Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Disruption of groundwater systems by earthquakes

Earthquakes are known to enhance permeability at great distances, and this phenomenon may also disrupt groundwater systems by breaching the barrier between different reservoirs. Here we analyze the tidal response of water level in a deep (~4 km) well before and after the 2008 M7.9 Wenchuan earthquake to show that the earthquake not only changed the permeability but also altered the poroelastic properties of the groundwater system. Based on lithologic well logs and experimental data for rock properties, we interpret the change to reflect a coseismic breaching of aquitards bounding the aquifer, due perhaps to clearing of preexisting cracks and creation of new cracks, to depths of several kilometers. This may cause mixing of groundwater from previously isolated reservoirs and impact the safety of groundwater supplies and underground waste repositories. The method demonstrated here may hold promise for monitoring aquitard breaching by both natural and anthropogenic processes.
Post-exertional malaise in daily life and experimental exercise models in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome

Post-exertional malaise (PEM) is commonly recognized as a hallmark of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and is often used as one of several criteria for diagnosing ME/CFS. In this perspective paper we want to reflect on how PEM is understood, assessed, and evaluated in scientific literature, and to identify topics to be addressed in future research. Studies show that patients use a wide variety of words and concepts to label their experience of PEM in everyday life, and they report physical or mental exertions as triggers of PEM. They also report that PEM may have an immediate or delayed onset and may last from a few days to several months. When standardized exercise tests are used to trigger PEM experimentally, the exacerbation of symptoms has a more immediate onset but still shows a wide variability in duration. There are indications of altered muscular metabolism and autonomic nervous responses if exercise is repeated on successive days in patients with ME/CFS. The decreased muscular capacity appears to be maintained over several days following such controlled exercise bouts. These responses may correspond to patients’ experiences of increased exertion. Based on this background we argue that there is a need to look more closely into the processes occurring in the restitution period following exercise, as PEM reaches the peak in this phase.
Trends and determinants of adolescent childbearing in Bangladesh

Abstract Using four sets of Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey data collected during 1993/94, 1996/97, 1999/00, and 2004, the paper examines the trends and determinants of adolescent childbearing in Bangladesh, and identifies area-level variation in explaining differentials in adolescent first birth. Discrete-time multilevel hazard modeling is used to estimate the hazard of first birth before age 20 afte r controlling the effects of other individual and household factors. The results suggest that the overall probability of first birth before age 20 among Bangladeshi women remained static or ev en increased slightly over time. There was a significant area level variation in teenage firs t birth in 1993/94 and 1996/97. However, over time the effect of area is decreasing. At the individual level, womens education, especially higher education, has the strongest effect in delaying fi rst birth during adolescen ce. Age at marriage has a strong association with age at first birth: a one -year increase in age at marriage decreases the chance of teenage first birth by 10 % or more. Frequent media expos ure has a significant delaying effect, and the effect is more distinct in the most recent year. These findings reinforce our understanding that the government should continue its efforts to promote female education, especially higher educati on. Policies should also be directed to delay age at marriage, which may in turn delay the timing of first birth.
Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) Protective effects of 2,3-diaryl-substituted indole-based cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors on oxidative modification of human low density lipoproteins in vitro

It has been suggested that 2,3-diaryl-substituted indole-based cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors (2,3-diaryl-indole coxibs) do not only appear as potent anti-inflammatory agents but also show the ability to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS). This led to the hypothesis that 2,3-diaryl-indole coxibs also may act as potent inhibitors of oxidative modification of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which is considered a key factor in atherogenesis. The aim of this study was to explore i) the reactivity of a series of new synthesized 2,3-diaryl-indoles with several well characterized LDL oxidation systems and ii) subsequent effects on an inflammatory/atherogenic microenvironment. The results demonstrate that under the present experimental conditions 2,3-diaryl-indoles showed potent ROS scavenging activity and were able to markedly inhibit LDL oxidation. Subsequently, this led to a substantial decrease of modified LDL uptake by scavenger receptors in THP-1 macrophages in vitro and in rats in vivo. Moreover, modified LDL-mediated monocyte/neutrophil adhesion to endothelial cells, macrophage NFκB activation, as well as macrophage and endothelial cell cytokine release was diminished in vitro. The reduction of modified LDL-induced atherogenic effects by antioxidant 2,3-diaryl-indole coxibs may widen the therapeutic window of COX-2 targeted treatment.
Holocene Evolution of the Salpi Lagoon (Puglia, Italy)

