Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Response of carbon and water fluxes to meteorological and phenological variability in two eastern North American forests of similar age but contrasting species composition – a multiyear comparison

Abstract. The annual carbon and water dynamics of two eastern North American temperate forests were compared over a 6-year period from 2012 to 2017. The geographic location, forest age, soil, and climate were similar between the two stands; however, stand composition varied in terms of tree leaf-retention and shape strategy: one stand was a deciduous broadleaf forest, while the other was an evergreen needleleaf forest. The 6-year mean annual net ecosystem productivity (NEP) of the coniferous forest was slightly higher and more variable (218±109 g C m−2 yr−1) compared to that of the deciduous forest NEP (200±83 g C m−2 yr−1). Similarly, the 6-year mean annual evapotranspiration (ET) of the coniferous forest was higher (442±33 mm yr−1) than that of the deciduous forest (388±34 mm yr−1), but with similar interannual variability. Summer meteorology greatly impacted the carbon and water fluxes in both stands; however, the degree of response varied among the two stands. In general, warm temperatures caused higher ecosystem respiration (RE), resulting in reduced annual NEP values – an impact that was more pronounced at the deciduous broadleaf forest compared to the evergreen needleleaf forest. However, during warm and dry years, the evergreen forest had largely reduced annual NEP values compared to the deciduous forest. Variability in annual ET at both forests was related most to the variability in annual air temperature (Ta), with the largest annual ET observed in the warmest years in the deciduous forest. Additionally, ET was sensitive to prolonged dry periods that reduced ET at both stands, although the reduction at the coniferous forest was relatively larger than that of the deciduous forest. If prolonged periods (weeks to months) of increased Ta and reduced precipitation are to be expected under future climates during summer months in the study region, our findings suggest that the deciduous broadleaf forest will likely remain an annual carbon sink, while the carbon sink–source status of the coniferous forest remains uncertain.
An integrative ethical approach to leader favoritism

Relationship building is one of the most important aspects of leadership; however, it can pose ethical challenges. Though particularistic treatment of employees by leaders, i.e. leader favoritism, commonly occurs, it is conventionally regarded negatively as fairness norms require leaders to treat followers equally. In this conceptual study, we explore different views on leader favoritism based on different ethical principles. We develop an alternative to the conventional view and suggest that leader favoritism may not necessarily lead to negative outcomes when empathy-based favoritism is applied. In this vein, we recommend drawing on the ethical principles of a utilitarian approach by balancing particularism and universalism, which is also helpful to build organizational social capital. We contribute to leadership theory by developing an early concept of an integrative ethical approach to leader favoritism.
Effects of citric acid residue and lactic acid bacteria on fermentation quality and aerobic stability of alfalfa silage

Abstract An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of citric acid residue (CAR) and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) on fermentation quality and aerobic stability of alfalfa silage. Alfalfa was treated as follows: (1) control without additive (CON); (2) LAB (L); (3) 12 g/kg CAR (C); (4) 12 g/kg CAR + LAB (CL) and fermented for 3, 6, 9, 15, 30 and 45 days. The residual silages ensiled for 45 days were evaluated for aerobic stability. The results showed that addition of CAR with or without LAB inoculant decreased pH, acetic acid, ammonia nitrogen , neutral detergent fibre, hemicellulose contents and Enterobacteriaceae counts (p < .05) and increased dry matter and lactic acid contents (p < .05) after 45 days of ensiling. Whereas, the lower lactic acid and higher acetic acid contents were observed in L silages (p < .05) after 45 days of ensiling. During aerobic exposure, L and CL silages remained stable in pH, lactic and acetic acid contents, while the control and C silages showed higher pH, yeast and mould counts and lower lactic and acetic acid contents. Compared with the control, L and CL improved aerobic stability, whereas the poorer aerobic stability was shown in C silages (p < .05). In conclusion, applying a combination of CAR and LAB inoculant improved both fermentation quality and aerobic stability of alfalfa silage. Highlights Citric acid residue (CAR) was compared with a lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inoculant in ensiling alfalfa. The CAR improved fermentation quality compared to control and LAB treated silages. Aerobic stability improved when CAR was used in combination with LAB but not when used alone.
Convert Gestures of Arabic Words into Voice

