Insights into mantle-type volatiles contribution from dissolved gases in artesian waters of the Great Artesian Basin, Australia

The geochemical features of the volatiles dissolved in artesian thermal waters discharged over three basins (Millungera, Galilee and Cooper basin) of the Australian Great Artesian Basin (GAB) consistently indicate the presence of fluids from multiple gas sources located in the crust (e.g. sediments, oil reservoirs, granites) as well as minor but detectable contributions of mantle/magma-derived fluids. The gases extracted from 19 water samples and analyzed for their chemical and isotopic composition exhibit amounts of CO up to about 340mlSTP/L marked by a δC (Total Dissolved Carbon) ranging from -16.9 to +0.18‰ vs PDB, while CH concentrations vary from 4.4×10 to 4.9mlSTP/L. Helium contents were between 9 and >2800 times higher than equilibrium with Air Saturated Water (ASW), with a maximum value of 0.12mlSTP/L. Helium isotopic composition was in the 0.02-0.21 Ra range (Ra = air-normalized He/He ratio). The three investigated basins differ from each other in terms of both chemical composition and isotopic signatures of the dissolved gases whose origin is attributed to both mantle and crustal volatiles. Mantle He is present in the west-central and hottest part of the GAB despite no evidence of recent volcanism. We found that the partial pressure of helium, significantly higher in crustal fluids than in mantle-type volatiles, enhances the crustal He signature in the dissolved gases, thus masking the original mantle contribution. Neotectonic activity involving deep lithospheric structures and magma intrusions, highlighted by recent geophysical investigations, is considered to be the drivers of mantle/magmatic volatiles towards the surface. The results, although pertaining to artesian waters from a vast area of >542,000km, provide new constraints on volatile injection, and show that fluids' geochemistry can provide additional and independent information on the geo-tectonic settings of the Great Artesian Basin and its geothermal potential

Primary Molar Pulpotomies with Different Hemorrhage Control Agents and Base Materials: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Objective: To evaluate the clinical and radiographical success of primary molar pulpotomies which used 15.5% ferric sulfate (FS) or 1.25% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) for hemostasis and zinc oxide-eugenol (ZOE) and calcium hydroxide (CH) pastes as base materials. Methods: In 29 healthy children, 80 primary molars were randomly allocated to one of the study groups: Group 1: FS-ZOE, Group 2: FS-CH, Group 3: NaOCl-ZOE, and Group 4: NaOCl-CH. After hemostasis with the respective solutions, pulp stumps and floor of the pulp chambers were covered with either ZOE or CH pastes. All teeth were restored with stainless steel crowns. Follow-up examinations were carried out at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. Results: One tooth in Group 1 and two teeth in Group 4 were extracted because of pain and periapial pathosis at sixth month. After 12 months, clinical success rates of pulpotomies in Groups 1-4 were 95%, 100%, 100%, and 89.5%, respectively. The differences were not significant (P = 0.548). Radiographic success rates for Groups 1-4 were 80%, 88.9%, 78.9%, and 84.2%, respectively. No statistically significant difference was found (P = 0.968). Pain on percussion was the most observed clinical finding. However, internal root resorption was the most common radiological finding and it was observed significantly more in mandibular primary molars (P \u3c 0.05). Conclusion: Both ZOE and CH can be preferred as base materials after hemostasis achieved by the use of 15.5% FS or 1.25% NaOCl in primary tooth pulpotomy

Evaluation of Probabilistic Streamflow Forecasts Based on EPS for a Mountainous Basin in Turkey

AbstractWhen designing water structures or managing a watershed it is a challenging task to determine the response of a basin to storm and/or snowmelt. In this study, the Upper Euphrates Basin (10,275 km2 area and elevation range of 1125-3500 m) located at the headwater of Euphrates River, one of Turkey's most important rivers, is selected as the application area. In this region, snowmelt runoff constitutes approximately 2/3 in volume of the total yearly runoff, therefore, runoff modeling and forecasting during spring and early summer is important in terms of energy and water resources management. The aim of the study is to make a forward-oriented, medium-range flow forecasting using Ensemble Prediction System (EPS) which is a pioneer study for Turkey. Conceptual hydrological model HBV, which has a common usage in the literature, is chosen to predict streamflows. According to the results, Nash-Sutcliffe model efficiencies are 0.85 for calibration (2001-2008) and 0.71 for validation (2009-2014) respectively. After calibrating/validating the hydrologic model, EPS data including 51 different combinations produced by ECMWF is used as probability based weather forecasts. Melting period during March-June of 2011 is chosen as the forecast period. The probabilistic skill of EPS based hydrological model results are analyzed to verify the ensemble forecasts

