Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Species are the Building Blocks of Ecosystem Services and Environmental Sustainability

Rather than advance novel strategies for achieving the objectives of conservation, Sandler (2013) suggests that we change the goals of conservation itself, emphasizing ecological processes through place-based protection instead of species preservation. We agree strongly that land management goals and strategies need to be revisited under climate change, but we disagree with several of Sandler’s central arguments. In particular, we disagree strongly that land managers and conservation biologists should abandon specieslevel conservation, or replace or demote it with Sandler’s alternative, process-based conservation. In fact, we argue that this is a false dichotomy as no function exists without the species that provide it. Also, we point out that in deemphasizing species-level conservation, we risk a critical conservation objective: preserving global biodiversity. Further, we question if the change that Sandler proposes would preclude assisted colonization (managed relocation), a strategy he seeks to avoid. First, Sandler fails to acknowledge that species perform ecosystem functions. All ecosystem services depend on species to some extent. This is particularly clear when considering keystone species, a species that has an affect on an ecosystem disproportional to its abundance or biomass (Paine, 1995). The extinction of a keystone species can lead to a loss of critical ecosystem functions, often within a reserve or place-based conservation strategy. One classic example showing how species conservation is critical to reserve oriented conservation is the reintroduction of gray wolves (Canis lupus) to Yellowstone National Park (Fritts et al., 1997). Fifteen years following the reintroduction, a number of positive effects have been observed (Ripple & Beschta, 2012). Most notably, aspen, cottonwood, and willow tree recruitment and growth seem to have returned to levels seen prior to wolf extermination. This is probably due to the top-down population control that wolves exert on browsing ungulates such as elk. The presence of wolves may also explain increases in populations of rodents, predatory and scavenger birds, bears, beavers, and bison through a trophic cascade (Pace et al., 1999). Other examples of keystone species affecting
Resilience in rural studies: a bibliometric mapping of the scientific publications

: Resilience is a “reemerging concept” that has attracted the interest of scientists from different fields, authorities, and international organizations. This article aims to identify and analyze the scientific production on resilience in rural studies, through a bibliometric review. The analysis covers the following issues: number and chronology of publications, source of work, in addition to the most cited articles and authors. 148 publications in English were identified in the SCOPUS and Web of Science databases, until December 2020. The results demonstrate that publications on resilience in rural studies have experienced a significant increase in several international journals, since 2010. It was also observed that there is a domain academic background of researchers from the USA, Australia, and countries of the United Kingdom; however, China has also shown a significant growth trend in this area. The article ends by pointing out the importance of using such a theoretical lens in rural studies.
Structure of the mesospheric Na layer at 40° N latitude: Seasonal and diurnal variations

Lidar observations obtained throughout the diurnal and annual cycles at Urbana, Illinois (40°N, 88°W), are used to examine the structure of mesospheric Na between 76 and 108 km. The Na layer is strongly influenced by seasonal and diurnal variations in solar illumination and by seasonal variations of mesospheric temperatures. Although there is little evidence of direct tidal perturbations in Na density, 24 hour oscillations dominate the diurnal variations. Na abundance and densities above 90 km are controlled by photoionization and charge exchange reactions during the day and recombination at night. The abundance is maximum at sunrise, and the peak-to-peak diurnal variation averages more than 30%. Below 85 km, density variations are controlled by photochemistry which interrupts the conversion of Na to the bicarbonate reservoir, and by warmer temperatures which enhance the liberation of Na from the reservoir. In this region the peak-to-peak diurnal Na variations can exceed 200%. The combined effects of photoionization above 90 km and photochemistry below 85 km induce a strong 24 hour oscillation in the layer centroid height. The peak-to-peak variation exceeds 1 km. The lowest centroid height is at local noon when Na densities below 85 km are maximum and photoionization above 90 km is strongest. The seasonal variations in Na densities and abundance are influenced primarily by changes in mesopause region temperatures which are coldest during midsummer. Below 95 km, reactions leading to the bicarbonate sink and the liberation of Na from this reservoir dominate Na chemistry. These reactions and their temperature dependencies are responsible for the large annual variation in Na abundance (2.3 × 109 to 5.3 × 109 cm−2). The measured correlation between Na abundance and the layer weighted temperature is +0.89. The ratio of the abundance to temperature variations is 1.9 × 108 cm−2K−1. The seasonal Na density and temperature perturbations are well-correlated (+0.6 to +0.9) below 98 km and negatively correlated above (−0.2 to −0.5).
Lattice Boltzmann Simulation of Non-Darcy Flow In Stochastically Generated 2D Porous Media Geometries

