Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Three-dimensional Distribution of Minerals in the Sediments of Hayonim Cave, Israel: Diagenetic Processes and Archaeological Implications

The mineral components of the sediments that accumulate in an archaeological site constitute a potentially rich source of information on the diagenesis, and in turn the archaeology of the site. This detailed three-dimensional study of the mineral assemblages in mainly the Mousterian sediments of Hayonim Cave incorporates more than 2100 infrared analyses performed on-site during the excavation, as well as diverse analyses in the laboratory. Three major mineral assemblages are identified: the calcite-dahllite (CD) assemblage, the assemblage comprising mainly montgomeryite, leucophosphite and siliceous aggregates (LMVS), and a highly altered sediment in which the clays have broken down and silica was released. The boundaries between these assemblages were mapped in detail. The overall picture is one of extreme heterogeneity with sharp variations occurring over distances of a few centimetres. The relation between the CD and LMVS assemblages shows that it is a product of post-depositional diagenesis, whereas the altered clay assemblage formed beneath an erosional unconformity. The CD and LMVS assemblages were derived primarily from an accumulation several metres thick of ash deposits produced by humans. Ash is thus shown to be a major component of the sediments of this cave. The distribution of the CD assemblage reflects to a large extent the locations of two active springs/seepages in the cave. The distribution of the CD assemblage also faithfully maps the distribution of bones in the cave, showing that their distribution is a function of preservational conditions and not human activities (Stineret al ., 2001). The conditions that produced the erosional unconformity, also resulted in severe alteration of the clays and other mineral components of these sediments. The erosion process and the fact that the thickness of this altered zone decreases towards the centre of the cave, indicates that the diagenetic driving force was probably climatic. The three-dimensional distributions of the mineral assemblages have a direct bearing on the dating of the cave by thermoluminescence and electron spin resonance.
Fatty liver biomarkers and insulin resistance indices in the prediction of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease in Ghanaian patients

Scant West African data on non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) means there is little representation of this population in the modelling used to derive biomarkers and predictive indices for risk stratification of patients for the presence of hepatic steatosis. This study evaluates the performance of the fatty liver index (FLI), hepatic steatosis index (HSI) and triglyceride‐glucose (TyG) index and its derivatives in predicting ultrasound detected NAFLD in a locally resident population of Ghanaian participants.
Moral injury in a global health emergency: a validation study of the Italian version of the Moral Injury Events Scale adjusted to the healthcare setting

ABSTRACT Background: When exposed to events that transgress one’s moral beliefs, a plethora of negative consequences may follow, which are captured by the concept of moral injury (MI). Despite its relevance to experiences of healthcare workers during a global health emergency, there is lack of validated MI instruments adapted to the healthcare setting. Objective: The present study aims to provide a validation of the Italian version of the Moral Injury Events Scale (MIES) adjusted to the healthcare setting by assessing its factor structure, internal consistency and construct validity. Methods: A sample of 794 healthcare workers (46% nurses, 51% female) engaged in hospital facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy completed measures of MI, PTSD, anxiety, depression, burnout, meaning in life and positive affect. Results: Using an exploratory structural equation modelling (ESEM) we assessed the scale factor structure for the entire sample and separately for nurse professional and female healthcare worker groups. Findings support a three-factor solution: Factor 1 ‘perceived transgressions by others’; Factor 2 ‘perceived transgressions by self’; and Factor 3 ‘perceived betrayals by others’. Findings also indicate some level of convergence with measures of PTSD, anxiety, depression and burnout. Conclusion: Results suggest that the MIES may be useful in capturing unique experiences of moral injury amongst healthcare workers engaged in a global health emergency. The low range correlations with measures of psychological distress might potentially indicate that MI, which captures cognitive value judgements rather than manifest symptomatology, may uniquely explain a certain amount of variance. Implications for the development of new empirically derived and theoretical guided tools are discussed, highlighting the need for future research to examine the role of individualising and social binding moral principles in gaining a more nuanced understanding of moral injury experiences amongst healthcare professionals across different socio-cultural settings. HIGHLIGHTS The Italian validation of the MIES adapted to the healthcare setting yielded a three-factor structure: (a) ‘perceived transgressions by self’; (b) ‘perceived transgressions by others’; (c) ‘perceived betrayals by others’. Findings suggest that the MIES may be useful in capturing unique experiences of moral injury amongst healthcare workers engaged in a global health emergency. Future research should consider the role of individualising and social binding moral principles in shaping moral injury experiences among healthcare professionals across different socio-cultural settings.
Combining Near-Infrared Spectroscopy and Heart Rate Variability Derived Thresholds to Estimate the Critical Intensity of Exercise

