Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
REE-Bearing Minerals in the Albitites of Central Sardinia, Italy

Abstract Recent studies on albitite rocks located in the granodiorite complex of Central Sardinia have revealed that epidote has a widespread occurrence as a light rare-earth element (LREE)-bearing accessory common phase. Titanite has been recorded as a heavy rare earth element (HREE)-bearing mineral. The Hercynian granodiorite complex of Central Sardinia is composed chiefly of quartz, Ca-plagioclase, K-feldspar and biotite and of a wide variety of secondary assemblages, mainly allanite, titanite and zircon. Albitic plagioclase and quartz are the main mineral components of the albitites. Additional minerals include, besides allanite and epidote, a more calcic-plagioclase (oligoclase), K-feldspar, chlorite, titanite and more rarely muscovite. The mineral assemblages and REE-bearing minerals of albitites were analysed by wavelength dispersive spectrometry (WDS). Chemical data suggest that there is a near complete solid-solution between epidote and allanite whereas little variations in HREE of titanites were detected. In epidote-group minerals a pronounced zoning in REE was observed while titanite was recorded unzoned. Textural relations were studied by SEM to distinguish primary from secondary epidotes. Chemical criteria to recognize magmatic from alteration epidotes were also applied. The alteration epidotes mainly occur and generally originate from plagioclase alteration and from leaching of magmatic allanite. Comparison of textures using both the SEM technique and EPMA data showed that the characteristic ‘patchy zoning’, observed in epidotes, corresponds with different amounts of REE in these minerals. The schematic model proposed for the epidote-forming reactions during the metasomatic processes that affected the granodiorites involves: (i) the instability of the anorthitic component of plagioclase; (ii) the simultaneous formation of albite; (iii) the leaching of the magmatic allanite with a redistribution of REE in the epidotes of the albitites.
Nigella sativa Improves Glycemic Control and Ameliorates Oxidative Stress in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Placebo Controlled Participant Blinded Clinical Trial

Background and Objective Oxidative stress plays an important role in pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus and its complications. Our previous study has shown glucose lowering effect produced by 3 months supplementation of Nigella sativa (NS) in combination with oral hypoglycemic drugs among type 2 diabetics. This study explored the long term glucose lowering effect (over one year) of NS in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus on oral hypoglycemic drugs and to study its effect on redox status of such patients. Methods 114 type 2 diabetic patients on standard oral hypoglycemic drugs were assigned into 2 groups by convenience. The control group (n = 57) received activated charcoal as placebo and NS group (n = 57) received 2g NS, daily, for one year in addition to their standard medications. Fasting blood glucose (FBG), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), C- peptide, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) at the baseline, and every 3 months thereafter were determined. Insulin resistance and β-cell activity were calculated using HOMA 2 calculator. Results Comparison between the two groups showed a significant drop in FBG (from 180±5.75 to 180±5.59 in control Vs from 195±6.57 to 172 ±5.83 in NS group), HbA1c (from 8.2±0.12 to 8.5±0.14 in control VS from 8.6±0.13 to 8.2±0.14 in NS group), and TBARS (from 48.3±6.89 to 52.9 ±5.82 in control VS from 54.1±4.64 to 41.9 ±3.16 in NS group), in addition to a significant elevation in TAC, SOD and glutathione in NS patients compared to controls. In NS group, insulin resistance was significantly lower, while β-cell activity was significantly higher than the baseline values during the whole treatment period. Conclusion Long term supplementation with Nigella sativa improves glucose homeostasis and enhances antioxidant defense system in type 2 diabetic patients treated with oral hypoglycemic drugs. Trial Registration Clinical Trials Registry-India (CTRI) CTRI/2013/06/003781
Real-time object-based image registration using improved MRAN