It is important to consider the additional pressure drops associated with non-Darcy flows in the near-wellbore region of conventional gas reservoirs and in propped hydraulic fractures. These pressure drops are usually described by the Forchheimer equation, in which the deviation from the Darcy’s law is proportional to the inertial resistance factor (b-factor). While the b-factor is regarded as a property of porous media, detailed study on the effect of pore geometry has not been performed. This study characterized the effect of geometry on the flow transition and the b-factor using lattice Boltzmann simulations and stochastically constructed 2D porous media models. The effect of geometry was identified from a large set of data within a porosity range of 8–35%. It was observed that the contrast between pore throat and pore body triggers an early transition to non-Darcy flows. Following a quick transition where the correction to the Darcy’s law was cubic in velocity, the flows entered the Forchheimer regime. The b-factor increased with decreasing porosity or an increasing level of heterogeneity. Inspection of flow patterns revealed both steady vortices and onset of unsteady motions in the Forchheimer regime. The latter correlated well with published points-of-transition. In developing a dimensionally consistent correlation for the b-factor, we show that it is necessary to include two distinctive characteristic lengths to account for the effect of pore-scale heterogeneity. This finding reflects the fact that it is the contrast between pore bodies and throats that dictates the flow properties of many porous media. In this study, we used the square root of the permeability and the fluid-solid contact length as the two characteristic lengths.
Global modeling study of potentially bioavailable iron input from shipboard aerosol sources to the ocean

Iron (Fe) is an essential element for phytoplankton. The majority of iron is transported from arid and semiarid regions to the open ocean, but it is mainly in an insoluble form. Since most aquatic organisms can take up iron only in the dissolved form, aerosol iron solubility is a key factor that can influence the air‐sea CO2 fluxes and thus climate. Field observations have shown relatively high iron solubility in aerosols influenced by combustion sources, but specific emissions sources and their contributions to deposition fluxes largely remain uncertain. Here a global chemical transport model was used to investigate the effect of aerosol emissions from ship plumes on iron solubility in particles from the combustion and dust sources. The model results reveal that the oil combustion from shipping mainly contributes to high iron solubility (>10%) at low iron loading (1–110 ng m–3) observed over the high‐latitude North Atlantic Ocean, rather than the other combustion sources from continental industrialized regions. Due to continuing growth in global shipping and no regulations regarding particles emissions over the open ocean, the input of potentially bioavailable iron from ship plumes is likely to increase during the next century. The model results suggest that deposition of soluble iron from ships in 2100 contributes 30–60% of the soluble iron deposition over the high‐latitude North Atlantic and North Pacific.
MathematicS In Action

The complex transverse water proton magnetization subject to diffusion-encoding magnetic field gradient pulses can be modeled by the Bloch-Torrey partial differential equation (PDE). The associated diffusion MRI signal is the spatial integral of the solution of the Bloch-Torrey PDE. In addition to the signal, the time-dependent apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) can be obtained from the solution of another partial differential equation, called the HADC model, which was obtained using homogenization techniques. In this paper, we analyze the Bloch-Torrey PDE and the HADC model in the context of geometrical deformations starting from a canonical configuration. To be more concrete, we focused on two analytically defined deformations: bending and twisting. We derived asymptotic models of the diffusion MRI signal and the ADC where the asymptotic parameter indicates the extent of the geometrical deformation. We compute numerically the first three terms of the asymptotic models and illustrate the effects of the deformations by comparing the diffusion MRI signal and the ADC from the canonical configuration with those of the deformed configuration. Thepurpose of this work is to relate the diffusion MRI signal more directly with tissue geometrical parameters.
A time compositional analysis of the association between movement behaviors and indicators of mental health in young adults

