Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Processes of protection : a review of the pathway to establish a new protected area in Baja California Sur

OF THE THESIS Processes of Protection: A Review of the Pathway to Establish a New Protected Area in Baja California Sur by Elizabeth Marie Eklund Master of Arts in Anthropology San Diego State University, 2013 Designating parks and protected areas is one of the most common conservation strategies. Ideas about this mode of landscape level conservation have been shaped by many narratives and debates. These narratives include stories and assumptions about the role of humans on a landscape, how the landscape and its features should be perceived, how the landscape and its resources should be reserved or utilized, and who is best able to make those decisions. In Baja California Sur, a group of conservation actors has submitted paperwork in the hopes of establishing a new protected area, Sierras de la Giganta and Guadalupe Biosphere Reserve (Reserva de la Biosfera de las Sierras de La Giganta y Guadalupe). The actors who wrote the proposal and its supplementary materials constituted a discourse community, or a collection of people who engage pre-existing ideas, both shaping further discussion while the body of literature continues to frame the topic. I went to Baja California Sur and drew data from the draft proposal and supporting documents as well as from fourteen key informant interviews with members of this discourse community. While the document writers invoked the narrative of humans as fundamentally destructive to nature in the proposal and supplementary documents, they invoked the narrative of humans as a part of nature living or depending on natural systems much more frequently. This narrative was often coupled with the idea of ecosystem services and with the idea that nature is fragile. The documents also presented protecting ranching and the ranchero way of life as an equally important aspect of conservation. This discourse community worked within the conservation tradition of Mexico’s system of parks and protected areas. Partly shaped by the outside discourse of community-based management, partially driven by the backgrounds and motivations of the actors involved, the emergent discourse was that the conventional concepts of conservation were a lower priority to this discourse community than local needs and issues of community empowerment. This process of documenting the conservation process and the experiences that go into designing a Biosphere Reserve provides insights into how protecting and understanding resources occurs at the landscape level.
Highly Efficient Wideband mmWave Rectennas for Wireless Power Transfer System With Low-Cost Multinode Tracking Capability

An innovative wireless power transfer (WPT) system utilizing millimeter-wave (mmWave) power for multinode charging and tracking is presented in this article. The core concept of the system revolves around the utilization of frequency-dispersive leaky-wave antenna (LWA) transmitters, enabling passive beam scanning in the far field without the need for active phased arrays. However, such a system requires a breakthrough in receiving rectenna design at mmWave frequencies, encompassing a wide frequency bandwidth, wide beamwidth, and high RF-to-dc conversion efficiency beyond 20 GHz. In this work, we introduce a pioneering mmWave rectenna design achieved through the codesign integration of a magnetoelectric (ME) dipole and high-frequency diodes, eliminating the need for complex impedance matching networks at mmWave frequencies. The proposed rectenna operates in the frequency range of 24–34.5 GHz, achieving over 50% RF-to-dc conversion efficiency for input powers exceeding 15 dBm. In addition, the rectenna demonstrates improved gain and beamwidth compared to conventional designs, enabling wide-angle reception of frequency-scanning passively beamformed mmWave signals. A practical demonstration of the proposed system showcases simultaneous wireless charging of three nodes, highlighting its notable advantages in terms of mobility, cost-effectiveness, and simplicity over conventional WPT technologies.
Non-uniformity of storm impacts on three high-energy embayed beaches

