Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ripple dynamics over various microtopographical roughness elements and their implications for river management

Specific problems in connection with the sediment regime have arisen in the granite and gneiss area in the northern part of Austria due to the increased sediment supply of coarse sand and fine gravel as a product of rock weathering. One of the physical characteristics of these sediments is their high mobility in form of ripple bedforms along the surface. In these rivers, the microtopographical structures of the bed surface are hydraulically active, especially in the initial stages when ripples have not overtopped the largest elements of the bed's roughness elements. There is a lack of detailed studies of the impacts of these microtopographical structures on ripple dynamics. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of various microtopographic roughness elements on ripple movement. This study was performed using a 1:1‐scaled physical laboratory experiment. The results showed, in all repetitions of the experiment with variable grain sizes, that the higher the microtopographical variability of the river substrate and turbulence was, the higher the measured transport velocities of the ripples were. The expected hidden impacts on sediment transport were not documented. Important implications for sediment management were discussed, as river sections with high accumulation rates of coarse sand and fine gravel are prone to additional degradation as downstream transport decreases over smooth ripple–dune morphologies. Additionally, structural elements such as exposed rocks may increase the downstream transport due to the increased variability in turbulence.
Selective Adsorption on Fluorinated Plastic Enables the Optical Detection of Molecular Pollutants in Water

Amorphous fluorinated plastic can be produced with a refractive index similar to that of water, a condition that makes it essentially invisible when immersed in aqueous solutions. Because of this property, even a small amount of adsorbed molecules on the plastic-water interface provides a detectable optical signal. We investigated two distinct substrates made of this material, characterized by different interface area: a prism and a newly realized micro-porous membrane. We demonstrate that both substrates enable the label-free detection of molecular compounds in water even without any surface functionalization. The adsorption of molecules on the planar surface of the prism provides an increase of optical reflectivity, whereas the adsorption on the internal surface of the micro-porous membrane yields an increase of scattered light. Despite the different mechanisms, we found a similar optical response upon adsorption. We confirmed this result by a theoretical model accounting for both reflection and scattering. We investigated the spontaneous adsorption process for different kinds of molecules: surfactants with different charges, a protein (lysozyme) and a constituent of gasoline (hexane). The measured equilibrium and kinetic constants for adsorption differed by orders of magnitudes among the different classes of molecules. By suitable analytical models, accounting for the effects of mass limitation and transport, we found a simple and general scaling of the adsorption parameters with the molecular size.
THE CYANOGENIC POTENTIAL OF ROOTS AND LEAVES OF NINETY NINE CASSAVA CULTIVARS

Studies on cyanogenic potential (CP) of roots and leaves of Indonesian cassava germplasm are still inadequate in relation to food toxicity and on human health. The CP of leaves of 99 cassava cultivars was analyzed using picrate paper kits. Effort to reduce CP of cassava leaves by boiling them was also conducted. The results showed that roots and leaves had low and moderate level of CP. There was a significant correlation between the CP of leaves (Y) and roots (X) of 45 cassava cultivars with regression equation Y = 36.214 + 1.3085 X (r = 0.5228). The CP content was high in the young leaves (241 ppm) and low in the older ones (99 ppm). The proximal portion of the roots had the highest CP content (300 ppm), and that in the distal end was the lowest (56 ppm). The root part close to cortex had highest CP content (550 ppm), whereas the central part was the lowest (35 ppm). Boiling cassava leaves for 20 minutes significantly reduced the CP up to 75%, indicating that for safety, cassava should be completely processed or cooked. This study implied that CP content should be considered in cassava breeding programs. Forty two of 99 cassava cultivars have CP below 50 ppm which is safe for consumption.
Ecosystem services are inclusive and deliver multiple values. A comment on the concept of nature's contributions to people

