Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cortical GABA Levels Are Reduced in Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome

After recovering from the acute COVID-19 illness, a substantial proportion of people continue experiencing post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), also termed “long COVID”. Their quality of life is adversely impacted by persistent cognitive dysfunction and affective distress, but the underlying neural mechanisms are poorly understood. The present study recruited a group of mostly young, previously healthy adults (24.4 ± 5.2 years of age) who experienced PASC for almost 6 months following a mild acute COVID-19 illness. Confirming prior evidence, they reported noticeable memory and attention deficits, brain fog, depression/anxiety, fatigue, and other symptoms potentially suggestive of excitation/inhibition imbalance. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) was used to examine the neurochemical aspects of cell signaling with an emphasis on GABA levels in the occipital cortex. The PASC participants were compared to a control (CNT) group matched in demographics, intelligence, and an array of other variables. Controlling for tissue composition, biological sex, and alcohol intake, the PASC group had lower GABA+/water than CNT, which correlated with depression and poor sleep quality. The mediation analysis revealed that the impact of PASC on depression was partly mediated by lower GABA+/water, indicative of cortical hyperexcitability as an underlying mechanism. In addition, N-acetylaspartate (NAA) tended to be lower in the PASC group, possibly suggesting compromised neuronal integrity. Persistent neuroinflammation may contribute to the pathogenesis of PASC-related neurocognitive dysfunction.
The uncertainties of the largest fossil rodent

[Millien (2008)][1] gave a technical contribution to the estimation of the largest fossil rodent's body mass. A very relevant conclusion is that Josephoartigasia monesi does not fit any extant rodent model. Interestingly, [Millien (2008)][1] established that J. monesi had a very elongated skull or a
Grosvenor Mountains 95 howardite pairing group: Insights into the surface regolith of asteroid 4 Vesta

Regolithic howardites are analogs for the surface materials of asteroid 4 Vesta, recently mapped by the Dawn spacecraft. Rigorously evaluating pairing of howardites recovered in 1995 in the Grosvenor Mountains (GRO 95), Antarctica, enables an examination of a larger, more representative regolith sample. Previous work on two of the howardites studied here concluded that GRO 95602 and GRO 95535 are solar wind‐rich surface regolith samples and that they are not paired with each other, leading to uncertainty regarding pairing relationships between the other GRO 95 howardites. Based on petrology, cosmic‐ray exposure history, and terrestrial age, four GRO 95 howardites are paired. The paired howardites (GRO 95534, 95535, 95574, 95581) were from a meteoroid with radius of 10–15 cm, a preatmospheric size comparable to that of Kapoeta, the largest known regolithic howardite. The paired GRO 95 howardites contain clasts of at least 18 separate HED lithologies, providing evidence they were assembled from diverse source materials. The total eucrite:diogenite mixing ratio (ratio of all eucrite lithologies to all diogenite lithologies) in the paired GRO 95 howardites is ~2:1. Petrographically determined basaltic eucrite:cumulate eucrite ratios in regolithic howardites, studied here and previously, vary more widely than total eucrite:diogenite ratios. Relative to eucritic pyroxene, plagioclase is depleted in these howardites, which provides evidence that plagioclase is preferentially comminuted in the vestan regolith. The extent of plagioclase depletion could be an indicator of regolith maturity.
ESTIMATES OF RUNOFF USING WATER‐BALANCE AND ATMOSPHERIC GENERAL CIRCULATION MODELS 1

ABSTRACT: The effects of potential climate change on mean annual runoff in the conterminous United States (U.S.) are examined using a simple water‐balance model and output from two atmospheric general circulation models (GCMs). The two GCMs are from the Canadian Centre for Climate Prediction and Analysis (CCC) and the Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research (HAD). In general, the CCC GCM climate results in decreases in runoff for the conterminous U.S., and the HAD GCM climate produces increases in runoff. These estimated changes in runoff primarily are the result of estimated changes in precipitation. The changes in mean annual runoff, however, mostly are smaller than the decade‐to‐decade variability in GCM‐based mean annual runoff and errors in GCM‐based runoff. The differences in simulated runoff between the two GCMs, together with decade‐to‐decade variability and errors in GCM‐based runoff, cause the estimates of changes in runoff to be uncertain and unreliable.
MOBY Data Analysis for the Vicarious Calibration of SeaWiFS Bands 1-6

