Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Plant and microbial impacts of an invasive species vary across an environmental gradient

Invasive plants often successfully occupy large areas encompassing broad environmental gradients in their invaded range, yet how invader dominance and effects on ecological communities vary across the landscape has rarely been explored. Furthermore, while the impacts of invasion on plant communities are well studied, it is not well understood whether responses of above‐ground (plant) and below‐ground (microbial) communities are coupled. Here we test patterns in Phragmites australis (common reed) invasion in a field survey of eight sites situated across a salinity gradient, ranging from freshwater to saline marsh, in Southeast Louisiana. At each site, we surveyed plant composition and used metabarcoding methods to assess soil fungal and bacterial composition in plots within the dense Phragmites stand, in a transition zone of ~50:50 Phragmites:native plants, and in native‐only areas. We hypothesized that Phragmites' abundance and impact on above‐ and below‐ground communities would vary across the salinity gradient and that the responses of above‐ and below‐ground communities to invasion would be coupled. We found weak evidence that invasion varied across the gradient: Phragmites stem densities increased slightly with salinity, and Phragmites increased above‐ground litter accumulation more in fresh and saline areas compared to brackish. We found stronger evidence that plant and microbial responses to invasion varied with salinity. Phragmites strongly reduced native plant density across the gradient, with slightly greater reductions in fresh and saline areas. Plant species richness displayed consistent decreases with invasion across the salinity gradient; however, fungal and bacterial richness increased sharply with invasion only in brackish sites. Furthermore, the effect of Phragmites on plant and microbial community composition became stronger as salinity increased. Plants and microbes exhibited coupled responses to invasion in the magnitude of compositional shifts brought on by Phragmites, but Phragmites' effects on richness were not coupled. Synthesis. Overall, the variability in Phragmites impacts across the gradient, particularly soil microbial impacts, suggests that it may be difficult to generalize invader effects from single‐site or single‐ecosystem studies. However, above‐ and below‐ground communities showed some coupled responses to Phragmites; thus understanding plant community responses to invasion gives insight into impacts occurring below‐ground.
Constructing C0-Semigroups via Picard Iterations and Generating Functions: An Application to a Black–Scholes Integro-Differential Operator

An alternative approach is proposed for constructing a strongly continuous semigroup based on the classical method of successive approximations, or Picard iterations, together with generating functions. An application to a Black–Scholes integro-differential operator which arises in the pricing of European options under jump-diffusion dynamics is provided. The semigroup is expressed as the Mellin convolution of time-inhomogeneous jump and Black–Scholes kernel functions. Other applications to the heat and transport equations are also given. The connection of the proposed approach to the Adomian decomposition method is explored.
Crossability Barriers in Interspecific Hybridization of Ricebean [Vigna umbellata (Thunb.) Ohwi and Ohashi] with Other Vigna Species

Background: Ricebean [Vigna umbellata (Thunb.) Ohwi and Ohashi] is a multipurpose grain legume of Mid-Himalayan region mainly cultivated for food, fodder, green manure and has emerged as a good alternative to other pulse crops such as blackgram and greengram which do not flourish in this region due to their susceptibility to cold temperature stress. It is well reported that the nutritional value of ricebean is higher as compared to many other legumes of the Vigna family and has some superior qualities greater than greengram, blackgram and cowpea. It is also resistance to drought, diseases and pests specially the storage pests during growth period and possesses high percentage of seed viability. Despite having all the favourable traits, it is not much popular among the farmers due to the late maturity and indeterminate growth habit. Instead, farmers prefer other crops which fit easily into their cropping pattern and are easy to harvest. A little genetic improvement with respect to maturity and growth habit can revive its cultivation and show great results in its production as a valuable crop. Thus, the present investigation was formulated to introgress desired traits from mash and adzukibean into otherwise high yielding ricebean genotypes using inter-specific hybridization. Methods: The present investigation involves the inter-specific hybridization among three Vigna species viz, ricebean (Vigna umbellata), blackgram (Vigna mungo) and adzukibean (Vigna angularis). In the year 2017, six genotypes of ricebean (RBHP-36, RBHP-38, RBHP-43, RBHP-61, RBHP-107 and RBHP-108) were crossed with two genotypes of blackgram (HimMash-1 and Palampur-93) and one genotype of adzukibean (HPU-51) in glasshouse conditions. Result: The study revealed that successful crosses were possible only between ricebean and blackgram. All the Inter-specific crosses showed very low pod set percentage ranging from 0 -4% and F1 germination percentage ranging from 20-42%. Pod set percentage and pods harvested varied with combinations of two parental cultivars of each species for most of the inter-specific hybrids. The successful pod set was observed in 16 out of 36 inter-specific crosses. Highest crossability was observed in blackgram and ricebean crosses. Crossing of adzukibean with ricebean showed poor or no pod set among the entire cross combinations which are attributed to early embryo abortion and degeneration during embryogenesis.
Automatic extrinsic self-calibration of mobile LiDAR systems based on planar and spherical features

