Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Trade-off relationship of leaf functional traits of desert halophyte Lycium ruthenicum in the lower reaches of Heihe River, Northwest China: response to soil moisture and salinity

Background: Soil salinization affects plant growth and causes changes in leaf traits. Lycium ruthenicum Murr. is one of the dominant shrubs and halophytes in the lower reaches of the Heihe River in Northwest China. We analyzed the trade-off relationship of fourteen leaf functional traits of eight L.ruthenicum populations growing at varying distances from the Heihe River, and discussed the effects that soil moisture and salinity have on leaf functional traits. Results: Lower nitrogen (N) contents indicated that L.ruthenicum was located at the slow investment-return axis of the species resource utilization graph. Compared with non-saline and very slightly saline sites, populations of slightly saline sites showed higher carbon to nitrogen ratio (C:N). Redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed a relatively strong relationship between leaf functional traits and soil properties, the first RDA axis accounted for 70.99 % and 71.09 % of the variation in 0-40 cm and 40-80 cm of soil moisture and salinity. Populations in non-saline and very slightly saline habitats tended to have higher leaf C content, whereas populations in slightly saline habitats tended to have lower leaf C content, and the discrepancy was evident. Relative importance analysis found that in the 0-40 cm soil layer, leaf traits variations were mainly influenced by soil moisture (SWC), HCO3- and CO32- ions content, while leaf trait variations in the 40-80 cm soil layer were mainly influenced by HCO3- and SO42-. Conclusions: The leaf functional traits of L. ruthenicum in this region are mainly restricted by soil N content. The L.ruthenicum populations formed a pattern of increased C:N ratios and C content, reduced nitrogen to phosphorus ratio (N:P) and N content from very slightly saline soil to slightly saline. L.ruthenicum has a foliar resource acquisition method and a resource conservation trade-off with a flexible life history strategy in habitats with drought and salinity stress. In the shallow soil layers, water affects greater than salt on leaf traits variation; in both shallow and deep soil layers, HCO3- plays a dominant role on leaf traits. We believe that these findings will provide some baseline information to facilitate the management and restoration of arid-saline desert ecosystems.
The effects of four instructional strategies on English learners’ English reading comprehension: A meta-analysis

This meta-analysis includes experimental and quasi-experimental studies of reading interventions for English learners (ELs) coupled with four specific instructional strategies. The purposes of this meta-analysis were two-fold: (1) to identify the effects of the four instructional strategies (i.e. scaffolding, graphic organizers, interactive read aloud, and leveled questions) on ELs’ reading comprehension; and (2) to evaluate the combined effect of these four strategies when used together on ELs’ reading comprehension. In addition to considering that different studies might have varying effect sizes on ELs’ reading comprehension, we also conducted moderator analyses to explore potential moderators that might affect the variation between selected studies. Our moderators were school level, intervention duration, language learning context, and sample size. After an extensive search of research literature, 23 studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria of this meta-analysis study with a total of 2,284 participants. Mean effect sizes among these studies ranged from –. 05 to 2.23, depending on instructional strategies. These studies were associated with increased reading comprehension across varied school levels, methodological features, and settings. Our findings showed that each of the four instructional strategies is beneficial for ELs’ reading comprehension. We also found an additional potential benefit on ELs’ reading comprehension when these four instructional strategies are used together throughout a lesson. Our findings also revealed that intervention duration was the only significant moderator, suggesting that the longer the treatment is, the greater the impact will be on ELs’ comprehension.
CSR Disclosure: Effects of Political Ties, Executive Turnover and Shareholder Equity. Evidence from China

The context of China fosters different contextual factors, which influences the quality of corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure in comparison to firms across the rest of the world. Political ties at a corporate level are one of these vital factors. This paper studies the influence of firm-level political ties (PT) and executive turnover (ET) on the quality of CSR disclosure in the context of shareholding status of departing executive in Chinese listed A-share firms. Stakeholder and Agency theories are applied to the dissemination of CSR disclosures in Chinese firms whereby we used 20,578 firm-years interpretations of Chinese registered companies between 2012 and 2019. The results foster a negative link between executive turnover and quality of CSR disclosures. In addition, a negative relationship has been found between political ties and the quality of CSR disclosure. The findings disclose that the shareholding status of departing executive moderate the relationship between the impact of political ties and executive turnover on firms quality of CSR disclosure, whilst the effect of executive turnover on the quality of CSR disclosure was found more pronounced for firms whose departing executive held larger shareholding (SH). This study contributed to the literature on the quality of CSR disclosure while recognizing the negative effect of executive turnover on a firm’s quality of CSR disclosure for politically tied firms with a reinforcing moderating role of the shareholding status of departing executive.
Dynamics and Diagnostics of Flame-Acoustic Interactions