The registration of images from cameras of di.erent types and/or at different locations is of great interest for both military and civilian applications. Most available techniques are pixel level registration and use intensity correlation to spatially align pixels from the two cameras. Lots of computation is consumed to operate on each pixel of the images and as a result, it would be diffcult to register the images in real time. Furthermore, images from different types of cameras may have different intensity distributions for corresponding pixels which will degrade the registration accuracy. In this paper we propose to use improved Minimal Resource Allocation Network (MRAN) to solve the image registration problem from two cameras. Potential features are added to improve the performance of MRAN. There are two main contributions in this paper - First, weights going directly from inputs to outputs are introduced and these parameters are updated by including in the extended Kalman filter algorithm. Second, initial number of hidden units for the sequential training of MRAN are specified and the means of the initial hidden units are precalculated using Self Organizing Maps. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm peforms very well both in speed and accuracy.
The effect of cloud type on earth's energy balance - results for selected regions

Abstract International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) Cl cloud information is compared with planetary albedo, outgoing longwave radiation (OLR), and net radiation measured at the top of the atmosphere by the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE). Principal component analysis indicates that the day-to-day variations of the abundances of the 35 cloud types of the Cl data are correlated with each other, so that for many purposes the dataset can be well represented by about five cloud types. Using stepwise multiple regression, the ISCCP Cl data can be used to predict the day-to-day variations of the energy balance measured by ERBE for 2.5° regions. Total fractional area coverage of cloudiness is a relatively poor predictor of radiation budget quantities, except in those regions where the cloudiness is dominated by clouds of a single radiative type. If the total fractional area coverage by clouds is divided into contributions from several distinct cloud types, the fractional coverages by these .
Verifying Physiological and Biomechanical Parameters during Continuous Swimming at Speed Corresponding to Lactate Threshold

The purpose of this study was to verify the physiological responses and biomechanical parameters measured during 30 min of continuous swimming (T30) at intensity corresponding to lactate threshold previously calculated by an intermittent progressively increasing speed test (7 × 200 m). Fourteen competitive swimmers (18.0 (2.5) years, 67.5 (8.8) kg, 174.5 (7.7) cm) performed a 7 × 200 m front crawl test. Blood lactate concentration (BL) and oxygen uptake (VO2) were determined after each 200 m repetition, while heart rate (HR), arm-stroke rate (SR), and arm-stroke length (SL) were measured during each 200 m repetition. Using the speed vs. lactate concentration curve, the speed at lactate threshold (sLT) and parameters corresponding to sLT were calculated (BL-sLT, VO2-sLT, HR-sLT, SR-sLT, and SL-sLT). In the following day, a T30 corresponding to sLT was performed and BL-T30, VO2-T30, HR-T30, SR-T30, and SL-T30 were measured after the 10th and 30th minute, and average values were used for comparison. VO2-sLT was no different compared to VO2-T30 (p > 0.05). BL-T30, HR-T30, and SR-T30 were higher, while SL-T30 was lower compared to BL-sLT, HR-sLT, SR-sLT, and SL-sLT (p < 0.05). Continuous swimming at speed corresponding to lactate threshold may not show the same physiological and biomechanical responses as those calculated by a progressively increasing speed test of 7 × 200 m.
Response of dimethylsulfide (DMS) in the ocean and atmosphere to global warming

[1] A global coupled ocean-atmosphere modeling system is applied in a transient climate simulation to study the response to global warming of Dimethylsulfide (DMS) in the ocean, the DMS flux to the atmosphere, and the resulting DMS concentrations in the atmosphere. The DMS production and consumption processes in the ocean are linked to plankton dynamics simulated in the marine biogeochemistry model HAMOCC5.1, embedded in an ocean general circulation model (MPI-OM). The atmospheric model ECHAM5 is extended by the microphysical aerosol model HAM, treating the sulfur chemistry in the atmosphere and the evolution of microphysically interacting internally and externally mixed aerosol populations. For future conditions (2000–2100) we assume greenhouse gas concentrations, aerosol and aerosol precursor emissions according to the SRES A1B scenario. We analyzed the results in terms of simulated changes between the period 1861–1890 and 2061–2090. For the global annual mean DMS sea surface concentration and the DMS flux we found a reduction by 10%. The DMS burden in the atmosphere is reduced by only 3%, owing to a longer lifetime of DMS in the atmosphere in a warmer climate (+7%). Regionally the response and the underlying mechanisms are quite inhomogeneous. The largest reduction in the DMS sea surface concentration is simulated in the Southern Ocean (−40%) caused by an increase in the summer mixed layer depth, leading to less favorable light conditions for phytoplankton growth. In the mid and low latitudes DMS sea surface concentrations are predominantly reduced due to nutrient limitation of the phytoplankton growth through higher ocean stratification and less transport of nutrients into the surface layers.
Dancing with atrial fibrillation – How arrhythmia affects everyday life of family members: A qualitative study

