Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rocky shores as tractable test systems for experimental ecology

Abstract Rocky shore ecology has been studied for a long time, starting with qualitative descriptions and becoming more quantitative and experimental over time. Some of the earliest manipulative experimental ecological studies were undertaken on rocky shores. Many, over time, have made considerable contributions to ecological theory, especially highlighting the importance of biological interactions at the community level. The suitability of rocky shores as convenient test systems for ecological experimentation is outlined. Here we consider contributions from rocky shores to the emerging concepts of supply-side ecology, the roles of competition, predation and grazing, disturbance and succession and positive interactions in structuring communities along environmental gradients. We then address alternative stable states, relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, and bottom-up and top-down control of ecosystems. We briefly consider the feedback and synergies between ecological concepts and experimental work on rocky shores, whilst still emphasizing the traditional values of marine natural history upheld in JMBA since its first publication. The importance of rigorous experimental designs championed by Underwood and co-workers is emphasized. Recent progress taking advantage of new technologies and emerging approaches is considered. We illustrate how experimental studies have shown the importance of biological interactions in modulating species and assemblage-level responses to climate change and informed conservation and management of coastal ecosystems.
Performance of a Combined Cyclone-Filter Aerosol Collector

The collection efficiency of fine aerosol particles of a cyclone collector was improved by combining the cyclone with filters. The effects of particle size and inlet velocity on the penetration and pressure drop were studied. Results show that the penetration of the cyclone combined with a 4-mm and a 8-mm fibrous filter for particle sizes between 0.3 to 1.0 μm was lower than that of the cyclone up to about 20%. The penetration of the cyclone combined with 0.94 and 1.83 g stainless steel filter was found to be lower than that of the cyclone up to about 41%. Moreover, the pressure drop of the cyclone combined with a 4-mm and a 8-mm fibrous filter width was 39.9 and 48.9%, respectively, lower. For a cyclone combined with 0.94 and 1.83 g stainless steel, the pressure drop was 30.6 and 25.7%, respectively, lower. The improvement of the collection performance, a higher collection efficiency, and a lower pressure drop, is attributed to a change of the collection mechanism from centrifugal force to partial filtration at lower tangential velocity.
Editorial Comment

Johnsen, Fasmer, Van Waginengen et al. present a preliminary study of the effect of the glutamate antagonist memantine on the variability of motor activity in normal humans compared with a group of schizophrenic patients. The study of animal movement within a range has been studied with the model of Fourier transformation for years by ecologists. This was my first exposure to its use in human behaviour (1). It appears to provide meaningful results, and this group seems likely to continue to apply and refine the approach. Their results are interesting, and seem to support the hypothesis that motor abnormalities associated with the disease of schizophrenia are mediated by changes in N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, their neurons, and their circuits (2). Where results seem inconsistent, they may clarify what we know about long-term potentiation at NMDA receptors involvement in learning (3–5). For example, the greater effect of memantine on movement of the dominant arm might be evidence of the learning of skills in the dominant hand and arm. The matter deserves further study, as potentiation of neurotransmission at NMDA receptors is involved in all learning processes that have been studied. Thus, we see a pharmacological probe getting at something that may be at the core of how the brain and body work within and on the environment.
Determination of Ge, As, Se and Te in Silicate Samples Using Isotope Dilution‐Internal Standardisation Octopole Reaction Cell ICP‐QMS by Normal Sample Nebulisation

