Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Forest Ecosystem Development in Coal Mine Degraded Land by Using Integrated Mine Soil Quality Index (IMSQI): The Evidence from India

Research highlights: (1) Ecosystem development assessed in an afforested post-mining site. (2) Soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) stock reached close to the reference forest site after 25 years of afforestation. (3) Integrated mine soil quality index is developed to assess the reclamation success. Background and Objectives: Estimation of the mine soil quality is one of the most important criterions for evaluating the reclamation success and restoration of novel ecosystems of the post-industrial degraded lands. The aim of this long-term experiment was to investigate the influence of revegetation on Technosol (defined as anthropogenic soil resulted from reclamation of mine spoil materials) as the basic ecosystem development. Materials and Methods: A field study was carried out in the chronosequence afforested post-mining sites (5, 10, 25 years) and compared with natural forest site. We assessed the physicochemical properties and nutrient stock of mine soil and estimated general mine soil quality by using an integrated mine soil quality index (IMSQI). The studies were fully randomized in the chronosequence of afforested post-mining sites. Results: Nutrient dynamics and soil properties (physicochemical and biological) were recovered with the increase age of reclamation. Soil organic carbon (SOC) stock significantly increased from 9.11 Mg C ha−1 in 5 years to 41.37 Mg C ha−1 after 25 years of afforestation. Likewise, total nitrogen (TN) stock significantly increased from 1.06 Mg N ha−1 in 5 years to 4.45 Mg N ha−1 after 25 years of revegetation. Ecosystem carbon pool enhanced at a rate of 6.2 Mg C ha−1 year−1. A Principal Component Analysis (PCA)-based IMSQ index was employed to assess the reclamation success. The most influential properties controlling the health of reclaimed coal mine soil are fine earth fraction, moisture content, SOC and dehydrogenase activity. IMSQ index values are validated with vegetation characteristics. The estimated IMSQI ranged from 0.455 in 5-year-old (RMS5) to 0.746 in 25-year-old reclaimed dump (RMS25). Conclusions: A 25-year-old reclaimed dump having greater IMSQI (0.746) than reference forest soils (0.695) suggested the aptness of revegetation to retrieve soil quality and function in derelict mine land.
Depressive symptoms among mostly heterosexual adolescents

Abstract Background Mostly heterosexual adolescents experience heightened depressive symptoms compared to heterosexual adolescents, though prior comparisons with other sexual minority adolescents have been inconsistent and rarely used a comprehensive measure of sexual orientation. Method U.S. high school adolescents were considered mostly heterosexual if they either (a) self-identified as mostly heterosexual or (b) identified as heterosexual but reported same-gender attraction and/or sexual behavior. Result Depressive symptoms among both groups of mostly heterosexual adolescents were higher than exclusively heterosexual adolescents but similar to other sexual minority adolescents. Conclusion Mostly heterosexual adolescents may be at risk for depression like their other sexual minority peers.
Dynamic Mechanical Relaxation of Poly(2-Hydroxyethyl Acrylate)-silica Nanocomposites Obtained by the Sol-gel Method

A series of poly(hydroxyethyl acrylate)‐silica nanocomposites has been polymerized by the simultaneous sol‐gel reaction of the organic monomer and the silica precursor tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS). Samples with different silica contents were prepared and their mechanical properties investigated by dynamic mechanical spectroscopy (DMS). The application of the time–temperature superposition principle to the isothermal DMS results in the main relaxation region permits to successfully construct master curves. The calorimetric properties of these hybrid materials have also been measured in order to compare the results of DMS and DSC. The presence of a polymer phase formed by polymer chains with reduced mobility has been proved by the DMS results. The main relaxation due to the segmental dynamics of these chains takes place at frequencies around seven decades smaller than in the bulk PHEA homopolymer. In Commemoration of the Contributions of Professor Valery P. Privalko to Polymer Science.
Morphological study of poly(vinylidene fluoride) asymmetric membranes: Effects of the solvent, additive, and dope temperature