A recent policy forum article in Science by Díaz et al. (2018) introduces nature's contributions to people (NCP) as an innovative approach to inform policy and decisionmaking. According to the authors, the NCP concept extends beyond the notion of ecosystem services by incorporating a more inclusive and interdisciplinary approach. Here this claim is challenged. Based on our experiences in Europe, we argue that the science, policy and practice of ecosystem services have progressed much beyond a mere economic and ecological rationale.
A gift that takes its toll: Emotion recognition and conflict appraisal

Individuals' attributions about conflict influence their behaviour: Appraising conflict as relationship-oriented rather than task-oriented increases individuals' likelihood to engage in conflict-escalating behaviour. This study analysed to what extent emotion recognition influences people's conflict appraisal in teams. Seventy individuals assigned to teams reported on their team conflicts once a week over the course of 2.5 months. The results show that team members high in emotion recognition tend to make more relationship-oriented conflict attributions. At the same time, they make less task-oriented conflict attributions. This tendency towards relationship-oriented attributions was moderated by team-level agreeableness and extraversion: Individuals high in emotion recognition perceived more relationship conflict the lower the average level of agreeableness and extraversion in their teams.
Trial of Nitrogen Infusion and Nitrogen Doping by Using J-PARC Furnace

KEK has been carrying out SRF cavity developments toward higher Q-values and higher accelerating gradients. In the past nitrogen-doping was tested using the KEK furnaces, but it did not succeed. This time nitrogen infusion and nitrogen doping are tested using the J-PARC’s furnace, which has an oil-free pumping system and is mainly pumped by a 10000 L/s cryopump and three 3000 L/s turbo pumps. Nitrogen pressure is controlled by a variable leak valve and an additional turbo pump. To avoid performance degradation during heat treatment, flanges of cavities are covered by Nb caps and foils. Nitrogen infusion at 120 degrees was applied to a single cell cavity and cavity performance was measured by vertical tests after HPR and assembly. Nitrogen doping at 800 degrees is also applied to another single cell cavity. After applying EP and HPR, vertical tests were carried out. Nb samples were also installed into the furnace during heat treatment. Surfaces are analysed by SIMS and XPS. In this presentation, we report procedure of nitrogen infusion and doping, vertical test results and results of surface analysis.
Nitrification and denitrification in Wadden Sea sediments (Konigshafen, Island of Sylt, Germany) as measured by nitrogen isotope pairing and isotope dilution

Seasonal variation of sediment denitrif~cation and nitrification in darkness was measured by the nitrogen isotope pairing and the nitrate isotope dilution techniques in 3 different sediment types: coarse sand, fine sand and muddy sand (S, A and M, respectively) in intertidal Konigshafen, Island of Sylt, Germany. The temporal pattern of denitrification based on nitrate from the overlying water could be explained by variations in the nitrate concentration and oxygen penetration depth in all 3 sediment types. Highest rates (8 to 48 pm01 m-2 h-') were observed in April 1994 when nitrate concentration in the overlying water was 65 to 70 pM and the lowest (0.2 to 1.1 pm01 m-2 h-') in summer and fall when nitrate was depleted from the water phase. The annual mean dark denitrification, of which 69 to 15% was due to overlying water nitrate, increased in the sequence A, S and M in accord with increasing sediment oxygen uptake. AU 3 sediments types exhibited low nitrification in early winter. At S and M, maximum nitrification was measured in spring and late summer (8 to 17 and 27 to 28 pm01 m-"-', respectively), whereas nitrification was repressed in mid summer. Maximum dark nitrification here generally occurred at the time of the highest activity of the benthic microalgae (measured as oxygenbased dally gross primary production). At Stn A, maximum nitrification was measured in mid summer (26 pm01 m-2 h-'), when daily gross primary production was low. The 2 different seasonal patterns of nitrification can be explained by differences in oxygen and ammonium availability. In all sediment types, a low degree of coupling between nitrification and denitrification (in relation to total nitrification) was evident, especially during summer or autumn. Annual mean dark nitrification, of which 11 to 27 % was coupled to denitrification, was higher in the muddy sediment than in the 2 sandy sediments.
Genotypic Responses, Yield Stability, and Association between Characters among some of Sudanese Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) Genotypes under Heat stress