A method for the determination of Ge, As, Se and Te in silicate samples using isotope dilution‐internal standardisation (ID‐IS) octopole reaction cell (ORC) ICP‐QMS by normal sample nebulisation was developed. The method does not involve either hydride generation or ion exchange. Germanium, Se and Te were determined by isotope dilution (ID), and As was determined by ID‐IS. A silicate sample with an added Ge‐Se‐Te spike was digested with an HF‐HNO3‐HBr mixture, dried, re‐dissolved with HF and the supernatant liquid was directly aspirated into an ORC‐ICP‐QMS instrument with He or H2 gas. No matrix effects were observed down to a dilution factor (DF) of ∼ 70 for Ge, Se and Te and DF of ∼ 1000 for As, which resulted in 3s detection limits in silicates of 2, 1, 0.1 and 4 ng g−1, respectively. Advantages of the method are the simple sample introduction as well as a capability of determining S, Ti, Zr, Nb, Mo, Sn, Sb, Hf and Ta by ID‐IS‐ICP‐QMS/SFMS from the same solution. Furthermore, the total sample solution consumption was only 0.253 ml with DF = 2000. Therefore, only a 0.13 mg test portion was required. To demonstrate the applicability of this technique, Ge, As, Se and Te in eight silicate reference materials were determined, as well as S, Ti, Zr, Nb, Mo, Sn, Sb, Hf and Ta in four carbonaceous chondrites.
‘I don't want to be, feel old’: older Canadian men's perceptions and experiences of physical activity

Abstract Relatively few older adults are physically active despite extensive research exploring barriers and facilitators and concomitant interventions designed to enhance participation rates. Building on the growing literature that considers the subjective experience of being physically active, we explored the meanings that older Canadian men attributed to physical activity broadly defined. Thus, we examined their experiences and perceptions of exercise, sport and/or leisure-time physical activities. Data are presented from qualitative interviews with 22 community-dwelling Canadian men aged 67–90. Our analysis resulted in three overarching categories that subsumed the men's understanding of physical activity. ‘I do it for my health’ described how the men stated that their primary reason for engaging in exercise was to maintain their health and body functionality so that they could age well and continue to participate in sport and leisure. ‘It feels good’ referred to the various ways that the men derived pleasure from being active, including the physical sensations, psychological benefits and social connections they derived from their participation. ‘It gets tougher’ detailed the ways that the men were finding physical activity to be increasingly difficult as a result of the onset of health problems, declining body functionality and the social realities of ageing. We discuss our findings in light of the extant literature concerning age relations, ageism, and the third and fourth ages.
Flow Excited Resonance of a Confined Shallow Cavity in Low Mach Number Flow and Its Control

Shallow cavities exposed to unbounded, low Mach number flow are generally weak aeroacoustic sources because their acoustic modes are heavily damped. This paper focuses on a cavity mounted on the wall of a duct to investigate the effect of “confinement”, i.e. solid boundaries close to the cavity, on the aeroacoustic response of shallow cavities in low Mach number flow (M < 0.3). It is found that the transverse acoustic modes of the duct-cavity combination are excited by the higher order modes of the cavity shear layer oscillations. The nature of the excitation mechanism as well as the effects of the cavity and duct dimensions are investigated by means of measurements of the amplitude and phase distributions of the acoustic pressure, complemented with flow visualization of the cavity shear layer oscillation. A method to predict the onset of resonance is also suggested. It is also shown that the acoustic resonance is effectively suppressed by a feedback control method, which generates a synthetic jet acting at the cavity upstream corner. The effect of the phase and gain of the controller transfer function is studied in some detail.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Chemical changes in silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) wood caused by hydrogen peroxide bleaching and monitored by color measurement (CIELab) and UV-Vis, FTIR and UVRR spectroscopy

Abstract Silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) wood was subjected to bleaching with acidic hydrogen peroxide solution. The color change and chemical changes occurring on bleaching were investigated by CIELab color measurements and UV-Vis, FTIR and UVRR spectroscopy. With bleaching, the color of birch wood changed notably towards white, less red and more yellow, revealed by the CIELab color measurements, however, followed by notable yellowing in 343 days. The chemical changes occurring with the bleaching treatment in the xylem of birch, demonstrated by UV-Vis, FTIR and UVRR spectroscopy, indicated degradation of aromatic structures with a simultaneous increase in relative amounts of unconjugated carbonyl structures. The results indicate that the degradation of aromatic structures involved opening of the aromatic ring possibly leading to the formation of muconic acids or other low molecular weight products rich in carbonyl structures. In addition, in birch wood subjected to bleaching treatment with acidic hydrogen peroxide solution, syringyl structures provided favorable sites for the degradation of aromatic structures.
Double-gated silicon field emitters

