Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
SEED BANK RESEARCH IN CENTRAL- EUROPEAN GRASSLANDS- AN OVERVIEW

Seed banks represent an important, but largely undiscovered and underappreciated component of grassland vegetation dynamics. Given its importance, our aim was to provide a comprehensive overview about the current study of seed banks in Central-European grasslands by a literature review. We found in total 32 studies about seed banks of CentralEuropean grasslands, with a majority of studies originating from Poland, Germany and Hungary. Most studies used the seedling emergence method in seed bank analyses. Disturbed grasslands contained a higher seed density and higher number of persistent species than undisturbed ones. The similarity between the species composition of aboveground vegetation and seed banks was generally low to medium, but in some cases high similarity was also found (Sørensen similarity between 0.130.75). In disturbed grasslands not only the seed density and species richness, but also the similarity with aboveground vegetation was higher * Corresponding Author address; Email: molinia@gmail.com. Réka Kiss, Orsolya Valkó, Béla Tóthmérész et al. 2 than in undisturbed ones. Studies noted an increase in seed density and species richness in the course of succession and also noted the highest values at the end of the so-called mid-successional stage. Studies agreed that seed bank alone is not enough for habitat restoration so interventions and continuous management is necessary for successful restoration. The seed bank contained seeds of annuals and short-lived species, but the characteristic grassland specialists generally lacked from the seed bank, thus there is a need for their active introduction in most cases.
Adsorption Study of Cu2+ Ions from Aqueous Solutions by Bael Flowers (Aegle marmelos)

In the present study, batch mode adsorption was carried out to investigate the adsorption capacity of dried bael flowers (Aegle marmelos) for the adsorptive removal of Cu(II) ions from aqueous solutions by varying agitation time, initial metal concentration, the dose of adsorbent, temperature, and initial pH of the Cu(II) ion solution. The percentage removal of 98.7% was observed at 50 ppm initial metal ion concentration, 0.5 g/100.00 cm3 adsorbent dosage, within the contact time of 120 minutes at 30 ºC in the pH range of 4 – 7. The sorption processes of Cu(II) ions was best described by pseudo-second-order kinetics. Langmuir isotherm had a good fit with the experimental data with 0.97 of correlation coefficient (R2), and the maximum adsorption capacity obtained was 23.14 mg g-1 at 30 ºC. The results obtained from sorption thermodynamic studies suggested that the adsorption process is exothermic and spontaneous. SEM analysis showed tubular voids on the adsorbent. FTIR studies indicated the presence of functional groups like hydroxyl, –C-O, –C=O, and amide groups in the adsorbent, which can probably involve in metal ion adsorption. Therefore, dried bael flowers can be considered an effective low-cost adsorbent for treating Cu(II) ions.
Adsorption and movement of carbaryl in soils: A verification of cosolvent theory and comparison of batch equilibrium and soil thin layer chromatography results

Batch equilibrium and soil thin layer chromatography (TLC) techniques were used to investigate the influence of different volume fractions of organic cosolvents (acetone and methanol) on the adsorption and movement of carbaryl in four different types of Indian soils. L-shaped isotherms were obtained for both the cosolvent–water mixtures at all f s values and were in close agreement with the Freundlich equation. Higher adsorption was observed on F.R. I. soil (FSL) followed by Alampur soil (ASL), Kalai soil (KL), and Bhoran soil (BSL) at all f s values for both the cosolvent systems as was anticipated from the K and K D values. The K and K D values also confirmed that carbaryl adsorption was higher in methanol–water mixture than acetone–water mixture and decreased with increasing f s values. The frontal R f values obtained from soil TLC studies were inversely proportional to the K and K D values for both the cosolvent systems. The higher K and K D values and lower R f values in methanol–water mixtures relative to acetone–water mixtures for all the soils indicated that acetone had a greater potential for ground water contamination compared to methanol. The adsorption data were used to evaluate the cosolvent theory for describing adsorption of carbaryl in acetone–water and methanol–water mixtures. The aqueous phase partition coefficients, K DW (mol g−1), normalized with respect to f oc for carbaryl was evaluated by extrapolating f s → 0.
Financing Constraints and Investment Timing*

