Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Non-Timber Forest Products in Sustainable Forest Management

Non-timber forest products (NTFPs). The collection, trade and use of these products have been important to rural economies in country. At the same time the plants from which these products originate are crucial to healthy ecosystems. Over the last decade, the market demand and the interest in managing forests for NTFPs has grown tremendously, which has generated concern for the ecological sustainability of forest resources from which they are produced. The health and functioning of the forest ecosystems and the associated rural communities depend on the sustainable management of the NTFP resources. And yet, the scientific knowledge of these products is not well developed. Sustainability and the full range of benefits cannot be realized unless non-timber forest products are included in the scientific management of the forest resources. We examine the status of forest management for non-timber products and discuss issues critical to sustainable management for these products.
Robots’ “Woohoo” and “Argh” Can Enhance Users’ Emotional and Social Perceptions: An Exploratory Study on Non-lexical Vocalizations and Non-linguistic Sounds

As robots have become more pervasive in our everyday life, social aspects of robots have attracted researchers’ attention. Because emotions play a crucial role in social interactions, research has been conducted on conveying emotions via speech. Our study sought to investigate the synchronization of multimodal interaction in human-robot interaction (HRI). We conducted a within-subjects exploratory study with 40 participants to investigate the effects of non-speech sounds (natural voice, synthesized voice, musical sound, and no sound) and basic emotions (anger, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise) on user perception with emotional body gestures of an anthropomorphic robot (Pepper). While listening to a fairytale with the participant, a humanoid robot responded to the story with recorded emotional non-speech sounds and gestures. Participants showed significantly higher emotion recognition accuracy from the natural voice than from other sounds. The confusion matrix showed that happiness and sadness had the highest emotion recognition accuracy, which is in line with previous research. The natural voice also induced higher trust, naturalness, and preference compared to other sounds. Interestingly, the musical sound mostly showed lower perception ratings, even compared to no sound. Results are discussed with design guidelines for emotional cues from social robots and future research directions.
Temperatures of Quartz Cementation in Jurassic Sandstones from the Norwegian Continental Shelf--Evidence from Fluid Inclusions

ABSTRACT Measurement of homogenization temperatures for 274 aqueous and 366 hydrocarbon fluid inclusions trapped within quartz overgrowths in Jurassic sandstones from the Norwegian continental shelf indicates that quartz cementation of the studied sandstones has taken place at temperatures between 75°C and 165°C. Inclusions trapped at temperatures below 100°C are common in samples that have spent several tens of millions of years within the temperature interval 75-100°C, whereas sandstones that have passed more rapidly through this range of temperatures seldom contain inclusions trapped below 100°C, probably due to inclusions not having had time to form in the sandstones that were heated most rapidly. Different heating rates after sandstones enter the temperature range wher quartz cementation takes place may also give rise to a correlation between homogenization temperatures and present formation temperatures, since inclusions of a given size that start to form simultaneously in different sandstones become closed at the highest temperatures in the sandstones that are heated most rapidly. Such a correlation may be misinterpreted as indicating stretching of inclusions and resetting of homogenization temperatures. Quartz cementation at temperatures above 75°C is compatible with dissolution of quartz clasts at stylolites and grain contacts and/or quartz produced by clay-mineral reactions in shales being the dominant sources of quartz cement. However, lack of a viable mechanism for transport of large amounts of quartz from shales and into sandstones, combined with the common occurrence of stylolites in the studied cores, suggests that dissolution of quartz at stylolites, and to a lesser extent at grain contacts, were the most important sources of quartz cement. Homogenization temperatures approximately equal to or slightly below present formation temperature are common in the studied sandstones despite the presence of hydrocarbons. This suggests that quartz cementation is still in progress, which in turn implies that hydrocarbon emplacement has not stopped quartz cementation. Probable continued quartz cementation after hydrocarbon emplacement can be explained by dissolution of quartz at stylolites and grain contacts and subsequent short-range diffusion to sites of precipitation through water films coating grains.
Accounting for the effects of volcanoes and ENSO in comparisons of modeled and observed temperature trends