ABSTRACT This paper attempts to reconstruct the evolution of the Salpi lagoon during the Holocene. The authors examined archaeological evidence and historical documents supplemented by field data. The research highlights the role of climatic variations and human interference in evolution of the lagoon. The data collected show that: At the beginning of the Holocene the sea level rise caused the development of a sandy barrier between Gargano Headland and Murge. This barrier enclosed a wide coastal lagoon, called “Laguna di Salpi”. Favourable environmental conditions permitted human occupation on the inner side of the lagoon during the early Neolithic by populations coming from the eastern coasts of the Adriatic Sea. At the end of the Neolithic the lagoon evolved into a sabkha and the whole area was abandoned until end of the 3rd millennium B.C. Between the III and I millennium B.C. the lagoon, communicating by several entrances with the sea, was deep enough for navigation. Between the II and I century B.C. the Tavoliere coastal area was affected by malaria and the lagoon settlements were abandoned. During the Middle Ages the Tavoliere coastal plain was almost depopulated, whereas the area around the lagoon was densely inhabited. Despite many attempts at reclamation during the Modern Age the whole Tavoliere was a malarial area. The lagoon then turned into a large coastal swamp which survived up to the 1930s when, after the “Serpieri - Iandolo” law, radical reclamation activities began. Two areas of the ancient Holocene lagoon still survive: the first is a swamp called Palude Frattarolo, the second is an area dedicated to salt production, called Saline di Margherita di Savoia.
Impact of data assimilation filtering methods on the mesosphere

[1] Three-dimensional data assimilation schemes typically produce analyses that are not in balance. This is evidenced by the generation of spurious high-frequency waves during the first 2 d of forecasts which start from analyses. To remove these spurious waves, assimilation systems frequently filter analyses before using them in models. This work examines the behavior of various spurious wave filtering methods in the context of a model with a mesosphere. Since gravity waves comprise a significant portion of the mesospheric energy spectrum, it is necessary to retain naturally occurring high-frequency waves while filtering spurious waves. The results show that filtering the full analysis state can remove many important high-frequency oscillations from the mesosphere. On the other hand, filtering analysis increments preserves much more of the natural variability of the model. The incremental analysis updating scheme and the incremental digital filter, which are equivalent for linear models and identical coefficients, are shown to give very similar results in the context of a realistic nonlinear model. Results also show a nonlocal response to the insertion of analysis increments in the troposphere and stratosphere. The global mean temperature in the vicinity of the model lid and the diurnal tidal amplitudes are sensitive to the choice of filtering schemes because the filters reduce the amount of resolved waves available to propagate upward into mesosphere. This sensitivity of the mesosphere to the filtering of the lower atmosphere is exploited to choose an optimal filter for our system using measurements of the mesosphere.
Turbulent Flow in a Meander Bend of a Lowland River: field measurements and preliminary results