ABSTRACT Loureiro, C. , Ferreira, Ó. , Cooper, J.A. G. , 2014. Non-uniformity of storm impacts on three high-energy embayed beaches. In: Green, A.N. and Cooper, J.A. G. (eds.), Proceedings 13th International Coastal Symposium (Durban, South Africa), Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 70, pp. 326–331, ISSN 0749-0208. Coastal storms are highly significant and destructive events and important natural hazards that have major impacts upon the physical and human-cultural coastline environments. Exceptional coastal storms in the last decades have emphasized the urgent need to reinforce scientific knowledge regarding the frequency, impact and role of these extreme events. This is particularly relevant for embayed beaches, where geomorphological control promotes characteristic morphodynamic responses that are distinct from the better studied long-linear beaches. This paper analyses storm response from datasets of morphological change obtained from three embayments located in three distinct wave environments. Analysis of the morphological response to extreme storm events, particularly the 2007 March Equinox storm in eastern South Africa, the January-February 2009 storm group in southwestern Portugal and the December 2011–January 2012 storm group in northwestern Ireland, demonstrate that storm-induced morphological change in the Durban Bight, Arrifana beach and Portstewart Strand is highly variable alongshore. Retreat values for the mean high water spring shoreline are shown to differ significantly within each embayment. This alongshore non-uniform response to storm-events is attributed to boundary effects triggered by the presence of natural headlands or outcrops and/or artificial engineering structures. Megarip development drives variability in storm response in Arrifana, while wave shadowing and interruption of longshore sediment movement under south-easterly/west-northwesterly storm waves promotes the northward/westward increase in shoreline retreat in the Durban Bight and Portstewart Strand, respectively. Boundary effects significantly influence short-term morphodynamic behaviour during storms and, consequently, determine alongshore non-uniform morphologic response to storm events, irrespective of embayment dimensions and event magnitude.
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS ON CO2 EFFLUX FROM WATER TRACK AND TUSSOCK TUNDRA IN ARCTIC ALASKA, U.S.A.

CO2 efflux and variation in soil environmental characteristics were examined in two tundra vegetation communities, water track (a small drainage of intermittent water flow) and tussock tundra, in the northern foothills of the Philip Smith Mountains in arctic Alaska. Correlation analyses were performed on the observations made at six times during the growing season in order to evaluate the relationships between system CO2 loss and soil moisture, soil temperature, depth of thaw, and depth to the water table. The two sites differed significantly in terms of soil moisture, soil temperature, depth of thaw, and water table depth on several of the sampling dates. During four of the six measurement periods, the rate of CO2 efflux differed significantly between sites. Early in the season, respiration was greater in tussock tundra than at the water track, but later in the season, rates at the water track exceeded those at the tussock site. Highest rates were measured at the water track near mid-season. Efflux of CO2 at both sites was positively correlated with soil temperature. Soil surface (0-5 cm depth) environmental conditions were better predictors of CO2 efflux than were conditions measured at greater depth (5-10 cm). Soil moisture appeared to increase respiration between 100 and 700% of soil dry weight and decrease soil respiration at higher water contents. The effects of soil moisture were stronger in tussock tundra than in the water track community. These data suggest that both soil temperature and soil moisture limit C02 efflux in water track and tussock tundra communities and that the relative importance of these factors changes throughout the growing season.
Does the need for uniqueness lead to non-suicidal self-injury? The mediation of depression and the moderation of gender

Objective Based on the integrated theoretical model of the development and maintenance of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and gender role theory, this study investigated the longitudinal impact of the need for uniqueness on NSSI among adolescents, and the mediating role of depression and the moderating role of gender. Participants A total of 1,166 middle school students (Mean age = 13.04, SDage = 0.78, range = 11–16) from a city in central China was recruited to complete the Need for Uniqueness Scale, Depression Scale, and Adolescent Self-Injury Questionnaire at two waves. The participants included 475 boys and 457 girls. Methods Convenience sampling was used, and a longitudinal study (2 time points with a 6-month interval) was conducted to test our hypotheses. SPSS 25.0 was used to evaluate reliability, and to calculate descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation. PROCESS version 3 was used to test longitudinal relationships among the need for uniqueness, depression and NSSI, and construct a moderated mediation model. Results Results revealed that T1 need for uniqueness in adolescents was significantly positively associated with T2 NSSI and T2 depression, and T2 depression was significantly positively associated with T2 NSSI. After controlling for gender, T1 need for uniqueness positively predicted T2 NSSI. Furthermore, the mediation analysis demonstrated that the pathway linking T1 need for uniqueness to T2 NSSI through T2 depression was statistically significant. Moreover, gender moderated the indirect effect from T2 depression to T2 NSSI in the association between T1 need for uniqueness and T2 NSSI. Compared to boys in the same situation, girls who are susceptible to depression were more likely to commit NSSI. Conclusion This study demonstrated that the need for uniqueness in adolescents longitudinally predicts NSSI through the mediating role of depression and gender moderates the indirect effect from depression to NSSI. The current study not only suggests that the need for uniqueness is a risk factor for NSSI among adolescents, but also provides an empirical basis for the prevention and intervention of NSSI.
Experimental Study on the Behavior of Axially Loaded Reinforced Concrete Square Columns Strengthened with SIFCON Shell