ABSTRACT Flame-acoustic interactions are witnessed in the context of combustion instability in gas turbine combustors and other propulsion devices, such as rockets, besides confined combustion systems in general, such as furnaces and heaters. The confinement causes acoustic standing wave modes that interact with the flame to cause fluctuations in all quantities to grow in amplitude. This review categorizes the different canonical flame-holding geometries that mostly involve flow recirculation zones for flame stabilization, which are inherently unstable and feed into the flame-acoustic interaction cycle. The receptivity of the nonreacting shear layer to prevalent acoustic forcing in terms of development of coherent structures and instability of different hydrodynamic modes in the recirculation are detailed. The case of reacting flow instabilities involves several mechanisms of flame-acoustic coupling, such as vortex combustion; vortex-wall interactions; vortex-vortex interactions; flame area fluctuations and equivalence ratio, vorticity, and entropy fluctuations; bifurcations of the combustor dynamics; and its Strouhal scaling. In some instances, flame blowout dynamics as well as flashback are coupled with the prevalent acoustic oscillations. Some of these aspects have been well diagnosed in the recent literature, notably using planar laser-induced fluorescence for flame marking and particle image velocimetry to characterize the flow in a time-resolved manner. Reduced order models based on empirically determined flame transfer functions and predictive tools for onset of combustion instability based on time series analysis, either from a nonlinear dynamical viewpoint or a data-driven approach, are in current vogue.
In situ morphometric survey elucidates the evolutionary systematics of the orchid genus Gymnadenia in the British Isles

Circumscriptions of both the genus Gymnadenia and the 11–27 species that it contains are highly controversial. These Eurasian terrestrial orchids are nectar-rewarding and pollinated primarily by Lepidoptera. Opinions expressed on the number of species occurring in the British Isles range from one to four, though there exists broad agreement that at least three recognizable, ecologically differentiated taxa are widespread. Here, we use a large-scale morphometric survey of these supposedly ‘cryptic’ taxa to determine whether phenotypic differentiation exists alongside their documented genotypic and ecological differentiation, seeking the most diagnostic morphological characters. Ten Gymnadenia plants were measured in each of 29 populations that encompassed the entire taxonomic range and geographic distribution of the genus within the British Isles. Results were subjected to detailed multivariate and univariate analyses, and interpreted in the context of molecular phylogenies, including a bespoke Europe-wide nrITS phylogeny that includes 17 plants sampled across Britain and Ireland. Floral micromorphology was investigated through scanning electron microscopy. Ecotypes occurring respectively in calcareous grasslands (G. conopsea s.s.), acid heaths (G. borealis) and calcareous to neutral marshes (G. densiflora) are subtly but reliably distinct, both morphologically and molecularly, though locally their morphological distinctiveness is somewhat weakened by the occurrence of infrequent populations in dune slacks and chalk downs that are intermediate in phenotype between the grassland and marsh ecotypes ('subsp. cf. friesica'). A polythetic taxonomic key emphasizes the characters and character-state ranges that are demonstrably the most diagnostic. Given that they are reliably genetically differentiable, and individuals can be distinguished with ∼85% confidence using morphological characters such as flower dimensions, depth of flower colour, and leaf number and size, we uphold our previous arguments that the three ecotypes merit species-level recognition. In the continued absence of field sequencing devices, identification is best attempted through quantitative examination of morphology focused at the population level, rejecting records of isolated plants. Despite their strong morphological similarity, genus-wide molecular data show that the British species are not each other's closest relatives. Gymnadenia borealis remains one of only three orchid species putatively endemic to the British Isles.
Technical and Economical Feasibility Analysis on Household-Scale Rooftop Solar Power Plant Design with On-Grid System in Semarang City

Utilizing rooftops as a solar power plant system on the grid can be an effective and efficient solution to reduce electricity bills. This research aims to design and analyze the potential of 1215 Wp solar power plant rooftop with on grid system household scale in terms of techno economy. Using each of the two alternatives to the main components of solar panels and inverters, there were 4 variations of the component configuration design in this study. Variation 1 uses Canadian solar panels with solax inverters. Variation 2 uses Canadian solar panels with so far inverters. Variation 3 uses risen solar panels with solax inverters. Variation 4 uses risen solar panels with sofar inverter. Through PVSyst 6.43 software, with an average radiation average of 5.48 kWh/m2/day, the potential energy production of each variation of 1215 Wp rooftop solar power plant household scale are 1873 kWh, 1893 kWh, 1865 kWh and 1885 kWh. The investment cost of 1215 Wp rooftop solar power plant ranges from IDR25,220,000-IDR27,020,000 with Net Present Value ranges from IDR15,309,805- IDR17,421,839, Benefit Cost Ratio ranges from 1,489-1,588, Payback period ranges from 10.38 – 11.02 years and Internal Rate of Return value ranges from 8.8-9.56%.
Using Interviews to Understand Why: Challenges and Strategies in the Study of Motivated Action