People with severe mental illness and type 2 diabetes have a reduced life expectancy compared to the general population. One factor that contributes to this is the inability to provide optimal management, as the two conditions are typically managed by separate physical and mental health systems. The role of care navigators in coordinating diabetes care in people with severe mental illness may provide a solution to better management.
Apparent stability of GPS monumentation from short‐baseline time series

[1] Long-running, short (≪1 km) GPS baselines offer an insight into the accuracy budget of geophysical estimates inferred from GPS coordinate time series. In this paper, we report on analysis of 10 short baselines using data spanning several years and examine deviations from a constant baseline length. Annual signals with amplitude >0.5 mm are evident in various coordinate components at 6 of the 10 sites, with amplitudes exceeding 2.5 mm on two baselines. These signals are largely invariant to elevation cutoff angle. Multipath and phase center model errors are shown to probably have negligible effects at most sites at annual periods. They are therefore likely real monument motions, although linear thermal expansion is negligible at most sites. Linear trends >0.25 mm yr−1 are evident on four baselines in at least one coordinate component. Subdaily signals are present at all sites at ∼K1 and its higher harmonics. Time-correlated noise, possibly in the form of flicker noise, dominates despite many common signals being eliminated as a result of the small baseline lengths, although it is around 1 order of magnitude smaller than for single site PPP solutions. We constrain monument random walk motion to be no more than 0.5 mm yr−1/2. If these baseline motion results were representative of the ∼300 currently active IGS sites, 180 would have annual signals >0.5 mm in at least one coordinate component, 120 would have linear rates >0.25 mm yr−1, and almost all sites would have subdaily (K1, K2) signals of >0.1 mm, each solely due to local site effects.
Detecting atmospheric perturbations produced by Venus quakes

The possibility to detect seismic activity on Venus by using the mechanical coupling of the solid‐atmosphere system is investigated. First, the atmospheric attenuation of infrasonic waves produced by quakes is theoretically determined from a pure CO2 atmospheric model, demonstrating that frequencies below 0.1 Hz are amplified by a factor of 10 000 above 120 km altitude. With a simple quake model, an upper limit of infrasonic adiabatic temperature and density perturbations above the source is estimated. Then, we demonstrate that the temperature increase due to high altitude acoustic energy dissipation above a quake is large enough to be measured by remote sensing methods. Finally, the expected post‐seismic effects are analyzed in the framework of the VIRTIS instrument on board the ESA Venus Express mission.
Role of CD14 in a Mouse Model of Acute Lung Inflammation Induced by Different Lipopolysaccharide Chemotypes

Background Recognition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is required for effective defense against invading gram-negative bacteria. Recently, in vitro studies revealed that CD14 is required for activation of the myeloid differentiation factor (MyD)88-dependent Toll-like receptor (TLR)4 signaling pathway by smooth (S)-LPS, but not by rough (R)-LPS. The present study investigated the role of CD14 in induction of lung inflammation in mice by these different LPS chemotypes. Methodology/Results Neutrophil accumulation and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) release in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were determined 6 hours after intranasal treatment of wild type (WT) and CD14 knock-out (KO) mice with different doses S-LPS or R-LPS. The contribution of CD14 to lung inflammation induced by S-LPS or R-LPS depended on the LPS dose. At low doses, S-LPS and R-LPS induced neutrophil influx in a CD14-dependent manner. Low dose S-LPS-induced cytokine release also depended on CD14. Strikingly, neutrophil influx and TNF release induced by high dose S-LPS or R-LPS was diminished in the presence of CD14. Intranasal administration of sCD14 to CD14 KO mice treated with S-LPS partially reversed the inflammatory response to the response observed in WT mice. Conclusions In conclusion, CD14 modulates effects of both S-LPS and R-LPS within the lung in a similar way. Except for R-LPS-induced TNF release, S-LPS and R-LPS at low dose induced acute lung inflammation in a CD14-dependent manner, while the inflammatory response triggered by high dose S-LPS or R-LPS was diminished by CD14.
Integrative and Distributive Negotiation in Small Groups: Effects of Task Structure, Decision Rule, and Social Motive