The SeaWiFS CVT performs the vicarious calibration of SeaWiFS by comparing normalized water-leaving radiances retrieved by SeaWiFS with contemporaneous measurements ofnormalized water-leaving radiances from the Marine Optical Buoy (MOBY). The procedures and results of the vicarious calibration are described in this chapter.
Low-Frequency Hybrid Earthquakes near a Magma Chamber in Afar: Quantifying Path Effects

Areas of active volcanism contain elaborate velocity structures that complicate interpretations of earthquake source mechanisms. We examine the spectral characteristics of 805 earthquakes that immediately followed a large volume basaltic dike intrusion and associated silicic flank eruption of Dabbahu volcano in the Afar Depression as recorded on near-source seismometers. We use these results to quantify the contribution of scattering and attenuation to the observed spectra of low-frequency hybrid and volcano-tectonic earthquake clusters from beneath Dabbahu volcano and around the dike zone. We find strong variations in the signal amplitude and frequency content of earthquakes recorded at stations separated by as little as 2 km, caused by preferential attenuation of high frequencies depending on the vantage point. These observations imply that there are large impedance contrasts near the cooling, solidifying, and recently intruded dike. We estimate the intrinsic absorption attenuation coefficient, QI, and inverse scattering length, g0, averaged over a 300-sq-km area beneath Dabbahu. Our results are consistent with the highest attenuation coefficients from studies of volcanic provinces in Italy (QI-1 ? 0.02, g0? 0.1 km-1 for a signal at 2 Hz). The magnitude of these two parameters indicates there are large impedance contrasts present in the area due to the recent intrusion of magma and associated fracturing.
Patterns of climate variability of the Northern Hemisphere wintertime circulation

Patterns of climate variability of the Northern Hemisphere wintertime circulation by Roberta Quadrelli Chair of Supervisory Committee: Professor John M. Wallace Atmospheric Sciences The principal patterns of variability of the extratropical Northern Hemisphere (NH) wintertime circulation are examined. The two-dimensional phase space defined by the two leading PCs of the monthly-mean sea-level pressure (SLP) field poleward of 20N is used as a basis for surveying the structure of the geopotential height and other fields. The leading EOF corresponds to the NH annular mode (NAM) and the second EOF resembles the Pacific-North American (PNA) pattern. Together these two patterns account for roughly half the variance of SLP on interannual time scales and longer, and virtually all the planetary-scale SLP trends over the 42 year period of record. Also, all the most important NH patterns of variability can be described in terms of our two basis functions; therefore, several of the pattern definitions found in the climate literature are shown to be redundant. The relationship between the low frequency variability and time scales closer to the synoptic time scale are investigated by studying the variability observed within four different subsets of the climatology as defined by the high-index and low-index polarities of the 10-day mean projections of the two SLP PCs. The variability of the flow is substantially different within those different mean states. Within the individual subsets of the climatology there are suggestions of multiple circulation regimes; teleconnection patterns for the subsets of the climatology are also discernibly different; cold temperature anomalies associated with low polarities of both PCs are observed more frequently than expected on the basis of linear correlation analysis. These results constitute evidence of non-normal or non-linear behavior of 10-day mean fields, and provide indications that the intraseasonal variability depends on the mean state of the flow in which it is embedded. The latter idea is extended to investigate the effects of changes in the winter mean background flow observed in association with the ENSO cycle upon the extratropical month-to-month variability. The structure of the NAM is shown to be significantly different during warm and cold winters of the ENSO cycle. Furthermore, the observed NH surface trends of the period 1958-99 were much stronger during the years characterized by warm ENSO events.
Modeling of multicomponent reactive transport in groundwater: 1. Model development and evaluation