Abstract Fleitas-Paniagua, PR, de Almeida Azevedo, R, Trpcic, M, Murias, JM, and Rogers, B. Combining near-infrared spectroscopy and heart rate variability derived thresholds to estimate the critical intensity of exercise. J Strength Cond Res 38(1): e16–e24, 2024—Critical intensity determination often requires costly tools and several testing sessions. Alternative approaches display relatively large individual variation. Therefore, simpler estimations with improved precision are needed. This study evaluated whether averaging the heart rate (HR) and oxygen uptake (V̇O2) responses associated with the muscle deoxyhemoglobin concentration breakpoint ([HHb]BP) and the heart rate variability (HRV) given by the detrended fluctuation analysis second threshold (HRVT2) during ramp incremental (RI) test improved the accuracy of identifying the HR and V̇O2 at the respiratory compensation point (RCP). Ten female and 11 male recreationally trained subjects performed a 15 W·minute−1 RI test. Gas exchange, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), and RR interval were recorded to assess the RCP, [HHb]BP, and HRVT2. Heart rate (mean ± SD: 158 ± 14, 156 ± 13, 160 ± 14 and, 158 ± 12 bpm) and V̇O2 (3.08 ± 0.69, 2.98 ± 0.58, 3.06 ± 0.65, and 3.02 ± 0.60 L·minute−1) at the RCP, [HHb]BP, HRVT2, and HRVT2&[HHb]BP average (H&HAv), respectively, were not significantly different (p > 0.05). The linear relationship between H&HAv and RCP was higher compared with the relationship between [HHb]BP vs RCP and HRVT2 vs RCP for both HR (r = 0.85; r = 0.73; r = 0.79, p > 0.05) and V̇O2 (r = 0.94; r = 0.93; r = 0.91, p > 0.05). Intraclass correlation between RCP, [HHb]BP, HRVT2, and H&HAV was 0.93 for V̇O2 and 0.79 for HR. The [HHb]BP and the HRVT2 independently provided V̇O2 and HR responses that strongly agreed with those at the RCP. Combining [HHb]BP and the HRVT2 resulted in estimations of the V̇O2 and HR at the RCP that displayed smaller variability compared with each modality alone.
SHEAR MODULUS AND DAMPING IN SOILS: DESIGN EQUATIONS AND CURVES

EQUATIONS AND GRAPHS FOR THE DETERMINATION OF SHEAR MODULUS AND DAMPING OF SOILS, FOR USE IN DESIGN PROBLEMS INVOLVING REPEATED LOADING OR VIBRATION OF SOILS, ARE PRESENTED. THESE EQUATIONS AND GRAPHS ARE BASED ON NUMEROUS LABORATORY TESTS ON BOTH REMOLDED AND UNDISTURBED COHESIVE SOILS AND ON CLEAN SANDS. COMPARISON OF THE MEASURED AND COMPUTED VALUES SHOWS GOOD AGREEMENT. AN EXAMPLE PROBLEM SHOWING HOW THESE EQUATIONS AND CURVES ARE USED IS GIVEN. /AUTHOR/
Constipation in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease

Constipation is a frequent symptom in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). This review outlines the mechanisms and management of constipation in patients with CKD from a physician’s perspective. Common causes of constipation in patients with CKD include concomitant medications, low dietary fiber intake, water-restricted diet, lack of physical activity, altered gut microbiota, and reduced gastrointestinal motility. Constipation has a negative impact on overall health, and, in particular, the presence of constipation has been associated with worsening kidney function and increased risk of developing advanced stages of CKD. Although lifestyle and dietary modifications may not always be practical for patients with CKD, they are recommended because they are beneficial as they lower mortality in patients with CKD. The use of laxatives containing magnesium salts, bulking agents, and osmotic laxatives may have insufficient efficacy and may be associated with adverse effects. In contrast, lactulose and lubiprostone have been shown to exhibit reno-protective effects. Linaclotide and plecanatide have very limited systemic absorption and appear safe in patients with CKD. Tenapanor reduces paracellular intestinal phosphate absorption in addition to blocking sodium uptake by enterocytes, and provides additional benefit in patients patients with CKD who have hyperphosphatemia and constipation. Prucalopride leads to improvements in bowel function and constipation-related symptoms in cases in which response to conventional laxatives are inadequate. However, the dose of prucalopride should be reduced to 1 mg once daily for patients with CKD. In conclusion, there are important advances on the impact and treatment of constipation in patients with CKD.
Age and origin of granitic rocks of the eastern Vardar Zone, Greece: new constraints on the evolution of the Internal Hellenides

The Vardar Zone is an integral part of the Internal Hellenides and has long been regarded as an ophiolite-decorated suture zone separating two distinct continental blocks, namely the Pelagonian Zone to the west and the Serbo-Macedonian Massif to the east. Several bodies of granites, gneisses and volcanic rocks are associated with the ophiolitic rocks and can provide additional constraints on the evolution of the suture. Single-zircon and monazite dating of felsic rocks yields accurate ages for the processes of accretion of the suture. The igneous formation ages obtained range from 155 to 164 Ma, suggesting an important magmatic phase in the Late Jurassic. The chemical and isotopic composition of these rocks is in accord with their formation in a volcanic-arc setting at an active continental margin. Older continental material incorporated in the Vardar Zone is documented by 319 Ma gneisses and by inherited zircons of mainly Mid-Palaeozoic ages. The Late Jurassic magmatic event overprinted such gneisses, as is evident in monazite ages of 158 Ma. The prevalence of Late Jurassic subduction-related igneous rocks indicates that arc formation and accretion orogeny were the most important processes during the evolution of this part of the Internal Hellenides.
Estimates of Source Parameters for the 1999 Chi-Chi, Taiwan, Earthquake Based on Brune's Source Model

The general features of the rupture of the 1999 Chi-Chi, Taiwan, earthquake ( M s 7.6) can be explained by the displacement waveforms derived from the accelerograms recorded at short distances from the fault traces. Applying Brune's model, we have determined important source parameters, such as rise time, stress drop, offset, and particle velocity. Generally, the earthquake is characterized as having had two distinct fault segments. The southern segment, dominated by thrust motion, started from the focus on a fault plane raking at 78° and extended about 30 km to the north. The northern segment, dominated by thrust with significant strike-slip motion, began next to the end of the southern segment on a fault plane raking at 53° and extended northward for 25 km. Slips in the southern segment were followed by a small dislocation (∼1 m), while those in the northern segment were followed by a much larger dislocation (∼9 m). The average slip velocity was distributed at 34-49 cm/sec, along the southern segment, and an unusual slip velocity exceeding 2 m/sec was observed along the northern segment. Furthermore, the southern segment experienced a rise time of 1.8 sec and a stress drop of 65 bars, in contrast to a rise time longer than 4 sec and a stress drop larger than 300 bars registered to the north. Our results also indicate that, along the southern segment, the rupture propagated northward at an average velocity of 2.84 km/sec, but along the northern segment, the rate declined to less than 2 km/sec. The difference in the source parameters between these two segments suggests that the rupturing associated with the Chi-Chi earthquake may have encountered a resistive patch and changed course in the middle part of the fault. After crushing that resistance, the long rise time and high stress drop probably caused substantially slower motion and larger slip along the northern segment. Manuscript received 10 November 2000.
The religious faith item of the Spanish Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) and its Short Form (PTGI-SF): challenges and solutions