This study examined the interactive effects of task structure, decision rule, and social motive on small-group negotiation processes and outcomes. Three-person groups negotiated either within an asymmetrical task structure (in which a majority of group members have compatible interests) or within a symmetrical task structure (in which no such majority exists). Groups negotiated either under unanimity rule or under majority rule, and group members were either egoistically or prosocially motivated. Results revealed cumulative main effects and the predicted three-way interaction: Groups in an asymmetrical task structure engaged in more distributive and less integrative behavior, reached lower joint outcomes, and experienced a less positive group climate especially when they had an egoistic rather than prosocial motivation and unanimity rather than majority rule applied. Theoretical implications and avenues for future research are discussed.
Expression of keratin and vimentin intermediate filaments in rabbit bladder epithelial cells at different stages of benzo[a]pyrene-induced neoplastic progression

Rabbit bladder epithelium, grown on collagen gels and exposed to the chemical carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene, produced nontumorigenic altered foci as well as tumorigenic epithelial cell lines during 120-180 d in culture. Immunofluorescence studies revealed extensive keratin filaments in both primary epithelial cells and benzo[a]pyrene-induced altered epithelial foci but showed no detectable vimentin filaments. The absence of vimentin expression in these cells was confirmed by two- dimensional gel electrophoresis. In contrast, immunofluorescence staining of the cloned benzo[a]pyrene-transformed rabbit bladder epithelial cell line, RBC-1, revealed a reduction in filamentous keratin concomitant with the expression of vimentin filaments. The epithelial nature of this cell line was established by the observation that cells injected into nude mice formed well-differentiated adenocarcinomas. Frozen sections of such tumors showed strong staining with antikeratins antibodies, but no detectable staining with antivimentin antibodies. These results demonstrated a differential expression of intermediate filament type in cells at different stages of neoplastic progression and in cells maintained in different growth environments. It is apparent that the expression of intermediate filaments throughout neoplastic progression is best studied by use of an in vivo model system in parallel with culture studies.
ORGAN TOXICITY AND MECHANISMS

The present study provides a direct experimental evidence that the combination of influenza A/ Aichi/2/68 (H3N2) infection with different models of ‘‘oxidative stress’’, such as immobilization, cold and cold-restraint, is associated with graduated oxidative disturbances in the liver of mice, despite the absence of virus and inflammation in this tissue. It was found that experimental influenza virus infection is accompanied with a significant increase of lipid peroxidation products, a decrease of natural antioxidants (vitamin E, glutathione) and cytochrome P-450, an inhibition of cytochrome c reductase and liver monooxygenases (analgin-Ndemethylase and amidopyrine-N-demethylase). Immobilization and cold stress, applied separately or in combination (cold-restraint), did not influence significantly any of the analysed parameters compared to those of the control group of non-infected mice. Preliminary exposure of mice to immobilization or cold stress and subsequent inoculation of influenza virus resulted in a significant increase of lipid peroxidation products and a significant decrease of vitamin E and reduced glutathione, compared with levels in control (non-infected) animals. Compared to influenza virus-infected and nonstressed animals, the changes in all these parameters were negligible. Immobilization or cold stress, applied in combination with influenza virus infection, partially prevented the suppressive effect of influenza virus on cytochrome P-450 and liver monooxygenases. A tendency towards normalization of these parameters to the control levels was observed. However, after application of cold-restraint plus influenza virus infection, the level of cytochrome P-450 and activity of cytochrome c reductase stayed markedly lower than in infected and non-stressed animals. The activities of liver monooxygenases were slightly increased compared with those of infected and non-stressed animals, but stayed relatively low compared to control (non-infected) mice. Combination of coldrestraint and influenza virus infection resulted in a greater synergistic increase of lipid peroxidation products and a greater synergistic decrease of vitamin E and reduced glutathione compared to controls, as well as to influenza virus-infected and non-stressed animals.
Response

