence for the Slab Breakoff of Paleotethyan Oceanic Lithosphere

Middle-Late Jurassic Cimmerian events in Turkey have been actively discussed in the past three decades, but proposed tectonic models associated with magmatism, metamorphism, and stratigraphic features remain controversial. To address this issue, Upper Jurassic mafic lavas are investigated at three locations (Alucra, Gümüşhane, and Olur) in the eastern Sakarya Zone, northeastern Turkey. These lavas are submarine and form planar flows parallel with the bedding plane in the Upper Jurassic carbonate sequence near the base or just below in the clastic sedimentary rocks. The basaltic lavas show calc-alkaline features and possess Nb-Ta values and Nb/U, Nb/La, and Ce/Pb ratios that are greater than those of island arc basalts. Multielement patterns are almost hump shaped, similar to ocean island basalts, which experience Pb depletion and weak negative Nb-Ta, Zr-Hf, and Ti anomalies. The low initial (87Sr/86Sr) ratios (0.70372–0.70554), positive initial εNd values (+2.7 to +4.4), and initial Pb isotope ratios that plot between mid-ocean-ridge and ocean island basalts are consistent with a melt derived from subcontinental lithospheric mantle, metasomatized by earlier fluids from subducted sediments and plume materials from the asthenosphere. Moderate Dy/Yb ratios with an average value of 1.8 imply partial melting in the spinel-garnet transition zone at depths of ∼70–100 km. Slab breakoff is suggested as a geodynamic mechanism that accounts for these geochemical signatures. This inference is also favored by stratigraphic and sedimentologic evidence from the Upper Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous sedimentary rocks, which is consistent with short-lived vertical (epirogenic) movements in the region. Lower-Middle Jurassic sequences are transgressive, suggesting that subduction-related extension opened a backarc basin (Neotethys) in the south of the Sakarya Zone. Upper Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous carbonates point tectonically to tranquility during carbonate deposition in the Neotethys Ocean, which seems to have been achieved by complete closure of the Paleotethys in the north. About 15–20 m.yr. later (Kimmeridgian), after first carbonate deposition, intraplate-type mafic lavas ascended up to the shelf surface of the Neotethys. This was followed by formation of disconformity surfaces and then accumulation of coarse clastic sediments. All this points to a short-lived epirogenic movement that we ascribe to the breakoff of the southward-subducting Paleotethyan oceanic lithosphere in the Late Jurassic.
The Pelona–Orocopia–Rand and related schists of southern California: a review of the best-known archive of shallow subduction on the planet

ABSTRACT The Pelona–Orocopia–Rand and related schists of southern California are an archetypal example of an exhumed shallow subduction complex. ‘The schist’ comprises mainly trench materials underthust beneath continental arc rocks during Late Cretaceous–early Cenozoic collision of one or more oceanic plateaux with southern California. The arc-on-trench relationship, without intervening mantle or lowermost crust, implies that significant subduction erosion accompanied shallow subduction. Upsection increases in metamorphic grade (~150 ± 100°C/km) and spatial variations in age and peak temperature provide an ~50 million year long record of tectonic underplating within a cooling system. Evidence for palaeoseismic events in earliest formed and hottest (locally transitional granulite grade) schists provides a possible field-based record of episodic tremor and slow slip events such as detected in several modern shallow subduction zones. Structural ascent of the schist was achieved in distinct Late Cretaceous–early Eocene and late Oligocene–early Miocene extensional pulses, the first during collapse of gravitationally unstable upper plate assemblages and accompanied by trench-directed (top-NE) lower plate extrusion and the second corresponding temporally, spatially, and in character with core complex formation in the SW United States. The line between schist and core complex belts is blurred by the recent discovery of schist within 40 km of the nearest core complex and containing synkinematic Miocene intrusions, a hallmark of SW U.S. core complexes. The history of schist assembly, metamorphism, and exhumation provides the most complete field-based record of thermo-mechanical processes, subduction erosion and tectonic underplating in particular, that operated during a shallow subduction event. Future cross-disciplinary investigations of, and comparisons between, the schist and other possible ancient (e.g. Swakane gneiss, Sanbagawa belt, Qiangtang terrane) and modern (e.g. Cascadia, SW Japan, central Mexico, Chile) shallow subduction zones will yield new insights into the tectonic and petrologic processes that operate within such systems.