Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Miocene intra‐arc bending at an arc–arc collision zone, central Japan: Reply

Abstract Recent paleomagnetic studies are reviewed in an effort to clarify the relationship between the intra-arc deformation of central Japan and the collision tectonics of the Izu-Bonin Arc. The cusp structure of the pre-Neogene terranes of central Japan, called the Kanto Syntaxis, suggests a collisional origin with the Izu-Bonin Arc. The paleomagnetic results and newly obtained radiometric ages of the Kanto Mountains revealed the Miocene rotational history of the east wing of the Kanto Syntaxis. More than 90° clockwise rotation of the Kanto Mountains took place after deposition of the Miocene Chichibu Basin (planktonic foraminiferal zone of N.8: 16.6–15.2 Ma). After synthesizing the paleomagnetic data of the Japanese Islands and collision tectonics of central Japan, it appears that approximately a half rotation (40–50°) probably occurred at ca 15 Ma in association with the rapid rotation of Southwest Japan. The remainder (50-40°) continued until 6 Ma, resulting in the sharp bent structure of the pre-Neogene accretionary complexes (Kanto Syntaxis). The latter rotation seems to have been caused by the collision of the Izu-Bonin Arc on the northwestward migrating Philippine Sea Plate.
Czech wine consumers: maturing with age?

The purpose of this study is to identify the most important motivations for drinking wine and the factors influencing wine purchase in the Czech Republic and to ascertain if there are significant differences between genders and age groups. An online survey was conducted, using e-mail and social networks, of wine consumers in one of the 14 regions of the Czech Republic. This resulted in a sample of n=237. Spearman’s correlation test was conducted to find correlations between wine consumption and age and the chi-square test for differences between genders. Four motivations were found to be significantly correlated with age – to be sociable, to be respected, because wine is considered healthy and because it belongs with a nice meal, as well as seven factors affecting wine purchase – label, provenance, brand/producer, vintage, design of the bottle, recommendations of salesperson and a preference for the lowest priced wines. As the majority of respondents came from one of the 14 Czech regions, generalizations for the whole Czech Republic cannot be made. It is recommended that future work should include more complex segmentation. This paper contributes to the literature by exploring the Czech wine market, where very little research has been conducted so far, as well as by exploring the influence of age on the motivation for wine consumption.
Cultivar and Nitrogen Fertiliser Effects on Fresh and Stored Winter Wheat Grain Quality Indices

Field experiments with winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars ‘Bussard’ and ‘Zentos’ using four nitrogen top application rates (N60, N90, N120 and N150) were conducted at the Latvia University of Agriculture, Study and Research farm “Pçterlauki” in 2010 and 2011. The objective of this study was to determine effect of nitrogen (N) fertiliser on quality indices of fresh and stored grain (60-120 days) for two different winter wheat cultivars. Highly significant effect of cultivars and nitrogen fertiliser were detected for quality traits: protein content, wet gluten and sedimentation value. For the grain stored for 60-120 days, protein content was variable, sedimentation values decreased, the falling number increased, the content of wet gluten declined, and the quality of gluten improved. For ‘Zentos’, close positive correlation was found between gluten content and protein content, and between sedimentation value and protein, high positive correlation was found, and between sedimentation value and gluten content for both cultivars.
Soil microbial community diversity and functionality as affected by integrated cropping-livestock systems in the Southern High Plains