Heat stress is one of the abiotic stresses that aff ect and reduce yield productivity of faba bean. This study aimed to evaluate the performance and stability of twenty two faba bean (Vicia faba L.) genotypes under terminal heat stress. The genotypes were field tested for two consecutive years (2001/02-2002/03) during winter in Sudan, at Shambat (the Experimental Farm of Faculty of Agriculture, University of Khartoum). To induce heat stress, three sowing dates were used, namely: S 1 (optimum), S 2 (14 days later than optimum), and S 3 (28 days later than optimum). The genetic variabil ity, yield stability and correlation between yield, yield components and oth er vegetative traits were determined. The results showed that the induced terminal heat s tress was severe enough to cause significant reduction in yield and most of the stud ied characters. Significant differences between genotypes for most of the studied character s were found. Some genotypes tolerate slight heat stress (S 2), but become susceptible under severe heat stress (S 3) and vice versa. Under slight heat stress, genotype C.52/1/1/1 was h ighly stable, gave the highest yield and was moderately tolerant to heat stress, whereas und er severe heat stress, genotypes C.52/1/1/1 and C.42 showed the highest yield, were highly stable and moderately tolerant to terminal heat stress. Significant positive pheno typic correlations for seed yield/plant with its components; number of podded nodes/main stem, and number of pods/plant were obtained. These two components were positively and significantly correlated with each other, but negatively and highly significant associ ated with 100-seed weight. Seed yield/plant was positively correlated with dry matt er/plant, harvest index and plant height in both years. Positive and significant correlation of seed yield/plant with 100-seed weight and seed yield (kg/ha) was observed. It could be co ncluded that the high yielding genotypes under terminal heat could be used to impr ove heat tolerance in faba beans and making possibilities of extending production of fab a bean in the non-traditional areas. Moreover, the traits that exhibited strong and posi tive association with yield could be used as selection criteria for improving faba bean under heat stress conditions.
Piecewise deterministic simulated annealing

Given an energy potential on the Euclidian space, a piecewise deterministic Markov process is designed to sample the corresponding Gibbs measure. In dimension one an Eyring-Kramers formula is obtained for the exit time of the domain of a local minimum at low temperature, and a necessary and sufficient condition is given on the cooling schedule in a simulated annealing algorithm to ensure the process converges to the set of global minima. This condition is similar to the classical one for diffusions and involves the critical depth of the potential. In higher dimension a non optimal sufficient condition is obtained.
The Impact of Physical Environment and Regional Image on Tourist’s Experiential Values and Feelings - An Example of Nanzhuang Area in Taiwan

With the booming global tourism activities, many countries around the world are actively promoting regional tourism. Thus, understanding the tourists’ needs is important in developing tourism promotion strategies. With Nanzhuang Township, Miaoli County as the case study, this paper discusses the influence of the two independent variables, the tangible physical environment and the intangible regional image, tourists’ experiential value and the feelings after tourism. This study conducted a questionnaire survey on tourists who have visited Nanzhuang Township, Miaoli County, by convenience sampling, in order to construct the model of regional experience marketing effect. A total of 743 effective samples were retrieved. After analysis by structural equation modeling (SEM), it is found that: (1) the physical environment has a positive and significant influence on the tourists’ experiential value; (2) regional image has a positive and significant influence on the tourist’s experiential value; (3) the experiential value has a positive and significant influence on satisfaction; (4) satisfaction has a positive and significant influence on trust and commitment; (5) trust has no significant influence on commitment. Regarding the two independent variables, regional image has more influence. In addition, after comparing the group models by clustering with the high and low frequency of the number of visits, it is found that there are some differences between the high frequency group and the low frequency group, where the regional image of the high frequency group has a greater influence on the experiential value and the physical environment of the low frequency group has a greater influence on the experiential value. The findings can serve as reference for the local government and the tourism operators to develop regional marketing strategies.
Pullout Capacity of a Vertical Plate Anchor Embedded in Cohesion-less Soil