Movement behaviors (i.e., physical activity [PA], sedentary behaviors [SB], sleep) relate to mental health. Although movement behaviors are often analyzed as distinct entities, they are in fact highly inter‐dependent (e.g., if an individual increases sleep, then PA and/or SB must be reduced) and these dependencies should be accounted for in the analysis. We tested whether perceptions of time spent in movement behaviors (i.e., moderate‐to‐vigorous intensity PA [MVPA], light physical activity [LPA], SB, and sleep) related to depressive symptoms and self‐report mental health in young adults using a compositional analysis. We then estimated change in depressive symptoms with reallocation of time across movement behaviors using compositional time‐reallocation models.
1 Streaming and User Behaviour in Omnidirectional Videos

Omnidirectional videos (ODVs) have gone beyond the passive paradigm of traditional video, oﬀering higher degrees of immersion and interaction. The revolutionary novelty of this technology is the possibility for users to interact with the surrounding environment, and to feel a sense of engagement and presence in a virtual space. Users are clearly the main driving force of immersive applications and consequentially the services need to be properly tailored to them. In this context, this chapter highlights the importance of the new role of users in ODV streaming applications, and thus the need for understanding their behaviour while navigating within ODVs. A comprehensive overview of the research eﬀorts aimed at advancing ODV streaming systems is also presented. In particular, the state-of-the-art solutions under examination in this chapter are distinguished in terms of system-centric and user-centric streaming approaches: the former approach comes from a quite straightforward extension of well-established solutions for the 2D video pipeline while the latter one takes the beneﬁt of understanding users’ behaviour and enable more personalised ODV streaming.
Structural Time Series Model using Hamiltonian Monte Carlo for Rice Price

Although forecasts of future events are simply uncertain, predicting is one of the most important aspects of future planning. Accurate rice price predictions tend to be helpful for wholesalers, producers, and farmers to develop plans and strategies to reduce the risks that can be faced. Structural time series models are the most plausible alternative for long-term forecasting. This paper proposes an alternate method for modeling average rice prices using structural time series along with Bayesian parameter inference via Hamiltonian Monte Carlo (HMC). The model has been built using the monthly average wholesale rice price from January 2010 to December 2019. For working out both structural time series and HMC, the TensorFlow Probability Library was used. Linear trend, seasonal, and autoregressive components were combined as an additive model to the structural time model. The proposed Hamiltonian parameter produces an optimal acceptance rate. Their trace plot was used to diagnose the convergence of their chain. One of the predictive accuracy of models was assessed using the mean absolute percent error (MAPE). Through both single and multiple chain iterations, the prediction accuracy of a year-ahead is highly accurate, with MAPE less than 2%. Long-term iteration draws during Hamiltonian Monte Carlo should be considered when attempting to achieve more convergence.
Low stratospheric zero wind layer measurement with Rayleigh Doppler lidar

Wind field is measured with a mobile Rayleigh Doppler Wind Lidar in China(41°N, 86°E). According to statistic data of wind field experiment in present-year, the low stratospheric zero wind Layer character over the region in summer and early autumn has been obtained, the zero wind layer generally exists on the height of from 18km to 23km, the wind speed is mostly less than 8m/s and the wind direction of zero wind layer understratum and superstratum is inverse.
Rethinking and Upholding Justice and Equity in Transformative Biodiversity Governance

Justice and equity are fundamental to the complex choices that societies need to make to achieve transformative change (Bennett et al., 2019; IPBES, 2019; Leach et al., 2018; Martin, 2017). Evidence that more socioeconomically unequal societies tend to experience higher rates of biodiversity loss (Holland et al., 2009; IPBES, 2019) suggests that injustice and threats to biodiversity are closely intertwined. Injustice can function as an underlying cause of biodiversity loss, such as where colonial expropriation of Indigenous peoples’ land paves the way for its exploitation (Martinez-Alier, 2002). Similarly, biodiversity loss can create new injustices or exacerbate existing ones, for example where the destruction of ecosystems accelerates risks such as climate change or pandemics that disproportionately affect the poor (Kashwan et al., 2020). Alleviating unjust conditions could provide a catalyst for environmentally sustainable governance (and vice versa), as where respecting and securing the land rights of marginalized groups enhances the ecological integrity of biologically diverse areas (IPBES, 2019). However, a major challenge for achieving transformative governance in practice is that measures to address biodiversity loss or social injustice can give rise to trade-offs between these goals. Accordingly, efforts to pursue transformative biodiversity governance need to acknowledge social-ecological complexity, expose existing conditions of injustice and embrace opportunities to overcome them. In the context of this chapter, we understand justice and equity as crucial features of both the means and the ends of transformative biodiversity governance: they are important not only for their instrumental role in addressing biodiversity loss, but also because they are among the core social values that transformative governance aims to rethink and pursue (throughout the chapter, we generally use the term “justice” as shorthand for “justice and equity” unless otherwise specified; Section 8.2 notes different usages of the two terms). Accounts of transformative governance – such as the one that informs this collection – often see inclusive governance as an integral feature of the concept (Chapter 1; IPBES, 2019). Including different groups with diverse worldviews, experiences, knowledge systems and
SIB. What does it really mean? A theoretical approach on Social Impact Bonds