This study integrated physical, chemical, and molecular techniques to assess relationships between soil bacterial community structures and the quantity and quality of soil organic carbon (SOC) at the soil microenvironment scale (e.g., within different aggregate size-fractions). To accomplish this goal, soil samples (0-5cm) were collected from the Southern High Plains region under a variety of dryland and irrigated cropping systems. The soil was separated into macroaggregates, microaggregates, and silt+clay fractions that were analyzed for (1) bacterial diversity via pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene and (2) SOC quantity and quality using a combustion method and mid-infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (mid-IR), respectively. Results from pyrosequencing showed that each soil microenvironment supported a distinct bacterial community. Similarly, mid-IR data revealed distinct spectral features indicating that these fractions were also distinguished by organic and mineral composition. Macroaggregates showed relatively high abundance of Actinobacteria (excluding order Rubrobacteriales) and α-Proteobacteria and contained the most SOC. Microaggregates showed high relative abundance of Rubrobacteriales and the least amount of SOC. Predominance within soil Texas Tech University, Marko Davinic, December 2012 47 microenvironment and correlations along the mid-IR spectra were different between members of the order Rubrobacteriales compared with all other members of the Actinobacteria phyla, suggesting they have different ecological niches. Mid-IR results revealed microaggregates had greater absorbance in the 1370-1450 cm -1 region for phenolic and alkyl groups (possibly recalcitrant C). Silt+clay fractions were distinguished by Gemmatimonadetes and OP10 phyla, which positively correlate with spectral absorption in the1250-1150 cm -1 range (indicating both degradable and recalcitrant C forms). In contrast to general diversity index measurements, distributions of the more rare bacterial phyla (phyla representing < 6% of the identified population) were more important for differentiating between communities in soil microenvironments. To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate soil bacterial communities among soil aggregates using pyrosequenging and to associate these communities to specific soil C chemistries as indicated by mid-IR absorbance.
An evaluation of direct simple shear tests on clay

Normally consolidated samples of kaolin have been tested in two direct simple shear apparatuses. The first apparatus is specially instrumented with load cells in the horizontal boundaries to investigate the uniformity of the stresses acting on the samples. The internal deformations and strains are determined using radiographic techniques. The radial stress is determined from membranes reinforced with resistance wire. The second apparatus is a standard commercially available device supplied by Geonor. The stresses and strains are shown to be uniform in the central region of the sample, away from the vertical boundaries, until failure. Values of the stress and strain variables determined from the central region are representative of a uniform simple shear deformation in plane strain. In all tests the samples fail by developing approximately horizontal ruptures. Values of the shear modulus and shear strength estimated from the average stresses in the Geonor apparatus underestimate, by approximately 10%, the .
Magnetostratigraphic results from the eastern Arctic Ocean: AMS 14C ages and relative palaeointensity data of the Mono Lake and Laschamp geomagnetic reversal excursions

SUMMARY A new high-resolution magnetostratigraphic record from the eastern Arctic Ocean has yielded further evidence for the existence of the Laschamp excursion (37‐35 ka), the Mono Lake excursion (27‐25.5 ka) and possibly another very short excursion (22 ka) inferred from steep negative inclinations. Ages are based on nine AMS (accelerator mass spectrometry) 14C dates, oxygen isotope stratigraphy and correlation with ODP site 983. Estimates of relative palaeointensity variations for the time interval from 80 to 10 ka have revealed that the documented geomagnetic excursions are linked to large fluctuations of the relative palaeointensity. The lowest values were obtained for the two excursions and the normal‐reversed (N‐R) and reversed‐normal (R‐N) transitions of the Laschamp polarity excursion, which itself is characterized by a slight increase of relative palaeointensity during its reversed state. The results are in general agreement with palaeointensity studies from other regions, indicating that these fluctuations could be global phenomena and that the geomagnetic field of the Brunhes Chron was very variable in amplitude as well as in geometry. The new result is one of the rare records comprising large directional as well as large relative palaeointensity variations.
Dynamic height anomaly from Argo profiles and sea-level anomaly from satellite altimetry: a comparative study in the Indian Ocean

Altimeter-derived sea-level anomaly (SLA) has been compared with Argo-derived dynamic height anomaly (DHA) in the Indian Ocean. The anomalies have been found to agree quite well in the region above 10°S. The agreement is improved when climatological salinity is replaced by Argo salinity. Seasonal variation of correlation of DHA computed with Argo salinity and SLA has also been studied. The reasons for the poor correlation could be attributed to the fact that there is a barotropic (non-steric) component of the SLA, not captured by DHA, which is a purely steric effect. It has been also found that the impact of halosteric component on dynamic height is quite high in certain regions of the Arabian Sea because of (i) low-salinity water of southern region advected into the region by Somali and North Equatorial Current, (ii) upwelled water of low salinity during south-west monsoon along the Arabian coast and (iii) precipitation and river run-off from rivers in the eastern Arabian sea contributing to the local formation of low-salinity water. In the Bay of Bengal, the factors responsible for the large impact of halosteric component are precipitation and river influx in the northern part. In the south-eastern Indian Ocean, Indonesian Throughflow is the governing factor for this impact.
Dynamics of mutual inhibition between two visual cortical neurons compared to human perceptual competition