Inaccurate extrinsic parameters are one of the major errors of a mobile LiDAR system (MLS). As different types of sensors with incommensurable precisions are integrated in an MLS, the extrinsic parameters cannot be easily isolated and estimated, especially in an automatic mode. To address this issue, this paper proposes an automatic extrinsic self-calibration method for an MLS based on planar and spherical features. First, the planar and spherical features are automatically extracted from scanned point cloud data of different strips using the Random Sample Consensus algorithm, and the corresponding features are matched after the extraction. Secondly, a rigorous relationship is established between the direct geo-referencing equation, the extrinsic parameters, and the geometric constraint model. Thirdly, the extrinsic parameters are calibrated by minimizing the sum of the squares of distances from points on the feature surface to the matched reference feature. Four datasets collected by using four types of MLS were used to verify the proposed method. As a result of combining two geometric features into a single self-calibration adjustment, the experimental results show that the proposed method is superior to the conventional plane-based method in terms of the positional accuracy. The standard deviation of the distance between the check features of the four datasets collected by several mobile platforms before (after) extrinsic calibration were 0.051 m (0.024 m), 0.060 m (0.018 m), 0.029 m (0.009 m), and 0.354 m (0.070 m), which demonstrated the high compatibility and practicality of the proposed method.
Transfer Learning for Autonomous Cell Activation Based on Relational Reinforcement Learning With Adaptive Reward

With the increasing threat of global warming due to high energy consumption of wireless network infrastructure, cell activation complements the capabilities of next-generation wireless technology. In this article, we propose an energy consumption optimization strategy based on deep reinforcement learning (DRL) and transfer learning (TL) techniques. We implement an adaptive reward to autonomously adjust parameters in a reward function to balance energy consumption and quality of service (QoS) requirement of users during the learning process. We further formulate a cell activation/deactivation problem as a Markov decision process and set up our proposed relational DRL model to meet the QoS requirements of users with a minimum number of active remote radio heads under a traffic model defined to simulate a real-world scenario. A weighted TL algorithm has been developed in DRL to validate sample data from a source task. Extensive simulations reveal that the proposed scheme based on the adaptive reward has better performance in balancing the QoS requirement of users and system energy consumption. Finally, based on our simulation results, we conclude that combining DRL with TL speeds up the learning process.
Royal jelly and propolis therapies reduce inflammation and stimulate healing of oral mucositis in rats

Purpose This study aimed to evaluate the effects and mechanisms of action of royal jelly (RJ) and propolis in an animal model of oral mucositis (OM). Methods Seventy-two male Wistar rats were randomly allocated to four groups (n = 18): control (no treatment), PBMT (intraoral laser, 6 J/cm2), RJ, and propolis. On days 0 and 2, animals received injection of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). The buccal mucosa was scratched (days 3 and 4) and the treatments were initiated on day 5. Six animals of each group were euthanized on days 8, 10, and 14. Phytochemical analysis (thin-layer chromatography-TLC), clinical, histopathological, immunohistochemical of pS6, pAKT and NF-κB and oxidative stress markers were also investigated.Results TLC revealed the presence of large amounts of sucrose (Rf 0.34) in RJ and flavonoids in propolis. On day 8, lower clinical OM scores (and day 10) and morphological were observed in the PBMT, RJ and propolis groups (p < 0.05). On day 8, immunoexpression of pS6, pAKT and NF-κB was increased when compared to control. On day 14, GSH antioxidant levels were increased in the propolis group compared to control (p < 0.05). Conclusions Our results showed that RJ and propolis, as well as PBMT, are effective in the treatment of OM. The RJ and propolis may explain their excellent wound healing activity and anti-inflammatory effects. Considering that not all patients who develop OM have access to PBMT, the present study demonstrated that topical application of RJ and propolis may be an important alternative for the treatment of OM.
Lobbying as a potent political marketing tool for product diversification: an examination of firm-government interaction

ABSTRACT Government agencies can shape and impact organizations’ opportunity sets and corresponding competitive environments. Therefore, firms realize that maintaining a close relationship with government agencies is crucial to create a favorable regulatory environment. Firms use lobbying as an effective method for influencing these agencies. Previous research studied the impact of public policies on firm outcomes and urged managers to understand the process of having successful relationships with government agencies. This research aims to capture the impact of firms’ lobbying intensity on product diversification through firm-government agency interactions, building on the Resource-Based View. Findings indicate that higher firms’ lobbying intensity is associated with higher levels of firm-government agency interactions. In addition, a greater amount of repeat firm-government agency interactions was associated with greater product diversification. The results suggest the importance of firms’ lobbying intensity and firms-government interactions when seeking ways to increase firms’ growth through product diversification.
Prehnite at the Atomic Scale: Al/Si Ordering, Hydrogen Environment, and High-Pressure Behavior

