Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Desorption of Hydrogen Sulfide during Batch Growth of the Sulfate‐Reducing Bacterium Desulfovibrio desulfuricans

The desorption rate of biogenic H2S during the batch growth of the sulfate‐reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio desulfuricans was studied in a N2‐sparged reactor under agitation. Bacterial growth and product formation were monitored at 37 °C and pH 6.0−8.5 by measuring the time courses of the concentrations of free cells, substrates (lactate and sulfate), and products (acetate and total sulfide) in liquid medium and the amount of desorbed H2S. The experimental data were used to determine the stoichiometric relationships between substrate consumption and product formation. The batch rate data collected under a wide variety of medium pH's and inoculum sizes were analyzed to determine kinetic and stoichiometric parameters for microbial sulfate reduction. The maximum specific growth rate was markedly dependent on the medium pH, whereas the growth yield practically remained unchanged over a pH range from 6.5 to 8.0. Predictions based on the theory of mass transfer with reaction indicated that there is essentially no H2S formation in the unmixed liquid region adjacent to the gas−liquid interface. This implies that the desorption of biogenic H2S is a physical mass transfer process without film reaction. The time variation of the measured amount of desorbed H2S was interpreted by using the developed kinetics of bacterial growth and subsequent H2S formation, the dissociation equilibria of dissolved H2S, and the mass transfer characteristics in the gas‐sparged, stirred bioreactor.
Precise verbal feedback may expedite the attainment of standing long jump accuracy in women

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the precision of verbal feedback affected the accuracy of a standing long jump performance. Sixty-eight female participants (M age=21.44±1.01) were randomly assigned to two experimental groups. In total, each subject performed nine jumps at three distances, i.e. 50 cm (3 trials), 75 cm (3 trials) and 100 cm (3 trials). Group 2 performed jumps in a reverse order. During the task execution, the study participants received verbal feedback at different levels of precision (no feedback; information that the jump was either: too far, close, or correct; information about the distance in centimetres). The results of statistical analysis indicated that the speed of changes in jump accuracy depended on the precision of verbal feedback. The difference between an actual jump result and a target result increased proportionally with jump length. With a large number of trials, verbal feedback accuracy does not affect significantly the precision of women’s long jump performance. However, when the high accuracy of task performance needs to be obtained quickly, feedback ought to define the exact difference between the target and the actual jump results. The current findings also indicate that providing no feedback does not contribute to improving motor task performance accuracy.
Sexual segregation in bison: a test of multiple hypotheses

Sexual segregation, in which males and females form separate groups for most of the year, is common in sexually dimorphic ungulates. We tested multiple hypotheses to explain sexual segregation in bison (Bison bison) at National Bison Range, Montana and Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska during June-August of 2002-2003. Fieldwork involved use of GPS to record space use by segregated groups, vegetation transects to measure forage availability, fecal analyses to document diet composition and quality, and behavioural observations to characterize activity budgets. During sexual segregation, males in bull groups used areas with greater per capita abundance of forage, higher proportion of weeds, and less nutritious grasses (as indicated by lower % fecal nitrogen) compared with females in cow or mixed groups. However, there was no difference between the sexes in activity budgets, predation risk factors, or distance to water. Single-sex bull groups were no more synchronized in activity than mixed groups. These results support the 'sexual dimorphism-body size hypothesis', which proposes that males segregate from females because their larger body size requires more abundant forage, while longer ruminal retention permits efficient use of lower-quality forage. The gastrocentric model, based on the digestive physiology and foraging requirements of dimorphic ungulates, supplies the most likely proximate mechanism for bison sexual segregation. Our results would also partly support the 'reproductive strategy-predation risk hypothesis' if females form large groups to reduce predation risk. The predictions of the 'activity budget hypothesis' were not supported for bison.
A Review on Energy Efficiency in Three Transportation Sectors: Railways, Electrical Vehicles and Marine