ABSTRACT Background: The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) and its Short Form (PTGI-SF) are two instruments highly used in research on posttraumatic growth. They include a religious growth item that has been demonstrated to be problematic in cultures that are not very religious. Previous research has addressed this issue in other countries, but no attention has been paid to this critical problem in Spanish samples. Objective: Our aim is to address the psychometric issues presented by the religious growth item in Spain. Method: To do so, we reviewed several studies conducted with various populations in Spain. Results: The scores of the religious growth item in Spain present very low means and standard deviations, as well as high skewness and kurtosis, all of which point to a floor effect. The item scores show low item-test correlations, and it has failed to load on a specific dimension in factor analyses, thus casting doubts about its validity. Conclusions: The inventory does not seem to work properly in its current form in Spain. The inappropriateness of the item measuring religious growth in Spain may be due to cultural reasons. We recommend using the PTGI expanded version (PTGI-X) instead of the PTGI and exploring the possible substitution of the religious growth item in the PTGI-SF for an alternative item. In both cases, ascertaining the psychometric properties of the scores in Spain will be necessary. HIGHLIGHTS The religious growth item in the PTGI and the PTGI-SF show serious psychometric validity issues in Spain. The PTGI Expanded version (PTGI-X) should be used instead of the PTGI in Spain. For the PTGI-SF, the religious item needs to be substituted.
Archean emplacement of eclogitic components into the lithospheric mantle during formation of the Kaapvaal Craton

Re‐Os data for selected whole‐rock eclogites and eclogitic sulfide inclusions in diamonds from seven kimberlites on the Kaapvaal‐Zimbabwe cratons yield ages around 3 Ga. The presence of such old eclogitic components in the subcontinental lithospheric mantle is more common than previously thought. Overlap of these ages with those of many cratonic peridotites demonstrates that incorporation of eclogitic materials accompanied or closely followed cratonic lithosphere stabilization. Many of these eclogitic components have fractionated C, N, O, and S isotopic compositions which could have been created at low‐temperatures, implying that some style of Archean subduction involving emplacement of oceanic lithosphere was part of craton keel development.
Atypical chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy with ophthalmoplegia and anti-sulfatide IgM positivity

Background Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) is a heterogeneous group of chronic immune-mediated polyradiculoneuropathies. The clinical presentation of CIDP is mainly characterized by a classic peripheral demyelinating sensory-motor type and persists for a minimum of 2 months. However, CIDP may also present with atypical symptoms. Case presentation: This report presents the case of a patient with CIDP with ophthalmoplegia and anti-sulfatide IgM antibodies. Maintenance intravenous immunoglobulin and glucocorticoid therapies were administered to the patient in accordance with the clinical, laboratory, and electrophysiological findings, which were indicative of CIDP. The treatment partially improved the symptoms, and no recurrence was detected throughout the 3-month monitoring phase. Conclusions This study combines a retrospective analysis and a literature review to explore the possible mechanism of CIDP.
Assessment of middle ear function after conventional or endoscopic microdebrider assisted adenoidectomy