The mineral prehnite, Ca2(Al,Fe,Mn)(AlSi3O10)(OH)2, is a layered structure consisting of double-sheets of (Al,Si)O4 and SiO4 tetrahedra alternating with single sheets of AlO4(OH)2 octahedra. To understand the ordering in the structure and differences between various samples of prehnite, single-crystal X-ray diffraction data at ambient conditions were collected on four single crystals of prehnite from different localities. The positions of the H atoms have been determined for the first time, from a combination of X-ray and neutron diffraction data. The equation of state and high-pressure behavior of prehnite have been investigated using singlecrystal X-ray diffraction up to 9.75(3) GPa. A second-order Birch–Murnaghan equation of state fit to the isothermal P-V data to 8.7 GPa yields a bulk modulus, K = 109.29(18) GPa. Structural data collected at high pressures indicate that the structure compresses uniformly. Above 8.7 GPa there is additional softening of the volume and the b-axis related to polyhedral tilting. However, the average structure is maintained across the transition. Ambient and high-pressure Raman and synchrotron infrared spectra were collected from 1 bar to 20 GPa. Raman spectra measured at ambient conditions of four prehnite crystals with different compositions confirmed that there are no structural changes with different compositions. Highpressure results showed the majority of modes shift to higher frequencies (in a smooth, linear fashion) with increasing pressure. The greatest change in the spectra is the softening of the modes in the OH-stretching region above 9 GPa, thought to be related to the polyhedral tilting around the H environment.
Secrecy performance analysis of half/full duplex AF/DF relaying in NOMA systems over κ -μ fading channels

Although the progress in understanding 5G and beyond techniques such as Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access (NOMA) and full-duplex techniques has been overwhelming, still analyzing the security aspects of such systems under different scenarios and settings is an important concern that needs further exploration. In particular, when considering fading in wiretap channels and scenarios, achieving secrecy has posed many challenges. In this context, we propose to study the physical layer security (PLS) of cooperative NOMA (C-NOMA) system using the general fading distribution κ - μ. This distribution facilitates mainly the effect of light-of-sight as well as multipath fading. It also includes multiple distributions as special cases like: Rayleigh, Rice, Nakagami-m which help to understand the comportment of C-NOMA systems under different fading parameters. The use of Half-Duplex and Full-Duplex communication is also investigated for both Amplify-and-forward (AF) and Decode-and-Forward (DF) relaying protocols. To characterize the secrecy performance of the proposed C-NOMA systems, closed form expressions of the Secrecy Outage Probability (SOP) and the Strictly Positive Secrcey Capacity (SPSC) metrics for the strong and weak users are given for high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) due to the intractable nature of the exact expressions. Based on the analytical analysis, numerical and simulation results are given under different network parameters.
Two new records of powdery mildews (Erysiphaceae) from Japan: Erysiphe actinidiicola sp. nov. and Erysiphe sp. on Limonium tetragonum

Erysiphe actinidiicola on Actinidia polygama is described based on morphological and molecular data. Erysiphe actinidiicola is distinguished from E. actinidiae var. actinidiae by having irregularly to dichotomously branched chasmothecial appendages, larger chasmothecia sizes and numbers of asci per chasmothecium. Molecular analyses indicated that this species forms a clade separated from E. actinidiae var. actinidiae. An epitype is proposed for E. actinidiae var. actinidiae with ex-epitype sequences. A powdery mildew found on Limonium tetragonum is tentatively described as Erysiphe sp. This species is distinguished from E. limonii, a powdery mildew on Limonium spp. , based on the DNA sequence differences in the 28S rDNA and internal transcribed spacer region as well as the morphological differences in the length of the conidiophores. This is the first record of powdery mildew on L. tetragonum in the world.
Sverdrup meets Lambert: analytical solution for Sverdrup’s critical depth