Research into public value creation is advancing. A new field of interest consists in the use of Social Impact Bonds (SIBs) as a social finance scheme and in the analysis of its ability to enhance collaborative relationships for public value creation. The research objective is twofold. Firstly, it aims to frame SIBs in public management studies. The second goal is to provide an analytical tool to assess the feasibility and effect of SIBs. The research provides a formal model proposal that shows key variables, their interactions and the conditions of success of a SIB within the context of value co-creation.
The role of dairy products and constituents in metabolic risk management

The metabolic syndrome is a combination of various risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. In this project, we studied the effects of dairy products on these risk factors in test persons with overweight. In the long term, it turns out that consumption of semi-skimmed dairy products lowers the systolic blood pressure, but has no positive effects on other risk factors. In the long term, milk has negative effects on the fat content in the blood directly after a meal, but positive effects on the glucose level. Further research will have to show if these findings also apply to other dairy products, other quantities, or other populations.
Thermospheric heating by high‐speed streams in the solar wind

[1] We compare thermospheric density (ρ) and exospheric temperature (T∞) responses measured by the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites with systematic characteristics of recurring high-speed streams (HSSs) in the solar wind observed by the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) at L1 during the last four solar rotations of 2005. HSSs show remarkably similar features from one solar rotation to the next. Within corotating interaction regions (CIRs) at the leading edges of the HSSs plasma densities and magnetic fields steepen to excite low levels of geomagnetic and thermospheric activity. Consistent with origins in northern hemispheric coronal holes containing open, monopolar flux, interplanetary magnetic fields observed near L1 had average BX and BZ with the same polarities and opposite to that of BY. We show that a model used to estimate T∞ changes during large magnetic storms overpredicts CIR-driven thermospheric heating. However, large-amplitude Alfven waves in the interiors of HSSs generate regularly observed increases in T∞ as well as the auroral electrojet index. The regularity of interplanetary driving and thermospheric responses suggests the possibility of developing reliable 27-day alerts about impending increases in thermospheric drag exerted on objects in low Earth orbits during solar minimum.
Example-based Rendering of Textural Phenomena

This thesis explores synthesis by example as a paradigm for rendering real-world phenomena. In particular, phenomena that can be visually described as texture are considered. We exploit, for synthesis, the self-repeating nature of the visual elements constituting these texture exemplars. Techniques for unconstrained as well as constrained/controllable synthesis of both image and video textures are presented. For unconstrained synthesis, we present two robust techniques that can perform spatio-temporal extension, editing, and merging of image as well as video textures. In one of these techniques, large patches of input texture are automatically aligned and seamless stitched with each other to generate realistic looking images and videos. The second technique is based on iterative optimization of a global energy function that measures the quality of the synthesized texture with respect to the given input exemplar. We also present a technique for controllable texture synthesis. In particular, it allows for generation of motion-controlled texture animations that follow a specified flow field. Animations synthesized in this fashion maintain structural properties like local shape, size, and orientation of the input texture even as they move according to the specified flow. We cast this problem into an optimization framework that tries to simultaneously satisfy the two (potentially competing) objectives of similarity to the input texture and consistency with the flow field. This optimization is a simple extension of the approach used for unconstrained texture synthesis. A general framework for example-based synthesis and rendering is also presented. This framework provides a design space for constructing example-based rendering algorithms. The goal of such algorithms would be to use texture exemplars to render animations for which certain behavioral characteristics need to be controlled. Our motion-controlled texture synthesis technique is an instantiation of this framework where the characteristic being controlled is motion represented as a flow field. * *This dissertation is a compound document (contains both a paper copy and a CD as part of the dissertation). The CD requires the following system requirements: Windows MediaPlayer or RealPlayer.