Gestures are one of the best ways of communication between dumbs and other people using the expression of signs language. In this paper, we suggest an algorithm for recognizing hand gestures of Arabic words (اتمنى لك حیاة سعیدة-اقتباس) to by using dumb (through signs) and convert the sings into voice corresponding to sings words. The proposed algorithm for Convert Gestures of Arabic Words into Voice, record video of gesture (of the dumb person) then convert the video into frames (images), preprocessing for the resulted image must done by remove the noise, resize the images and increase the contrast, then calculate the distance to clustering the words by using (C4.5, k-mean, k- medoid and artificial neural network), calculate the distance (or features) by using Euclidean distance and slope where, there are eighteen features (eight features from Euclidean distance, eight features from slop, Area, and perimeter). The results in the training stage were (C4.5 gave 100%, k-mean gave 95.2% k-medoid gave 91.9% and ANN gave 91.27%). While in the testing stage we used three classifiers (Euclidian Distance, Modify of the Standardize Euclidian Distance and Correlation) and the results show that (Euclidian Distance gave 94.4%, Modify of the Standardize Euclidian Distance gave 100% and Correlation gave 94.4%) We create our database (three videos with 250 frames) for training and one video for testing.
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF DEEP LEARNING METHODS FOR OBJECT DETECTION

A BSTRACT . Object detection is a vital ﬁeld involving machine learning and computer vision. Recent object detectors dependent on deep learning meth-ods are showing assuring results for object detection in images, videos and real-time environment. This paper compares the working of two famous deep learning methods for object detection viz. RCNN and MobileNets SSD. R-CNN uses combination of region proposals and CNNs. Selective search method is used in RCNN technique. Whereas MobileNets SSD is based on depthwise separable convolutions that uses single ﬁlter enforced to every input and outputs are combined by using pointwise convolution. A comparative analysis of these two techniques is presented over benchmark and validation datasets.
Probiotics: A review

Probiotics are live microorganisms that give wellbeing benefits to the host when ingested in satisfactory sums. The strains most every now and again utilized as probiotics incorporate lactic corrosive microorganisms and Bifidobacterium. Probiotics have illustrated critical potential as restorative alternatives for an assortment of illnesses, however the instruments liable for these impacts have not been completely clarified at this point. A few significant mechanisms hidden the hostile impacts of probiotics on different microorganisms incorporate the accompanying: adjustment of the gut microbiota, serious adherence to the mucosa furthermore, epithelium, fortifying of the gut epithelial hindrance furthermore, tweak of the insusceptible framework to pass on an advantage to the host. Aggregating proof exhibits that probiotics speak with the host by design recognition receptors, for example, cost like receptors and nucleotiderestricting oligomerization area containing protein-like receptors, which tweak key flagging pathways, for example, atomic factor-B and mitogen-initiated protein kinase, to upgrade or stifle initiation and impact downstream pathways.
Investigating the Use of an Intermittent Sequential Pneumatic Compression Arm Sleeve for Recovery After Upper-Body Exercise

Abstract Cranston, AW and Driller, MW. Investigating the use of an intermittent sequential pneumatic compression arm sleeve for recovery after upper-body exercise. J Strength Cond Res 36(6): 1548–1553, 2022—The current study aimed to investigate the efficacy of an intermittent sequential pneumatic compression (ISPC) device placed on the arm after a fatiguing upper-body exercise circuit. Fifty resistance-trained athletes (37 males/13 females, mean ± SD; age = 27 ± 4 years) performed 3 physical performance tests (grip strength dynamometer, single-arm medicine ball throw, and preacher bench bicep curls to failure) before and after exercise, following a 30-minute recovery period. During the recovery period, subjects were randomly assigned an experimental arm, which was placed in the ISPC device, and a control arm (no device). Subjects completed a perceptual muscle soreness rating through palpation of 4 muscle groups in the upper body at the same time points and also 24 hours after recovery. There was a statistically significant interaction between conditions for the single-arm medicine ball throw (p < 0.01) in favor of the ISPC after the recovery period; however, the effect size was deemed trivial. There was a small but not statistically significant effect (d = 0.22, p > 0.05) for the bicep curls in favor of the ISPC and no significant difference for the grip strength (d = 0.09, p > 0.05). The perceptual muscle soreness scales resulted in significant differences between conditions immediately after and 24 hours after exercise across all muscle groups (p < 0.05), all in favor of the ISPC condition. This study supports the use of an upper-body ISPC device to reduce perceived muscle soreness for up to 24 hours after exercise, with negligible effects on physical performance when compared with a control trial.
The Effect of Education for Future Program on Teachers' Competencies in a Public School

The current study aimed to explore the effect of the Education for Future program on the practices of female teachers in a public school. The study participants were six female teachers form an elementary school. Besides, the study aimed to answer two main research questions. First, what is the effect of the education for future program on the educational practices of female teachers in public schools? Second, what are the challenges that face the female teachers who were involved in the program? Data collection was done through interviews with the participants, as well as class observations. Data analysis used the thematic coding to analyze data. The results of the research revealed that the program developed teachers' competencies since it improved their teaching styles, teaching methods and strategies, as well as their assessment strategies. Furthermore, it developed the teachers' classroom management, their technology integration in the classes, the students' interaction, and the students' values and attitudes. Besides, the results showed that the teachers faced challenges while implementing the project, such as how to introduce the new strategies and methods to their students, and how to use technology effectively. However, the results showed that the teachers could overcome those challenges by cooperation and asking for help and support.
Why settle when there are plenty of fish in the sea? Rusbult’s investment model applied to online dating