Visual perception emerges as the result of neural systems actively organizing intrinsically noisy visual signals. It is commonly assumed that selection processes of competing neurons underlie this emergence of perceptual organization. While the neural competition, realized by such a “mutual inhibition” circuit has been examined in many theoretical studies, its dynamic properties have not been investigated in real neurons. We have developed a “hybrid” system where two real-life pyramidal neurons in a mouse brain slice interact through a computer simulated mutual inhibition circuit. We found that simultaneous activation of the mutually inhibiting pyramidal neurons leads to bi-stable activity. We investigated the effects of noise and the effect of changes in the activation strength on the dynamics. We observed that the circuit exhibits dynamics strikingly similar to the known properties of bi-stable visual perception.
Species identification of individual trees by combining high resolution LiDAR data with multi‐spectral images

The objectives of this study were to identify useful predictive factors for tree species identification of individual trees and to compare classifications based on a combination of LiDAR data and multi‐spectral images with classification by the use of each individual data source. Crown segments derived from LiDAR data were mapped to multi‐spectral images for extraction of spectral data within individual tree crowns. Several features, related to height distribution of laser returns in the canopy, canopy shape, proportion of different types of laser returns, and intensity of laser returns, were derived from LiDAR data. Data from a test site in southern Sweden were used (lat. 58°30′ N, long. 13°40′ E). The forest consisted of Norway spruce (Picea abies), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), and deciduous trees. Classification into these three tree species groups was validated for 1711 trees that had been detected in LiDAR data within 14 field plots (sizes of 20×50 m2 or 80×80 m2). The LiDAR data were acquired by the TopEye MkII system (50 LiDAR measurements per m2) and the multi‐spectral images were taken by the Zeiss/Intergraph Digital Mapping Camera. The overall classification accuracy was 96% when both data sources were combined.
The role of wind in the near field and midfield of a river plume

The role of wind in the near‐field and midfield regions of the Merrimack River plume is quantified using observations from surface drifters released near the river mouth during ebb tide in 2009, 2010, and 2011 under a range of wind and river discharge conditions. Comparison of momentum balance terms and analysis of plume trajectories suggests that the plume is sensitive to wind direction for wind speeds >4 m s−1 in all regions of the plume, including the near field, where wind influence has typically been considered second order. Intermediate ranges (4–12 km) were more strongly influenced by the wind than the near field (0–4 km). However, the influence of the instantaneous wind diminished farther from the mouth, presumably, due to the growing importance of longer time scale process (i.e., Ekman transport). The plume was less sensitive to cross‐shore winds than alongshore winds, particularly near the river mouth, where momentum dominates.
Atmospheric methane /CH4/ - Trends and seasonal cycles

On the basis of 22 months of almost continuous, automated, GC/FID measurements of atmospheric CH4 at Cape Meares (45°N), we show that the concentration of CH4 is increasing at about 2% per yr (±0.5% yr−1). The data also revealed stable seasonal cycles with peak concentrations in October and minimum concentrations in July. The magnitude of the seasonal variations during these months is about ±20 ppbv from the average (∼±1.2%). If the current trend continues, the increased CH4 concentration may result in a 0.2°K to 0.4°K average increase in earth's surface temperature over the next 40 years or so (based on calculations of Wang et al. (1976)). The coupling of CH4 to tropospheric and stratospheric chemical processes is discussed.
Rio de la Plata estuary response to wind variability in synoptic to intraseasonal scales : Barotropic response

