Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quantitative Analysis of Factors Influencing Spatial Distribution of Soil Erosion Based on Geo-Detector Model under Diverse Geomorphological Types

The Loess Plateau of China suffers from severe erosion, which results in a great variety of economic and ecological problems. For scientific control of soil erosion, the key questions urgently to be addressed in this paper are: (1) Which are the driving factors under diverse geomorphological types? (2) Do these driving factors operate independently or by interacting? (3) Which zones under diverse geomorphological types suffer from severe erosion and need more attention? In this paper, the RUSLE model was applied here to demonstrate the spatio-temporal variations in soil erosion from 2010 to 2017 in Yan’an City, and the Geo-detector model proved to be a useful tool to solve the questions mentioned above. The results showed that the average erosion modulus in Yan’an City decreased by 1927.36 t/km2·a from 2010 to 2017. The intensity of soil erosion in the northern Baota District, central Ganquan County, Luochuan County, Ansai County, and Zhidan County decreased to varying degrees. The effect size of driving factors affecting soil erosion varied significantly in diverse geomorphological types. The effect size of interaction between land-use types and vegetation coverage, land-use types and slope, slope and precipitation was higher than that of a single factor. High-risk zones with severe erosion were closer to cultivated land and forest land with steep slopes (>25°) in the mid-elevation hills of Yan’an City. Additionally, based on the specificity of the study area, the Geo-detector model performed better in a relatively flat region, and factors with macroscopic spatial distributions weaken its explanatory power on soil erosion on a regional scale. Based on data selection, data of different accuracy sparked the issue of “data coupling”, which led to the enormous deviation of model results in mid-elevation plains. Results from our analysis provide insights for a more ecologically sound development of Yan’an City and provide references for the scientific use of the Geo-detector model.
Loliolide from Artemisia princeps Suppresses Adipogenesis in Human Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells via Activation of AMPK and Wnt/β-catenin Pathways

Regulating the adipogenic differentiation mechanism is a valid and promising mechanism to battle obesity. Natural products, especially phytochemicals as nutraceuticals, are important lead molecules with significant activities against obesity. Loliolide is a monoterpenoid hydroxyl lactone found in many dietary plants. The effect of loliolide on adipogenic differentiation is yet to be determined. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate its anti-adipogenic potential using human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (hBM-MSCs) and assess its mechanism of action. Adipo-induced hBM-MSCs were treated with or without loliolide and their adipogenic characteristics were examined. Loliolide treatment decreased the lipid accumulation and expression of adipogenic transcription factors, PPARγ, C/EBPα, and SREBP1c. Adipo-induced hBM-MSCs also displayed increased AMPK phosphorylation and suppressed MAPK activation following loliolide treatment according to immunoblotting results. Importantly, loliolide could stimulate Wnt10b expression and active β-catenin translocation to exert PPARγ-linked adipogenesis suppression. In conclusion, loliolide was suggested to be a potential anti-adipogenic agent which may be utilized as a lead compound for obesity treatment or prevention.
Proffesional Activity at Multinational Aviation Companies: Impact of Socio Cultural Factors

The article deals with the peculiarities of professional activity of aviation personnel working for multinational aviation companies and socio cultural factors influencing their work. It is stressed that socio and cross cultural issues may be the reason for misunderstanding in professional and everyday communication. Miscommunications may broadly be applied to a range of verbal communications problems ranging from misunderstandings, such as those due to ambiguity, language structure, to more technical problems. The authors underline that those misunderstandings may be due to cultural differences. Special attention is paid to professional radio communication between an air traffic controller and pilot, which is very important for promotion of flight safety. Studies indicate that miscommunication is a pervasive problem in air traffic control and, although infrequent when considered as a percentage of daily transactions, nevertheless, has been a causal factor in numerous fatal accidents. The conclusion is made about the importance of social factors influencing the choice of certain lexical units and functional styles in radio communication.
Improvement of biofilm formation for application in a single chamber microbial electrolysis cell

An experimental design was performed to study the combined effects of the parameters used for bacteria selective biofilm formation. The parameters were the potential applied, the time of the biofilm formation with electroactive bacteria or the biofilm formation, and the initial substrate concentration in the medium. The performance of the biofilms formed was compared by their kinetic parameter the apparent electron transfer rate constant (Kapp), which was obtained from cyclic voltammetry analysis. The results from the experimental design showed that the highest Kapp of 0.56 s−1 was with the potential applied of −0.45 V for 5 h and 12 mM of the initial substrate concentration in the medium. New values of these parameters were calculated from the statistical analysis of the experimental design results and successfully higher value of Kapp of 0.64 s−1 can be calculated and obtained. The electroactivity and capability of the biofilm for hydrogen production was also proved in a single chamber microbial electrolysis cell, and a hydrogen production yield of 0.24 m3H2/m3d was obtained. The biofilm formed with these last parameters was also identified with molecular techniques as Exiguobacterium which has barely been reported as electroactive bacteria and used for hydrogen production.
A Study on the Strong Duality of Second-Order Conic Relaxation of AC Optimal Power Flow in Radial Networks