In his 1953 paper, Harald Sverdrup argued that the development of a spring bloom in the ocean depends on the juxtaposition of two depth horizons: the mixed-layer depth and the critical depth. Mixed-layer depth shallower than the critical depth favours phytoplankton growth in the layer and vice versa. However, mathematically, Sverdrup left the problem unsolved in the form of a transcendental equation. In spite of the high number of citations that this paper has garnered, the solution to this equation has not been found, until now. In this work, we present an analytical solution for the critical depth, as originally defined by Sverdrup. The paper opens with the definition of the critical depth and the description of the Lambert W function. The analytical solution for critical depth follows. Sverdrup’s original model is extended to include the effect of light attenuation by phytoplankton and the analytical solution for steady-state biomass in the mixed layer is derived. The expression for mixed-layer production at steady state is also presented. Two novel variants of the critical depth are defined: the optically uncoupled critical depth and the optically coupled critical depth. It is demonstrated that at steady state the optically coupled critical depth equals the mixed-layer depth and that the irradiance at the base of the mixed layer equals the irradiance at the optically uncoupled critical depth. Competitive exclusion is demonstrated to hold and the optically uncoupled critical depth is linked to the critical light intensity in multi-species competition. Finally, a conservation principle for the critical depth is found.
Metal–organic frameworks in seconds via selective microwave heating

Synthesis of metal–organic framework (MOF) materials via microwave heating often involves shorter reaction times and offers enhanced control of particle size compared to conventional heating. However, there is little understanding of the interactions between electromagnetic waves and MOFs, their reactants, and intermediates, all of which are required for successful scale-up to enable production of commercially viable quantities of material. By examining the effect of average absorbed power with a constant total absorbed energy to prepare MIL-53(Al) we have defined a selective heating mechanism that affords control over MOF particle size range and morphology by altering the microwave power. This is the first time a selective mechanism has been established for the preparation of MOFs via microwave heating. This approach has been applied to the very rapid preparation of MIL-53(Al)ta (62 mg in 4.3 seconds) which represents the fastest reported synthesis of a MOF on this scale to date.
In vitro influence of amazonian substances on the dental bleaching

Due to the wide scientific divergence of results among in vitro investigations about the influence of food pigmentation on teeth staining during bleaching, this study aims to evaluate in the laboratory the effectiveness of at-home bleaching using carbamide peroxide (CP), and in-office bleaching using hydrogen peroxide (HP) applied to bovine teeth exposed to açaí and guarana energy drink during the dental whitening process. Extracted bovine incisors were randomly separated into six groups as follows: two control groups (at-home bleaching [HB] and in-office bleaching [OB] and immersed in artificial saliva), two groups following the immersion in açaí (HBa and OBa), and two groups following the immersion in guarana (HBg and OBg). The immersion cycle was conducted three times a day for five minutes. After the initial reading, the color was registered subsequently to the third (and last) week of whitening process. This procedure was carried out using Easyshade spectrophotometer and Vita shade guide. The data were submitted to a two-way ANOVA test (p<0.05). The results showed that after three weeks of bleaching, the whitening rate for the OBa group decreased significantly when compared to the other groups, also those submitted to at-home bleaching. After the third week of the whitening process, it was observed that the groups submitted to at-home bleaching presented higher whitening rates than the ones submitted to in-office bleaching. Therefore, the contact with açaí during whitening period may reduce the in-office bleaching efficacy.
Development and Validation of Building Control Algorithm Energy Management

In this paper, a building control algorithm is proposed to reduce the electricity consumption of a building with a variable refrigerant flow (VRF) system. The algorithm uses sequence-to-sequence long short-term memory (seq2seq LSTM) to set target electricity consumption, and uses a VRF air conditioner system to reduce electricity consumption. After setting target electricity consumption, the algorithm is applied as a method of updating target electricity consumption. In addition, we propose two methods to increase the performance of the seq2seq LSTM model. First, among the feature selection methods, random forest is used to select, among the numerous features of the data, only those features that are most relevant to the predicted value. Second, we use Bayesian optimization, which selects the optimal hyperparameter that shows the best model performance. In order to control the air conditioners, the priority of air conditioners is designated, the method of prioritization being the analytical hierarchy process (AHP). In this study, comparison of the performance of seq2seq LSTM model with and without Bayesian optimization proved that the use of Bayesian optimization achieved good performance. Simulation and demonstration experiments using the algorithm were also conducted, and showed that building electricity consumption decreased in a similar manner to the reduction rate by means of the algorithm.
Airborne campaign results of a compact 2-4um broadband supercontinuum-based spectrometer system for multi-species atmospheric gas analysis at ppm level

A compact broadband atmospheric gas spectrometer has been developed in the framework of the EU-H2020 FLAIR project. The system is composed of a mid-IR 2-4um broadband supercontinuum source, a temperature controlled 10- meter-long multipass-cell for light-gas interaction, a diffraction grating, and an uncooled PbSe-on-CMOS matrix detector recording absorption spectra. The detection limit has been measured at sub-ppm level on methane under laboratory conditions. We also present 2 successful field measurement campaigns aboard airborne platforms: a hot-air airship for controlled methane release experiments, and a helicopter tracking ship exhaust fumes abroad the coastline of Denmark, with special emphasis on methane detection.