Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Forests and regional scale processes

In this paper the surface energy balance of forests is considered on a regional scale. The interaction between the surface fluxes of sensible and latent heat on the one hand and the temperature (and humidity) of the planetary boundary layer (PBL) on the other is accounted for, as are entrainment processes at the top of the PBL. For this purpose, the one-dimensional PBL model of Troen & Mahrt is coupled to the simple ‘single-leaf’ vegetation model of Penman-Monteith. The surface conductance is described in accordance with Stewart, whereas the aerodynamic conductance is corrected for stability. The integrated model applies in stable, unstable and neutral conditions. Two forest types (‘Thetford’ and ‘Les Landes’) are modelled, and compared with grass and bare soil. In summertime, calculated temperature, saturation deficit and depth of the PBL are greater over forest than over grass. The entrainment of warm, dry air at the top of the PBL appears to be important. It supplies the energy to maintain the evaporation of wet forest higher than net radiation. Well-known features, such as low transpiration and high evaporation rates (compared with grass) when the canopy is dry and wet respectively, are described correctly.
Review of the cave‐dwelling species of Pseudotyrannochthonius Beier (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones: Pseudotyrannochthoniidae) from mainland Australia, with description of two troglobitic species

Based on morphology we review the cave-dwelling species of the pseudoscorpion genus Pseudotyrannoch- thonius (family Pseudotyrannochthoniidae) from mainland Australia and provide a brief account of their distribution and ecomorphology. Pseudotyrannochthonius eberhardi sp. n. is described from the Stockyard Creek karst in northern New South Wales and P. jonesi (Chamberlin 1962) is redescribed and illustrated from the Jenolan karst in Central New South Wales based on females. Both species show morphological features reminiscent of troglomorphism and appear to be short-range endemics that are restricted to their respective karsts. All other species previously recorded from subterranean habitats in mainland Australia are facultative cave dwellers that do not show major morphological adaptations towards life underground.
Accumulating Being

Subjective experience has a continuity and a density - a depth and a breadth - that are rarely captured by contemporary theory and analysis. This article, based on research into material culture in the home, argues that as we accumulate objects, we accumulate being. The article develops notions of ‘existential breadth’ and ‘ontogenetic depth’ to explore the complexity and continuity of everyday life, grounded in the material objects and spaces of the home. Our ‘prized possessions’ demonstrate the fact that humans ‘accumulate being’ in their struggle for recognition. These objects offer ‘ontological proof’ of our being and, by providing for its dimensionality, maximize the possibility of recognition and the attainment of ontological security.
Static and Dynamic Testing of a Concrete T-Beam Bridge before and after Carbon Fiber–Reinforced Polymer Retrofit

This paper summarizes the design and execution of field studies to improve the performance of a deteriorated bridge through the use of carbon fiber–reinforced polymer (CFRP) material. The objective of the CFRP retrofit was to extend the life of Bridge 2028 in Cayey, Puerto Rico, by increasing its load rating. Field testing before and after the retrofit was performed to evaluate objectively improvement in load capacity and stiffness. The field testing program included both static load tests and dynamic tests. The first set of field tests was conducted in November 2002 to capture baseline bridge performance characteristics before the retrofit. The CFRP retrofit was installed in October 2003, and a second set of nearly identical field tests was performed in August 2004. The test results indicated that the retrofit increased the bending stiffness of the bridge by 15% and decreased the tensile strains in the bottom rebars of the concrete T-beams by about 13%. Furthermore, the maximum rebar strains under a heavy truck load case were only 10% of the yield strength after the retrofit. The change in stiffness determined from static deflection measurements was well correlated with the stiffness change determined from the dynamic tests. The field testing program showed that the CFRP retrofit was successful in improving the mechanical behavior of the bridge. The long-term performance and durability of the CFRP retrofit could be affected by a number of parameters such as local environmental conditions. The field testing program is to be periodically repeated; alternatively, a continuous monitoring program could be implemented to evaluate objectively the long-term performance and durability of the CFRP retrofit.
Visitors' views on alien animal species in national parks: a case study from South Africa