Many river restoration projects include the reconstruction of meander bends on previously canalized rivers as a primary measure for recovering degraded fluvial ecosystems. Secondary currents evolving on account of channel curvature are the dominant features that alter initially uniform open- channel flow, shape riverbed morphology, and create diverse habitats. Although the flow structure in meander bends was the focus of numerous experimental, theoretical, and numerical research, accurate prediction of flow and up-scaling of experimental results is restricted by the insufficient information about flow in natural rivers. In this paper we report on the field studies that were completed on a meander bend of the lowland river Spree in Germany. Analysis of historical maps revealed that the planar configuration of the meander bend in this study was stable over the period of more then two hundred years. The length of the bend in a centreline is 760 m and the wave length is 485 m. The channel is 30 to 40 m wide with the bathymetry characteristic of meander patterns which includes a riffle-pool sequence. The maximal depth varies from 1.6 m in the riffle to 3.2 m in the pool. Accurate and detailed measurements of three-dimensional velocity vectors were completed in 7 cross-sections uniformly distributed along the meander path. In each cross-section from 12 to 20 verticals each composed of 11 measuring points were measured with the use of acoustic Doppler velocimeters. Preliminary results indicate that the measurements were capable to assess the development of secondary circulations and to investigate their interactions with the shear stresses imposed by friction over the riverbed. The results of this study have direct relation to the studies of benthic invertebrates on the reach (Blettler et al. 2010).
Fracture and in-situ stress characterization of hydrocarbon reservoirs: definitions and introduction

Fracture and in-situ stress characterization is fast-evolving as an essential part of characterizing hydrocarbon reserviors. In this book, the Geological Society presents a selection of sixteen chapters that demonstrate the tools, methods, analysis, interpretation and application of this subject. These are of great interest to researchers and scientists in the industry and academia. This chapter includes definitions pertinent to the subject of the book and gives an overview of the papers, classified into seven major themes according to the nature of the studies.
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

High levels of organochlorine contaminants (OCs) have been found in arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) from Lake Ellasjøen, Bjørnøya (Norwegian Arctic). The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential genotoxic effect of environmental organochlorine contaminant exposure in arctic char from Ellasjøen compared with arctic char from the low‐ contaminated Lake Laksvatn nearby. Blood was analyzed using agarose gel electrophoresis and image data analysis to quantify the fraction of total DNA that migrated into the gel (DNA‐FTM) as a relative measure of DNA double‐strand breaks (DSBs). Analysis by GC‐MS of muscle samples showed an average 43 times higher concentration of ΣOCs in arctic char from Ellasjøen (n = 18) compared with Laksvatn char (n = 21). Char from Lake Ellasjøen had a much higher frequency of DSBs, as measured by DNA‐FTM, than char from Lake Laksvatn. Principal component analysis and multiple linear regressions show that there was a significant positive relationship between DSBs and levels of organochlorine contaminants in the char. In addition, DSBs were less frequent in reproductively mature char than in immature char. The results suggest that organochlorine contaminants are genotoxic to arctic char. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:2405–2413. © 2019 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC.
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

Ecological risk assessments are hampered by limited availability of ecotoxicity data. The present study aimed to explore the possibility of deriving species sensitivity distribution (SSD) parameters for nontested compounds, based on simple physicochemical characteristics, known SSDs for data‐rich compounds, and a quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR)‐type approach. The median toxicity of a data‐poor chemical for species assemblages significantly varies with values of the physicochemical descriptors, especially when based on high‐quality SSD data (from either acute median effect concentrations or chronic no‐observed‐effect concentrations). Beyond exploratory uses, we discuss how the precision of QSAR‐based SSDs can be improved to construct models that accurately predict the SSD parameters of data‐poor chemicals. The current models show that the concept of QSAR‐based SSDs supports screening‐level evaluations of the potential ecotoxicity of compounds for which data are lacking. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:2764–2770. © 2019 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC.
Molecular and Biological Characterization of an Isolate of Cucumber mosaic virus from Glycine soja by Generating its Infectious Full-genome cDNA Clones