SUMMARY Objectives To compare pre- and post-operative pure tone audiometric and impedance audiometric analysis following conventional and endoscopic microdebrider assisted adenoidectomy and compare the outcomes. Methods Patients diagnosed with chronic adenoiditis were divided in groups of 25 each. Patients in the first group underwent conventional curettage adenoidectomy, while those in second group underwent endoscopic microdebrider assisted adenoidectomy. Pre- and post-operative pure tone and impedance audiometry were performed for all patients and outcomes were compared. Results The endoscopic microdebrider assisted method resulted in significantly better outcomes compared to conventional curettage. Criteria such as hearing threshold (p value 0.004 at second follow-up), peak pressure (p value 0.045 at first follow-up) and tympanogram (p value 0.016) showed that the endoscopic method was better, while peak compliance (p value 0.340 at first follow-up) did not show any significant difference between groups. Conclusions The endoscopic microdebrider assisted method for adenoidectomy has a definite advantage of better visualisation resulting in better clearance of tissue, leading to enhanced middle ear function compared to conventional curettage.
Albatross movement suggests sensitivity to infrasound cues at sea

Significance Among animals, albatrosses are spectacularly mobile, yet the cues guiding long-distance movement across open ocean remain poorly understood. Of several candidate sensory mechanisms, including olfaction and magnetoreception, none provide sufficient explanation for the ability of albatrosses to find prey and anticipate atmospheric conditions optimal for energy-efficient flight. We investigated whether microbarom infrasound, sound below 20 Hz known informally as ‘the voice of the sea’, might be used as a movement cue by albatrosses. By comparing flight trajectories of individual birds to maps of modeled microbarom infrasound in the environment, we found that albatrosses preferentially move toward regions of ‘loud’ infrasound. This study provides an indication that free-ranging seabirds may use infrasound information to guide oceanic movement.
Effects of freezing, growth, and ice cover on gas transport processes in laboratory seawater experiments

Gas exchange through sea ice is a determining factor in the polar ocean budget of climatically‐active gases. We use SF6 and O2 as conservative gas tracers to observe transport between the water, ice and air during conditions of freezing and partial ice cover in artificial seawater. During ice growth, O2 and SF6, as non‐polar solutes, were rejected from the ice into the underlying water at a faster rate than that observed for salt. Measurements of the gas exchange rate, k, through partial ice cover exceeded that expected from linear scaling between 100% open water (k100%) and complete ice cover: at 15% open water, k was 25% of k100%. These results indicate that the net flux of gas through the ice pack may not scale linearly with open water area, as circulation processes under the ice affect the gas exchange rate.
Kelp forests collapse reduces understorey seaweed β-diversity

Abstract Background and Aims Kelps are the primary foundation species in temperate subtidal rocky shores worldwide. However, global change is causing their decline with consequences for the organisms that rely on them. An accurate assessment of these consequences may depend on which attributes of the associated community are considered. This study shows that conventional α-diversity approaches may overlook some of these consequences compared to spatially explicit approaches such as with β-diversity. Methods A 1-year seasonal study was conducted to compare the macroalgal understorey between healthy reefs with a Laminaria ochroleuca canopy and degraded reefs where the canopy collapsed years ago due to excessive fish herbivory. At each reef, the understorey seaweed assemblage was recorded in five replicate quadrats to estimate α-diversity (total richness, species density, Shannon index) and β-diversity (intra- and inter-reef scale). Key Results The understorey assemblage exhibited a distinct seasonal dynamic in both healthy and degraded reefs. α-Diversity attributes increased in spring and summer; turf-forming algae were particularly dominant in degraded reefs during summer. β-Diversity also showed seasonal variability, but mostly due to the changes in degraded reefs. None of the α-diversity estimates differed significantly between healthy and degraded reefs. In contrast, spatial β-diversity was significantly lower in degraded reefs. Conclusions Although the loss of the kelp canopy affected the composition of the macroalgal understorey, none of the conventional indicators of α-diversity detected significant differences between healthy and degraded reefs. In contrast, small-scale spatial β-diversity decreased significantly as a result of deforestation, suggesting that the loss of kelp canopy may not significantly affect the number of species but still have an effect on their spatial arrangement. Our results suggest that small-scale β-diversity may be a good proxy for a more comprehensive assessment of the consequences of kelp forest decline.