Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Improvement of an Urban Growth Model for Railway-Induced Urban Expansion

Increasing population in urban areas drives urban cover expansion and spatial growth. Developing urban growth models enables better understanding and planning of sustainable urban areas. The SLEUTH model is an urban growth simulation model which uses the concept of cellular automata to predict land cover change using six spatial inputs of historical data (slope, land use, exclusion, urban, transportation, and hill-shade). This study investigates the potential of SLEUTH to capture railway-induced urban growth by testing methods that can consider railways as input to the model, namely (1) combining the exclusion layer with a station map; (2) creating a new input layer representing stations in addition to the default six inputs. Districts in Tsukuba, Japan and Gurugram, India which historically showed evidence of urban growth by railway construction are investigated. Results reveal that both proposed methods can capture railway impact on urban growth, while the former algorithm under the right settings may perform better than the latter at finer resolutions. Coarser resolution representation (300-m grid-spacing) eventually reduces the differences in accuracy among the default SLEUTH model and the proposed algorithms.
The first record of subtropical insects (Thysanoptera) in central Europe: long‐distance transport of airborne thrips, applying three‐dimensional backward trajectories

The present study reports the first occurrence and flight period of three species, namely Scolothrips tenuipennis zur Strassen 1965, Frankliniella schultzei Trybom, 1910 and Zurstrassenia figuratus zur Strassen, 1968 (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), in Hungary. A fourth, undescribed species belonging to the genus Caliothrips was also captured. The distribution area of these species is North Africa and it is hypothesized that they are transported to Hungary via long‐distance air currents. Data for a suction trap are examined in South–East Hungary, in the 3‐year period 2002–2004 from May to September. A three‐dimensional back‐trajectory analysis based on the Hybrid Single‐Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) transport and dispersion model was performed for the observation days to determine the origin and path of air masses and evaluate of the possibility of long‐distance transport of thrips species. Surprisingly, the analysis showed that only a few percent of the back trajectories originated or passed over North Africa. The results suggest that the captured thrips species could survive long‐distance transport at low‐level trajectories and establish new populations in Western Europe, the eastern part of Europe and Northern Central Europe, which together serve as source areas for the long‐range transport of thrips to the target station.
New insights on Franciscan Complex geology, architecture, depositional age, and provenance for the western Mt. Tamalpais area, Marin County, California

ABSTRACT New geologic mapping of the Franciscan Complex in the western Mt. Tamalpais area northwest of San Francisco, California, reveals a tectonostratigraphic stack of accretionary units that young westward and structurally downward. Serpentinite-matrix mélange at the top of the section, beneath a possible basal fragment of Coast Range Ophiolite, and a structurally low black-rock-bearing, mudrock-matrix Ocean Plate Stratigraphy (OPS) mélange located near the base of the section, bracket lithic and feldspathic metasandstone-dominated accretionary units. The ages of the metasedimentary accretionary units are constrained by U-Pb age dating of detrital zircons. Maximum depositional ages fall between 124 Ma and 88 Ma. Sediment provenance is dominantly in the Sierra Nevada arc to the east, but minor numbers of detrital zircons were derived from Paleozoic and Precambrian sources. The provenance age profiles (cumulative distribution plots) reveal changing age components of zircon populations over time, reflecting the history of unroofing in the Sierra Nevada arc. An unusual post-accretion thrust fault and atypical greenschist facies metamorphism uncharacteristic of the Franciscan Complex, plus probable Late Cenozoic faults, complicate the character of the geology of the Mt. Tamalpais area. Graphical Abstract
Fisiologia da reprodução dos mexilhões (Mytilus perna - Mollusca lamellibranchia

Estudou-se a histofisiologia dos orgaos da reproducao do mexilhao, Mytilus perna, comparando-se o ciclo sexual com o de outras Mytilidae, M. edulis, M. galloprovincialis e M. californianus. Investigou-se tambem a relacao entre o ciclo sexual e o tecido conjuntivo que se desenvolve dentro e entre os foliculos apos a emissao dos gametas e que contem importantes reservas de glicogenio e de lipideos. O ciclo sexual de M. perna e praticamente continuo, havendo periodos de reproducao mais acentuados no aoutona e na primavera, e menos no verao e no inverno. Notou-se no mes de marco intensa lise dos oocitos que se pode perceber precocemente pela vacuolizacao da periferia do citoplasma.
Relationship among Initial Texture, Deformation Mechanism, Mechanical Properties, and Texture Evolution during Uniaxial Compression of AZ31 Magnesium Alloy