We examine the implications of costly external financing for investment in a dynamic environment. More specifically, we consider the investment timing decision of a firm that must rely on the cash generated by its existing assets in order to finance any new investment. This requirement restricts the states in which the firm can invest, so both the value of the project rights and the investment profitability threshold are lower than for the unconstrained firm. Thus, a financing constraint can not only discourage investment, but also accelerate it. This result is not only consistent with investment folklore, but can also explain the empirical puzzle that low-liquidity firms have a lower investment-cashflow sensitivity than high-liquidity firms. Preliminary and Incomplete Please do not quote
Tilburg University Hemispheric asymmetries for whole-based and part-based faceprocessing in the human brain Rossion,

& Behavioral studies indicate a right hemisphere advantage for processing a face as a whole and a left hemisphere superiority for processing based on face features. The present PET study identifies the anatomical localization of these effects in well-defined regions of the middle fusiform gyri of both hemispheres. The right middle fusiform gyrus, previously described as a face-specific region, was found to be more activated when matching whole faces than face parts whereas this pattern of activity was reversed in the left homologous region. These lateralized differences appeared to be specific to faces since control objects processed either as wholes or parts did not induce any change of activity within these regions. This double dissociation between two modes of face processing brings new evidence regarding the lateralized localization of face individualization mechanisms in the human brain. &
Microsoft Word-nwaa201.docx

Exploring stable clusters to understand structural evolution from atoms to macroscopic matter and to construct new materials is interesting yet challenging in chemistry. Utilizing our newly developed deep-ultraviolet laser ionization mass spectrometry technique, here we observe the reactions of neutral cobalt clusters with oxygen and find a very stable cluster species of Co13O8 that dominates the mass distribution in the presence of a large flow rate of oxygen gas. The results of global-minimum structural search reveal a unique cubic structure and distinctive stability of the neutral Co13O8 cluster which forms a new class of metal oxides that we named as “metalloxocubes”. Thermodynamics and kinetics calculations illustrate the structural evolution from icosahedral Co13 to the metalloxocube Co13O8 with decreased energy, enhanced stability and aromaticity. This class of neutral oxygen-passivated metal clusters may be an ideal candidate for genetic materials because of the cubic nature of the building blocks and the stability due to cubic aromaticity.
Optimization of solid-phase microextraction conditions for determination of phenols

In solid-phase microextraction (SPME), sorbent-coated silicafibers are used to extract analytes from aqueous or gaseous samples. After extraction, the fibers are directly transferred to the injector of a gas chromatograph, where the analytes are thermally desorbed and subsequently separated and quantified. This is a fast and simple analytical technique, which does not require solvents. An SPME method based on poly(acrylate)coated fibers has been developed for the phenol regulated by U.S. EPA wastewater method 604 and 623 and Ontario MISA Group 20 regulations. The method is capable of sub parts per billion detection limits of detection, and precision of 5-12 RSD, depending on the compound
Preferential Solvation Effects on the Kinetics and Thermodynamics of Oxidation of Anilines by Chromium(VI)

Summary The imidazolium fluorochromate (IFC) oxidation of fifteen meta - and para-substituted anilines, in varying mole fractions of benzene in 2-methylpropan-2-ol as mixtures, in the presence of p-toluenesulfonic acid (TsOH) is first order in IFC and TsOH and zero order in substrate. The various thermodynamic parameters for the oxidation have been reported and discussed. The validity of the isokinetic relationship and various linear free energy relationships have been tested and discussed. The activation free energy data failed to correlate with macroscopic solvent parameters such as εr and ETN. Correlation of Δ G# with Kamlet–Taft solvatochromic parameters (α, β and π*) suggests that the specific solute–solvent interactions play a major role in governing the reactivity.
Contribution to the Evaluation of Antibacterial Activity of Allium Sativum L. (Garlic) Essential Oil and Fresh Juice