MINTRAN is a new model for simulating transport of multiple thermodynamically reacting chemical substances in groundwater systems. It consists of two main modules, a finite element transport module (PLUME2D), and an equilibrium geochemistry module (MINTEQA2). Making use of the local equilibrium assumption, the inherent chemical nonlinearity is confined to the chemical domain. This linearizes the coupling between the physical and chemical processes and leads to a simple and efficient two-step sequential solution algorithm. The advantages of the coupled model include access to the comprehensive geochemical database of MINTEQA2 and the ability to simulate hydrogeological systems with realistic aquifer properties and boundary conditions under complex geochemical conditions. The model is primarily targeted toward groundwater contamination due to acidic mine tailings efiiuents but is potentially also applicable to the full range of geochemical scenarios covered by MINTEQA2. The model is tested with respect to ion exchange chemistry and with respect to precipitation/dissolution chemistry involving multiple sharp fronts. The companion paper presents two-dimensional simulations of heavy metal transport in an acidic mine tailings environment, focusing on environmental implications.
Green Synthesis of ZnO/SnO2 Hybrid Nanocomposite for Degradation of Cationic and Anionic Dyes under Sunlight Radiation

The aim of this work was to biosynthesize SnO2-decorated ZnO (ZT) nanocomposites (NCs) of different Sn content (10, 20, and 30 mol%), namely, ZT10, ZT20, and ZT30, using Olea europaea leaf aqueous extract-based phytocompounds as nanoparticle facilitating agents for application as effective photocatalyst in the removal of dyes from polluted water. The obtained ZT NCs were characterized using various techniques, including FTIR, XRD, TGA, TEM, EDS, UV–Vis, PL, and BET surface area. X-ray diffraction patterns show that rutile SnO2 and hexagonal ZnO coexist in the composites, and their crystallite size (D) is affected by the SnO2 ratio; the obtained D-values were 17.24, 19.07, 13.99, 6.45, and 12.30 nm for ZnO, SnO2, ZT10, ZT20, and ZT30, respectively. The direct band gaps of the ZT heterostructure increase with increasing SnO2 ratio (band gap = 3.10, 3.45, 3.14, 3.17, and 3.21 eV, respectively). TEM spectroscopy revealed nanorod and spherical grain morphologies of the composites, while EDS confirmed the elemental composition, the element ratio, and the composite’s purity. All catalysts exhibit type III isotherm with macropore structure. The photocatalytic efficiency against cationic (methylene blue (MB), rhodamine B (RB)), and anionic (methyl orange (MO)) dyes, under sunlight, was optimal with ZT20. The results revealed almost complete degradation at 55, 65, and 55 min, respectively. Hence, it is evident that incorporating SnO2 improves the photocatalyst’s performance, with an apparent optimal enhancement at 20 mol% Sn decorating ZT NCs. More interestingly, the catalyst stability and activity remained unaffected even after four activating cycles.
Aragonite-calcite seas—Quantifying the gray area

Oscillations between the dominance of aragonite and calcite in abiotic marine CaCO3 precipitates throughout Earth history are closely coupled with the evolution of Earth’s seawater composition and represent the environmental context in which organisms evolved their ability to biomineralize. The most important factor controlling these Phanerozoic oscillations in CaCO3 polymorph composition is the ratio of Mg:Ca in seawater, which is thought to separate aragonite and calcite precipitation along a distinct temperature-controlled threshold. A sharp threshold, however, is contradicted by overlapping aragonite and calcite precipitation fields at a range of experimental conditions. Here we present experimental data that enable us to quantify the proportions of CaCO3 polymorphs as a function of Mg:Ca ratio and temperature. This allows us to convert published Mg:Ca ratio proxy data and models of the Phanerozoic Mg:Ca ratio into proportions of abiotic CaCO3 polymorphs at a given temperature, and thus provides a temperature-corrected view of aragonite-calcite sea conditions. In this revised view, abiotic calcite precipitation was inhibited during aragonite sea intervals at temperatures above 20 °C, whereas calcite sea intervals were characterized by the co-precipitation of aragonite and calcite in environments above 20 °C. This continuous prominence of aragonite precipitation in Phanerozoic warm-water environments explains the Phanerozoic increase of aragonite over calcite skeletal composition in calcifying organisms.
Unusual Downhole and Surface Free‐Field Records Near the Carquinez Strait Bridges during the 24 August 2014 Mw 6.0 South Napa, California, Earthquake