In this paper, the ultimate pullout capacity of a shallow laid vertical plate strip anchor in cohesion-less soil is analyzed with the consideration of active and passive states of limit equilibrium in the soil. Kotter’s equation is used to compute the active and passive thrusts, which are subsequently used in the analysis in which, all the equation of equilibrium are properly interpreted. The unique failure surfaces under active and passive states of limit equilibrium are identified on the basis of force equilibrium conditions. One distinguishing feature of the proposed method is its ability to compute the point of application of active/passive thrust using moment equilibrium. Another distinguishing feature is the prediction of distribution of soil reactions on the failure surface. Comparison of the results of the proposed method with the available experimental results vis-a-vis other theoretical methods shows that, up-to embedment ratio of 3.0, the proposed method is capable of making reasonably good predictions.
Energy consumption, thermal utilization efficiency and hypericin content in drying leaves of St John's Wort (Hypericum Perforatum)

Massive consumption of energy in the drying industry has prompted extensive research regarding various aspects of drying energy and requirements. Thermal utilization efficiency, specific energy requirement, total energy consumption and hypericin content in drying of St John’s Wort were determined using a hot-air dryer. Experiments were conducted at four air temperature levels (40, 50, 60, and 70°C), three air velocities (0.3, 0.7, and 1 m/s) and three sample thicknesses (1, 2 and 3 cm). Based on the results of data analysis, minimum and maximum levels of energy consumption were 0.56 and 3.24 kWh, respectively. The required specific energy decreased with increasing sample thickness. The minimum and maximum required specific energies were 4.41 and 17.53 for 2 cm thick and 4.28 and 13.67 for 3 cm thick layers (kWh/kg), respectively. The maximum and minimum values of thermal utilization efficiency in different treatments were found to be 14% and 72%, respectively. Hypericin content decreased with increasing temperature and increased with air velocity and product sample thickness, so that the minimum and maximum hypericin amounts were 67 and 355 ppm, respectively.
Phylogenetics of New Zealand's tree, giant and tusked weta (Orthoptera: Anostostomatidae): evidence from mitochondrial DNA

Abstract The evolutionary relationships of the New Zealand representatives of the family Anostostomatidae were examined using DNA sequence data. All species of giant weta (Deinacrida), tree weta (Hemideina) and tusked weta (Anisoura, Motuweta) were included in the study plus 4 taxa from the large genus of New Zealand ground weta (Hemiandrus). Sequence data from 2 mitochondrial genes (COI and 12S) were analysed to obtain a hypothesis of the evolution of these species. The 3 New Zealand tusked weta species formed a monophyletic clade with respect to the ground weta and to the giant and tree weta clad0e. We found no support for the placement of Anisoura nicobarica Ander within Deinacridinae as has previously been suggested. The giant and tree weta (Deinacridinae) consistently formed a monophyletic clade with respect to the tusked and ground weta. However, we found little support in our data for the reciprocal monophyly of the tree and giant weta genera. The tree weta Hemideina broughi (Buller) appears to be more closely related to Deinacrida pluvialis Gibbs and D. talpa Gibbs than to any other Hemideina species. The deinacridine radiation of leaf-eating weta comprises at least 6 comparatively ancient lineages (Hemideina and Deinacrida). Habitat-specialisation in South Island appears to have evolved in response to habitat diversification associated with Pliocene mountain building.
Geochemistry of metapelitic rocks from the Garmichay Area, East Azerbaijan, NW Iran; protolith nature and whole rock control on metamorphic mineral assemblages