Asymmetric poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membranes were cast with commercial-grade Kynar K760 polymer pellets and four different solvent systems: N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc), N,N-dimethylformamide, 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, and triethyl phosphate. With a focus on the PVDF/DMAc system, the effects of various additives (i.e., ethanol, glycerol, lithium chloride, lithium perchlorate, and water) on the resulting membrane morphology were investigated. The membrane morphology was examined with scanning electron microscopy. The effect of the dope solution temperature on the membrane morphology was also studied for the various additives used. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 1782–1789, 2004
Herbicide programs for control of waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus) resistant to three distinct herbicide sites of action in corn

Abstract Control of waterhemp is becoming more difficult in Ontario because biotypes have evolved resistance to four herbicide sites of action (SOA), including groups 2, 5, 9, and 14. The objective of this study was to compare PRE, POST, and PRE followed by (fb) POST herbicide programs for their effect on control, density, and biomass of multiple-herbicide–resistant (MHR) waterhemp as well as corn injury and grain yield. Two separate field studies, each consisting of five field trials, were conducted over a 2-yr period (2018 and 2019) in fields where corn was grown in Ontario, Canada. The first experiment evaluated MHR waterhemp control with an inhibitor of 4-hydroxyphenyl-pyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) applied PRE, PRE fb glufosinate applied POST, and glufosinate applied POST. The second experiment evaluated MHR waterhemp control with a non-HPPD inhibitor applied PRE, then PRE fb a POST application of atrazine + mesotrione, and then atrazine + mesotrione applied POST. Atrazine + isoxaflutole caused 3% to 5% corn injury at environment 1 (E1); no corn injury was observed with PRE and POST herbicide programs at environments E2, E3, E4, and E5. In general, atrazine/bicyclopyrone/mesotrione/S-metolachlor and dimethenamid-P/saflufenacil applied PRE controlled MHR waterhemp ≥95% 12 wk after POST application (WAA). A POST application of glufosinate following atrazine + tolpyralate PRE, and a POST application of atrazine + mesotrione following atrazine/dicamba or atrazine/Smetolachlor PRE, improved control at 4, 8, and 12 WAA in most environments. In general, PRE fb POST applications resulted in better control of MHR waterhemp throughout the growing season than single PRE and POST applications (P < 0.05). We conclude that herbicide programs based on multiple effective SOAs may offer effective control of MHR waterhemp where field corn is grown. It is advisable that when choosing an herbicide application program that excellent control of MHR waterhemp should be the goal given its high fecundity and competitive ability. Nomenclature: Atrazine; bicyclopyrone; dimethenamid-P; glufosinate; isoxaflutole; mesotrione; saflufenacil; S-metolachlor; tolpyralate; corn; Zea mays L. ; waterhemp; Amaranthus tuberculatus (Moq.) J. D. Sauer
Government Regulations, Interpreneurial Orientation and Stakeholder Network Capability in Achieving Organizational Performance

The purpose of this study is to analyze government and stakeholder regulations as well as entrepreneurial orientation in achieving organizational performance, this study to measure the impact of the institutional environment as government regulations and managerial ability in maintaining the relationship between stakeholder networks and entrepreneurial orientation in the context of industrial estates in Batam.The results of data analysis from industrial companies in Batam and its surroundings show that the maritime industry in Batam is entrepreneurially oriented and is significantly influenced by government policies as reflected in legal certainty and bureaucratic attitudes that help implement these policies.Besides, it is evident that the ability of management to establish relationships with many stakeholders, which consists of all existing partners and employees, also affects the growth of entrepreneurial orientation. The performance of the maritime industry in Batam is proven to be significantly influenced by entrepreneurial orientation directly.
Native and non-native sources of carbohydrate correlate with abundance of an invasive ant