Cuboid samples with significant initial texture differences were cut from extruded AZ31 Mg alloy samples, whose long axis and bar extrusion direction ED were 0° (sample E0), 45° (sample E45), and 90° (sample E90). The relationship among the initial texture, deformation mechanism, mechanical properties, and texture evolution of the AZ31 Mg alloy was investigated systematically using a compression test, microstructure characterization, and the Viscoplastic Self-Consistent (VPSC) model. Results revealed a close relationship among them. By influencing the activation of the deformation mechanism, the deformation under different initial textures resulted in obvious mechanical anisotropy. Compared with E0 and E90, the initial texture of E45 was more conducive to the improvement of reforming ability after pre-compression. Meanwhile, the initial texture significantly affected the microstructure characteristics of the material, especially the number and morphology of the {10–12} tensile twins. Texture results showed that the priority of deformation mechanism depended on the initial texture and led to the difference in texture evolution.
Microclimatic Tipping Points at the Beech–Oak Ecotone in the Western Romanian Carpathians

European beech (Fagus sylvatica) is a drought-sensitive species that likely will retreat from its xeric distribution edges in the course of climate warming. Physiological measurements indicate that the species may not only be sensitive to soil water deficits, but also to high temperatures and elevated atmospheric vapor pressure deficits (vpd). Through microclimatological measurements in the stand interior across near-natural beech forest–oak forest ecotones, we searched for microclimatic tipping points in the contact zone with the aim to define the thermic and hydrometeorological limits of beech more precisely. In three transects in the foothills of the Romanian western Carpathians, we measured in mid-summer 2019 air temperature, relative air humidity, and vpd at 2 m height in the stand interior across the ecotone from pure oak to pure beech forests, and compared the readings to the microclimate in forest gaps. Mean daytime temperature (T) and vpd were by 2 K and 2 hPa, respectively, higher in the oak forests than the beech forests; the extremes differed even more. Especially in the second half of the day, the oak forests heated up and were more xeric than the beech forests. Part of the differences is explained by the elevation difference between oak and beech forests (200–300 m), but species differences in canopy structure, leaf area, and canopy transmissivity enhance the microclimatic contrast. Our T and vpd data point to thresholds at about 30 °C and 25 hPa as maxima tolerated by beech in the lowermost shade canopy for extended periods. In conclusion, the rather sharp stand microclimatic gradient demonstrated here for the xeric distribution limit of beech may well be the decisive factor that hinders the spread of beech into the warmer oak forests.
Beyond Contrail Avoidance: Efficacy of Flight Altitude Changes to Minimise Contrail Climate Forcing

Contrail cirrus introduce a short-lived but significant climate forcing that could be mitigated by small changes in aircraft cruising altitudes. This paper extends a recent study to evaluate the efficacy of several vertical flight diversion strategies to mitigate contrail climate forcing, and estimates impacts to air traffic management (ATM). We use six one-week periods of flight track data in the airspace above Japan (between May 2012 and March 2013), and simulate contrails using the contrail cirrus prediction model (CoCiP). Previous studies have predominantly optimised a diversion of every contrail-forming flight to minimise its formation or radiative forcing. However, our results show that these strategies produce a suboptimal outcome because most contrails have a short lifetime, and some have a cooling effect. Instead, a strategy that reroutes 15.3% of flights to avoid long-lived warming contrails, while allowing for cooling contrails, reduces the contrail energy forcing (EFcontrail) by 105% [91.8, 125%] with a total fuel penalty of 0.70% [0.66, 0.73%]. A minimum EFtotal strategy (contrails + CO2), diverting 20.1% of flights, reduces the EFcontrail by the same magnitude but also reduces the total fuel consumption by 0.40% [0.31, 0.47%]. For the diversion strategies explored, between 9% and 14% of diversions lead to a loss of separation standards between flights, demonstrating a modest scale of ATM impacts. These results show that small changes in flight altitudes are an opportunity for aviation to significantly and rapidly reduce its effect on the climate.
In Vitro Micropropagation of Vitis Vinifera L. in Kurdistan Region of Iraq