Several previous studies have attempted to remove the effects of explosive volcanic eruptions and El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) variability from time series of globally averaged surface and tropospheric temperatures. Such work has largely ignored the nonzero correlation between volcanic signals and ENSO. Here we account for this collinearity using an iterative procedure. We remove estimated volcano and ENSO signals from the observed global mean temperature data, and then calculate trends over 1979-1999 in the residuals. Residual trends are sensitive to the choice of index used for removing ENSO effects and to uncertainties in key volcanic parameters. Despite these sensitivities, residual surface and lower tropospheric (2LT) trends are almost always larger than trends in the raw observational data. After removal of volcano and ENSO effects, the differential warming between the surface and lower troposphere is generally reduced. These results suggest that the net effect of volcanoes and ENSO over 1979-1999 was to reduce globally averaged surface and tropospheric temperatures and cool the troposphere by more than the surface. ENSO and incomplete volcanic forcing effects can hamper reliable assessment of the true correspondence between modeled and observed trends. In the second part of our study, we remove these effects from model data and compare simulated and observed residual trends. Residual temperature trends are not significantly different at the surface. In the lower troposphere the statistical significance of trend differences depends on the experiment considered, the choice of ENSO index, and the volcanic signal decay time. The simulated difference between surface and tropospheric warming rates is significantly smaller than observed in 51 out of 54 cases considered. We also examine multiple realizations of model experiments with relatively complete estimates of natural and anthropogenic forcing. ENSO and volcanic effects are not removed from these integrations. As in the case of residual trends, model and observed raw trends are in good agreement at the surface but differ significantly in terms of the trend differential between the surface and lower troposphere. Observed and simulated lower tropospheric trends are not significantly different in 17 out of 24 cases. Our study highlights the large uncertainties inherent in removing volcano and ENSO effects from atmospheric temperature data. It shows that statistical removal of these effects improves the correspondence between modeled and observed temperature trends over the satellite era. Accounting for volcanoes and ENSO cannot fully explain the observed warming of the surface relative to the lower troposphere, or why this differential warming is not reproduced in the model simulations considered here.
Now you (don't) see me - Camera use in online course settings

: The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the transformation towards online and hybrid teaching. While these modalities have been shown to have many beneficial aspects, they can also limit the social presence and collective engagement in learning activities. In this paper, we present exploratory observations on the role of video features in online and hybrid course settings during the pandemic. By analyzing survey data from three university courses in 2021/2022, we identify different explanations for students9 behavior in regulating their social presence by turning their cameras on (or rather off). We suggest that the benefits of cameras are highly contextual and may conflict with students9 specific goals and expectations, as well as their territorial habits, wh ich should be taken into account when designing course content and didactic methods.
Advantages of using multilevel modeling approaches for the many analysts religion project

Cross-cultural research involves the systematic study of psychological processes across di ﬀ erent cultures to understand similarities and di ﬀ erences in human behavior as they are in ﬂ uenced by cultural context (Matsumoto & Juang, 2017). Cross-cultural research o ﬀ ers key advantages for informing theories on individual and cultural sources of variation in human behavior because of
The impact of trade with ASEAN on India’s employment in industrial sector

Abstract This paper examines the impact of trade with ASEAN on industry-level employment in India during the period of 1996–1997 to 2016–2017. Using the KLEMS and CMIE databases, we construct a unique dataset covering fifteen industrial sectors in India. We employ the Pooled Mean Group (PMG) approach to estimate the long-run relationship between employment and trade. For the full period of our study, we find that import penetration had a detrimental effect on employment while we find little evidence of any significant effect of export intensity on employment. There exists a structural break at 2004–2005, after which industrial sector has registered a decline in the rate of employment growth as well as India saw worsening of trade balance with ASEAN. Our results suggest that while export and import have had favorable impact on industrial sector employment prior to 2004–2005, AIFTA led to decline in industrial sector employment post 2004–2005.
Measurement And Consequences Of U.S. Tourists Perceptions Of Service Quality: A South African Hunting Safari Case Study

This research verifies the usefulness of the service quality principles and the Basic Service Package elements of the Augmented Service Offering model in measuring perceived service quality of a complex wildlife tourist activity. In addition, it determines the existence of a quality-satisfaction and quality-intention link. The South African hunting safari serves as an illustrating example. As U.S. hunters constitute the largest cluster of non-domestic customers in the South African safari hunting industry, their perceptions of service quality and the resulting satisfaction and behavioral intentions can significantly impact the sustainable competitiveness and profitability of safari service providers. The results negate the applicability of the SERVQUAL model, but confirm the usefulness of the Augmented Service Offering model in measuring the service quality of the safari hunt and in identifying areas of service failure and adequate service performance. The regression analysis confirmed the existence of important quality-satisfaction and quality-intention links.
What caused terrestrial dust loading and climate downturns between A.D. 533 and 540