This paper reports the results of Part A of a study of the recorded strong‐motion accelerations at the well‐instrumented network of the two side‐by‐side parallel bridges over the Carquinez Strait during the 24 August 2014 ( M w 6.0) South Napa, California, earthquake that occurred at 03:20:44 Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) with epicentral coordinates 38.22° N, 122.31° W (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqarchives/poster/2014/20140824.php; last accessed October 2014). Both bridges and two boreholes were instrumented by the California Strong motion Instrumentation Program (CSMIP) of the California Geological Survey (CGS; Shakal et al. , 2014). A comprehensive comparison of several ground‐motion prediction equations as they relate to recorded ground motions of the earthquake is provided by Baltay and Boatright (2015). The moniker “odd couple” is appropriate for the pair of bridges across the Carquinez Strait, because each bridge is of a different design and a different age. The westbound suspension bridge (CGS station 68185), also known as the Alfred Zampa Memorial bridge, opened for service in 2003, when it replaced an older 1927‐era‐construction cantilever truss bridge that was deemed seismically unsafe. The eastbound cantilever truss bridge (CGS station 68184) opened for service in 1958. Figure 1 shows the layout of the two bridges and the locations of the associated geotechnical arrays. The inset in the figure indicates where the bridges are with respect to San Francisco, California. A photograph of both bridges is provided in Figure 2. The azimuths of the west‐ and east‐bound bridges are listed as 358° and 357°, respectively (Center of Engineering Stron Motion Data [CESMD] at http://www.strongmotioncenter.org/NCESMD/photos/CGS/lllayouts/ll68185.pdf and http://www.strongmotioncenter.org/NCESMD/photos/CGS/lllayouts/ll68184.pdf; last accessed April 2015). These parallel bridges are important lifelines on Interstate 80, connecting the California cities of Crockett and Vallejo, the San Francisco Bay area and the Sacramento regions, and the well‐known Napa Valley wine‐country and much of the remainder of northern …
Mediating Effect of Burnout Dimensions on Musculoskeletal Pain: The Role of Emotional Intelligence and Organisational Identification

Aim/Purpose: The present study aims to frame the relationship between job and personal resources (namely, organizational identification and emotional intelligence), burnout, and musculoskeletal disorders (i.e., back pain, upper limb pain, lower limb discomfort), into the theoretical framework provided by the JD-R health model. Background: Empirical research indicates a connection between burnout and the onset of musculoskeletal problems, one of the most important occupational health issues affecting all jobs and organizations. In light of the JD-R health model, we investigated the association between personal and job resources with burnout and musculoskeletal disorders. Methodology: An anonymous online questionnaire was answered by 320 workers (82.4% female, Mage = 42.18; SDage = 12.24) investigating their perceived level of burnout, the presence of musculoskeletal pain (back, neck, and shoulder), and their level of organizational identification and emotional intelligence. Descriptive analysis, correlation, and moderated mediation model were performed using SPSS. Contribution: We confirmed the role of personal and organizational resources in the salutogenic process considered by the JD-R health model. Emotional intelligence, decreasing the perceived level of burnout, limited the development of musculoskeletal disorders. Moreover, when organizational identification presented low and medium levels, the association between emotional intelligence and burnout strengthened. Findings: Our results showed a negative, indirect effect of emotional intelligence on musculoskeletal disorders via burnout. Moreover, we found a moderation of organizational organization, indicating that at low and medium levels of identification, the association between emotional intelligence and burnout is stronger. Recommendation for Researchers: In addition to work factors involved in the link between burnout and musculoskeletal disorders, it is also important to consider personal and emotional factors, which can decrease the occurrence of adverse consequences. Future Research: Future research developments could contribute to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms linking emotional intelligence, burnout, and musculoskeletal problems, as well as consider objective indicators of burnout levels or consider using ecological data collection methodologies (e.g., ecological momentary assessment), to identify patterns and associations between burnout and musculoskeletal disorders.
Exploration of potential reservoir hosts and vectors of Leishmania in Nicaragua