Invasive species threaten many ecological communities and predicting which communities and sites are invasible remains a key goal of invasion ecology. Although invasive ants often reach high abundances in association with plant-based carbohydrate resources, the source and provenance of these resources are rarely investigated. We characterized carbohydrate resources across ten sites with a range of yellow crazy ant abundance in Arnhem Land, Australia and New Caledonia to determine whether yellow crazy ant (Anoplolepis gracilipes) abundance and trophic position correlate with carbohydrate availability, as well as the relative importance of native and non-native sources of carbohydrates to ant diet. In both locations, measures of yellow crazy ant abundance strongly positively correlated with carbohydrate availability, particularly honeydew production, the number of tended hemipterans, and the number of plants with tended hemipterans. In Arnhem Land, 99.6% of honeydew came from native species, whereas in New Caledonia, only 0.2% of honeydew was produced by a native hemipteran. More honeydew was available in Australia due to three common large-bodied species of Auchenorrhyncha honeydew producers (treehoppers and leafhoppers). Yellow crazy ant trophic position declined with increasing yellow crazy ant abundance indicating that in greater densities the ants are obtaining more of their diet from plant-derived resources, including honeydew and extrafloral nectar. The relationships between yellow crazy ant abundance and carbohydrate availability could not be explained by any of the key environmental variables we measured at our study sites. Our results demonstrate that the positive correlation between yellow crazy ant abundance and honeydew production is not contingent upon the provenance of the hemipterans. Native sources of carbohydrate may play an underappreciated role in greatly increasing community invasibility by ants.
Automated hiPSC culture and sample preparation for 3D live cell microscopy

Our goal is to identify and understand cellular behaviors using 3D live imaging of cell organization. To do this, we image human inducible pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) lines expressing fluorescently tagged protein representing specific cellular organelles and structures. To produce large numbers of standardized cell images, we developed an automated hiPSC culture procedure, to maintain, passage and Matrigel coat 6-well plastic plates and 96-well glass plates compatible with high-resolution 3D microscopy. Here we describe this system including optimization procedures and specific values for plate movement, angle of tips, speed of aspiration and dispense, seeding strategies and timing of every step. We validated this approach through a side-by-side comparison of quality control results obtained from manual and automated methods. Additionally, we developed an automated image-based colony segmentation and feature extraction pipeline to predict cell count and select wells with consistent morphology for high resolution 3D microscopy.
Removal of Reactive Dyes using Magnetically Separable Trametes versicolor Cells as a New Composite Biosorbent

Magnetically modified Trametes versicolor cells were used for biosorption of Reactive Blue 13 (RB13), Reactive Yellow 85 (RY85) and Reactive Violet 1 (RV1). Percent biosorption values and maximum adsorption capacities of 98.30% and 135.35 mg g−1 for RB13, 96.02% and 125 mg g−1 for RY85, and 98.56% and 227.27 mg g−1 for RV1 were observed under optimal conditions. The biosorption of all dyes was exothermic in nature. The biosorbent was characterized using scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and magnetic force microscopy. The Langmuir model was found to be most suitable for describing the biosorption of all dyestuffs. The experimental data fitted very well the pseudo second order kinetic model.
Exceptional free radical polymerization and block copolymerization of captodative substituted methyl 2-methoxyacrylate

Free radical polymerization of captodative substituted methyl 2-methoxyacrylate (MMOA) was carried out in bulk with or without azo initiators at 90–130 °C. At higher temperatures, bimodal molecular weight distribution polymer was obtained by the polymerization of MMOA irrespective of the presence of initiator in contrast to the polymerization at 90 °C where unimodal polymer was produced. In addition, block copolymers were conveniently obtained by heating the comonomers including vinyl acetate and acrylonitrile at 130 °C in the presence of poly(MMOA) without any initiator. These unique reactions were reasonably explained by the cleavage of captodative substituted carbon–carbon single bond at head-to-head structure in polymer chain, which was produced by recombination termination.
Size effect and micro endmilling performance while sustainable machining on Inconel 718