The present paper is a review on efficiency issues related to three important sectors of the transportation systems: railways, electrical vehicles, and marine. For the three sectors, the authors, in reference of their knowledge and research area, show the results of a wide literature analysis, in order to highlight which are the measures, in terms of technological solutions and management techniques, which are recently investigated and implemented, for improving the three transportation systems, from the point of view of efficiency. In particular, for the railway transportation sector, a wide analysis is presented, detecting which are the main measures adopted for improving the efficiency, related to the power systems for supplying trains and to the train traffic control, with a focus on the storage system integration. For electric road vehicles the analysis is focused on the plug-in electrical vehicles and on the infrastructure for their recharge, with an emphasis on how these vehicles can support the grid, e.g., through Vehicle to Grid (V2G) applications. Finally, for the marine transport service the review is related to the propulsion systems and on how the different solutions can meet the objective of efficiency.
Response to Comment on "Small Bilaterian Fossils from 40 to 55 Million Years Before the Cambrian"

The comment of Bengtson and Budd (1) is predicated on a preconception that any structures in sectioned Doushantuo microfossils that are claimed to represent cellular features in the original animal must instead be diagenetic artifacts. This preconception is demonstrably false. There are many examples of cellular structures in sections through other Doushantuo microfossils (Fig. 1, A to D, and F) preserved in phosphorite, as are the Vernanimalcula sections (2). Indeed, a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image (Fig. 1E) displays a very similar cleavage form, as does the section in Fig. 1D. Both large and small blastomeres are demonstrated in both images. In the sections, the locations of at least two essentially definitive cellular features of the original embryonic cells, vis, their boundaries [(that is, cell walls) (Fig. 1, A to D and F)] and their nuclei (Fig. 1A) can easily be seen. Thus, it is counterfactual to deny preservation of structural morphology at the cellular level in this kind of material.
The Effect of Changes in Alcohol Tax Differentials on Alcohol Consumption

We show that tax-induced increases in alcohol prices can lead to substantial substitution and avoidance behavior that limits reductions in alcohol consumption. Causal estimates are derived from a natural experiment in Illinois where spirits and wine taxes were raised sharply and unexpectedly in 2009. Beer taxes were increased by only a trivial amount. We construct representative and consistent measures of alcohol prices and sales from scanner data collected for hundreds of products in thousands of stores across the US. Using several difference-in-differences models, we show that alcohol excise taxes are instantly over-shifted. That is, a $1 tax increase translates into a price increase of up to $1.50. We find evidence suggesting that consumers react by switching to less expensive products. In particular, they increase purchases of beer, thus significantly moderating any tax-induced reductions in total ethanol consumption. Our study highlights the importance of tax-induced substitution, the implications of differential tax increases by beverage group and the impacts on public health of alternative types of tax hikes whose main aims are to increase revenue.
The Effect of Ideology and Resource Advantages on Appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court

Abstract Scholars examining the relationship between the federal appellate courts and the U.S. Supreme Court have heretofore explored a myriad of explanations for how the Supreme Court determines which cases it will accept for review, including the ideological relationships between the justices and the circuit judges (and courts) and the resource statuses of the petitioning and responding parties. What scholars have overlooked is why some litigants appeal to the Supreme Court at all, given the low rate of review by the Court and the high costs (financial and otherwise) of an appeal. Scholars have also overlooked how changes in these relationships over time, and across circuits, affect the rates of appeals in the aggregate. I hypothesize that greater ideological disagreements between the circuits and the high court increase the rates of appeals over time, and I hypothesize that increases in the resource divide between the “haves” and “have nots” will depress appeals over time.
Examining consumers’ sensory experiences with color: A consumer neuroscience approach

Department of Marketing, Yale School of Management, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut Department of Marketing and Business Analytics, Lucas College of Graduate School of Business, San Jose State University, San Jose, California Department of Marketing and Logistics, Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio Department of Marketing, Graduate School of Management, UC Davis, Davis, California Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
Water Relations in Cowpea and Pearl Millet Under Soil Water Deficits. III. Extent of Predawn Equilibrium in Leaf Water Potential