Our work consists of evaluating in vitro the antibacterial activity of the essential oil and fresh juice of Allium sativum L. (garlic), harvested from the region of El Harrouche, Skikda (Algeria). The antibacterial effect of essential oil and fresh juice was assessed by the Aromatogram method against three Gram-clinical bacterial strains (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae) and a Gram + strain (Staphylococcus aureus) in addition to two reference strains Escherichia coli ATCC25922 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC29213. The minimum inhibitory concentration of the essential oil and fresh juice was determined by the solid dilution method. The results showed that the essential oil had an antibacterial effect only on Staphylococcus aureus strains (19 and 18mm), whereas the fresh juice exerted an antibacterial effect against all the tested strains, with inhibition zones of 17, 18,19,18, 16 and14 mm for Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 , Escherichia coli, Escherichia coli ATCC25922 Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae respectively. Significant statistic differences were recorded between the effects of different juice dilutions (p = 0.004) where the tested strains were completely resistant at the dilution 5%. The minimum inhibitory concentration of the essential oil was 640 μg/ml for Staphylococcus aureus, while those of fresh juice were 640μg/ml for Escherichia coli strains, 1280μg/ml for Staphylococcus aureus strains and 2560μg/ml for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae.
Deep Learning Applications in Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring

In today’s increasingly urban society, the consumption of power by residential customers presents a difficult challenge for the energy market, while also having significant environmental implications. Understanding the energy usage characteristics of each individual household can assist in mitigating some of these issues. However, this is very challenging because there is no simple way to measure the power consumption of the different appliances within a home without installation of many individual sensors. This process is prohibitive since it is highly intrusive and not cost-effective for both users and providers. Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring (NILM) is a technique for inferring the power consumption of each appliance within a home from one central meter (usually a commercial smartmeter). The ability to obtain such information from widely spread existing hardware, has the potential to overcome the cost and intrusiveness limitations of power usage research. Various methods can be used for NILM, including hidden-Markov-models (HMMs), and integer-programming (IP), with deep learning gaining popularity in recent years. In this thesis, I will present three projects using novel deep learning approaches for solving NILM two preliminary works, and one major project. First, I will present a proof of concept that using temperature data can improve the performance of simple, easily deployable deep neural networks (DNNs) for NILM. The second preliminary project is a state-of-the-art NILM solution based on the WaveNet architecture named WaveNILM. Both of these projects, along with the majority of prior NILM research, are highly reliant on diverse and accurate training data, which is currently expensive and very intrusive to obtain. The main project presented in this thesis will attempt to address the data limitation using the first truly synthetic appliance power signature generator for NILM. This generator, which I name PowerGAN, is trained using a variety of Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN) techniques. I present a comparison of PowerGAN to other data synthesis work in the context of NILM as well as demonstrate that PowerGAN is able to create truly synthetic, realistic, appliance power signatures.
Effect of liming on phosphate sorption by acid soils

SUMMARY The sorption of phosphate (P) by four strongly acid Fijian soils from 0.01 M CaCl2 decreased with increasing pH up to pH 5.5–6.0 and then increased again. The initial decrease in P sorption with increasing pH appears to result from an interaction between added P, negative charge, and the electrostatic potential in the plane of sorption. The results of a sorption study, involving KCl or CaCl2 of varying concentrations as the background electrolyte and using Nadroloulou soil incubated with KOH or Ca(OH)2, suggested that the increase in P sorption at pH values > 6.0 was caused by the formation of insoluble Ca-P compounds. For some soils this is consistent with the results of an isotopic-exchange study in which incubation with lime caused marked reductions in the amounts of exchangeable P at high pH.
International Journal of Instruction