ITTLE INFORMATION EXISTS GLOBALLY on the levels of awareness of visitors to national parks about the role of these parks, in part, to protect ecosystems. An exploratory study, involving a questionnaire survey, supported by interviews, examined visitors’ views on the hypothetical presence of alien (that is, non-indigenous) animal species in the Addo Elephant National Park (AENP), South Africa. Correlations between responses and respondents’ country of origin, level of education and age were investigated. The majority (c. 62%) of the respondents, who interpreted the questions correctly, were not aware of the fact that the presence of alien species would be at odds with the vision of the AENP, insofar as it refers to protecting the integrity of its ecosystems; this indicates the need for a focused education campaign for park visitors. Foreign respondents, and those who possessed a high level of tertiary education, were more opposed to the presence of alien species than South African respondents and those with lower levels of education. Respondents opposed to such a presence (c. 38%) form a relatively large segment of the growing ecotourism market in South Africa; research needs to be conducted to determine whether this group may be lost to the industry if alien species continue to be stocked in some state-run and private conservation areas. Little progress appears to have been made in the past 25 years in South Africa regarding the level of knowledge of park visitors about alien species, ecological and environmental interrelationships and the goals of park management.
Resilience in dementia: Perspectives of those living with dementia

This study examined the concept of resilience and factors associated with it from the perspective of individuals living with dementia. Resilience is a process through which individuals demonstrate positive adaptation despite exposure to adverse life events, such as a diagnosis of dementia. How individuals with dementia describe resilience and the factors they identify as contributing to or interfering with resilience were determined using semi-structured interviews. Measures of quality of life and wellness provided additional information about the concept of resilience. The study identified three major factors associated with resilience: ‘active and purposeful living’, ‘perspective’, and ‘resources. ’ Resilience is anticipated to be clinically useful as a means of identifying areas of strength and weakness for individuals living with dementia in order to guide intervention efforts to support more resilient outcomes. This study provides an initial basis of identifying these clinically relevant factors that promote or impede resilience in this population.
GENETIC VARIATION IN CANADIAN AND EUROPEAN POPULATIONS OF THE COLONIZING WEED SPECIES APERA SPICA-VENTI*

SUMMARY Apera spica-venti L. , a widely distributed weed in Europe, has recently become established as a weed of winter cereals in Canada. Levels of genetic variation were compared between and within nine Canadian and six native European populations grown under uniform conditions. Both the Canadian and European populations showed high levels of variation among populations with respect to 31 life history and morphological traits. As one would have predicted, greater differences were recorded among the European populations, although only one population in each group was clearly distinct from the other populations. High levels of genetic variability in allozyme characters were also evident in both the Canadian and European populations (percentage of polymorphic loci = 57 to 62%, number of alleles per locus = 2.53 and levels of heterozygosity = 0.23). There was, however, little or no divergence in allozyme characters among populations, with all populations having very high genetic identity values (0.948 to 0.998) and only 1.0 to 2.4% of the total gene diversity allocated to the among-population component. The extent of within-population variation in the 31 life-history and morphological characters were similar in both introduced and native populations. Studies of population structure in three Canadian populations indicated that most of the variation in nine morphological characters occurred among progeny within families rather than among families. Estimates of outcrossing rate (t) using allozyme markers at two loci equalled 1.0, indicating random mating. Selfing experiments indicated that the plants were predominantly self-incompatible. The amounts and patterns of genetic variation are consistent with what one would expect in an outcrossing species and do not support the hypothesis of genetically depauperate introductions.
PhillyCarShare

One year into a carsharing program in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, compelling evidence of reduced vehicle ownership, reduced vehicle miles traveled (VMT), and social change was uncovered through member surveys and detailed usage data. Each PhillyCarShare vehicle replaced an average of 23 private vehicles. Members giving up cars overwhelmingly reported driving less and replacing automobile trips with a variety of modes (transit, walking, taxi, and to a lesser extent biking). However, members who simply gained access to cars used PhillyCarShare primarily to substitute for modes that most resemble driving (taxis, borrowing or renting, and to a lesser extent transit). The average monthly VMT increase of members gaining access to a car was limited to 29.9 mi, whereas the monthly VMT decrease of members who gave up a car appeared to be several hundred miles but not greater than 522 mi. After joining, PhillyCarShare members made travel decisions more judiciously, expressed greater awareness of transportation costs, and valued environmental friendliness far more than previously. Members also preferred residential locations near PhillyCarShare locations. Motivation for joining varied greatly by income, eventual change in car ownership, and age. Convenience was valued highly by all groups, especially former car owners. Affordability was usually second most important. Comparison with other U.S. carsharing organizations revealed advanced education to be the strongest demographic of membership, followed by nonauto commuting and living in small or nontraditional households. In contrast to Europe's early members, American first adopters appeared more concerned with personal utility than social or environmental benefits; they were motivated more by convenience and less by affordability, possibly because of much lower costs of driving in the United States.
The impact of thermal fluctuations on reaction norms in specialist and generalist parasitic wasps