[1] The first long-period acoustic Doppler current profiler series collected in two locations of the Rio de la Plata estuary are explored for barotropic current variability and its connection to wind variability in synoptic to intraseasonal timescales. Wind-driven currents can be explained in terms of two modes, resulting of the estuary's geometry. The first one prevails for winds with a cross-river component, whereas the second dominates when they blow along the estuary axis. Even though both modes imply that barotropic currents develop in a phase lag with the wind that depends on the location, northeasterly and southwesterly winds generate stronger currents than southeasterly and northwesterly winds. Barotropic response to winds occurs in around 6 hours, and an equilibrium regime is reached for processes with temporal scales more than 4 days. The temporal scales of estuarine variability replicate the wind ones, with activity in bands around 2–8, 10–12, and 18–25 days. Therefore the estuary reaches an equilibrium regime with most of atmospheric processes from synoptic to intraseasonal scales. Intraseasonal variability can be significant and even act in the same direction as the synoptic one, with important effects on circulation. These features imply that the estuary has “weather” and “climate” as the atmosphere does. Our results suggest that conditions classically thought as characteristic of “summer” or “winter” likely occur during any season with high variability. This result has important implications for those coastal species that spawn in the estuary, as they require specific conditions for their successful reproduction, and on estuary's predictability.
FİNANSAL GELİŞME VE İKTİSADİ BÜYÜME: STATİK VE DİNAMİK PANEL VERİ ANALİZİ

Bu calismada D-8 ulkeleri (Banglades, Endonezya, Iran, Malezya, Misir, Nijerya, Pakistan ve Turkiye) verileri kullanilarak iktisadi buyume ile finansal gelisme arasindaki iliski panel veri seti kullanilarak irdelenmeye calisilmistir. Random etkiler modeli ve dinamik panel verileri tahmini yapilmistir. Tahminlerde dort farkli mali gostergenin yani sira dis ticaret acikligi, sabit sermaye yatirimlari, kamu nihai tuketim harcamalari, verimlilik artisi, fiyat artisi gibi kontrol degiskenleri kullanilmistir. Finansal araclarin ekonomik buyume uzerinde pozitif ve anlamli bir etkisinin oldugu tespit edilmistir.
Differential Gene Expression during Placentation in Pregnancies Conceived with Different Fertility Treatments Compared to Spontaneous Pregnancies

Objective: To identify differences in the transcriptomic profiles during placentation from pregnancies conceived spontaneously to those with infertility, using non-in vitro fertilization (NIFT) or in vitro fertilization (IVF). Design: Cohort study. Setting: Academic Medical Center. Patient(s): Women undergoing chorionic villus sampling at gestational age 11–13 weeks (n=141), with pregnancies that were conceived spontaneously (n=74), with NIFT (n=33), or IVF (n=34) resulting in the delivery of viable offspring. Intervention(s): Collection of chorionic villus samples from women who conceived spontaneously, with NIFT or IVF for gene expression analysis using RNA sequencing. Main Outcome Measure(s): Baseline maternal, paternal and fetal demographics, maternal medical conditions, pregnancy complications and outcomes. Differential gene expression of first trimester placenta. Result(s): There were few differences in the transcriptome of first trimester placenta from NIFT, IVF, and spontaneous pregnancies. There was one protein-coding differentially expressed gene (DEG) between the spontaneous and infertility groups, CACNA1I, one protein-coding DEG between the spontaneous and IVF groups, CACNA1I, and five protein-coding DEGs between the NIFT and IVF groups, SLC18A2, CCL21, FXYD2, PAEP, and DNER. families were among the top upstream regulators that predicted transcript differences in spontaneous versus IVF pregnancies, but not spontaneous versus NIFT pregnancies. These results suggest that IVF pregnancies may have slightly altered regulation of cytokine signaling pathways in late first trimester, compared to other pregnancies, which may be altering normal placentation. By contrast, spontaneous versus NIFT pregnancies had more diverse top canonical pathways and upstream regulators, which may reflect different etiology of infertility between NIFT and IVF pregnancies.
PTERIDOPHYTE DIVERSITY IN WET EVERGREEN FORESTS OF SAKLESHPUR IN CENTRAL WESTERN GHATS