The podiform chromitites in the Dagküplü and Kavak mines, Eskisehir ophiolite (NW-Turkey) : genetic implications of mineralogical and geochemical data

Mantle tectonites from Eskisehir (NW-Turkey) include high-Cr chromitites with limited variation of Cr#, ranging from 65 to 82. Mg# ratios are between 54 and 72 and chromite grains contain up to 3.71 wt% Fe2O3 and 0.30 wt% TiO2. PGE contents are variable and range from 109 to 533 pbb. Chondrite-normalized PGE patterns are flat from Os to Rh and negatively sloping from Rh to Pd. Total PGE contents and low Pd/Ir ratios (from 0.07 to 0.41) of chromitites are consistent with typical ophiolitic chromitites. Chromite grains contain a great number of solid inclusions. They comprise mainly of highly magnesian (Mg# 95-98) mafic silicates (olivine, amphibole and clinopyroxene) and base-metal sulfide inclusions of millerite (NiS), godlevskite (Ni7S6), bornite (C5FeS4) with minor Ni arsenides of maucherite (Ni11As8) and orcelite (Ni5-xAs2), and unnamed Cu2FeS3 phases. Heazlewoodite, awaruite, pyrite, and rare putoranite (Cu9Fe,Ni9S16) were also detected in the matrix of chromite as secondary minerals. Laurite [(Ru,Os)S2] was the only platinum-group minerals found as primary inclusions in chromite. They occur as euhedral to subhedral crystals trapped within chromite grains and are believed to have formed in the high temperature magmatic stage during chromite crystallization. Laurite has limited compositional variation, range between Ru0.94Os0.03Ir0.02S1.95 and Ru0.64Os0.21Ir0.10S1.85, and contain up to 1.96 at% Rh and 3.67 at% As. Close association of some laurite grains with amphibole and clinopyroxene indicates crystallization from alkali rich fluid bearing melt in the suprasubduction environment. The lack of any IPGE alloys, as well as the low Os-content of laurite, assumes that the melt from which chromite and laurite were crystallized had relatively high fS2 but never reached the fS2 to crystallize the erlichmanite. The presence of millerite, as primary inclusions in chromite, reflects the increasing fS2 during the chromite crystallization

Treatment Challenges in Pediatric Stroke Patients

Aim. In this study we presented our experience of 18 years on the etiology, risk factors, prophylactic and acute treatment, the effect of treatment to recurrence rate of patients with stroke. Methods. The population included 108 patients who had been treated for stroke at Pediatric Neurology Department of Ankara University with the diagnosis of arterial ischemic stroke and sinovenous thrombosis between January 1992 and August 2010. Forty-one girls (38%) and 67 boys (62%) with mean symptom age 3.1 ± 4.04 years, (0–18 years old) were followed up with a mean period of 4.9 ± 3.78 years (0–17 years). Results. 30 patients had no risk factors, 34 patients had only one risk factor and 44 patients had multiple risk factors. Recurrence was seen in three patients. There was no any statistical correlation between the recurrence of stroke and the existence of risk factors (P = .961). Seventeen patients received prophylactic treatment; 2 of them without any risk factors, 3 had one risk factor, 12 patients, who constituted the majority of our patients, had multiple risk factors (P = .024). Conclusion. With this study we showed that the right prophylaxis for right patients reduces the rate of recurrence

Phytocomplex Characterization and Biological Evaluation of Powdered Fruits and Leaves from Elaeagnus angustifolia

Fully ripe fruits and mature leaves of Elaeagnus angustifolia were harvested and analyzed by means of analytical and biological tests to better comprehend the chemical composition and therapeutic/nutraceutical potential of this plant. Fruits and leaves were dried and the obtained powders were analyzed to study their color character and (via headspace gas chromatography) describe the chemical profile. Subsequently, they were submitted to a chloroform–methanol extraction, to a hydroalcoholic extraction procedure assisted or not by microwaves, and to an extraction with supercritical CO2, assisted or not by ethanol as the co-solvent, to detect the polyphenolic and the volatile content. The resulting extracts were evaluated in terms of chlorophyll and carotenoid content, polyphenolic content, volatile fraction, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, antioxidant activity, radical scavenging activity, and enzymatic inhibition activity. The results confirmed the correlation between the chemical composition and the high antioxidant potential of leaf extracts compared to the fruit extracts in terms of the phenolic and pigment content. A promising effect against tyrosinase emerged for all the extracts, suggesting a therapeutic/nutraceutical use for this plant. Conversely, the volatile content from both natural matrices was similar