Slurry infiltrated fiber concrete (SIFCON) is an advanced generation of fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) with higher fiber content. SIFCON offers excellent potential for use in areas that require high ductility and impact resistance, particularly when designing seismic retrofits and repairing or strengthening structural reinforced concrete members. This study investigated the behavior of square normal strength concrete (NSC) columns of grade M35 strengthened with SIFCON shell and compared them with unstrengthen NSC. The effect of different SIFCON shell thicknesses (2 and 3) cm, fiber type and volume fraction (4 and 6%), and tie spacing (8 and 16) cm were studied. The fiber types employed were polypropylene and hooked-end steel fiber. Eleven columns were cast and tested for the current investigation in two groups, where the first group (control specimens) consists of two unstrengthen NSC columns and one square NSC column strengthened with a 2 cm SIFCON shell with a 6% steel fiber ratio. The second group comprises eight NSC columns strengthened with a hybrid fiber SIFCON shell. The NSC square columns had dimensions of (8x8x80) cm. 3 cm SIFCON shell thickness was observed to evolve the strengthen columns' load-carrying capacity and energy absorption. The maximum load achieved is about 223% as compared with unstrengthened NSC columns. The energy absorption was about 16 times that of the control. At the same time, the stiffness of strengthened columns is less than that of NSC columns.
OGLE-2014-BLG-0962 and a Comparison of Galactic Model Priors to Microlensing Data

OGLE-2014-BLG-0962 (OB140962) is a stellar binary microlensing event that was well covered by observations from the Spitzer satellite as well as ground-based surveys. Modeling yields a unique physical solution: a mid-M+M-dwarf binary with Mprim = 0.20 ± 0.01 M☉ and Msec = 0.16 ± 0.01 M☉, with projected separation of 2.0 ± 0.3 au. The lens is only DLS = 0.41 ± 0.06 kpc in front of the source, making OB140962 a bulge lens and the most distant Spitzer binary lens to date. In contrast, because the Einstein radius (θE = 0.143 ± 0.007 mas) is unusually small, a standard Bayesian analysis, conducted in the absence of parallax information, would predict a brown dwarf binary. We compare the results of Bayesian analysis using two commonly used Galactic model priors to the measured values for a set of Spitzer lenses. We find all models tested predict lens properties consistent with the Spitzer data. Furthermore, we illustrate the methodology for probing the Galactic distribution of planets by comparing the cumulative distance distribution of the Spitzer two-body lenses to that of the Spitzer single lenses.
Stochastic deconvolution of wall statistics in Reynolds‐averaged Navier–Stokes simulations based on one‐dimensional turbulence

Reynolds‐averaged Navier–Stokes simulation (RaNS) is state‐of‐the‐art for numerical analysis of complex flows at high Reynolds number. Standalone RaNS may yield a reasonable estimate of the wall‐shear stress and turbulent drag if a proper wall‐function is prescribed, but detailed turbulence statistics cannot be obtained, especially at the wall. This lack in modeling is addressed here by a stochastic deconvolution strategy based on a stochastic one‐dimensional turbulence (ODT) model. Here, a one‐way coupling strategy is proposed in which a forcing term is computed from the balanced RaNS solution that is in turn utilized in the ODT model. The temporally developing ODT solution exhibits turbulent perturbations but relaxes toward the local RaNS solution due to resolved molecular‐diffusive processes. It is demonstrated that the approach is able to recover the distribution of positive wall‐shear stress fluctuations in turbulent channel flow. When formulated as post‐processing tool, it is suggested that RaNS can be enhanced by ODT providing economical means for local high‐fidelity numerical modeling based on a low‐fidelity flow solution.
Community awareness and perceptions on microplastics: a case study from Sri Lanka