One of the notable behaviours of individuals during the teaching of foreign languages is the use of the first language as an integral part of the learning-teaching process. This situation can also negatively affect the learning of a foreign language. The aim of this study is to determine the reasons why secondary-school students in Kazakhstan feel the need to use their first language (Kazakh or Russian) in foreignlanguage classes where they are studying English. The research, based on the general screening model, was conducted in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, in three middle schools with a group of 296 11th grade students. The data was obtained by using an attitude scale consisting of four factors which was developed by Ocak, Kuru and Ozchalishan (2010). The scale factor-loads varied between 0.35-0.85; and reliability was found to be Alpha=0.71. According to the findings, students avoid the use of the foreign languages they study; have motivation problems; have a fear of being criticized by teachers; have a fear of being teased by classmates; tease their friends; and don't believe in themselves enough. It is therefore necessary to take measures to increase the self-confidence of students; and a more English-speaking environment should be established.
Density-functional theory calculations of the interaction of protons and water with low-coordinated surface sites of calcium oxide

Electronic structure calculations, using the density-functional theory within the generalized-gradient approximation and ultrasoft pseudopotentials, have been used to investigate the interaction of protons and water with five-, four-, and three-coordinated surface sites of calcium oxide, modeled by the {100}, {310}, and microfacetted {111} surface, respectively. The calculated structural parameters of bulk CaO are found to be in good agreement with experiment. The nonhydrated {100} surface shows negligible ionic relaxation from bulk termination due to the minimal distortion of the electron density in the surface layer and electron-density plots show the crystal to be strongly ionic. On the microfacetted {111} surface redistribution of the electron density along the bond between three-coordinated calcium ion and four-coordinated oxygen ions leads to the contraction of the bond lengths and relaxation of the surface calcium into the surface. Absorption of water at the six-coordinated ions in the bulk crystal is calculated to be highly endothermic. On the five-coordinated {100} surface sites, water molecules, which were initially dissociatively adsorbed, recombine to form associatively adsorbed species with an adsorption energy of approximately 65 ${\mathrm{kJmol}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$, indicating physisorption. The water molecules are adsorbed by their oxygen ion to surface calcium ions but electron-density plots show additional interactions between surface anions and hydrogen atoms. On four- and three-coordinated calcium sites, adsorbed water molecules dissociate to form hydroxyl groups indicating the higher reactivity of the lower-coordinated species. The adsorption energy at the four-coordinated calcium site is higher (156 ${\mathrm{kJmol}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$) than at the three-coordinated site (127 ${\mathrm{kJmol}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$), due to bonding of the OH group to two surface calcium ions. When calcium ions are replaced by two protons each we find that the replacement energy decreases by approximately 70 ${\mathrm{kJmol}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ per loss of bond, from +21 ${\mathrm{kJmol}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ for the six-coordinated calcium ions in the bulk to -187 ${\mathrm{kJmol}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ for the three-coordinated calcium ions on the faceted {111} surface.
International Journal of Instruction

The purpose of the present study was to examine: a. the development of primary school students’ motor coordination (MC) within three years, b. gender as a crucial factor of this development, c. the relationship between MC and Body Mass Index (BMI). Students’ performances as well as the BMI of 20 boys and 22 girls were measured throughout a three-year period. Students’ MC was evaluated with Körperkoordination Test für Kinder (KTK) a test with four subtests in order to evaluate Motor Coordination (MC) of 5-14-year-old children. Results indicated that: a. the MC increased during the two first years of program b. that there was a negative correlation between BMI and KTK results/every year: Increases in BMI were correlated with decreases in a rating of KTK results/every year c. there was a statistically significant interaction between motor coordination and BMS. From the analysis of the results and the discussion that followed we came to the following conclusions: a. the participation in organized physical activities could help students who were at the first and second class to improve-develop their motor coordination, b. the increase in body mass index had a negative impact on the size of children's knee joints, c. the body mass index can successfully predict the extent of the knee joint and the gender of the boys contributed to this prediction.
THE IMPACT OF INFORMATION ANDCOMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY ON THE VALUEADDED OF MANUFACTURING SECTOR:COMPARING ASIAN COUNTRIES BY INCOMEGROUP LEVELS

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is extremely necessary for the majority aspects of our lives. ICT, as well, plays a significant role in the manufacturing industries. It forms the idea for many advances in all aspects in modern times as well as manufacturing technologies. It is considered to be a key strategy for countries to elevate the value added, no exception in Asian countries. Nowadays, Asia has become the worlds manufacturing hub. However, Asian countries are all at different levels of the economy. Analyzing each level will allow us to examine specific patterns of ICT diffusion in the manufacturing sector. Thus, this study aims to analyze the impact of ICT on Manufacturing Value Added (MVA) in Asian countries by the type of income group levels, namely: lower-middle, upper-middle, and high-income countries. This study uses data from 35 Asian countries from 2010 until 2018. By applying robust panel data analysis, this study provides commendable evidence that ICT significantly contribute to the increase of value added of the manufacturing sector in Asian countries, with different impacts for different types of group levels. The study supports the policy recommendation that the government should increase attention in the diffusion of ICT to fasten and boost value added of the manufacturing sector.
Auranofin Downregulates Nuclear Factor-κB Activation via Nrf2-Independent Mechanism

Transcription factors Nrf2 and NF-κB are important regulators of the innate immune response, and their cross-talks in inflammation have been reported. Previously, we demonstrated that gold(I)-compound auranofin, an inhibitor of NF-κB signal, induced Nrf2 activation in human synovial cells and monocytic cells. To investigate whether the Nrf2 activation is involved in the mechanism of the auranofin- attenuated NF-κB signaling, we examined the effects of Nrf2 knockdown on NF-κB activation using rheumatic synovial cells. When the cells were transfected with a specific siRNA for Nrf2, the gene expression was perfectly blocked. However, the Nrf2 knockdown did not cancel the suppressive effect of auranofin on TNF-α-induced IκB-α degradation. Treatment with a specific siRNA for HO-1, which is a target of Nrf2 and plays a role in anti-inflammation, also did not affect the blocking activity of auranofin on IκB-α degradation. In addition, auranofin-inhibited ICAM-1 expression was not restored by Nrf2 knockdown. These findings indicate that the activated Nrf2 and HO-1 are not associated with the suppressive action of auranofin on the pro-inflammatory cytokines-stimulated NF-κB activation. This suggests that Nrf2/HO-1 and NF-κB signals, which are regulated by auranofin, participate in the anti-inflammatory action of auranofin via independent pathways in rheumatic synovial cells.
The impact of urban road network morphology on pedestrian wayfinding behaviour

: Pedestrians do not always choose the shortest available route during the process of wayﬁnding. Instead, their route choices are inﬂuenced by strategies, also known as wayﬁnding heuristics. These heuristics aim to minimize cognitive effort of the pedestrian and their application usually leads to satisfactory route choices. Our previous study evaluated and analyzed resultant routes from the application of four well-known pedestrian wayﬁnding heuristics across nine distinct network morphologies via simulation. It was observed that the variation in the cost (difference in route length between a heuristic route and the shortest route, expressed as a percentage of the shortest route length) across the four heuristics increased with an increase in the irregularity of the network. Based on these results, we claimed that, people may opt for more diverse heuristics while walking through relatively regular networks, as route cost across heuristics are more similar in magnitude and thus applying any one of them would not result in a substantial difference in the travelled distance. Likewise, they may prefer speciﬁc heuristics in the relatively irregular networks, as some heuristics are signiﬁcantly costlier than others, thus creating greater variation in cost across heuristics and hence would result in signiﬁcantly greater travelled distances. In this study, we investigated this claim by comparing simulated routes with observed pedestrian trajectories in Beijing and Melbourne, two cities at opposite ends of This novel ﬁnding could help urban planners and future researchers in producing more accurate patterns of aggregate pedestrian movement in outdoor urban spaces.