Pearl millet [Penniseturn americanum (L.) Leeke] consistently develops lower predawn leaf water potentials than cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. ] when plants are subjected to progressive soil drying, even when they are grown as intercrops in the same pot. Lack of equilibrium in water potential during the predawn, within the plants and between plants and soil, was studied as a possible explanation for this difference. Experiments were conducted in a glasshouse in pots containing an artificial rooting medium which had a high water-holding capacity and was easy to separate from roots. Leaf and root predawn xylem water potentials were measured with a pressure chamber. In cowpea, leaf water potential (ΨL) values during the dry treatment were similar to values of root water potential (ΨR), indicating an approximate equilibrium within the plants. In millet, measurements were made on plants grown in both large and small pots. With large pots, ΨL and ΨR values in millet were similar, but with small pots, predawn ΨL was lower than ΨR. When the surfaces of these small pots were covered with evaporation barriers, however, no significant differences developed between ΨL and ΨR at predawn during soil drying, indicating an approximate equilibrium within millet. During the early stages of the dry treatment, leaf surface conductances measured at predawn indicated that significant water flux occurred at night from the leaves of both cowpea and millet. Leaf surface conductances declined to negligible levels as the dry treatment progressed, however, and night-time fluxes of water from leaves cannot explain the significant difference in predawn ΨL that developed between cowpea and millet. In order to determine whether the lower predawn ΨL in millet was due to a resistance to water uptake at the root surface, an osmoticum (- 0.5 MPa mannitol solution) was applied to pots of cowpea and millet intercrops after substantial differences in predawn ΨL had developed, and ΨL was measured. Measurements taken 9 h later indicated that predawn ΨL had recovered in millet, and the values of ΨL in millet and cowpea after mannitol treatment were similar to the osmotic potential of the mannitol solution. These results suggest that the lower predawn ΨL in millet than in cowpea under drought is due to the development of a substantial soil resistance to water movement to the root surfaces of millet.
Oxidative Repair of Pyrimidine Cyclobutane Dimers by Nitrate Radicals (NO3•): A Kinetic and Computational Study

Pyrimidine cyclobutane dimers are hazardous DNA lesions formed upon exposure of DNA to UV light, which can be repaired through oxidative electron transfer (ET). Laser flash photolysis and computational studies were performed to explore the role of configuration and constitution at the cyclobutane ring on the oxidative repair process, using the nitrate radical (NO3•) as oxidant. The rate coefficients of 8–280 × 107 M−1 s−1 in acetonitrile revealed a very high reactivity of the cyclobutane dimers of N,N’-dimethylated uracil (DMU), thymine (DMT), and 6-methyluracil (DMU6-Me) towards NO3•, which likely proceeds via ET at N(1) as a major pathway. The overall rate of NO3• consumption was determined by (i) the redox potential, which was lower for the syn- than for the anti-configured dimers, and (ii) the accessibility of the reaction site for NO3•. In the trans dimers, both N(1) atoms could be approached from above and below the molecular plane, whereas in the cis dimers, only the convex side was readily accessible for NO3•. The higher reactivity of the DMT dimers compared with isomeric DMU dimers was due to the electron-donating methyl groups on the cyclobutane ring, which increased their susceptibility to oxidation. On the other hand, the approach of NO3• to the dimers of DMU6-Me was hindered by the methyl substituents adjacent to N(1), making these dimers the least reactive in this series.
Home range of the allied rock-wallaby, Petrogale assimilis