This investigation was carried out at plant biotechnology laboratories of Scientific Research Center in Faculty of Science, University of Duhok, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, during the period from April 2013 to January 2014. The objectives of the study were to investigate the influence of different plant growth regulators in micropropagation on two local cultivars of grapes Vitis vinifera L. The most effective explant disinfestations were obtained by using NaOCl in a ratio of 1:1 water for 10 min which was very effective in reducing contamination in the established cultures resulting in a higher percentage of contaminations free cultures. At initiation stage, the highest initiation rate was achieved by using specific concentrations of BA on basal MS media. At multiplication stage, BA alone and BA combined with GA 3 which was showed different responses in the measured parameters. At rooting formation stage two auxins were tested including IAA and NAA to estimate their ability for root formation. The in vitro propagated of grape plantlets were gradually transferred in successful way from lab. To field conditions, which didn’t showed any morphological abnormalities. of those of Danial et al . , (2009). And confirm that the presence of these auxins had positive influence on rhizogenesis under in vitro conditions.
Sustained upgrading of technological capability through ambidextrous learning for latecomer firms

ABSTRACT Many prior studies have examined latecomer firms’ learning and upgrading; however, the context of upgrading changes significantly when they passed the initial catch-up stage and we know very little about how latecomer firms achieve continuous upgrading after they enter into beyond catch-up stage. This study employs a longitudinal case study to investigate how a latecomer firm pursued ambidextrous learning and achieved technological upgrading successfully in three different stages. We find that latecomer firms can achieve sustained technological upgrading through ambidextrous learning and that the specific learning mode in different stages can evolve with windows of opportunity and technological capabilities. These findings extend our understanding of how latecomer firms can upgrade to the innovation frontier and shed new insights into the ambidextrous learning literature. Implications for policy are discussed and directions for further research are outlined.
Biomimetic Trachea Regeneration Using a Modular Ring Strategy Based on Poly(Sebacoyl Diglyceride)/Polycaprolactone for Segmental Trachea Defect Repair

The lack of a biomimetic tracheal substitute featured with cartilage ring/vascularized connective tissue alternate structure (CVCAS) has significantly retarded a clinical breakthrough of tissue‐engineered trachea in repairing extensive tracheal lesions. Herein, a novel modular strategy based on cartilage rings and biomaterial rings is used to generate a biomimetic trachea with CVCAS. Poly(sebacoyl diglyceride) and polycaprolactone (PCL) (PSeD/PCL) are blended to fabricate a porous scaffold with satisfactory mechanical properties, biodegradability, and biocompatibility. A cartilage ring is engineered in vitro using ring‐shaped PSeD/PCL scaffold loaded with chondrocytes and cartilage tube is generated in vivo through the fusion of multiple modular cartilage rings. More importantly, biomimetic tracheas with CVCAS are successfully fabricated in vivo through alternately stacked cartilage rings and PSeD/PCL rings on a silicon tube. Notably, the engineered biomimetic trachea exhibits not only a bionic structure but also superior mechanical properties compared with the native rabbit trachea. Finally, segmental tracheal defects in rabbits are repaired by transplanting the biomimetic trachea with pedicled muscular flaps. The biomimetic trachea establishes stable blood supply and provided sufficient mechanical strength and biological function similar to those of native trachea. This work represents the first successful regeneration of biomimetic trachea with CVCAS and a promising approach for clinical application.
Automatic Markerless Tracking for Computer-Assisted Orthopaedic Surgery

In computer assisted orthopaedic surgery, it is important to ﬁnd the correct spatial location of the target in a predeﬁned world coordinate, so that the model can be transformed accordingly onto the surgical site for surgeons’ reference. Current tracking systems mainly rely on the detection of optical markers inserted into the anatomy. The invasiveness of ﬁxa-tion pins increases operating time and bone complications. Automatic markerless tracking is therefore preferred in practice. In this paper, we integrate an automatic RGBD-image based segmentation neural network and a fast markerless registration algorithm to achieve the markerless tracking purpose. An experimental test with a metal leg was designed. By forcing the alignment of the measured hip joint centre, the overall tracking was shown to be sub-degree in terms of orientation accuracy, which is clinically acceptable.
Life histories and population dynamics of early successional corals