The present study deals with the diversity of pteridophytes in the wet evergreen forests of Sakleshpurtaluk of Hassan district in central Western Ghats. A significant portion of the study area comprises of the Gundia river catchment region which is considered to be the ‘hottest hotspot of biodiversity’ as it shelters numerous endemic and threatened species of flora and fauna. Survey of various macro and micro habitats was carried out in this region, also a haven for pteridophytes. A total of 45 species of pteridophytes from 19 families were recorded in the study. The presence of South Indian endemics like Cyathea nilgirensis, Bolbitissub crenatoides, B. semicordata and Osmunda huegeliana signifies the importance of this region as a crucial centre of pteridophytes. Similar regions in the Western Ghats, rich in network of perennial streams have been targeted widely for irrigation and power projects. With regard to an impending danger in the form a proposed hydro-electric project in the Gundia River, threatening the rich biodiversity, an overall ecological evaluation was carried out in the entire river basin. Special attention was paid to inventorisation of the pteridophytes, seldom ever attempted in such cases. The overall efforts succeeded in thwarting off the imminent project, thereby underscoring the necessity of making such studies as a prerequisite for any development programmes in biodiversity hotspots.
Regulatory involvement of the PerR and SloR metalloregulators in the Streptococcus mutans oxidative stress response

Streptococcus mutans is a commensal of the human oral microbiome that can instigate dental caries under conditions of dysbiosis. This study investigates S. mutans metalloregulators and their involvement in mediating a response to oxidative stress. Oxidative stress in the oral cavity can derive from temporal increases in reactive oxygen species (ROS) after meal consumption, and from endogenous bacterial ROS-producers that colonize the dentition as constituents of dental plaque. We hypothesize that the PerR (SMU.593) and SloR (SMU.186) metalloregulatory proteins in S. mutans contribute to oxidative stress tolerance by regulating the expression of genes responsive to H2O2 challenge. The results of qRT-PCR experiments with S. mutans cultures exposed to 0.5mM H2O2 reveal perR transcription that is responsive to the peroxide stressor, and sloR transcription that is subject to PerR repression. The results of gel shift assays support direct binding of a PerR homolog to the S. mutans sloR promoter at Fur and PerR consensus sequences on the UA159 chromosome. In addition, transcription of the S. mutans tpx and dpr antioxidant genes is upregulated in a perR/sloR double knockout mutant, consistent with heightened resistance of the S. mutans GMS802 perR-deficient strain when challenged with H2O2. Cumulatively, these results reveal a relationship of reciprocity between the PerR and SloR metalloregulators during the S. mutans response to oxidative stress and begin to elucidate the fitness strategies that evolved to foster S. mutans survival and persistence in the transient environments of the human oral cavity. IMPORTANCE In 2020, untreated dental caries, especially in the permanent dentition, ranked among the most prevalent infectious diseases worldwide. Moreover, caries disproportionately affects children and individuals of low socioeconomic status. Untreated caries can lead to systemic health problems and has been associated with extended school and work absences, inappropriate use of emergency departments, and an inability for military forces to deploy. In combination with public health policy, research aimed at alleviating S. mutans-induced tooth decay is important because it can improve oral health, as well as overall health, especially for underserved populations. This research is focused on the S. mutans SloR and PerR metalloregulatory proteins that can help inform the development of therapeutics aimed at alleviating and potentially preventing dental caries.
Bedrock features and ice flow near the EPICA Ice Core Site (Dome C, Antarctica)

The precise bedrock topography near the EPICA ice core site, at Dome C in Antarctica exhibits impressive bedrock mountains, bowls and a clear network of elongated valleys. Some of these features are probably tectonic and are likely to be buried pre‐ice‐sheet landforms. The elongated bedrock valleys are clearly detectable in the surface topography suggesting a large‐scale network. The analysis of the relationship between basal and surface elongated structures indicates a damping factor decreasing from 120 near the dome to 80 at few tens of kilometer. There is evidence of presence of subglacial water and of erosed bed, that can play a role of the ice flow. A complete flow modeling, taking into account longitudinal stresses, should be performed around EPICA site in order to improve dating of the ice.