For the popular second-order conic program (SOCP) formulation of AC optimal power flow (OPF) in a radial network, this paper first shows that it does not have the strong duality property in general. Then, through a series of restrictive reformulations, we derive a set of closed-form sufficient conditions on network parameters that ensure its strong duality. Numerical studies on IEEE 33-bus, 69-bus test networks and two real-world distribution systems confirm that non-negligible duality gaps do exist in this SOCP formulation, and also demonstrate the validity of the proposed sufficient conditions on closing the duality gap. Our results provide an analytical tool to ensure the strong duality of the SOCP power flow formulation and to support algorithm developments for its complex extensions.
Motor adaptation and internal model formation in a robot-mediated forcefield

Motor adaptation relies on error-based learning for accurate movements in changing environments. However, the neurophysiological mechanisms driving individual differences in performance are unclear. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)-evoked potential can provide a direct measure of cortical excitability. To investigate cortical excitability as a predictor of motor learning and motor adaptation in a robot-mediated forcefield. A group of 15 right-handed healthy participants (mean age 23 years) performed a robot-mediated forcefield perturbation task. There were two conditions: unperturbed non-adaptation and perturbed adaptation. TMS was applied in the resting state at baseline and following motor adaptation over the contralateral primary motor cortex (left M1). Electroencephalographic (EEG) activity was continuously recorded, and cortical excitability was measured by TMS-evoked potential (TEP). Motor learning was quantified by the motor learning index. Larger error-related negativity (ERN) in fronto-central regions was associated with improved motor performance as measured by a reduction in trajectory errors. Baseline TEP N100 peak amplitude predicted motor learning (P = 0.005), which was significantly attenuated relative to baseline (P = 0.0018) following motor adaptation. ERN reflected the formation of a predictive internal model adapted to the forcefield perturbation. Attenuation in TEP N100 amplitude reflected an increase in cortical excitability with motor adaptation reflecting neuroplastic changes in the sensorimotor cortex. TEP N100 is a potential biomarker for predicting the outcome in robot-mediated therapy and a mechanism to investigate psychomotor abnormalities in depression.
The Evolution of an AgI Cloud‐Seeding Track in Central China as Seen by a Combination of Radar, Satellite, and Disdrometer Observations

Operational cloud seeding has been implemented to alleviate local precipitation shortages in China for over half a century. Here, we present quantitative evidence for the effect of AgI seeding on supercooled layer clouds with a top cloud temperature of −15°C in China, as documented for the first time by a combination of radar, satellite, and disdrometer observations. A radar signature appeared 18 min after seeding, shortly followed by a visible glaciated seeding track. The seeding signature expanded horizontally at a rate of ∼1.4 and ∼0.3 m s−1 before and after 04:25 UTC. The radar signature descended to the surface 40 min after seeding. A disdrometer captured the precipitation of the first seeded raindrops that reached maximum diameter of 2.75 mm compared to the maximum diameter of 1 mm of the light background rain. The enhanced surface rainfall was observed within the subsequent 100 min. A conceptual model for the formation and expansion of the seeding track is presented. Although the precipitation was light, it is a promising step toward the goal of quantifying the impact of cloud seeding in China.
Microcolumn High Performance Liquid Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry Method for the Determination of Polyphenols in Tobacco

A microcolumn high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) and mass spectrometry method for the determination of polyphenols in tobacco was studied. The recoveries of tobacco polyphenols are 97% - 103% , and the relative standard deviations are 1.4% - 1.9% . This method can be applied to the determination of polyphenols in tobacco with satisfactory result.
Effect of nanocellulose/chitosan composite coatings on cucumber quality and shelf life