Microplastic (MP) pollution is a global issue due to its unprecedented impacts on the environment and human health. However, its place as a potential pollutant and possible impacts on plant and human health are less understood among the general public. The study was conducted to investigate the level of awareness of MP pollution and its impacts and to evaluate their practices and perceptions of plastic usage, and their awareness on regulatory measures in Sri Lanka. The convenience sampling method was employed to select the study population representative of both rural and urban areas. A questionnaire was distributed among 166 respondents belonging to the age group of 20 - 40 years. Nearly 67% and 68% of respondents were aware of MPs and their harmful impacts, respectively. Nevertheless, most respondents (66 %) were not aware of the regulatory measures introduced by the authorities to control the usage of plastic products. About 66% of respondents discarded plastic items on a daily or weekly basis indicating their widespread usage among the general public in Sri Lanka. However, a majority (85%) were unaware that burning of plastics is a prohibited action in the country. The results revealed that the awareness of MPs and their impacts were significantly linked to the gender, level of education, and occupation of respondents, though their awareness on regulatory measures did not show any relationship with the tested demographic characteristics. Unemployed respondents (98.4%) were more mindful of the non-biodegradable nature of plastics than that of students and employed respondents, indicating that the level of education has no link with their awareness of plastics and their characteristics. Despite reasonably high awareness on MPs, the study highlights the necessity of introducing effective strategies to enhance the awareness of regulatory measures to control plastic usage and safe disposal mechanisms among the general public to manage MP pollution in Sri Lanka.
Inflow waters in the deep regions of the southern Baltic Sea - transport and transformations (corrected version)

A medium-sized inflow (about 200 km according to IOW data, – personal communication) of saline water into the southern Baltic Sea occurred during January 2003. Unlike any previously observed inflow, this one brought very cold water, of temperatures around 1–2◦C and less. Since the temperature of the deep water in the southern Baltic before the inflow was exceptionally high (11–12◦C), the inflowing waters produced dramatic changes and a steep temperature gradient. The movement of the inflowing waters through the deep basins and channels of the Baltic Sea from the Arkona Basin to the Gdańsk Deep during next 4–8 months is described. Frequent mesoscale structures and intensive mixing followed the eastward transport of the inflow water, particularly in the Bornholm Deep and * This paper was presented at the Baltic Sea Science Congress (BSSC) in August 2003 in Helsinki. The complete text of the paper is available at http://www.iopan. gda.pl/oceanologia/ 114 J. Piechura, A. Beszczyńska-Möller Słupsk Furrow. The present paper is based on data collected during 6 cruises r/v ‘Oceania’ between December 2002 and August 2003. The last cruise in August took place in order to assess the long-term consequences of the inflow.
Framework of SDG leadership among SMEs in South Asian nations-using Interpretive Structural Modelling