The current mixed-methods study reports the results of a cross-sectional survey of 205 online daters and uses the Investment Model to examine the antecedents of commitment in online dating and users’ decisions to delete their online dating account(s). We hypothesized that the quality of alternatives, investments, and satisfaction with the online dating relationship would mediate the association between online dating intensity and commitment, which, in turn, would predict the intention to terminate an account. The analyses revealed that online dating intensity was associated with greater commitment and a lower likelihood of account termination. There were also specific indirect effects on commitment through the quality of alternatives, investments, and satisfaction, and on termination through investments. Responses to an open-ended question provided more information about users’ decisions to quit online dating. These results point to ways online dating may facilitate the desire for commitment while potentially undermining the long-term stability of relationships.
Fragmentation, commodification and responsibilisation in the governing of flood risk mitigation in Sweden

The purpose of this paper is to increase our understanding of the governing of flood risk mitigation in advanced liberal society, through an in-depth Swedish case study. By combining social network analysis and genealogy, this paper investigates who is involved, how they organise, their modes of thinking, how they mitigate flood risk, as well as how such regime of practises have come into being. The findings suggest dominant rationalities that reduce the actual complexity of flood risk in spatial and temporal terms to fit the legal and institutional environment. The resulting fragmentation is associated with a commodification of flood risk mitigation, in which actors expect to be able to procure modules of safety and sustainability on the market. This commodification materialises in a vacuum of responsibilisation, when obligations are imposed without commensurate guidelines. These processes of fragmentation, commodification, and responsibilisation are core constituents of neoliberalisation, which is clearly shaping the governing of flood risk mitigation even in Sweden; a bastion of the strong welfare state. Regardless of the notable individual capacities of the involved actors, systemic constraints in the governmentality have generated these detrimental processes in the face of overwhelming complexity. These systemic constraints must be removed or overcome for the governing of flood risk mitigation to match the complexity of flood risk in the catchment area. This paper thus provides input that can inform policy changes for a more sustainable future in the face of unprecedented change.
Lung cancer detection using the SOM-GRR based radial basis function neural network

This study intends to detect lung cancer using chest X-ray. We propose the SOM-GRR based radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) model. The self-organizing maps (SOM) based deals with unsupervised learning and the global ridge regression (GRR) based deals with supervised learnings that are carried out in developing RBFNN model. The gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) extraction is performed to obtain the features of chest X-ray which are used as RBFNN input variables. We consider thirteen features, namely contrast, correlation, energy, homogeneity, sum entropy, variance, inverse difference moment, sum average, sum variance, entropy, difference entropy, maximum probability, and dissimilarity. The best model is obtained by evaluating its performance in training and testing data sets. The RBFNN model yields 93 % and 88 % accuracy in training and testing data sets, respectively.
Dynamic performance analysis of a mixed‐connected inerter‐based quasi‐zero stiffness vibration isolator

An inerter‐based quasi‐zero stiffness (IQZS) vibration isolator is proposed to further enhance the dynamic performance of the QZS one. It combines the superior nonlinear stiffness characteristic of the QZS vibration isolator and the beneficial mass magnification effect of the inerter. The diamond‐shaped structure is used as the negative stiffness structure; an additional spring is added together with the inerter and damper to construct a novel IQZS vibration isolator, which the inerter and damper are first parallel connected and then series connected with the additional spring; it is a mixed‐connected (MC) type and termed as MC‐IQZS vibration isolator. The dynamic response of MC‐IQZS vibration isolator is acquired via harmonic balance method (HBM), and the isolation performance is evaluated using four performance criteria. The effects of the inerter and additional spring on its dynamic response and isolation performance are examined. The results show that the MC‐IQZS vibration isolator could have smaller displacement amplitude and force transmissibility peaks, wider isolation frequency band, and faster high‐frequency force transmissibility attenuation rate than the QZS one, and it can improve the four performance criteria simultaneously. Its isolation performance is further compared with another two typical types of IQZS vibration isolators where the inerter and damper are in parallel‐connected (PC) and series‐connected (SC), respectively, and they are denoted as PC‐IQZS and SC‐IQZS vibration isolators, respectively. The results demonstrate that the proposed MC‐IQZS vibration isolator could achieve the best isolation performance among the three IQZS ones, which offers an effective option for excellent vibration suppression in practical engineering.
Ag nanoparticles effect on BaTiO3-Graphite-AC/Aluminum foil symmetric supercapacitor

