Spectral Library of European Pegmatites, Pegmatite Minerals and Pegmatite Host-Rocks The GREENPEG Project Database

Abstract. The GREENPEG spectral database contains the spectral signature, obtained through reflectance spectroscopy studies, of European pegmatites and minerals, as well as their host rocks. Samples include Nb-Y-F (NYF) and Li-Cs-Ta (LCT)-type pegmatites and host rocks from pegmatite locations in Austria, Ireland, Norway, Portugal, and Spain. The database contains the reflectance spectra (raw and with continuum removed), sample photographs, and main absorption features automatically extracted by a self-proposed Python routine. Whenever possible, spectral mineralogy was interpreted based on the continuum-removed spectra. A detailed description of the database, its content and structure, the measuring instrument, and interoperability with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is available in this database report. Moreover, examples of how the data can be used and interpreted are also provided. The advantages and added value of the presented dataset reside on its European scale with representative samples from pegmatites with distinct genesis, mineralogy, structure, and host rocks that can be used as a reference for pegmatite exploration at a global scale through satellite image processing, for example. The reported spectral mineral assemblages can also be of interest when considering resource estimation or ore processing. Thus, it is expected that this open dataset, available on the Zenodo platform https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6518319 (Cardoso-Fernandes et al., 2022), will be a reference for distinct types of users ranging from academia to industry. </jats:p

Spectral Library of European Pegmatites, Pegmatite Minerals and Pegmatite Host-Rocks - the GREENPEG project database

The New Exploration Tools for European Pegmatite Green-Tech Resources (GREENPEG) spectral database contains the spectral signature, obtained through reflectance spectroscopy studies, of European pegmatites and minerals as well as their host rocks. Samples include pegmatites of the Nb-Y-F (NYF) and Li-Cs-Ta (LCT) chemical types and host rocks from pegmatite locations in Austria, Ireland, Norway, Portugal, and Spain. The database contains the reflectance spectra (raw and continuum-removed spectra), sample photographs, and main absorption features automatically extracted by a self-proposed Python routine. Whenever possible, spectral mineralogy was interpreted based on the continuum-removed spectra. A detailed description of the database, its content and structure, the measuring instrument, and interoperability with geographic information system (GIS) tools is available in this database report. Moreover, examples of how the data can be used and interpreted are also provided. The advantages and added value of the presented dataset reside in its European scale, with representative samples from pegmatites with distinct genesis, mineralogy, structure, and host rocks that can be used as a reference for pegmatite exploration at a global scale via, for example, satellite image processing. The reported spectral mineral assemblages can also be of interest when considering resource estimation or ore processing. Thus, it is expected that this open dataset, available on the Zenodo platform https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6518318 (Cardoso-Fernandes et al., 2022b), will be a reference for distinct types of users, ranging from academia to industry

Antibiosis in Ascia monuste orseis Godart (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) caused by kale genotypes

Ascia monuste orseis (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) is one of the main insect pests of kale. The study was done to  identify kale varieties resistant to A. monuste orseis by the antibiosis resistance mechanism. Kale genotypes (26) were evaluated in experiments performed at the Laboratory of Agricultural Entomology of Goiano Federal Institute - Campus Urutaí. A completely randomized experimental design with 50 replicates was used. The biological parameters evaluated were (a) larval stage: development time, instars, viability and larval weight 15 days after hatching; (b) pupal stage: development time, weight of 24-h-old pupae, viability; (c) larvae-adult stage: development time and viability. The genotypes Gigante I-915 and Pires 1 de Campinas have antibiosis resistance. Gigante I-915 caused high larval mortality and Pires 1 de Campinas resulted in low larval and pupal viability of A. monuste orseis.Key words: Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala, Brassicaceae, Great Southern White, host plant resistance, integrated pest management (IPM)

Addressing drinking water salinity due to sea water intrusion in Praia de Leste, Parana, by a brackish water desalination pilot plant

Seawater intrusion into the Pombas River, source of freshwater to Praia de Leste on the coast of Parana in Brazil presents a problem to the water utility as most water treatment plants in Brazil are conventional. To find a solution to this problem, a pilot plant (1 m3 /h) consisting of ultrafiltration (UF) followed by reverse osmosis (RO) was developed and evaluated. For testing, brackish water was produced with a concentration of 1,500 ± 100 mg/L of total dissolved solids (TDS), mixing seawater and fresh water. To evaluate the water quality, TDS, electrical conductivity, pH, temperature, apparent color, turbidity, alkalinity, total hardness, calcium, chloride and sulfate were monitored. For operational performance, flowrates, osmotic pressure, filtration rate, recovery rate and mass balance were analyzed. On average, the UF system removed 96.4% of turbidity and 98.6% of apparent color; whereas the RO system removed 99.4% of TDS. The overall average recovery (UF and RO) was 45.81% with average osmotic pressure of 8.21 bar, filtration rate of 30.7 L/h/m2 in the UF system and 21.7 L/h/m2 in the RO system. From a water quality point of view, the system was effective in processing brackish into fresh water of high quality