ABSTRACT Micro endmilling is emerged as a potential micromachining technique in many industries like biomedical, aerospace, optics, electronics and marine, etc. due to the huge demand for micro components with precision. However, relatively higher tool wear and poor surface characteristics are limiting its applicability in many areas. Therefore, the need has been raised to improve the machining characteristics of micro endmilling sustainably. The size effect and micro endmilling performance such as wear behavior, cutting force, and microhardness under dry and sunflower oil based MQL environments while machining on Inconel 718 was studied in this work. Results showed that the sunflower oil based MQL environments have the potential to reduce the size effect region and tool wear significantly. Workpiece adhesion and abrasion on the cutting edge were identified as the main underlying wear mechanism for both conditions. The edge radius, tool flank wear, and cutting forces were found to be reduced by 25%, 30%, and 36% respectively with the application of MQL compared to dry conditions. In addition, an increase of 7% in microhardness with relatively smooth surfaces as well as reduced micro cracks, prows, and voids on the machined surfaces were observed with the application of MQL.
Distinct carbon fractions drive a generalisable two‐pool model of fungal necromass decomposition

Handling Editor: Pablo García-Palacios Abstract 1. Fungi represent a rapidly cycling pool of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in soils. Understanding of how this pool impacts soil nutrient availability and organic matter fluxes is hindered by uncertainty regarding the dynamics and drivers of fungal necromass decomposition. 2. Here we assessed the generality of common models for predicting mass loss during fungal necromass decomposition and linked the resulting parameters to necromass substrate chemistry. We decomposed 28 different types of fungal necromass in laboratory microcosms over a 90-day period, measuring mass loss on all types, and N release on a subset of types. We characterised the initial chemistry of each necromass type using: (a) fibre analysis methods commonly used for plant tissues, (b) initial melanin and nitrogen (N) concentrations and (c) Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to assess the presence of bonds associated with common biomolecules. 3. We found universal support for an asymptotic model of decomposition, which assumes that fungal necromass consists of an exponentially decomposing ‘fast’ pool, and a ‘slow’ pool that decomposes at a rate approaching zero. The strongest predictor of the fast pool decay rate (k) was the proportion of cell soluble components, though initial N concentration also predicted k, albeit more weakly. The size of the slow pool was best predicted by the acid non-hydrolysable fraction, which was positively correlated with melanin-associated aromatics. Nitrogen dynamics varied by necromass type, ranging from net N release to net immobilisation. The maximum quantity of N immobilised was inversely related to cell soluble contents and k, as positively related to FTIR spectra associated with cell wall polysaccharides. 4. Collectively, our results indicate that the decomposition of fungal necromass in soils can be described as having two distinct stages that are driven by different components of substrate C chemistry, with implications for rates of N availability and organic matter accumulation in soils.
Neutral components from hexane extracts of Croton sellowii

Qualitative analyses by GC–FID and GC–MS of the neutral fractions from hexane extract of the leaves, stems and roots of Croton sellowii were carried out. Sesquiterpenoids, n-alkanes, aliphatic esters and aliphatic alcohols and alkyl benzene derivatives were identiﬁed. Caryophyllene oxide (46.8%) and trans-caryophyllene (40.8%) were most abundant in the leaves, while caryophyllene oxide (26.5%) and cubenol (16.7%) were the main constituents in the stems. In the roots, besides mesitylene (15.2%), the sesquiterpenes γ-(7.6%), α-(6.9%) and β-eudesmol (5.5%) were the most abundant components. All identiﬁed constituents are described for the ﬁrst time in this species. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of Deletion of the Ribonucleotide Reductase Gene in Wild Type and Virion Associated Host Shutoff (vhs-1) Mutant Herpes Simplex Virus-1 on Viral Proliferation and Infected-Carcinoma Cell Cultures Growth

Glioblastoma multiforme is the most prevalent and deadliest form of glioma and brain cancer, with a very poor prognosis. In an effort to develop an oncolytic viral vector for the treatment of Glioblastoma multiforme, we replaced the UL39 and UL40 genes encoding ribonucleotide reductase (RR) with green fluorescence protein and luciferase genes in wild type KOS and in the virion host shutoff mutant vhs-1, resulting in strains KOS-RR and Vhs-RR, respectively. KOS-RR and Vhs-RR caused death of infected U87 Glioblastoma multiforme cell cultures within one day after infection, whereas KOS and vhs-1-infected cells were more viable. All four viral strains caused apoptotic DNA laddering in infected H1299 lung cancer cells, while only Vhs-RR caused apoptosis in U87 cell cultures. Vhs-RR gave higher yields on U87 than on Vero cells, while it barely proliferated on non-dividing Goiter cells. These results indicate that Vhs-RR proliferates well in actively growing U87 Glioblastoma multiforme cells, causing their death in a mechanism involving apoptosis, while sparing non-dividing cells. Therefore, Vhs-RR is a promising candidate for oncolytic treatment of brain tumor malignancies.
Unilateral secession, international recognition, and great power contestation