Reaction norms depict the environmental effects on phenotypic traits and are used to predict the global change consequences on species distributions. However, studies performed at constant temperatures have limited ecological significance because expressed phenotypes depend on the range and frequency of environmental states. Using Jensen's inequality (i.e. a mathematical property of nonlinear functions), we predicted that the effect of thermal fluctuations on the phenotype depends on the shape of the reaction norm. Thermal fluctuations around the optimal temperature are expected to reduce the phenotypic trait values, especially for specialists because of their narrower reaction norms. This study measured the effects of diel fluctuations in developmental temperature on phenotypic expression of traits related to fitness and energetic resources in two strains of the parasitoid wasp Venturia canescens from different habitats: a thermal generalist strain and a specialist one. In a first experiment, we compared the effect of constant thermal regimes versus fluctuating ones having the same means (20, 25 and 30 °C) on reaction norms of life-history traits and of energetic reserves. In a second experiment, we examined the effects of a natural thermoperiod in the field on these traits. Our results show that the shape of the reaction norm defines the phenotypic changes induced by the development under fluctuating thermal conditions. These results match the predictions of the Jensen's inequality. Moreover, our results emphasize the significance of taking into account several phenotypic life-history traits to study the adaptive value of phenotypic plasticity. We also show that the level of energetic resources depends on the mean developmental temperature and not on the thermal regime. Finally, the field experiment confirms that the phenotype of these parasitoids depends on the temperature variation. Our study highlights the relevance of the Jensen's inequality to predict the effect of thermal fluctuations on fitness of parasitoids with contrasted thermal sensitivities.
3-(3-(4-Ethoxyphenyl)-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)- 4-nitro-2,5-diphenylisoxazolidine

Isoxazolidines are interesting intermediates for the synthesis of several classes of natural products and biologically active compounds such as -amino acids and alkaloids (Gothelf & Jorgensen, 1998). Many pyrazole derivatives are known to exhibit a wide range of biological properties such as antihyperglycemic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, antibacterial, hypoglycemic, sedative-hypnotic and anticoagulant activities. In particular, arylpyrazoles are widely used in medicinal and pesticidal chemistry. Recently, some arylpyrazoles were reported to display non-nucleoside HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitory activity (Lee et al., 2003).
The genus Imleria (Boletaceae) in East Asia

The genus Imleria can be easily distinguished from other genera of Boletaceae by the combination of the following characters: a chestnut brown pileus and stipe, a cream to pale yellow hymenophore, a viscid pileal surface when moist, a cyanescent context and hymenophore on handling or exposure, an ixotrichodermal pileipellis and smooth spores. The monophyly of Imleria and the detection of four independent species were highly supported by phylogenetic analyses using 5 gene markers. The four species, including the previously recognized Im. badia , Im. obscurebrunnea , plus the newly discovered Im. parva and Im. subalpina , are fully documented with taxonomic descriptions and illustrations, and a key to the taxa is provided. Geographically, Im. badia is widely distributed in Europe, North America and probably in Far East Asia, yet there is some intraspecific divergence between specimens from Europe and North America caused probably by geographic isolation. Imleria subalpina and Im. obscurebrunnea might diverge from each other relatively recently with the uplifts of the eastern Himalayas and Hengduan Mountains. An epitype collected from Sweden was designated for Im. badia .
Comparative Analysis of Global Positioning System–Based and Travel Survey–Based Data

This paper examines the driver demographics, driver travel characteristics, and driver adherence to survey protocol considerations that affect the likelihood of underreporting in a household travel survey. The research considers both the likelihood of vehicle driver trip underreporting and the level of vehicle driver trip underreporting by using a joint binary choice-ordered response discrete model. The empirical analysis uses the Global Positioning System–equipped sample of households from the 2004 Kansas City (Kansas and Missouri) Household Travel Survey which also provided travel diary information. The empirical results provide important insights about underreporting tendencies in household travel surveys. In particular, adults younger than 30 years of age; men; individuals with less than a high school education; unemployed individuals; individuals working in clerical and manufacturing professions; workers employed at residential land uses; individuals who make many trips, travel long distances, and trip chain; and respondents who fail to use a travel diary to log their travel before telephone retrieval of their patterns are associated with more underreporting. The underlying factors that influence whether an individual underreports are different from the factors that affect the level of underreporting.
Estimate of the Safety Effect of All-Way Stop Control Conversion in Washington, DC