The INOVMineral Project's Contribution to Mineral Exploration-A WebGIS Integration and Visualization of Spectral and Geophysical Properties of the Aldeia LCT Pegmatite Spodumene Deposit

Due to the current energetic transition, new geological exploration technologies are needed to discover mineral deposits containing critical materials such as lithium (Li). The vast majority of European Li deposits are related to Li-Cs-Ta (LCT) pegmatites. A review of the literature indicates that conventional exploration campaigns are dominated by geochemical surveys and related exploration tools. However, other exploration techniques must be evaluated, namely, remote sensing (RS) and geophysics. This work presents the results of the INOVMINERAL4.0 project obtained through alternative approaches to traditional geochemistry that were gathered and integrated into a webGIS application. The specific objectives were to: (i) assess the potential of high-resolution elevation data; (ii) evaluate geophysical methods, particularly radiometry; (iii) establish a methodology for spectral data acquisition and build a spectral library; (iv) compare obtained spectra with Landsat 9 data for pegmatite identification; and (v) implement a user-friendly webGIS platform for data integration and visualization. Radiometric data acquisition using geophysical techniques effectively discriminated pegmatites from host rocks. The developed spectral library provides valuable insights for space-based exploration. Landsat 9 data accurately identified known LCT pegmatite targets compared with Landsat 8. The user-friendly webGIS platform facilitates data integration, visualization, and sharing, supporting potential users in similar exploration approaches

Resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors in chronic myeloid leukemia—from molecular mechanisms to clinical relevance

Resistance to targeted therapies is a complex and multifactorial process that culminates in the selection of a cancer clone with the ability to evade treatment. Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) was the first malignancy recognized to be associated with a genetic alteration, the t(9;22)(q34;q11). This translocation originates the BCR-ABL1 fusion gene, encoding the cytoplasmic chimeric BCRABL1 protein that displays an abnormally high tyrosine kinase activity. Although the vast majority of patients with CML respond to Imatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), resistance might occur either de novo or during treatment. In CML, the TKI resistance mechanisms are usually subdivided into BCR-ABL1-dependent and independent mechanisms. Furthermore, patients’ compliance/adherence to therapy is critical to CML management. Techniques with enhanced sensitivity like NGS and dPCR, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, and the development of mathematical modeling and computational prediction methods could reveal the underlying mechanisms of drug resistance and facilitate the design of more effective treatment strategies for improving drug efficacy in CML patients. Here we review the molecular mechanisms and other factors involved in resistance to TKIs in CML and the new methodologies to access these mechanisms, and the therapeutic approaches to circumvent TKI resistance

Deductive Verification of Cryptographic Software

We report on the application of an off-the-shelf verification platform to the RC4 stream cipher cryptographic software implementation (as available in the openSSL library), and introduce a deductive verification technique based on self-composition for proving the absence of error propagation

Variations in the detection of anorectal anomalies at birth amongst European cities

Aim: The diagnosis of anorectal malformations (ARM) is made at birth by perineal examination of the newborn, yet small series reported late diagnosis in almost 13%. No large series to date have looked into the magnitude of missed ARM cases in the neonatal period across Europe. This study aimed to define the rate of missed ARM at birth across four UK and EU centers. Methods: All ARM cases treated at two UK tertiary centers in the past 15 years were compared to two tertiary European centers. Demographic and relevant clinical data were collected. Late diagnosis was defined as any diagnosis made after discharge from the birth unit. Factors associated with late diagnosis were explored with descriptive statistics. Results: Across the four centers (117/1350, 8.7%) were sent home from the birth unit without recognizing the anorectal anomaly. Missed cases showed a slight female predominance (1.3:1), and the majority (113/117, 96.5%) were of the low anomaly with a fistula to the perineum. The rate of missed ARM cases was significantly higher in the UK centers combined (74/415, 17.8%) compared to those in the EU (43/935, 4.6%), (p<0.00001), and this was independent of individual center and year of birth. Conclusion: Significant variation exist between the UK and other European countries in the detection of ARM at birth. We recommend raising the awareness of accurate perineal examination at time of newborn physical examination. We feel this highlights an urgent need for a national initiative to assess and address the timely diagnosis of ARM in the UK