Multiple-relay selection in amplify-and-forward cooperative wireless networks with multiple source nodes

In this article, we propose multiple-relay selection schemes for multiple source nodes in amplify-and-forward wireless relay networks based on the sum capacity maximization criterion. Both optimal and sub-optimal relay selection criteria are discussed, considering that sub-optimal approaches demonstrate advantages in reduced computational complexity. Using semi-definite programming convex optimization, we present computationally efficient algorithms for multiple-source multiple-relay selection (MSMRS) with both fixed number and varied number of relays. Finally, numerical results are provided to illustrate the comparisons between different relay selection criteria. It isdemonstrated that optimal varied number MSMRS outperforms optimal fixed number MSMRS under the same power constraints.publisher versio

Calvarial bone defects in ovariectomised rats treated with mesenchymal stem cells and demineralised freeze-dried bone allografts

Background: The aim of the study was to investigate the ability of a combination of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) with and without demineralised freeze-dried bone allografts (DFDBAs) to induce bone regeneration incalvarial defects in ovariectomised rats.Materials and methods: Critical size defects were filled with a combination of DFDBAs and BM-MSCs or BM-MSCs alone. Eight weeks after calvarial surgery, the rats were sacrificed. The samples were analysed histologically and immunohistochemically.Results: No difference was observed in vascularisation between groups C1 (animals with cranial defect only, control group) and O1 (animals with cranial defect only, ovariectomy group). Intramembranous ossification was observed at a limited level in groups C2 (animals with cranial defect with MSCs, control group) and O2 (animals with cranial defect with MSCs, ovariectomy group) compared to C1 and O1. In group C3 (animals with DFDBAs with MSCs, control group), the fibrous structures of the matrix became compact as a result of a bone graft having been placed in the cavity, but in group O3 (animals with DFDBAs with MSCs, ovariectomy group), the fibrous tissue was poorly distributed between the bone grafts for the most parts.Conclusions: We conclude that the insertion of BM-MSCs enhances bone healing; however, the DFDBA/BM-MSC combination has little effect on overcoming impaired bone formation in ovariectomised rats

Çöpler (Erzincan, İç-Doğu Anadolu) Porfiri-Epitermal Altın Yatağında Arjilik Alterasyona İlişkin Mineralojik Kanıtlar (Mineralogical Evidences on Argillic Alteration in the Çöpler Porphyry-Epithermal Gold Deposit) (Erzincan, East-Central Anatolia)