Gated field emission devices have great promise for a number of applications. The electron beams formed by these devices are poorly collimated, however, which limits their utility for certain applications. This article describes an approach to collimating the electron beam and forming a small spot size by using a new chemical–mechanical polishing process to make an electron lens at each field emission tip. Variations in the tip height with respect to the aperture vary βF/βG between 0.16 and 2.67, showing significant sensitivity of the coupling between the focus gate and tip as a function of process variation. The tips exhibit good Fowler–Nordheim behavior and interesting electrostatic properties. Electron spot size reduction greater than ten times is demonstrated.
Understanding Local Regulation of Fracking: A Spatial Econometric Approach

Fracking is a controversial practice but is thriving in many areas. We combine a comprehensive data set on local bans and moratoria in the state of New York with local-level census data and spatial characteristics in a spatial econometric analysis of local fracking policies. Some factors, including location in the Utica shale, proportion of registered Democrats, and education level, increase the probability of restrictions on fracking. Extent of local land development, location in highly productive petroleum areas, and number of extant oil and gas wells are among factors that have a negative impact on the likelihood of a ban or moratorium.
A critical investigation of Y7 students’ perceptions of Roman slavery as evidenced in the stories of the Cambridge Latin Course

In an article, ‘The Slaves were Happy’: High School Latin and the Horrors of Classical Studies, Erik Robinson, a Latin teacher from a public high school in Texas, criticises how, in his experience, Classics teaching tends to avoid in-depth discussions on issues such as the brutality of war, the treatment of women and the experience of slaves (Robinson, 2017). However, texts such as the article ‘Teaching Sensitive Topics in the Secondary Classics Classroom’ (Hunt, 2016), and the book ‘From abortion to pederasty: addressing difficult topics in the Classics classroom’ (Sorkin Rabinowitz & McHardy, 2014) strongly advocate for teachers to address these difficult and sensitive topics. They argue that the historical distance between us and Greco-Roman culture and history can allow students to engage and participate in discussions that may otherwise be difficult and can provide a valuable opportunity to address uncomfortable topics in the classroom. Thus, Robinson's assertion that Classics teaching avoids these sensitive topics may not be so definitive. Regardless, Robinson claims that honest confrontations in the classroom with the ‘legacy of horror and abuse’ from the ancient world can be significantly complicated by many introductory textbooks used in Latin classes, such as the Cambridge Latin Course (CLC), one of the most widely used high school Latin textbooks in use in both America and the United Kingdom (Robinson, 2017). In particular, Robinson views the presentation of slavery within the CLC as ‘rather jocular and trivialising’ which can then hinder a reader's perspective on the realities of the violent and abusive nature of the Roman slave trade (Robinson, 2017). As far as he was concerned, the problem lay with the characterisation of the CLC's slave characters Grumio and Clemens, who, he argued, were presented there as happy beings and seemingly unfazed by their positions as slaves. There was never any hint in the book that Grumio or Clemens were unhappy with their lives or their positions as slaves, even though, as the CLC itself states in its English background section on Roman slavery, Roman law ‘did not regard slaves as human beings, but as things that could be bought or sold, treated well or badly, according to the whim of their master’ (CLC I, 1998, p. 78). One might argue, therefore, that there seems to be a disconnect between the English language information we learn about the brutality of the Roman slave trade provided in the background section of Stage 6, and what we can infer about Roman slavery from the Latin language stories involving our two ‘happy’ slaves.
Start-up pressure transients in a capillary rheometer