Molecular and biological characteristics of an isolate of Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) from Glycine soja (wild soybean), named as CMV-209, was examined in this study. Comparison of nucleotide sequences and phylogenetic analyses of CMV-209 with the other CMV strains revealed that CMV-209 belonged to CMV subgroup I. However, CMV-209 showed some genetic distance from the CMV strains assigned to subgroup IA or subgroup IB. Infectious full-genome cDNA clones of CMV-209 were generated under the control of the Cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter. Infectivity of the CMV-209 clones was evaluated in Nicotiana benthamiana and various legume species. Our assays revealed that CMV-209 could systemically infect Glycine soja (wild soybean) and Pisum sativum (pea) as well as N. benthamiana, but not the other legume species.
Morpho-sedimentary features and sediment transport model of the submerged beach of the ‘Pineta della foce del Garigliano’ SCI Site (Caserta, southern Italy)

ABSTRACT In this paper, we present the results of a detailed geomorphological and sedimentological study of a coastal sector of southern Italy, the Pineta della foce del Garigliano SCI (i.e. Site of Community Importance), which is largely affected by shoreline retreat and the degradation of dune habitat. The analysis of shoreline evolution demonstrates that severe erosion processes have occurred over the last 50 years. They caused the complete dismantling of the foredune, whereas the anomalous and advanced position of the secondary dune promoted a progressive loss of vegetation habitat of high environmental value such as juniper (Juniperus oxycedrus ssp. macrocarpa). Morpho-sedimentary data and hydrodynamic models suggest that the main climate events promoted a net longshore transport toward the South. Our analyses confirm that erosion processes are linked to natural factors but several negative human practices have contributed to the acceleration of shoreline retreat and degradation of the dune habitat. In addition to its scientific value, the map and data here presented represent an important tool for beach management purposes.
Strontium geochemical evidence for the origin of the barite deposits from Sardinia, Italy

Sr content of 137 samples of barite, 81 samples of fluorite, and 65 samples of calcite from 27 post-Cambrian karst and hydrothermal deposits. Karst calcites have an average Sr content of 26 ppm, quite similar to that of the hydrothermal calcites. Hydrothermal fluorites show an average content of 56 ppm. Forty-five percent of the karst barites have an Sr content over 6,000 ppm, while as much as 83.8 percent of the hydrothermal barites contain more than 6,000 ppm Sr. The Sr isotope composition of the Cambrian stratiform barites (0.70867 + or - 3) is similar to that of Cambrian seawater, suggesting that the bulk of the Sr was provided by this source. The Sr isotope ratios of the karst barite (average 87 Sr/ 86 Sr = 0.70947 + or - 1) indicate that Sr was not only derived by recycling of the stratiform barite but was also provided by the noncarbonate fraction of the Cambrian wall rocks. The Sr isotope composition of the hydrothermal barites ranges from 0.70990 + or - 4 to 0.71837 + or - 4, suggesting that the Sr derived mainly from a high 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio source. --Modified journal abstract.
GEOPROCESSING AS A TECHNICAL TOOL FOR RADIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT IN THE URBAN AREA OF POÇOS DE CALDAS, MG.

The present study will introduce a methodology for spatial evaluation of external gamma dose throughout an urbanized region. As a case study, geoprocessing techniques were used to gather data, perform statistical and spatial data treatment related to natural gamma radioactivity throughout the Pocos de Caldas urban area. This information, which was initially punctual, could be correlated with the number of people exposed to natural radiation using the database from the census made available by IBGE (Brazilian Geography and Statistics Institute). The census sector is the smallest piece of territory, with identifiable physical boundaries in the field, with adequate size for research operations. All 54,237 geoprocessed external dose values, within dosimetry ranges, presented a variation from 0.33 mSv year -1 to 3.51 mSv year -1 , with an average equal to 0.95 mSv year -1 . The results obtained, when compared to worldwide dose values (0.06 mSv year -1 to 1.23 mSv year -1 with an average of 0.48 mSv year -1 ) indicated that though the average value in Pocos de Caldas – 0.95 mSv year -1 – is almost twice the world average, it’s within the dosimetry range found in other countries. Nevertheless, the region has some areas with values higher than those observed elsewhere in the world, though in areas with lower population density.
Understanding Longshore Sediment Transport on a Mixed Beach