Environmental Estrogens The estrogenic equivalent analysis that Dr. Safe presented recently in EHP (103:346351) is a welcome addition to the literature, and development of this toxicologic approach is an important step in evaluating new endpoints for environmental agents (1,2). The hormonal potential of chemical contaminants offers many opportunities for further research, including study of the environmental etiology of breast cancer. Complex mixtures are of great importance for human environmental exposures, but we understand neither exposure nor effect very well. Safe, as a basis for evaluating one hormonal endpoint, offers estrogenic equivalents acting in an additive fashion. In future research, we need to learn whether these combinations of chemicals, such as DDT and estrogen, may be additive or multiplicative. Examples of both exist. Thus, in vitro assays using MCF7 breast tumor cells found an additive effect for 10 pesticides (3), and in vivo assays of two PCB metabolites produced an apparent multiplicative effect in altering gender determination in turtles (4). We also need to investigate hormonally active compounds for other relevant biological activity. For example, vinclozilin has androgenic potential (5); genistein may act as a free radical scavenger (6); and pp'DDE demonstrated potent anti-androgenic responses in the rat (8). Estrogenicity of genistein and other phytoestrogens may be relevant to breast cancer, but countries with high dietary intake of such compounds are generally at low risk for breast cancer. Therefore, it is possible that exogenously derived phytoestrogens act differently from steroid hormones, perhaps by altering levels of free versus bound estrogen or by increasing estrogen excretion through the biliary/fecal route (8). It has become more and more apparent that toxicokinetics of chemicals is a critical component of dose-response relationships. Endogenous levels of organochlorines in women today are 10-fold higher than those of estrogen (9), and their effects are prolonged because of their persistence in the body. Toxicokinetics are also closely tied to PCB toxicity (1(1); thus 2,2',5,5'-tetra-
Methane emissions from above ground open manure slurry tanks

Estimates of methane (CH4) emissions from slurry tanks or lagoons in the past have been made primarily by using chamber techniques, which are point specific and interfere with conditions at the slurry‐atmosphere interface. This study is based on the use of sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) as a tracer gas to estimate CH4 transport from the slurry surface. The tracer was released from the surface of the swine slurry, and air samples were taken at the downwind rim of the tank over a 165 day period from June 12 to November 20, 1995, at the McGiIl University ‐ Macdonald Campus Farm, Ste‐Anne‐de‐Bellevue, Quebec, and analyzed for CH4 and SF6 concentrations (C). Knowing the SF6 source strength (Q), CH4 source strength was then determined from the measured downwind concentrations using the C/Q ratio. Using this method, annual CH4 emission from the swine slurry tank was estimated at 56.5 kg CH4 m−2 tank surface yr−1 (± 20%). Assuming that diffusion processes at the nearby dairy tank were similar to those at the swine tank, the same C/Q ratio was used to determine CH4 emissions from the dairy slurry based on downwind CH4 concentrations measured over the same period as at the swine tank. Annual methane emission from the dairy tank was estimated at 74 kg CH4m−2 tank surface yr−1 (± 45%). On the basis of these estimates, CH4 emissions from outdoor holding tanks for swine and dairy slurry in Canada were approximated at 0.71 Tg CH4 yr−1 (± 40%) and 0.24 Tg CH4 yr−1 (± 70%), respectively, giving a combined annual emission of approximately 0.95 Tg yr−1(± 50%).