The home range and movements of the allied rock wallaby, Petrogale assimilis, a small macropod of the seasonally wet-dry tropics of Queensland, were studied over a 22-month period. There was no significant difference in the size of home ranges (95% isopleth) or core areas (65% isopleth) of males and females. Home ranges were generally elliptical with a mean size of 11.9 ha. Season had a major effect on home ranges. The following measures were all significantly greater in the dry seasons than in the wet seasons: home-range size (larger), home-range shape (more elongate), distance moved by females when feeding (longer), distance between shelter site and home-range centre of activity (longer). Feeding movements of males did not vary seasonally and were as long as dry-season movements of females, suggesting that movements of males are primarily determined by behavioural rather than physiological considerations. The overlap of rock-wallaby home ranges varied little between the sexes or seasons and averaged 38%. Core areas overlapped by an average of 22%; however, feeding adult rock-wallabies rarely met other conspecifics, except their partners. A comparison of the fixes of unpaired wallabies that had overlapping home ranges showed that temporal separation was occurring. In contrast, the home ranges of consort pairs showed extremely high temporal and spatial overlap. Rock-wallabies exhibited strong fidelity to their home ranges. The overlap of the seasonal home ranges and core areas of each individual rock wallaby averaged 68% and 52%, respectively. However, the seasonal home range of a socially immature adult male altered in location and size as he matured socially until it stabilised when he obtained a permanent consort.
Inheritance of resistance to spot blotch caused by bipolaris sorokiniana in spring wheat

Three F 1 progenies and their families in the segregating generations (F 3 , F 4 , F 5 and F 6 ), obtained after crossing resistant x susceptible wheat genotypes were studied in the field to determine the genetics of resistance to spot blotch caused by Bipolaris sorokiniana. Spot blotch scores in the F 1 generation showed absence of dominance. Individually threshed F 2 plants were used to advance the generations. Progenies (200-250) of resistant genotypes Acc. No. 8226, Mon/Ald, Suzhoe#8 crossed with susceptible 'Sonalika' were evaluated in the F 3 , F 4 , F 5 and F 6 generations under induced epiphytotic conditions. Based on disease score distribution in individual progeny rows, F 3 progenies were grouped into four classes: homozygous resistant, homozygous susceptible, segregating resistant and segregating susceptible. Resistance appeared to be under the control of three additive genes. The presence of three genes was also noted in the distribution of F 4 and F 5 lines. In the case of F 6 progeny rows, both quantitative and qualitative models were used to estimate the number of segregating genes based on a 2-year trial. It appeared that resistance to spot blotch was controlled by the additive interaction of more than two genes, possibly only three.
Nest taphonomy of common terns (Sterna hirundo) on Poplar Island, Chesapeake Bay, Maryland

Mesozoic non-avian theropod dinosaurs displayed a diverse range of egg types and clutch forms, suggesting a variety of nesting behaviours, some of which may be shared with birds. More accurate inferences of these behaviours require taphonomic studies of modern nesting sites. Here, we document common tern (Sterna hirundo) nesting sites on Poplar Island in Chesapeake Bay, Maryland. Nests were surveyed on multiple occasions, documenting nest composition, density and distribution, as well as eggshell concentration and orientation. Three colonies yielded 79 tern nests with 193 eggs. Twelve nests hatched, 7 were predated, 30 failed and the fates of 30 remain unknown. Abundant eggshells occurred at the centre of the nests. Concave-up eggshell in or on the nest surface characterised hatched and predated nests, whereas eggshell forced into the subsurface seemed to favour concave-down orientation and may reflect post-hatching extended use of the nest. Eggs buried deep within the nest materials and/or substrate suggest adult abandonment. Quantitative data on eggshell orientation and observations regarding controls on nest distribution, egg predation and incorporation of intact eggs into the substrate at modern nesting sites provide physical guidelines for the improved interpretation of fossil nesting localities.
Effects of herbicide‐tolerant transgenic oilseed rape genotypes on honey bees and other pollinating insects under field condtions