The sequence and prog~ession of early colonization by Jamaican reef corals was followed for up to six years. Replicate m areas at depths of 10m to 20m were initially cleared and monitored pbotographicallyat annual intervals. Both sexual (larval) and asexual (vegetative) recruituent occurred. Rates of larval r~cruitment into adjacent control areas was almost 4 tim~s lower, indicating that coral settleuent and/or early survival is strongly density-dependent. Asexual recruitment was independent of coral cover. Almost 90% of larval recruitment was by LePtoseris cucullata and Agaricia agaricites, which wer~ characterized by rapid growth rates, fragile foliaceous skeletons, small colony size, and high mortality. Asexual propagules of corals were virtually absent at 20m, but ramose fragments of Madracis mirabilis, Porites porites, and Acropora cervicornis accounted for one-third of the total recruitement at 10m. These species had low rates of larval recruituent, fast growth rates, and formed large branching clones. Although asexual recruits were larger than newly settled larvae, their survivorship was generally DlJch lower. Recruitment and mortality rates varied significantly from year to year. Larval input varied four-fold, while asexual recruitment fluctuated over a 12-fold range. furtality, especially of small corals, rose sharply in 1983/84 following an algal bloom caused by the mass mortality of the grazing echinoid Diadema antillarum. The number of colonies of ~ agaricites and ~ cucullata in cleared quadrats reached and then exceeded control levels after only 4 years, although after 6 years few colonies had gro~ to the size of the largest colonies found nearby. Populations of these two species had almost fully recovered in the experiuentally disturbed sites, while other locally abundant species were virtually absent.
Experimental disconnection from common mycorrhizal networks has little effect on competitive interactions among common temperate grassland species

The extent to which plants can reduce nutrient concentrations in soil and thereby compete with others may increase with nutrient mobility. Hyphae of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can extend the soil volume from which plants acquire phosphorus (P), thus increasing competition for these resources with neighbours. In this study, we tested whether the suppression of hyphal interconnections between neighbour plants mitigates their competitive interactions and consequently affects plant community structure. We used custom‐built microcosms that used a wire system to suppress the development of a common mycorrhizal network (CMN) between plant neighbours. We applied this CMN treatment to plants without neighbours (competition‐free controls), with conspecific neighbours (monocultures) or with heterospecific neighbours (two and four species communities), all assembled from two pools of four separate temperate grassland species each. We analysed changes in species and community‐level productivity and P acquisition. The CMN treatment affected species differently. Most species had reduced shoot biomass while root biomass increased with CMN disconnection. Productivity and nutrient acquisition of Plantago lanceolata in four‐species mixtures was negatively affected, leading to a less even distribution of P among species, but community‐level P acquisition was not affected. On average, two‐species and four‐species mixtures produced similar community biomass and had the same P content as monocultures. Synthesis. Common mycorrhizal network disconnection affected competitive interactions among species only little. One explanation may be that the absence of pronounced competitive hierarchy among the species investigated led to relatively symmetric interactions among species that were stable with respects to additional common mycorrhizal network effects. Another explanation is that common mycorrhizal network effects are less important in natural soils with natural arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi communities than experiments with few arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi strains and often sterilized soils suggest.
Kultivasi Fungi Mfw-01-08 yang Diisolasi dari Ascidia Aplidium longithorax dan Uji Aktivitas Sitotoksiknya Terhadap Sel Kanker Payudara T47D