Çöpler porfiri-epitermal altın yatağı, Tetis Alpin-Himalaya orojenik kuşağında açılmalı tektonizma sonucu gelişen orta Eosen yaşlı plütonik sokulumlarla ilişkili bir altın yatağıdır. Plütonik kayaçlar (granodiyorit porfir, diyorit porfir) Geç Paleozoyik-Mesozoyik yaşlı metapelit ve metakarbonat kayaçlar içerisine sokulum yaparak porfiri-epitermal bir Cu-Au yatağı oluşturmuş ve hidrotermal alterasyon zonlarının (potasik, fillik, propilitik, arjilik) gelişimine neden olmuştur. Bu çalışmada, önceki araştırmacılarca yerel ve sınırlı alanda geliştiği belirtilen süperjen alterasyonun aksine, geniş yayılım sunan arjilik alterasyon zonlarının mineralojik-petrografik özelliklerinin ortaya konulması amaçlanmıştır. Bu kapsamda, optik ve taramalı elektron mikroskop (SEM ve SEM-EDS), X-ışınları kırınımı (XRD), O-H izotop jeokimyası ve K/Ar yaş tayini incelemeleri gerçekleştirilmiştir. Aşırı killeşmiş granodiyorit porfirlerde bile, ilksel porfiritik doku izlenebilmekte, ince-kristalli kil ve kuvarslar homojen ve yer yer mikrolaminasyonlar şeklinde gözlenmektedir. Simektit ve karışık-tabakalı illit-simektit (I-S) mineralleri yapraksıtüysü, illit ve kaolinitler levhamsı biçimler sergilemektedir. Kuvars ve jarositler özşekilli kristaller, kristobalitler kurtçuk görünümlü, bu çalışmada ilk kez belirlenen krandallitler ise ince-taneli granüler topluluklar şeklinde gözlenmektedir. Arjilik zona ait örnekler fillik zona yakın iç kesimlerde (ileri arjilik zon) kuvars + I-S, kuvars + krandallit + jarosit ve kristobalit, dış kesimlerde (arjilik zon) ise kuvars + simektit + kaolinit birliktelikleri sergilemektedir. Simektitler dioktahedral bileşime sahiptir (d060<1.500 Å, oktahedral Al=1.47-1.66). I-S mineralleri yüksek illit bileşenli (I85-S15) ve R3 tipi ara tabakalanmaya sahip olup, oktahedral Al ve yapraklar arası K içerikleri sırasıyla 1.66-1.71 ve 0.58-0.75 arasında değişmektedir. I-S’lerin O-H izotop bileşimi, düşük sıcaklık koşullarında ve magmatik suyun baskın olduğu bir oluşumu işaret etmektedir. Jarosit içeren örneğin K/Ar yaş verisi (43.6 ± 1.0 My), arjilik alterasyonun plütonik sokulum sırasında veya hemen sonrasında (<1 My) başladığına işaret etmektedir. Elde edilen bulgular, Çöpler porfiriepitermal altın yatağında geniş yayılım sunan, düşük sıcaklık (<200 ºC) ve asidik koşullarda gelişmiş, alüminyum fosfat ve demir sülfat minerallerinin de geliştiği bir arjilik alterasyonun varlığını ortaya koymaktadır. (The Çöpler porphyry-epithermal gold deposit is associated with middle Eocene intrusive rocks related to an extensional tectonic phase in the Tethyan Alpine-Himalayan orogenic belt. The intrusive rocks (granodiorite porphyry and diorite porphyry) were emplaced into Late Paleozoic–Mesozoic metapelite and metacarbonate rocks creating the porphyry-epithermal Cu-Au deposit and hydrothermal alteration zones (potassic, phyllic, propylitic, argillic). The mineralogic-petrographic and geochemical properties of the extensive argillic alteration zones (not supergene alteration described previously) were determined by optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM and SEM-EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), O-H isotope geochemistry and K-Ar dating. Within the primary porphyritic texture, fine-grained clay and quartz crystals are present as homogeneous and partly micro-laminations in the more intensely argillized granodiorite porphyry. Smectite and mixed-layer illite-smectite (I-S) minerals exhibit flaky/sponge-like and fibrous shapes, respectively, whereas illites and kaolinites show platy/tabular crystal shapes. Quartz and jarosite have euhedral crystals, cristobalites and crandallites (first determined here) are shown as worm-like and fine-grained granular aggregates, respectively, developed within the pores indicating direct precipitation from the hydrothermal fluids. The samples from the argillic zone display quartz + I-S in the inner parts (advanced argillic zone) close to phyllic zone, whereas quartz + smectite + kaolinite associations are towards outer parts (argillic zone). Smectites have a dioctahedral composition (d060<1.500 Å, octahedral Al=1.47-1.66 a.p.f.u). I-S minerals have a high illite component (I85-S15) with R3 type ordering of interlayering. The tetrahedral Al and interlayer K contents are 1.66-1.71 and 0.58-0.75, respectively. Oxygen and hydrogen isotope composition of I-S indicate the low temperature conditions from the magmatic water dominant fluids. K/Ar age data from jarosite-bearing sample (43.6±1.0 My) indicates that the argillic alteration started during or shortly after (<1 Ma) the plutonic intrusion. The data demonstrate the argillic alteration was widely distributed and developed under low temperature (<200 ºC), acidic conditions in association with the aluminum phosphate and iron phosphate minerals.

Usage of Hough Transform for Expiry Date Extraction via Optical Character Recognition

In this article we evaluate the impact of using two image pre-processing approaches with the objective of aiding an Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software in correctly retrieving an expiry date from an image of a product containing it. In particular, we analyze the impact of finding the rotation angle of an image using the Hough transform and the impact of image binarization using adaptive Gaussian threshold. We attempt to further increase OCR accuracy through a sliding window approach. Our results show that applying the Hough transform noticeably improves OCR performance with minimal impact on the execution time