Exploration of Potential Reservoir Hosts and Vectors of Leishmania in Nicaragua. (August 2008) Russell Wayne Raymond, B.S., University of the Incarnate Word; M.S., University of the Incarnate Word Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Norman O. Dronen, Jr. Leishmaniasis is caused by infection with protozoan parasites within the genus Leishmania and, in the New World, is transmitted by the bites of female sand flies within the genus Lutzomyia. The occurrence of leishmaniasis in rodent species, the geographic distribution of sand fly species in Nicaragua, and environmental factors associated with the distribution of human cases of typical cutaneous leishmaniasis were investigated. Three hundred ninety five rodents representing 17 species were collected from 13 localities from August 2001–March 2006 and screened for Leishmania infections. One Heteromys desmarestianus and one Peromyscus mexicanus were found to be positive for leishmanial infections by PCR. This is the first report of Leishmania infections in rodents in Nicaragua. Five hundred fifty six sand flies representing 12 species were collected from 8 localities, including Lutzomyia hartmanni, a new record for this species in Nicaragua. The predominant sand fly species captured in western Nicaragua were Lutzomyia longipalpis and Lutzomyia evansi. The predominant species captured in central and eastern Nicaragua was Lutzomyia cruciata. The geographic
Diet of Cape clawless otters in part of the Breede River system : short communication

Analysis of scats of Cape clawless otters Aonyx capensis from the Kingna River, a tributary of the Breede River, shows that throughout the year mainly freshwater crabs Potamonautes ct. perlatus are eaten. Insects and mammals are next in importance as prey, followed by fish, but few frogs are taken. Misanalises van otters in die Kingna-rivier, 'n sytak van die Breerivier, toon dat hulle hoofprooi dwarsdeur die jaar hoofsaaklik uit varswaterkrappe Potamonautes ct. perlatus bestaan. Volgende in belangrikheid is insekte en soogdiere, dan visse, maar min paddas word gevreet.
Computational Dam-Break Hydraulics over Erodible Sediment Bed

This paper presents one of the first dedicated studies on mobile bed hydraulics of dam-break flow and the induced sediment transport and morphological evolution. A theoretical model is built upon the conservative laws of shallow water hydrodynamics, and a high-resolution numerical solution of the hyperbolic system is achieved using the total-variation-diminishing version of the second-order weighted average flux method in conjunction with the HLLC approximate Riemann solver and SUPERBEE limiter. It is found that a heavily concentrated and eroding wavefront first develops and then depresses gradually as it propagates downstream. In the early stage of the dam-break, a hydraulic jump is formed around the dam site due to rapid bed erosion, which attenuates progressively as it propagates upstream and eventually disappears. While the backward wave appears to migrate at the same speed as over a fixed bed, the propagation of the forward wavefront shows a complex picture compared to its fixed-bed counterpart as a result of the domination of rapid bed erosion initially, the density difference between the wavefront and the downstream ambient water in the intermediate period, and the pattern of the deformed bed profile in the long term. It is also found that the free surface profiles and hydrographs are greatly modified by bed mobility, which has considerable implications for flood prediction. The computed wave structure in the intermediate period exhibits great resemblance to available experiments qualitatively, and yet the existence of a shear wave is found in lieu of a secondary rarefaction postulated in an existing analysis. Finally, the use of the complete, rather than simplified, conservation equations is shown to be essential for correct resolution of the wave and bed structures, which suggests that previous models need reformulating.