This article examines an important and thorny problem in interview research: How to assess whether what people say motivated their actions actually did so? We ask three questions: What specific challenges are at play? How have researchers addressed them? And how should those strategies be evaluated? We argue that such research faces at least five challenges—deception, recall error, reasonableness bias, intentionality bias, and single-motive bias—that more than a dozen strategies have been deployed to address them; that the strategies have been external, internal, or interactional in nature; and that each class of strategies demands distinct evaluation criteria. Researchers will likely fail to uncover motivation if they ignore the possibility of each challenge, conflate one challenge with another, or deploy strategies unmatched to the challenge at hand. Our work helps systematize the evaluation of interview-based studies of motivated action and strengthen the scientific foundations of in-depth interview research.
Generalized Trust and Economic Growth: The Nexus in MENA Countries

This study mainly examines the relationship between generalized/horizontal/social trust and economic growth in countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, considering the substantial decline in their trust values since 2005. The study utilizes a multiple linear regression model based on panel data comprising 104 countries over the period from 1999 to 2020. Trust data were obtained from the last four waves of the World Values Survey (WVS). A Pooled Ordinary Least Squares (POLS) estimation technique was used, and interaction terms between trust and several dummy variables were employed. The results show an overall positive and significant relationship between trust and economic growth in the general model and for all country classifications, except for MENA, where the overall relationship is negative but almost negligible. Trust has the highest impact on growth in transition economies, followed in order by developing Asia, developed, developing/Sub-Saharan Africa, developing America, and then MENA countries. Further investigations reveal that the overall negative/reversed effect of trust on economic growth in MENA is only during waves 6 and 7, where the coefficients are sizable.
Perceptions of Barriers to Career Progression for Academic Women in STEM

Gender equity in academia is a long-standing struggle. Although common to all disciplines, the impacts of bias and stereotypes are particularly pronounced in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. This paper explores what barriers exist for the career progression of women in academia in STEM disciplines in order to identify key issues and potential solutions. In particular, we were interested in how women perceive the barriers affecting their careers in comparison to their male colleagues. Fourteen focus groups with female-identifying academics showed that there were core barriers to career progression, which spanned countries, disciplines and career stages. Entrenched biases, stereotypes, double standards, bullying and harassment all negatively impact women’s confidence and sense of belonging. Women also face an additional biological burden, often being pushed to choose between having children or a career. Participants felt that their experiences as STEM academics were noticeably different to those of their male colleagues, where many of the commonly occurring barriers for women were simply non-issues for men. The results of this study indicate that some of these barriers can be overcome through networks, mentoring and allies. Addressing these barriers requires a reshaping of the gendered norms that currently limit progress to equity and inclusion.
A Comparison of Water Quality Indexes for an Inland River

The present study assessed water quality parameters and attempts to compare four different Water Quality Indexes (WQIs) for consistency, similarity and reliability in assessing the water quality of river Benue -an inland riverunder wet and dry seasons. The results demonstrate that River Benue is continually being polluted in both dry and wet seasons by different sources, particularly domestic sewage and storm runoffs from farmlands. The quality of the water generally exceeded physiochemical and microbiological infection risk limits recommended in water quality guidelines concerning their use for domestic, recreational and irrigational purposes. Proper sewage treatment and river quality monitoring are needed to guard against hazards to public health and vulnerable river water resources. The WQIs applied were: CCME WQI, BC WQI, Dinius’ WQI and Weighted Arithmetic WQI. To evaluate the differences between these indexes, data on ten water quality parameters (Temperature, pH, total dissolved solids, electrical conductivity, Nitrates, Phosphates, biochemical oxygen demand, dissolved oxygen and faecal coliform count) for two distinct seasons from 6 river monitoring sites along the river Benue at Makurdi reach, were used. Significant discrepancies were observed in classification results between the Dinius’ WQI and the other three Original Research Article Kondum et al.; JERR, 20(4): 1-14, 2021; Article no.JERR. 66219 2 WQIs. Similarly, the WA and BC WQIs showed an over-optimistic rating due to their eclipsing limitation. Among others, it was concluded that any of the four indexes except Dinius’ index can be adopted but the CCME water quality index would be best suited for assessing water quality in River Benue.
A well-balanced and positivity-preserving SPH method for shallow water flows in open channels