Field experiments were carried out to compare the diversity and density of pollinators foraging on two winter oilseed rape varieties, ‘Falcon’ and ‘Artus’, and their respective transgenic counterparts ‘Falcon pat’ and ‘Artus LL’, which are tolerant to glufosinate, a non‐specific herbicide. The number of insects per 1000 available flowers was counted for the four main pollinators: honeybees, bumblebees, solitary bees, and Diptera. Additionally, on ‘Falcon’/‘Falcon pat’ the foraging behaviour of the main pollinating insects, i.e., honeybees and bumblebees, was observed (number of flowers visited per min, foraging postures, intervariety flights). A pleiotropic effect could affect nectar and pollen production, therefore we measured nectar volume, nectar sugar concentration, and composition for the four plant genotypes, and on ‘Falcon’ and ‘Falcon pat’ pollen production was also estimated. The diversity and density of the foraging insect population observed on the transgenic genotypes were similar to that on the non‐transgenic controls. Moreover, the foraging behaviour strategy was similar on ‘Falcon’ and ‘Falcon pat’, and honeybees flew indifferently across these two genotypes. No difference was found in nectar and pollen between the genotypes. Thus, we may assume that the insects do not discriminate between conventional and transgenic oilseed rape specifically resistant to glufosinate. A case‐by‐case approach is recommended for other genetic modifications to plants potentially visited by bees.
Digital Threats to Democracy: Comparative Lessons and Possible Remedies

We introduce a special issue that collects eight articles, comprising research from twenty-three countries and four continents on the sources, impact on citizens, and possible remedies to various digital threats to democracy, ranging from disinformation to hate speech to state interference with online freedoms. We set these contributions against the backdrop of a profound change in how scholars think about the implications of digital media for democracy. From the utopianism that prevailed from the 1990s until the early 2010s, the post-2016 reckoning has led to a change in the kinds of questions scholars ask, with the focus gradually shifting to investigations of the threats, rather than the benefits, of the Internet. The eight contributions presented in this special issue employ a variety of disciplinary approaches and methods, often comparing different countries, to address some of the most pressing questions on how the Internet can hinder the feasibility and well-functioning of democracy around the world. We conclude by setting out three challenges for future research on digital media and politics: a growing but still partial understanding of the extent and impact of the main digital threats to democracy; the risk that the dominant approaches become overly pessimistic, or founded on weak normative grounds; and the risk that research overemphasizes direct and short-term implications of digital threats on individuals and specific groups at the expense of indirect and medium-term effects on collective norms and expectations of behavior.
A laboratory experiment to determine the dispersal response of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) fry to street light intensity

SUMMARY 1. The effect of a range of ecologically relevant broader spectrum street light intensities on the dispersal timing of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) fry was investigated to assess the efficacy of a proposed management tool, the dimming of lamp brightness, for reducing the ecological consequences of artificial night light on aquatic ecosystems. Dispersal timing under treatment street light intensities of 8, 4, 2 and 1 lux was compared to that under a control night light intensity of 0.1 lux, representative of approximately half that experienced from a full moon. 2. Dispersal timing was significantly delayed (by 1.4 to 2.2 days), and its diel pattern significantly disrupted under the treatment street light intensities. However, the dose–response for both delay and disruption effects was not linear, with a strong effect apparent at 1 lux, and little or no additional impact seen when the light intensity was increased further. Under control conditions, the mean time of dispersal was 3:58 h after dusk, with very few fry (<4%) dispersing during daylight hours. For the treatment street light intensities, the mean time of dispersal of fry was significantly later (5:31 h after dusk at 1 lux) at night, and a much wider distribution of fry dispersal times was apparent with many more fry (19% at 1 lux) dispersing during daylight hours. 3. Survival to dispersal in aquarium conditions was high (≥97.8%) and comparable in the control and treatment street light intensities. However, in the wild, the period between fry dispersal and the establishment of feeding territories is considered to be of critical importance in the dynamics of salmonid populations and any disruption may significantly increase predation and reduce fitness. 4. The findings of this aquarium-based investigation suggest that the dimming of lamp brightness has little potential as a successful management strategy to reduce the disruptive impact of street lighting surrounding freshwater ecosystems. We therefore recommend that the best course of action is to maintain and increase natural unlit areas.