Mixed beaches are generally rare worldwide however they are common coastal features along the south coast in the UK and constitute the best natural defence to protect littoral environments against flooding and coastal erosion. To date, only a few investigations have attempted to estimate the LST rate for coarse grain size beaches, using models derived from the CERC equation giving K values of about 8% of those obtained for sandy beaches. In this work an impoundment technique has been applied for the first time on a mixed beach to calibrate the CERC equation using field data. Volumetric estimations from beach profile surveys and wave measurements recorded at the field site, Milford-on-Sea (South UK), are being used to estimate the LST rate, thus enabling model calibration for future shoreline change scenarios.
Genetic Tracing Identifies Early Segregation of the Cardiomyocyte and Non-Myocyte Lineages.

RATIONALE The developing heart is composed of cardiomyocytes and non-cardiomyocytes since the early stage. It is generally believed that non-cardiomyocytes including the cardiac progenitors contribute to new cardiomyocytes of the looping heart. However, it remains unclear what the cellular dynamics of non-myocyte to cardiomyocyte conversion (NMC) are and when the lineage segregation occurs during development. It also remains unknown whether NMC contributes to neonatal heart regeneration. OBJECTIVE We quantify the lineage conversion of non-cardiomyocytes to cardiomyocytes in the embryonic and neonatal hearts; and determine when the two cell lineages segregate during heart development. Moreover, we directly test if NMC contributes to neonatal heart regeneration. METHODS AND RESULTS We generated a dual genetic lineage tracing strategy, in which cardiomyocytes and non-cardiomyocytes of the developing heart could be simultaneously labeled by two orthogonal recombination systems. Genetic fate mapping showed that NMC peaks at E8.0-E8.5, and gradually declines since E9.5 and E10.5. Non-cardiomyocytes do not generate any cardiomyocyte at and beyond E11.5-E12.5. In the neonatal heart, non-cardiomyocytes also do not contribute to any new cardiomyocyte in homeostasis or after injury. CONCLUSIONS Non-cardiomyocytes contribute to new cardiomyocytes of the developing heart at early embryonic stage before E11.5. The non-cardiomyocyte and cardiomyocyte lineage segregation occurs between E10.5 and E11.5, which is maintained afterwards even during neonatal heart regeneration.
International Journal of Food Engineering Galacto-oligosaccharides Production Using Permeabilized Cells of Kluyveromyces marxianus

Galacto-oligosaccharides are non-digestible carbohydrates and are recognized as important prebiotics for than stimulation of the proliferation of lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria in the human intestine. GOS can be produced by a transgalactosylation reaction catalysed by βgalactosidase enzyme, and microorganisms can be used as a source of β-galactosidase. In this work, a process for producing GOS using permeabilized cells of Kluyveromyces marxianus CCT 7082 was proposed. The effects of the concentrations of lactose and enzyme, temperature and pH were studied using a fractional design followed by a central composite rotatable design. The optimum conditions for galacto-oligosaccharides production were found to be: lactose concentration 500 g/L, enzyme concentration 10 U/mL, 45°C and pH 7.0. Under optimized conditions, the GOS concentration, yield and productivity were 83 g/L, 16.5% and 27.6 g/L.h, respectively.
N and P Retranslocation Efficiency in Three Evergreen Tree Species Planted in Two Different Habitats of Varying Fertility Status

Nitrogen and phosphorus retranslocation efficiencies were measured in three evergreen tree species planted on mine spoil and the efficiencies were compared with same aged plants of same species planted on normal soil. The N and P retranslocation efficiencies were found greater in plants planted on mine spoil in all three tree species compared to those planted on soil. The two non-leguminous species Eucalyptus hybrid and Grevillea pteridifolia had shown a higher efficiency for N retranslocation and lower efficiency for P retranslocation, while contrary to this the only legume L. leucocephala had shown a higher efficiency for P retranslocation and a lower efficiency for N retranslocation.