ABSTRACT Nanocellulose/chitosan composite coatings are useful for their mechanical and barrier properties, biodegradability, and food safety applications. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of 1% chitosan (CS) and 5% nanocellulose (NCC) composite coatings on cucumber. The influence on quality and antioxidant enzymes were investigated by immersing cucumbers in deionized water (CK), chitosan solution (CS), and nanocellulose/chitosan composite solution (NCC/CS), respectively, during a 14-day storage at 4° C. At the end of storage, weight loss of cucumbers in NCC/CS decreased to 8.4%, and firmness reduced by 20.3%. Chlorophyll degradation was noticeable in visual appearance and lowered by 25.5%, there was no marked change in ascorbic acid content. Total soluble solids decreased 0.78%. The enzymatic activities responsible for softening phenomena including catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) activity fell 25.6% and 16.1%, respectively. Alterations were more apparent in CK cucumbers. The results confirm that the use of NCC/CS composite coatings might maintain quality and extend the shelf life of cucumbers.
Assessment of Concentration levels of contaminants in groundwater of Soutpansberg Region, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Groundwater contribution towards improved food security and human health depend on the level of contaminants in groundwater. In rural areas, many people use groundwater for drinking and irrigation purposes without treatment and have no knowledge of contaminants levels in such waters. The reason for such lack of treatment and knowledge is due to the parachute type of research which emphasizes on scientific knowledge and records only and not sharing research outputs with communities for improved human health and food security. This study argued that parachute research type exposes groundwater users to health hazards and threaten food security. Concentration levels of contaminants were measured to ascertain suitability of groundwater for drinking and irrigation use. 124 groundwater quality samples from 12 boreholes and 2 springs with physiochemical data from 1995 to 2017 were assessed. This study found high concentration levels of contaminants such F−, NO3−, Cl− and TDS in certain parts of the studied area when compared to water quality standards. In general, groundwater was deemed suitable for drinking purposes in most part of the studied area. Combined calculated values of SAR, Na%, MH, PI, RSC and TDS determined that groundwater is suitable for irrigation purposes. The discussion in this paper showed that scientific knowledge generated on groundwater quality should be shared with water users as it will improved human health and food security and also enhance the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. This study recommended that skills and research outputs should be shared with groundwater users through various initiatives.
Sports as education: Is this a stereotype too? A national research on the relationship between sports practice, bullying, racism and stereotypes among Italian students

Abstract This article is based on scientific evidence from a national survey carried out in Italy in 2017 on a sample of 4011 students. The results of the statistical analysis show that the potential educational role of sports is not an explicit value embedded in its practice. In these terms, today the causal link between sports and education appears to be a stereotype. The study shows that teenagers who play sports outside of school have an increase in their levels of tolerance of bullying and racism. In addition, respondents who play sports have highly stereotyped opinions about gender roles and ethnic diversity. The neutrality of sports practice in Italy, with regard to social inclusion and the dissemination of positive values, has been demonstrated. Although sport can be a useful educational tool to mitigate limits arising from disadvantaged social conditions, a direct relation between sports and education has not been observed. In order to spread positive social values and promote social inclusion through sport, we hypothesise that it is necessary to overcome two limits: the inequality in sports opportunities among students and the weakness of the relation between sports and pedagogy. This article finally proposes a pedagogical approach aimed at sports teaching oriented towards social inclusion.
Identifying most promising agronomic adaptation strategies to close rainfed rice yield gap in future: a model-based assessment

There is an increasing consensus that climate change may have a high negative impact on crop yield, and that it will affect farmers in developing and least developed counties the most. ‘Closing the yield gap’ could be one of the promising options to address the issue of yield improvement. Better understanding of adaptation strategies and implications of the adaptations in crop yield are required to close the yield gap. In this study, the effectiveness of agronomic adaptation options on the rainfed rice yield gap was evaluated for the baseline period (1981–2005) and two future periods (2016–2040 and 2026–2050) for India by using bias-corrected RegCM4 output and the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) model. Results suggested that a combined adjustment of transplanting time (advancing by fortnight), crop spacing ((10 × 10) cm) and N-fertilizer application (140 kg/ha) was the best strategy as compared to the single adaptation option to close the yield gap under the climate change scenario. The strategy improved rice yield by 37.5–168.0% and reduced the average attainable yield gap among the cultivars from 0.74 to 0.16 t/ha under future climate projection. This study provides agronomic indications to rice growers and lays the basis for an economic analysis to support policy-makers in charge of promoting the sustainability of the rainfed rice-growing systems.
Medial temporal lobe high-frequency activity at feedback signals error and predicts subsequent memory during spatial learning