This study evaluated safety effects associated with converting traditional stop control (TSC) to all-way stop control (AWSC) at 53 intersections in Washington, DC. The study utilized an observational treatment group and a randomly selected comparison group. Negative binomial regression modeling was used to estimate the effect of AWSC conversion on crash outcomes, control for confounding factors, and check its statistical significance. The study also examined potential covariates that could influence AWSC crash outcomes, such as the number of legs of the intersection and the functional classification of the intersecting roads. This study found an overall 36% reduction in all crashes and a 42% reduction in injury crashes associated with converting intersections from TSC to AWSC. In addition, the study revealed a statistically significant reduction in right-angle crashes along with a statistically significant increase in straight hit pedestrian crashes. For all the other collision types, including right turn, left turn, rear-end, sideswipes, and bicycle crashes, no statistically significant coefficients were found. With many “Vision Zero” cities considering increased use of AWSC to help achieve their safety goals, it is important to understand and communicate the safety effects of AWSC.
Evidence from Urban Roads without Bicycle Lanes on the Impact of Bicycle Traffic on Passenger Car Travel Speeds

A concern raised by some motorists in relation to the presence of bicycles on urban roads without bicycle lanes, discussed in part of the traffic literature, is that cyclists will slow down motorized vehicles and therefore create congestion. This research answers this question: do bicycles reduce passenger car travel speeds on urban roads without bicycle lanes? To answer this question, a detailed comparative analysis of the travel speeds of passenger car (class two vehicles) on lower volume urban roads without bicycle lanes is presented. Speed distributions, the mean, and the 50th and 85th percentile speeds for two scenarios were examined: (i) a passenger car that was preceded by a bicycle and (ii) a passenger car that was preceded by another passenger car. Peak hour traffic and 24-h traffic speeds were analyzed using t-tests and confidence intervals. Although a few statistically significant differences between scenarios (i) and (ii) were found, the actual speed differences were generally in the order of 1 mph or less. Therefore, differences in class two (motorized passenger) vehicle speeds with and without cyclists were found to be negligible from a practical perspective.
The decline of the Aeolian wall lizard, Podarcis raffonei: causes and conservation proposals

Investigations carried out in the Aeolian Islands (off north-east Sicily) during 1989–99 gathered evidence strongly indicating that the endemic Aeolian wall lizard Podarcis raffonei is close to extinction. Competitive exclusion by the lizard Podarcis sicula, which has been introduced by man, habitat degradation, and possibly reduced genetic variability and inbreeding, were the main causes for the decline of the species. For the Aeolian wall lizard to recover from its threatened status and to prevent further decimation of populations, collection and trade in the species should be prohibited, and an education programme for local people should be promoted. An integrated project involving habitat protection and captive breeding is needed to secure the species in the wild for the future.
The limit to wheat water-use efficiency in eastern Australia. I. Gradients in the radiation environment and atmospheric demand

In the wheatbelt of eastern Australia, rainfall shifts from winter dominated in the south (South Australia, Victoria) to summer dominated in the north (northern New South Wales, southern Queensland). The seasonality of rainfall, together with frost risk, drives the choice of cultivar and sowing date, resulting in a flowering time between October in the south and August in the north. In eastern Australia, crops are therefore exposed to contrasting climatic conditions during the critical period around flowering, which may affect yield potential, and the efficiency in the use of water (WUE) and radiation (RUE). In this work we analysed empirical and simulated data, to identify key climatic drivers of potential water- and radiation-use efficiency, derive a simple climatic index of environmental potentiality, and provide an example of how a simple climatic index could be used to quantify the spatial and temporal variability in resource-use efficiency and potential yield in eastern Australia. Around anthesis, from Horsham to Emerald, median vapour pressure deficit (VPD) increased from 0.92 to 1.28 kPa, average temperature increased from 12.9 to 15.2°C, and the fraction of diffuse radiation (FDR) decreased from 0.61 to 0.41. These spatial gradients in climatic drivers accounted for significant gradients in modelled efficiencies: median transpiration WUE (WUEB/T) increased southwards at a rate of 2.6% per degree latitude and median RUE increased southwards at a rate of 1.1% per degree latitude. Modelled and empirical data confirmed previously established relationships between WUEB/T and VPD, and between RUE and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and FDR. Our analysis also revealed a non-causal inverse relationship between VPD and radiation-use efficiency, and a previously unnoticed causal positive relationship between FDR and water-use efficiency. Grain yield (range 1-7 t/ha) measured in field experiments across South Australia, New South Wales, and Queensland (n = 55) was unrelated to the photothermal quotient (Pq = PAR/T) around anthesis, but was significantly associated (r2 = 0.41, P < 0.0001) with newly developed climatic index: a normalised photothermal quotient (NPq = Pq . FDR/VPD). This highlights the importance of diffuse radiation and vapour pressure deficit as sources of variation in yield in eastern Australia. Specific experiments designed to uncouple VPD and FDR and more mechanistic crop models might be required to further disentangle the relationships between efficiencies and climate drivers.