Recognition of aspiring states from established countries is central to becoming a member state of the international system. Previous research suggests that great power recognition decisions regarding aspiring states rapidly converge toward either recognition or non-recognition, yet great power convergence has still not occurred in the case of Kosovo after more than ten years. Unilateral secessions typically remain wholly unrecognized, since they violate the norm of home state consent, yet Kosovo has now been recognized by more than 100 countries. Why do some countries extend recognition to unilateral secessions, and do so early, whereas others delay recognition or withhold it altogether? In the case of Kosovo, great power influence and contestation, rather than convergence, have played a key role in shaping recognition decisions. We argue that countries in the US sphere of influence, with strong economic and military ties, are more likely to recognize Kosovo and to do so relatively fast, whereas countries influenced by Russia are less likely to recognize Kosovo at all, or to do so only after an extended delay. However, great powers are not equal in influencing other states to adopt their preferred position, since the USA is more powerful than Russia and can benefit from working alongside allies within the Western-oriented world order. We estimate a non-proportional Cox model with new time-varying data on Kosovo recognition and provide evidence that US military ties influenced other countries in extending recognition to unilateral secession.
Testing Passive Microwave-Based Hail Retrievals Using GPM DPR Ku-Band Radar

Several studies in the literature have developed approaches to diagnose hail storms from satellite-borne passive microwave imagery and build nearly global climatologies of hail. This paper uses spaceborne Ku-band radar measurements from the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) to validate several passive microwave approaches. We assess the retrievals on the basis of how tightly they constrain the radar reflectivity at −20°C and how this measured radar reflectivity aloft varies geographically. The algorithm that combines minimum 19-GHz polarization corrected temperature (PCT) with a 37-GHz PCT depression normalized by tropopause height constrains the radar reflectivity most tightly and gives the least appearance of regional biases. A retrieval that is based on a 19-GHz PCT threshold of 261K also produces tightly clustered profiles of radar reflectivity, with little regional bias. An approach using regionally adjusted minimum 37-GHz PCT performs relatively well, but our results indicate it may overestimate hail in some subtropical and midlatitude regions. A threshold applied to the minimum 37-GHz PCT (≤230 K), without any scaling by region or probability of hail, overestimates hail in the tropics and underestimates beyond the tropics. For all retrieval approaches, storms identified as having hail tended to have radar reflectivity profiles that are consistent with general expectations for hailstorms (reflectivity > 50 dBZ below the 0°C level, and > 40 dBZ extending far above 0°C). Profiles from oceanic regions tended to have more rapidly decreasing reflectivity with height than profiles from other regions. Subtropical, high-latitude, and high-terrain land profiles had the slowest decreases of reflectivity with height.
A sensor data fusion-based locating method for large-scale metrology

The measurement of geometric and dimensional variations in the context of large-sized products is a complex operation. One of the most efficient ways to identify deviations is by comparing the nominal object with a digitalisation of the real object through a reverse engineering process. The accurate digitalisation of large geometric models usually requires multiple acquisitions from different acquiring locations; the acquired point clouds must then be correctly aligned in the 3D digital environment. The identification of the exact scanning location is crucial to correctly realign point clouds and generate an accurate 3D CAD model.To achieve this, an acquisition method based on the use of a handling device is proposed that enhances reverse engineering scanning systems and is able to self-locate. The present paper tackles the device’s locating problem by using sensor data fusion based on a Kalman filter. The method was first simulated in a MatLAB environment; a prototype was then designed and developed using low-cost hardware. Tests on the sensor data fusion have shown a locating accuracy better than that of each individual sensor. Despite the low-cost hardware, the results are encouraging and open to future improvements