The ability to incorporate information about feedback is critical for associative learning. The medial temporal lobe (MTL) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) are thought to be involved in processing feedback as new associations are learned. However, the relative contributions of these regions to feedback processing and subsequent memory performance in humans are poorly understood. To address this question, we tested pre-surgical epilepsy patients with depth electrodes implanted in the MTL and PFC using a spatial memory task in which subjects learned object-location associations over time. We found increased high-frequency activity (HFA; 40-100 Hz), thought to reflect local excitatory activity, in the MTL and dorsolateral PFC (dlPFC) at feedback for high error trials. In the MTL, this HFA error signal predicted greater trial-by-trial decreases in error from one training block to the next indicating that these signals are involved in updating memory representations or modifying incorrect associations during learning. The opposite pattern of activity was observed during retrieval, with greater MTL and dlPFC HFA predicting lower error, replicating previous results from our group. Overall, these data suggest putative mechanisms for the learning of object-location associations.
Energy and exergy analysis in solar drying of pistachio with air recycling system

ABSTRACT A solar drier with and without air recycling (Methods I and II) along with a sun drying system (Method III) were used to reduce the moisture content of pistachio from 40 to ∼5% (wet basis) at similar weight conditions. Although the ΔT’s of ambient air in Methods I and II reached, respectively, to 18 and 14°C, it did not increase more than 2°C in Method III. The drying air of Method I obtained ∼55% more enthalpy from its solar collectors and transferred ∼35% more heating energy to the product than the one in Method II. Consequently it’s thermal and pickup efficiencies became, respectively, 40 and 80% more than Method II. Although the highest exergy efficiencies of Methods I and II were equal to each other (∼95%), the maximum exergy loss of Method I was higher than Method II due to its higher air temperature and pressure loss (because of continuous air circulation). Although its energy utilization ratio and drying rate were, respectively, 30% more than Method II and 20% higher than Method III, its drying time was 20 and 30% less than the ones in Methods II and III. Overall, the pistachio dried with Method I used much less energy than those dried with other methods and had a higher quality than those dried with commercial driers due to drying temperature <50°C.
Catalytic Copyrolysis of Cellulose and Thermoplastics over HZSM-5 and HY

Catalytic pyrolysis with HZSM-5 is a promising method for the production of renewable aromatic hydrocarbons directly from biomass, even though the aromatic yields are still very low. Recent studies have shown that cofeeding of biomass with plastic significantly improves the aromatic yield due to high hydrogen content in plastic. In an effort to determine the influence of the zeolite pore size and the molecular diameter of cofeeding plastic on the aromatic production, catalytic copyrolysis of cellulose and thermoplastics, including random polypropylene (PP) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) was conducted over HZSM-5 and HY catalysts. Thermogravimetric (TG) results showed that maximum decomposition temperature of PP was shifted to the higher temperature when PP was copyrolyzed with cellulose over HZSM-5 because the diffusion of PP molecules was hindered by the cellulose-derived coke and char. This hindering effect was attenuated by employing LLDPE as the cofeeding plastic due to its smaller molecu.
Natural Variability and Warming Signals in Global Ocean Wave Climates

This paper presents a multivariate classification of the global wave climate into types driven by atmospheric circulation patterns. The primary source of the net long‐term variability is evaluated based on historical wave simulations. Results show that the monsoon, extratropical, subtropical, and polar wave climate types of the Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans are dominated by natural variability, whereas the extratropical and subtropical wave climate types in the Indian Ocean, and the tropical wave climate types of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans exhibit a global warming signal. In the Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean, strong natural variability may mask a global warming signal that is yet to emerge as being statistically significant. In addition, wave climate teleconnections were found across the world that can provide a framework for joint strategies to achieve the goals of climate adaption for resilient coastal communities and environments.
Investigation of aflatoxin and metal concentrations in animal feeds and feed ingredients from Turkey

The contents of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), aflatoxin B2 (AFB2), aflatoxin G1 (AFG1) aflatoxin G2 (AFG2), aluminium (Al), arsenic (As), barium (Ba), calcium (Ca), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), mercury (Hg), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), sodium (Na), nickel (Ni), phosphorus (P), lead (Pb), selenium (Se), tin (Sn) and zinc (Zn) in animal feed samples in Turkey were screened. Eighty animal feeds and feed ingredients were collected from different cities in Turkey. Aflatoxins were determined using the HPLC instrument after pre-separation using immuno affinity column, and also the instrument of ICP-MS was used for metal determinations. All types of animal feed samples have led concentrations lower than the maximum EU and Turkey regulation limit, while 1.25% and 11.8 of mixed and feed additive samples had AFB1 and Hg concentrations higher than the maximum limits, respectively. A single correlation analysis was used to determine the relationship between AFB1 and total AFs and metal contents in mixed animal feed samples (p<0.05). A strong positive correlation was found between As and AFB1 and total AFs contents; whereas Cr was correlated negatively to AFB1 and total AFs, using single correlation analyses.