Many supercapacitor studies focus on materials that are inflexible and have low specific capacitance. The addition of low dimension metals such as silver nanoparticles (AgNP) into the BaTiO3-Graphite-Activated Carbon (AC)/Aluminum foil showed a change in structure and morphology. The AC and graphite are generally used as necessary materials for supercapacitors. Adding AgNP is expected to increases the general mobility and specific capacitance of BaTiO3-Graphite-AC/Aluminum foil. In this study, we report the effect of AgNP into Graphite-AC-BaTiO3/Al foil symmetric supercapacitors. In the first step, we prepared nanocomposite comprises (x)AgNP-graphite-AC-BaTiO3. The dense solution then deposited on to clean aluminum foil as an electrode. The symmetric supercapacitors were sandwiched using two electrodes separated by a separator and electrolyte. It is shown that the crystal structure and morphology change with the addition of AgNP. The Optimum capacitance of Ag-BaTiO3-Graphite-AC/Aluminum Foil supercapacitor obtained from LCR meter of 1.9×10−5 F/g and dielectric constant of 1.03×106. The cyclic voltammetry test for three-electrode systems produces a specific capacitance of 8.95 F/g and 0.83 F/g for testing two electrode systems. We obtained that the increase of AgNP increases the specific capacitance of the electrode and supercapacitor to the optimum at 0.06 g Ag.
All Hands on Deck: Building a Sustainable Volunteer Program

Youth-serving organizations that engage volunteers offer them varied roles. In volunteer-dependent organizations, volunteers are the vital backbone of service delivery, without whom the organization would be hard-pressed to exist. At the other end of the spectrum are organizations whose paid staff provide all services and whose volunteers play episodic, narrowcast roles. Sitting in between are those organizations where volunteers provide added value to the work of paid staff, expanding services to youth that the organization may not otherwise afford. The volunteer value-add model is as challenging as it is appealing. It often frustrates and disappoints both the organization and the volunteers, not surprisingly because it requires time and attention to design and support well. In this article we examine why value-add programs so often fail and look at the critical elements of the volunteer value-add model. We describe one program, READ718, whose design exemplifies the key dimensions that value-add organizations need to consider and adapt if their programs are to meet the needs of staff, volunteers and especially youth. Because there is some risk to youth in poorly designed and inadequately supported volunteer programs, as well as ramifications for organizational reputation, we feel that greater clarity about what it takes to mount a robust initiative is vital and worthwhile, even if the result is that some organizations reflect and elect to abandon this path.
Resilience in successful math and physics students

Resilience refers to the student’s ability to overcome emotional periods caused by adverse situations. In this sense, research aims to evaluate the relationship between academic performance in mathematics and physics and school success in higher education students. The research is framed within a quantitative, descriptive-comparative and micro-sociological methodological approach developed with data from primary sources. Data collection was transectional and the sample was 1500 students. The Wagnild and Young resilience scale was used. The results show that there is an important relationship between the level of demand, the application of mathematics and physics, abstraction and academic performance. Students develop emotional resilience skills that allow them to improve their quality of life. In conclusion, resilience is significantly related to all strengths of character, as well as to positive acceptance of change and personal competence. It was identified that, while resilience helps students to be more tolerant and to better understand what is happening in their environment, it is precisely in these challenges that the strengths of high educational performance are manifested. Successful students demonstrate skills in formal thinking, creative thinking, applying mathematics, physics and resilience, all of which impact on their quality of life.
Memory Effects in Repeated Survey Questions: Reviving the Empirical Investigation of the Independent Measurements Assumption

It is common to repeat survey questions in the social sciences, for example to estimate test-retest reliability or in pretest-posttest experimental designs. An underlying assumption is that the repetition of questions leads to independent measurements. Critics point to respondents’ memory as a source of bias for the resulting estimates. Yet there is little empirical evidence showing how large memory effects are within the same survey and none showing whether memory effects can be decreased through purposeful intervention during a survey. We aim to address both of these points based on data from a lab-based web survey containing an experiment. We repeated one of the initial questions at the end of the survey (on average 127 questions later) and asked respondents if they recall their previous answer and to reproduce it. Furthermore, we compared respondents’ memory of previously given responses between two experimental groups: A control group, where regular survey questions were asked in between repetitions and a treatment group which, additionally, received a memory interference task aimed at decreasing memory. We found that, after an average 20-minute interval, 60% of the respondents were able to correctly reproduce their previous answer, of which we estimated 17% to do so due to memory. We did not observe a decrease in memory as time intervals between repetitions become longer. This indicates a serious challenge to using repeated questions within the same survey. Moreover, the tested memory interference task did not reduce respondents’ recall of their previously given answer or the memory effect.