The protoliths of metamorphosed argillaceous rocks from the Garmichay area in the East Azerbaijan province of NW Iran were clay-rich sediments of reworked nature, originating most likely from an andesite to andesite-basalt source and deposited in an active continental margin tectonic setting. The protoliths of the Garmichay metapelites experienced low to moderate chemical weathering. Andalusite, cordierite, biotite, and muscovite are produced due to metamorphism under low-pressure and medium-temperature conditions. Cordierite throughout the whole assemblages is altered to the pseudomorphs pinite. Some rock samples contain both andalusite and altered cordierite as porphyroblasts, whereas others contain only andalusite or altered cordierite. Pressure and temperature estimates indicate that pressure for metamorphism was in the range 1-2.5 kbar with temperature between 500-600°C. Major oxides abundance show similar values in all analyzed samples, while concentration of some minor elements, especially zinc, show meaningful differences in rocks with different metamorphic mineral assemblages. The variations in the abundance of these minor elements may have played important role in the control of the mineral assemblages present.
Bacterial and Archaeal Viruses of Himalayan Hot Springs at Manikaran Modulate Host Genomes

Hot spring-associated viruses, particularly the archaeal viruses, remain under-examined compared to bacteriophages. Previous metagenomic studies of the Manikaran hot springs in India suggested an abundance of viral DNA, which prompted us to examine the virus–host (bacterial and archaeal) interactions in sediment and microbial mat samples collected from the thermal discharges. Here, we characterize the viruses (both bacterial and archaeal) from this Himalayan hot spring using both metagenomics assembly and electron microscopy. We utilized four shotgun samples from sediment (78–98°C) and two from microbial mats (50°C) to reconstruct 65 bacteriophage genomes (24–200 kb). We also identified 59 archaeal viruses that were notably abundant across the sediment samples. Whole-genome analyses of the reconstructed bacteriophage genomes revealed greater genomic conservation in sediments (65%) compared to microbial mats (49%). However, a minimal phage genome was still maintained across both sediment and microbial mats suggesting a common origin. To complement the metagenomic data, scanning-electron and helium-ion microscopy were used to reveal diverse morphotypes of Caudovirales and archaeal viruses. The genome level annotations provide further evidence for gene-level exchange between virus and host in these hot springs, and augments our knowledgebase for bacteriophages, archaeal viruses and Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat cassettes, which provide a critical resource for studying viromes in extreme natural environments.
Immunogenicity and Efficacy of Coxsackievirus A16 Vaccine Candidate Formulations in a Mouse Model

Besides enterovirus 71 (EV71), Coxsackie virus A16 (CVA16) is a major etiologic agent of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), causing infections in millions of children under 5 years of age each year. The progress made in the development of inactivated EV71 vaccines encourages research aiming at developing a CVA16 vaccine for better prevention of HFMD and control of spreading of a rapidly evolvingvirus. The immunogenicity and efficacy of a CVA16 vaccine candidate were examined in a mouse model. Several vaccine formulations using different adjuvants and formalin-inactivated or non-inactivated full and empty virus particles were compared. It was observed that the CVA16-P4-L731 vaccine induced strong B and T cell immune responses in mice. The mouse antisera contained the highest titers of neutralizing antibodies reported so far and prevented infection of cells in vitro by prototype A and subgenotype B2b. Pups born to immunized mice were protected from disease and death following challenge by more than 10,000 LD50 of homologous and heterologous viruses. Taken together, the data suggest that the CVA17- P4-L731 is a promising vaccine candidate, either independently or as a valuable component for a combined [EV71+CVA16] bivalent vaccine.
A copula-based assessment of Bartlett–Lewis type of rainfall models for preserving drought statistics

We thank dr. Evin for his positive feedback on our paper. The suggestion that the Poison process may not be adequate for simulating drought spells may indeed be an additional reason. However we believe that the interplay with other processes is also of importance. However, changing the BL structures with another distribution will require the development of a new model and corresponding analytical expressions for the different moments, which is out of the scope of this paper.