Abstract This research paper investigates the enablers of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) leadership among Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in South Asian nations using Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM). The study focuses on identifying the factors that facilitate SDG leadership in SMEs, including shared vision, long-term perspective, co-creation, shared responsibility, empowering people, eco-centric values, creativity and innovation, bonding and trust, knowledge sharing, strategic adaption, and progressive culture. The research findings show that these factors are interrelated, and their integration can help SMEs to achieve sustainable development and become SDG leaders in their respective industries. The study contributes to the existing literature by providing insights into the enablers of SDG leadership among SMEs in South Asian nations and proposing a framework for their successful implementation. The proposed framework can be used as a guide for policymakers, managers, and entrepreneurs to promote sustainable development in their organizations and the region.
The Effects of Combined Motor Control and Isolated Extensor Strengthening Versus General Exercise on Paraspinal Muscle Morphology, Composition, and Function in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Low back pain (LBP), a globally widespread and persistent musculoskeletal disorder, benefits from exercise therapy. However, it remains unclear which type leads to greater changes in paraspinal muscle health. This study aimed to (1) compare the effects of a combined motor control and isolated lumbar extension exercise (MC+ILEX) versus a general exercise (GE) intervention on paraspinal muscle morphology, composition, and function, and (2) examine whether alterations in paraspinal muscle health were correlated with improvements in pain, function, and quality of life. Fifty participants with chronic LBP were randomly assigned to each group and underwent a 12-week supervised intervention program. Magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound assessments were acquired at baseline, 6 and 12 weeks to examine the impact of each intervention on erector spinae (ES) and multifidus (MF) muscle size (cross-sectional area, CSA), composition, and function at L4-L5 and L5-S1. Self-reported questionnaires were also acquired to assess participant-oriented outcomes. Our findings indicated that the MC+ILEX group demonstrated greater improvements in MF and ES CSA, along with MF thickness at both levels (all p < 0.01). Both groups significantly improved in pain, function, and quality of life. This study provided preliminary results suggesting that an MC+ILEX intervention may improve paraspinal morphology while decreasing pain and disability.
Physiological CTG categorisation in types of hypoxia compared with MRI and neurodevelopmental outcome in infants with HIE.

: Background Commonly used methods of CTG classification do not reliably predict neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Objective: To examine whether a relationship exists between the types of hypoxia as identified on the cardiotocograph using a novel physiology based CTG classification and patterns of injury on neonatal cerebral MRI and later neurodevelopmental outcomes. Study design : A retrospective study of term-born infants admitted to four neonatal units with HIE as part of a brain injury biomarkers study between January 2014 and December 2015. Intrapartum CTG traces were analysed by two obstetricians trained in a novel physiology based CTG classification, blind to neonatal outcomes. Neonatal cerebral MR images were assessed independently by a neuroradiologist and an expert neonatologist. CTG traces were classified into types of hypoxia and allocated to groups; 1) chronic hypoxia or antepartum injury; 2) gradually evolving or subacute hypoxia and 3) acute hypoxia. Results : Of 106 infants recruited to the study, records were available for 58 cases. Of these, CTGs were available for 37. All 37 had abnormal CTGs. Twenty-four infants, all of whom had received therapeutic hypothermia had cerebral MRI. Fourteen of the 24 (58%) infants had abnormal MRI. In group 1 (chronic hypoxia/ antenatal injury), total brain injury was most predominant (4/6 infants). Group 2 (gradually evolving/ subacute hypoxia) was associated with peripheral brain injury (5/5 infants). Group 3 (acute hypoxia) was associated with basal-ganglia thalamic injury pattern (3/3 infants). Later neurodevelopmental outcomes were available for 35 cases. Infants suspected to have pre-labour injury on CTG (group 1) had a higher proportion of adverse neurodevelopmental outcome (4/10, 40%) compared to groups 2 and 3 (4/25, 16%).
The childhood of turbulent spot in shear flows

We numerically investigate the temporal aspects of turbulent spot spreading in a plane Couette ﬂow for transitional Reynolds numbers between 300 and 450. We focus our study on the spreading along the streamwise direction and on the shape of turbulent spots. Studying the topology of turbulent spots and the associated large-scale ﬂows, we suggest a decomposition of the streamwise growth rate. On one hand, the quadrupolar large-scale ﬂow heads for the spot along the streamwise direction and act against the growth. The associated growth rate is negative. On the other hand, we also deﬁne a positive growth rate associated to inside large-scale ﬂow which enables the convection of the streaks. The sum of these two growth rates is compared to the spot streamwise growth rate and shows good agreement. The resulting shape of the spot is then discussed. A scenario gathering all these elements provides a better understanding of the growth dynamics and of the shape of a turbulent spot in a plane Couette ﬂow. This scenario should be relevant to other shear ﬂows.