The “rise time” required to achieve a steady pressure reading in a capillary rheometer operated at constant piston speed can be very long, up to several hours under certain circumstances. This phenomenon can pose a serious problem in the measurement of melt viscosity, and it would be useful to be able to estimate the rise time in the planning of experiments. Based on experiments involving several types of polyethylene, we found that the rise time increases with L/D and the amount of polymer initially in the reservoir and decreases with diameter and piston speed. When the rise time is short, melt viscoelasticity contributes to the rise time, but when it is long, melt compressibility is the dominant factor. A model was developed for the latter case, and this was found to give an accurate prediction of the rise time, given the viscosity and compressibility. The model can also be used to determine the power-law parameters from the start-up pressure trace, P(t), for a single experiment. Alternatively, if the viscosity is known, the compressibility can be inferred from a single pressure trace.
Effect of iron and zinc fertilization on senescence in French bean (phaseolus vulgaris L.)

Abstract In greenhouse experiments, applications of Fe and/or Zn in the form of ferrous sulphate and zinc sulphate induced increased chlorophyll ‘a’ and ‘b’ concentrations, indole‐3‐acetic acid, nitrate reductase activity, and dry matter yield of french bean (Phaseoius vulgaris L.) plants. Iron and Zn in combination were more effective in delaying the leaf senescence compared to controls. Chlorophyll destruction was more rapid at the post‐flowering stage in control plants which led to early senescence and reduced photosynthetic duration. A rapid decline in nitrate reductase activity and indole‐3‐acetic acid concentration in control plants after the 50‐day growth stage further induced senescence. Iron alone and in combination of Zn appeared to contribute to the inhibition of senescence in french bean plants.
Biosynthetic studies of the DSP toxin DTX-4 and an okadaic acid diol ester

Stable isotope incorporation experiments with 13C- and 18O-labelled precursors show that all the carbon atoms in DTX-4 2 and an okadaic acid diol ester 3 are derived from acetate and glycolate, and also identify the acetate and glycolate derived oxygen atoms.
Preparation of polypyrrole nanoparticles in mixed surfactants system

Polypyrrole nanoparticles were prepared by emulsion polymerization, and the surface charge of PPy nanoparticles was controlled by the mixed surfactant system of dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid and isooctylphenyl ether. The shape and size of nanoparticles prepared could be controlled by changing concentration of surfactant. In addition, it was confirmed that the nanoparticles with good conductivity could be obtained by this preparation method. Consequently, well dispersed PPy nanoparticles with 60–100 nm in diameter with cubic shape were obtained and whose conductivity was 56.53 S/cm. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Tolerance of pintoi peanut to PRE and POST herbicides

Abstract Pintoi peanut is a warm-season perennial legume that shows promise as a forage crop for the southeastern United States, however, little is known about the proper methods of weed management during establishment for this species. The objective of this study was to determine the ability of pintoi peanut to tolerate applications of PRE and POST herbicides during the year of and year after planting. The effects of herbicide treatments on percentage of visual estimates of injury and stand counts of pintoi peanut were investigated at Ona and Marianna, FL, in 2015 and 2016. All PRE herbicides did not result in significant injury or stand reduction. Pintoi peanut's tolerance to POST herbicides was higher when plants were emerged for at least 2 wk prior to herbicide application. Stands of pintoi peanut that were planted the previous year appear to tolerate all herbicides examined in this work, except sulfosulfuron. Results of this study indicate that at the year of planting pintoi peanut is tolerant to PRE applications of pendimethalin, imazethapyr, and imazapic. Pintoi peanut appears to tolerate applications of 2,4-D, carfentrazone, imazapic and imazethapyr the year after planting at the rates utilized in this study. Future research should evaluate the effects of multiple herbicide applications and tank-mixes to obtain satisfactory weed control and selectivity in pintoi peanut swards. Nomenclature: 2,4-D; carfentrazone; imazapic; imazethapyr; pendimethalin; sulfosulfuron; pintoi peanut, Arachis pintoi Krap. and Greg. ; ‘Amarillo'
Policy priority inference: A computational framework to analyze the allocation of resources for the sustainable development goals