Sn-rich particles, Ni-rich particles, and cosmic spherules are found together at four discrete stratigraphic levels within the 362–360 m depth interval of the Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2 (GISP2) ice core (72.6°N, 38.5°W, elevation: 3203 m). Using a previously derived calendar-year time scale, these particles span a time of increased dust loading of Earth’s atmosphere between A.D. 533 and 540. The Sn-rich and Nirich particles contain an average of 10–11 wt% C. Their high C contents coupled with local enrichments in the volatile elements I, Zn, Cu, and Xe suggest a cometary source for the dust. The late spring timing of extraterrestrial input best matches the Eta Aquarid meteor shower associated with comet 1P/Halley. An increased fl ux of cometary dust might explain a modest climate downturn in A.D. 533. Both cometary dust and volcanic sulfate probably contributed to the profound global dimming during A.D. 536 and 537 but may be insuffi cient sources of fiaerosols. We found tropical marine microfossils and aerosol-sized CaCO 3 particles at the end A.D. 535–start A.D. 536 level that we attribute to a low-latitude explosion in the ocean. This additional source of dust is probably needed to explain the solar dimming during A.D. 536 and 537. Although there has been no extinction documented at A.D. 536, our results are relevant because mass extinctions may also have multiple drivers. Detailed examinations of fiparticles at and near extinction horizons can help to determine the relative contributions of cosmic and volcanic drivers to mass extinctions.
Neuronal “parts list” and wiring diagram for a visual system

A catalog of neuronal cell types has often been called a “parts list” of the brain, and regarded as a prerequisite for understanding brain function. In the optic lobe of Drosophila, rules of connectivity between cell types have already proven essential for understanding fly vision. Here we analyze the fly connectome to complete the list of cell types intrinsic to the optic lobe, as well as the rules governing their connectivity. We more than double the list of known types. Most new cell types contain between 10 and 100 cells, and integrate information over medium distances in the visual field. Some existing type families (transmedullary, lobula intrinsic, and lobula plate intrinsic) at least double in number of types, with implications for perception of color, motion, and form. We introduce a new family, serpentine medulla intrinsic, which has more types than any other, and three new families of types that span multiple neuropils. We demonstrate self-consistency of our cell types through automatic assignment of cells by distance in high-dimensional feature space, and provide further validation by selection of small subsets of discriminative features. Our work showcases the advantages of connectomic cell typing: complete and unbiased sampling, a rich array of features based on connectivity, and reduction of the connectome to a drastically simpler wiring diagram of cell types, with immediate relevance for brain function and development.
Optoelectronic enhancement of photocurrent by cyanobacteria on sustainable AP-VPP-fabricated PEDOT electrodes

Photosynthetic microrganisms, including cyanobacteria, can be interfaced with electrodes in biophotovoltaic devices (BPVs) for solar energy conversion. Effective BPV electrodes need to be conductive, transparent, flexible, biocompatible and environmentally friendly, while also being cost-effective, abundant in material and lightweight. The utilization of electrically conducting polymers (CPs), particularly poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) fabricated by an atmospheric pressure vapor phase polymerization (AP-VPP) technique, is a promising avenue for BPV applications. However, challenges remain in optimising their performance as CPs are dynamic optoelectronic materials, and their interaction with photosynthetic biocatalysts under a range of conditions has not been explored thoroughly. Here we show that AP-VPP-PEDOT electrodes hold promise for interfacing with cyanobacteria in BPVs to generate green electricity under red and blue light and moderate applied potentials with exogenous electron mediators. The highest non-mediated photocurrent achieved was 0.48 µA cm−2, with a two-layer PEDOT electrode at 0.5 V applied potential and blue light. The highest mediated photocurrent achieved was 2.73 µA cm−2, with a one-layer PEDOT electrode at 0.3 V applied potential and blue light and the exogenous electron mediator 2,6-dichloro-1,4-benzoquinone (DCBQ). The proposed approach to fabricating PEDOT electrodes offers a new pathway for developing sustainable electrodes for BPVs and pinpoints strategies for future optimisation for achieving high-performance outcomes.
GPN-MSA: an alignment-based DNA language model for genome-wide variant effect prediction

Whereas protein language models have demonstrated remarkable efficacy in predicting the effects of missense variants, DNA counterparts have not yet achieved a similar competitive edge for genome-wide variant effect predictions, especially in complex genomes such as that of humans. To address this challenge, we here introduce GPN-MSA, a novel framework for DNA language models that leverages whole-genome sequence alignments across multiple species and takes only a few hours to train. Across several benchmarks on clinical databases (ClinVar, COSMIC, and OMIM) and population genomic data (gnomAD), our model for the human genome achieves outstanding performance on deleteriousness prediction for both coding and non-coding variants.
Male gonad-enriched microRNAs function to control sperm production in C. elegans