A well-balanced and positivity-preserving meshless method based on smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) is developed to simulate one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) shallow water (SW) flows in open channels with irregular geometries. A new form of the characteristic equations that govern the water-surface level and water velocity is introduced to specify the numerical inflow/outflow boundary conditions. An additional condition, derived from temporal discretization to determine the time-step size, forces the water depth to be positive. A 1D finite volume shallow water (FVSW) model based on the first-order Godunov upwind method is built to conduct a comparison of the 1D meshless-based and mesh-based SW models. Six benchmark cases – still water, single trapezoidal and rectangular and prismatic and non-prismatic channels, and a dendritic channel network – are employed to validate the proposed models and compared with the exact and mesh-based numerical solutions. A real-world case of the Chicago Area Waterways System (CAWS) is investigated to highlight the performance of the proposed 1D model for a practical hydraulic system.
A Satellite‐Based Assessment of the Relative Contribution of Hydroclimatic Variables on Vegetation Growth in Global Agricultural and Nonagricultural Regions

Vegetation growth plays a crucial role in the carbon cycle and climate change mitigation. However, the relative contribution of hydroclimatic variables (relative humidity, terrestrial water storage, day and night‐time land surface temperatures) on vegetation growth of agricultural and nonagricultural areas at the global scale remains unexplored. Using satellite‐based datasets, we examined the changes in Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the four hydroclimatic variables during 2003–2014. Also, the relative contribution of the four hydroclimatic variables on vegetation growth in agricultural and nonagricultural areas was estimated. A significant (p‐value < 0.05) greening has occurred in the agricultural regions of India and Brazil during 2003–2014. Whereas in nonagriculture areas, a considerable greening occurred only in India and China during the 2003–2014 period. Among the four hydroclimatic variables, both day‐time and night‐time land surface temperature are the significant contributors of vegetation growth in the two‐thirds of the global landmass. Terrestrial water storage is a substantial contributor to the vegetation growth in the tropics and subtropics. Night‐time land surface temperature is strongly associated with the vegetation growth in the colder regions. The hydroclimatic variables do not explain the considerable amount of the total variance of vegetation growth over the agricultural areas in China, which is due to human agricultural management practices. Generally, the response of hydroclimate variables on vegetation growth in the agricultural and nonagricultural areas has significant implications in many areas, including food security, carbon sequestration, water resource management, and climate change.
Cholesterol Assimilation of Two Probiotic Strains of Lactobacillus casei used as Dairy Starter Cultures

Background and Objective: Consumption of milks fermented with lactic acid bacteria has been shown to improve lipid profiles; however, the mechanisms underlying this improvement are not clear. Using in vitro analyses, the aim of this study was to investigate how Lactobacillus casei strains AP and AG assimilate cholesterol. Materials and Methods: Bacterial growth in ox gall-supplemented media, quantity of assimilated cholesterol and activity of bile salt hydrolase were assessed in Lactobacillus casei strains AP and AG. Furthermore, cholesterol attachment to cell walls was assessed using scanning electron microscopy. Results and Conclusions: Lactobacillus casei AG showed a higher cholesterol assimilation (13.05 mg dl-1 ±0.48) than Lactobacillus casei AP (8.05 mg dl-1 ±0.48) as well as a faster growth rate of the former strain that that of the latter one. Growth inhibition of Lactobacillus casei AP was associated with increased activity of bile salt hydrolase (halo size of 1.62 mm ±0.20), compared to that of Lactobacillus casei AG (1.37 mm ±0.07) and upregulation of the bsh gene. High cholesterol assimilations by Lactobacillus casei AG seem to attribute to membrane attachment via resistance to bile acids.
Have They Already Emerged? Mapping the Population of National Interest Organisations in Post-Communist Poland

Abstract While political parties provide a key channel for political representation, organised interests can also be an important mechanism. A valid question is whether a system of interest groups is capable of ensuring the representation of a variety of public and private interests. Addressing this conundrum requires data that map the essential traits of organised interest groups in a given country, including their number (density) and types (diversity). This article explores the density and composition of the Polish system of organised interests. The previously unexplored system-level approach delivers insights into the nature of the system and also provides a framework for the subsequent conceptualisation of advocacy and lobbying dynamics.
Multiple Penalties and Multiple Local Surrogates for Expensive Constrained Optimization

This article proposes an evolutionary algorithm using multiple penalties and multiple local surrogates (MPMLS) for expensive constrained optimization. In each generation, MPMLS defines and optimizes a number of subproblems. Each subproblem penalizes the constraints in the original problem using a different penalty coefficient and has its own search subregion. A local surrogate is built for optimizing each subproblem. Two major advantages of MPMLS are: 1) it can maintain good population diversity so that the search can approach the optimal solution of the original problem from different directions and 2) it only needs to build local surrogates so that the computational overhead of the model building can be reduced. Numerical experiments demonstrate that our proposed algorithm performs much better than some other state-of-the-art evolutionary algorithms.