Abstract We build a computational framework to support the planning of development and the evaluation of budgetary strategies toward the 2030 Agenda. The methodology takes into account some of the complexities of the political economy underpinning the policymaking process: the multidimensionality of development, the interlinkages between these dimensions, and the inefficiencies of policy interventions, as well as institutional factors that promote or discourage these inefficiencies. The framework is scalable and usable even with limited publicly available information: development-indicator data. However, it can be further refined as more data becomes available, for example, on public expenditure. We demonstrate its usage through an application for the Mexican federal government. For this, we infer historical policy priorities, that is, the non-observable allocations of transformative resources that generated past changes in development indicators. We also show how to use the tool to assess the feasibility of development goals, to measure policy coherence, and to identify accelerators. Overall, the framework and its computational tools allow policymakers and other stakeholders to embrace a complexity (and a quantitative) view to tackle the challenges of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Unearthing insights for climate change response in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic

Non-technical summary The COVID-19 pandemic can be considered an experiment forced upon the world community and, as such, responses to the pandemic can provide lessons about socio-ecological systems as well as processes of transformative change. What enabled responses to COVID-19 to be as effective as they were, right at a time when climate action is notably lagging behind what intergovernmental panels have called for? This paper examines key differences in the COVID-19 response compared to that of climate change, examining the ‘deeper’ human dimensions of these global issues. Unearthing insights into the responses to both issues provides important lessons for climate change engagement. Technical summary In the first half of 2020, a dramatic, fast and widespread series of changes occurred in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in behaviors, mindsets, culture, and systems. Yet, despite the intergovernmental calls for precisely this kind of fundamental, transformative change across society regarding global warming, public opinion on climate change is fractured and collective action is slow. More research is needed on the psychosocial dimensions of climate change, to better understand what the bottlenecks are for realizing transformative change. In this paper, I examine what occurred in the COVID-19 pandemic response that could be learned for the climate crisis. I focus on three psychological aspects that made the COVID-19 response accessible and actionable in a way that climate change is not: the mental demands for understanding complex issues; psychological distance and its impacts on motivation and agency; and finite attentional resources that can render certain issues as non-salient. Lessons for climate engagement include: (1) the usefulness of concrete, simple, and personally-relatable messaging; (2) more diverse and democratized climate understandings and stories; (3) greater recognition about how psychological distance affects meaning-making and sense of agency; and (4) appreciation of attentional crowding and the need for sense-making strategies about complex issues. Social media summary Lessons from the deeper human dimensions of COVID-19 response help inform climate change engagement and transformation.
Qualidade química e física de berinjelas submetidas a diferentes tratamentos pós-colheita

The present work was carried out aiming to evaluate chemical and physical characteristics of eggplant fruits submitted to different postharvest treatments. Eggplant fruits (Solanum melongena L.) were harvested in commercial fields in Brasilia, DF. After harvesting the, fruits were graded for size and diameter and treated as follows: modified atmosphere; CaCl2 (2%) dipping + modified atmosphere; 1-MCP (500nL.L-1); 1-MCP (500nL.L-1) + CaCl2(2%) dipping; and control. Fruits were then stored for 10 days at 12±1°C, relative humidity ranging from 85 to 90%, and analyzed every two days for mass loss, firmness, external color (brightness) and total soluble solids content. It was observed that mass loss increased during storage. At the end of the storage period control fruits had a mass loss of 14%, and fruits treated with calcium chloride, with or without the association of modified atmosphere, were 2.5 times firmer than control fruits. For brightness, fruits stored under modified atmosphere had L* values that were 20% higher than control fruits at the tenth day of storage. When total soluble solids were evaluated, it was verified that, at the end of the storage period, control fruits had 20% more soluble solids than fruits stored under modified atmosphere.