Mikroba laut, khususnya fungi, banyak digunakan sebagai sumber senyawa bioaktif baru. Banyak dari senyawa ini digunakan sebagai senyawa pemandu dalam pencarian obat-obatan baru antikanker. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui aktivitas sitotoksik ekstrak fungi MFW -01-08. Fungi diisolasi dari ascidia laut Aplidium longithoraxyang diambil dari Taman Nasional Laut Wakatobi, Sulawesi Tenggara. Fungi MFW-01-08 diisolasi dengan menggunakan media malt extract agar (MEA) kemudian dikultivasi selama 5 minggu (statis) pada suhu 27–29 o C dalam media SWS yang mengandung pepton soya (0,1%), pati larut air (2,0%), dan air laut buatan (1 L). Uji sitotoksik dilakukan menggunakan sel lestari T47D (kanker payudara) berdasarkan metode MTT assay. Senyawa metabolit sekunder dari miselium fungi diekstraksi dengan campuran diklorometan – metanol 1 : 1 sedangkan media kultur fungi diekstraksi dengan etil asetat. Hasil uji MTT memperlihatkan bahwa ekstrak media kultur memiliki aktivitas sitotoksik medium (IC 50 = 92,6 µg/mL) dan ekstrak miselium tidak menunjukkan aktivitas sitotoksik (IC 50 183,6µg/mL) terhadap sel T47D. Oleh karena itu penelitian lanjutan akan difokuskan pada ekstrak media kultur.
Central Chemoreflex Sensitivity and Parasympathetic Nervous Activity in patients with Heart Failure

Although some studies point towards exacerbated central chemoreflex sensitivity (CCS) and reduced parasympathetic nervous activity (PNA) in patients with heart failure (HF), others dispute this finding by indicating their unchanging condition. The aim of this study is to compare CCS and PNA between patients with HF and healthy individuals. Eighteen patients with HF and 14 healthy individuals participated in the study. CCS was assessed through 7% CO2 rebreathing test for 4 minutes. PNA was determined based on Fast Fourier Transformation using the high-frequency component of heart rate variability. CCS was not different between HF patients [MD: 0.83 (0.49 to 1.54) l.min.mmHg] and healthy individuals [MD: 0.88 (0.16 to 2.56) l.min.mmHg]. PNA in HF patients [MD: 288 (266 to 1188) ms] also did not differ from healthy individuals [MD: 299 (81 to 1099) ms]. In conclusion, HF patients subjected to adequate clinical management may present preservation of CCS and PNA. Keywords— Central chemoreflex sensitivity, vagal modulation of heart rate, heart failure, autonomic control.
Petawatt Femtosecond Laser Pulses from Titanium-Doped Sapphire Crystal

Ultra-high intensity femtosecond lasers have now become excellent scientific tools for the study of extreme material states in small-scale laboratory settings. The invention of chirped-pulse amplification (CPA) combined with titanium-doped sapphire (Ti:sapphire) crystals have enabled realization of such lasers. The pursuit of ultra-high intensity science and applications is driving worldwide development of new capabilities. A petawatt (PW = 1015 W), femtosecond (fs = 10−15 s), repetitive (0.1 Hz), high beam quality J-KAREN-P (Japan Kansai Advanced Relativistic ENgineering Petawatt) Ti:sapphire CPA laser has been recently constructed and used for accelerating charged particles (ions and electrons) and generating coherent and incoherent ultra-short-pulse, high-energy photon (X-ray) radiation. Ultra-high intensities of 1022 W/cm2 with high temporal contrast of 10−12 and a minimal number of pre-pulses on target has been demonstrated with the J-KAREN-P laser. Here, worldwide ultra-high intensity laser development is summarized, the output performance and spatiotemporal quality improvement of the J-KAREN-P laser are described, and some experimental results are briefly introduced.
AUTOMATIC DETECTION AND RECOGNITION OF ROAD INTERSECTIONS FOR ROAD EXTRACTION FROM IMAGERY

Abstract. Automatic road extraction from remote sensing imagery is very useful for many applications involved with geographic information. For road extraction of urban areas, road intersections offer stable and reliable information for extraction of road network, with higher completeness and accuracy. In this paper, a segmentation-shape analysis based method is proposed to detect road intersections and their branch directions from an image. In the region of interest, it uses the contour shape of the segmented-intersection area to form a feature vector representing its geometric information. The extracted feature vector is then matched with some template vectors in order to find the best matched intersection pattern, obtain the type of intersection and the direction of connected roads. The experimental analysis are carried out with ISPRS Vaihingen and Toronto images. The experimental results show that the proposed method can extract most of the road intersections correctly. For the Vaihingen image, the the completeness and correctness are 81% and 87%, respectfully, while for the Toronto image, the the completeness and correctness are 78% and 85%, respectfully. It can help to build more correct and complete road network.