Germ cell development and gamete production in animals require small RNA pathways. While studies indicate that microRNAs (miRNAs) are necessary for normal sperm production and function, the specific roles for individual miRNAs are largely unknown. Here, we use small RNA sequencing of dissected gonads and functional analysis of new loss of function alleles to identify functions for miRNAs in the control of fecundity and sperm production in Caenorhabditis elegans males and hermaphrodites. We describe a set of 29 male gonad-enriched miRNAs and identify a set of 3 individual miRNAs (mir-58.1, mir-83, and mir-235) and a miRNA cluster (mir-4807-4810.1) that are required for optimal sperm production at 20°C and 5 additional miRNAs (mir-49, mir-57, mir-261, and mir-357/358) that are required for sperm production at 25°C. We observed defects in meiotic progression in mir-58.1, mir-83, mir-235, and mir-4807-4810.1 mutants that may contribute to the reduced number of sperm. Further, analysis of multiple mutants of these miRNAs suggested complex genetic interactions between these miRNAs for sperm production. This study provides insights on the regulatory roles of miRNAs that promote optimal sperm production and fecundity in males and hermaphrodites. Article Summary MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that are required for the normal production of sperm but the roles of individual microRNAs in the process of spermatogenesis are not well understood. Here, we use the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to identify microRNAs that are enriched in the male gonad to identify specific microRNAs that regulate male fertility. We generated new loss of function mutants for functional analysis to identify a set of microRNAs that are necessary for optimal fertility and fecundity in males.
Effect of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizer Application and Seedbed Preparation on Potato Yield and Soil Properties on Alisols of Chencha

A field experiment was conducted for two years (2006 and 2007) during the belg seasons on strongly acid clay loam (Haplic Alisols) soils at Chencha research substation, Southern Ethiopia. The objective was to examine the effect of seedbed preparation methods and organic-inorganic fertilizers on potato tuber yield and soil properties. The experiment was arranged in split-plot design with seed bed preparation methods: hoe plough once (M1), hoe plough twice (M2) and hoe plough thrice (M3) as main plots, and fertilization levels, namely, a control without fertilizer, NP, NPK, NP+FYM, NPK+FYM and FYM as sub plots with three replicates. Results indicated that there were significant (P
Differential activation of mouse and human Panx1 channel variants

Pannexins are ubiquitously expressed in human and mouse tissues. Pannexin 1 (Panx1), the most thoroughly characterized isoform of this family, forms plasmalemmal membrane channels permeable to relatively large molecules, such as ATP. Although human and mouse Panx1 amino acid sequences are conserved in the presently known regulatory sites involved in trafficking and modulation of the channel, differences are reported in the N- and C-termini of the protein, and the mechanisms of channel activation by different stimuli remain controversial. Here we used a neuroblastoma cell line to study the activation properties of endogenous mPanx1 and exogenously expressed hPanx1. Dye uptake and electrophysiological recordings revealed that in contrast to mouse Panx1, the human ortholog is insensitive to stimulation with high extracellular [K+] but responds similarly to activation of the purinergic P2X7 receptor. The two most frequent Panx1 polymorphisms found in the human population, Q5H (rs1138800) and E390D (rs74549886), exogenously expressed in Panx1-null N2a cells revealed that regarding P2X7 receptor mediated Panx1 activation, the Q5H mutant is a gain of function whereas the E390D mutant is a loss of function variant. Collectively, we demonstrate differences in the activation between human and mouse Panx1 orthologs and suggest that these differences may have translational implications for studies where Panx1 has been shown to have significant impact.
Green synthesis, structural elucidation, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities of a Schiff base and its Pd(II) complexes

Abstract This paper includes the synthesis of a Schiff base ligand and its palladium(II) complexes by conventional and green microwave-assisted techniques. They were characterized by conductivity measurements, mass spectrometry, FTIR, electronic spectroscopy, 1H NMR, and X-ray powder diffraction techniques. Based on analytical and spectral data, a square planar geometry was proposed for the metal complexes. The ligand(LH) and its metal complex[Pd(L) ] were screened for antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacterial(Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus) and fungal(Aspergillus niger, Penicillium chrysogenum) strains. Ciprofloxacin and Ketoconazole were used as standard drugs for antibacterial and antifungal activities respectively. The compounds showed moderate activity. The starting material(PdCl ), ligand(LH), and the metal complex [Pd(L) ] were screened for in vitro cytotoxic activity by MTT assay against cancerous cell lines (HeLa, MCF-7). Cisplatin was used as the standard drug. The metal complex, [Pd(L) ] was also screened for cytotoxic activity against normal cell line(HEK 293) to determine the selectivity index. The values of S.I(3.70-4.58) indicated that the complex [Pd(L) ] was more sensitive towards cancerous cell lines than normal cell line and may be studied further to assess its potential as cytotoxic agent. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT