Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Harnessing the Power of EKC and RKC: A Sustainable Development Perspective

Objectives: The primary objective of this study is to examine the validity and applicability of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) theory within the framework of the Resource Kuznets Curve (RKC). Specifically, the study aims to analyze empirical evidence and underlying factors to understand the relationship between environmental degradation and income levels across six major economies: Germany, France, Japan, Canada, UK, and US, spanning the period of 1961–2018. Methods: To achieve the objectives outlined, this study utilizes empirical analysis techniques. Data from the specified economies are collected and analyzed to discern patterns and relationships between environmental degradation, income levels, and other relevant variables. Statistical methods and econometric modeling are employed to evaluate the shape and dynamics of the relationship, allowing for a comprehensive understanding of the complexities involved. Results: The analysis reveals both an N-shaped and a U-shaped pattern in the relationship between environmental degradation and income levels across the selected economies. These findings suggest that the relationship between environmental degradation and economic development is multifaceted and nonlinear, indicating the presence of critical thresholds and turning points. Furthermore, the study highlights the importance of clean energy consumption and renewable energy adoption in mitigating pollution and fostering sustainable economic growth. Conclusion: The findings of this study contribute to the ongoing debate surrounding the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) theory within the context of the Resource Kuznets Curve (RKC). The identification of an N-shaped and a U-shaped pattern underscores the need for nuanced policy interventions aimed at balancing economic development with environmental sustainability. Policymakers and stakeholders can utilize these insights to formulate effective strategies for promoting clean energy adoption, reducing pollution, and fostering long-term environmental quality and economic growth.
Growth of planetary waves and the formation of an elevated stratopause after a major stratospheric sudden warming in a T213L256 GCM

[1] Recovery processes after a major stratospheric sudden warming (SSW) with the formation of an elevated stratopause and a strong polar-night jet are investigated using a gravity-wave-resolving GCM. The major SSW that occurred in the GCM bears a strong resemblance to observations in January 2006 and January 2009. The recovery phase of the SSW in the GCM is divided into two stages. In the first stage during about five days just after the SSW, a large positive Eliassen-Palm (E-P) flux divergence associated with the growth of planetary waves contributes to the quick recovery of eastward wind above 2 hPa (about 42 km), which is likely due to baroclinic and/or barotropic instabilities. In the second stage over the next three weeks, a prolonged westward wind in the lower stratosphere blocked upward propagation of gravity waves with westward intrinsic phase velocities. It reduces the deceleration of eastward wind in the upper mesosphere and raises the breaking height of gravity waves. Since the height of westward gravity wave forcing also rises, the polar stratopause created by the gravity-wave-driven meridional circulation is formed at an elevated height (about 75 km) compared to that before the SSW (55–65 km). In addition, the weaker westward gravity-wave forcing in the upper mesosphere drives weaker downwelling around 1 hPa and forms a cold layer. Consequently, the strong polar-night jet forms at a higher altitude than before the SSW as a result of adjustment toward the thermal wind balance. This indicates that these two stages provide eastward acceleration in different ways.
Scarecrows in Oz: The Use of Large Language Models in HRI

The proliferation of Large Language Models (LLMs) presents both a critical design challenge and a remarkable opportunity for the field of Human–Robot Interaction (HRI). While the direct deployment of LLMs on interactive robots may be unsuitable for reasons of ethics, safety, and control, LLMs might nevertheless provide a promising baseline technique for many elements of HRI. Specifically, in this article, we argue for the use of LLMs as Scarecrows : “brainless,” straw-man black-box modules integrated into robot architectures for the purpose of quickly enabling full-pipeline solutions, much like the use of “Wizard of Oz” (WoZ) and other human-in-the-loop approaches. We explicitly acknowledge that these Scarecrows, rather than providing a satisfying or scientifically complete solution, incorporate a form of the wisdom of the crowd and, in at least some cases, will ultimately need to be replaced or supplemented by a robust and theoretically motivated solution. We provide examples of how Scarecrows could be used in language-capable robot architectures as useful placeholders and suggest initial reporting guidelines for authors, mirroring existing guidelines for the use and reporting of WoZ techniques.
Trichoderma spp. promotes ginseng biomass by influencing the soil microbial community

Introduction Ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) has multiple effects on human health; however, soil degradation seriously affects its yield. Trichoderma spp. play an important role in improving plant biomass by influencing the soil environment. Therefore, it is necessary to screen efficient Trichoderma strains that can increase ginseng biomass and determine their mechanisms. Methods Herein, we selected six Trichoderma species (T. brevicompactum, T. velutinum, T. viridescens, T. atroviride, T. koningiopsis, and T. saturnisporum) isolated from ginseng rhizosphere soil, and evaluated their growth promoting effects on ginseng and their influence on the microbiome and chemical attributes of the ginseng rhizosphere soil. Results Except for T. saturnisporum (F), compared with the control, the other five species increased ginseng biomass. In terms of chemical properties, the pH value, available potassium content, and available phosphorus content in the ginseng rhizosphere soil increased by 1.16–5.85%, 0.16–14.03%, and 3.92–38.64%, respectively, after root irrigation with spores of Trichoderma species. For the soil microbiome, fungal Chao1 and Ace richness indices decreased. Application of Trichoderma enhanced the relative level of Proteobacteria, but reduced the relative level of Ascomycota. At the genus level, application of Trichoderma enhanced the relative levels of Sphingomonas, Blastomonas, and Trichoderma, but reduced the relative level of Fusarium. Available K and available P were the most important elements that affected the structure of the bacterial community, while total K was the most influential element for the structure of the fungal community structure. Conclusion The results indicated that the application of Trichoderma spp. could increase soil nutrients and regulate the structure and composition of the soil microbial community, thereby enhancing the biomass of ginseng. The results will provide guidance for soil improvement in ginseng cultivation.
Orthographic and Phonological Code Activation in Deaf and Hearing Readers

Grainger et al. (2006) were the first to use ERP masked priming to explore the differing contributions of phonological and orthographic representations to visual word processing. Here we adapted their paradigm to examine word processing in deaf readers. We investigated whether reading-matched deaf and hearing readers (n = 36) exhibit different ERP effects associated with the activation of orthographic and phonological codes during word processing. In a visual masked priming paradigm, participants performed a go/no-go categorization task (detect an occasional animal word). Critical target words were preceded by orthographically-related (transposed letter – TL) or phonologically-related (pseudohomophone – PH) masked non-word primes were contrasted with the same target words preceded by letter substitution (control) non-words primes. Hearing readers exhibited typical N250 and N400 priming effects (greater negativity for control compared to TL or PH primed targets), and the TL and PH priming effects did not differ. For deaf readers, the N250 PH priming effect was later (250–350 ms), and they showed a reversed N250 priming effect for TL primes in this time window. The N400 TL and PH priming effects did not differ between groups. For hearing readers, those with better phonological and spelling skills showed larger early N250 PH and TL priming effects (150–250 ms). For deaf readers, those with better phonological skills showed a larger reversed TL priming effect in the late N250 window. We speculate that phonological knowledge modulates how strongly deaf readers rely on whole-word orthographic representations and/or the mapping from sublexical to lexical representations.
3D Van der Pauw Device for MOS Channel Characterization on 4H-SiC Trench Sidewalls

In this letter, the van der Pauw test structure integrated on the trench sidewall (3D-VDP) is designed and demonstrated, to achieve an explicit characterization of 4H-SiC UMOS channel properties. 3D-VDP removes two types of critical problems in UMOS channel characterization: parasitic resistance and dimension error. Such a microscopic structure was implemented by repetitive epitaxial growth and implantation. By comparing properties between a UMOS channel on the trench sidewall and a planar MOS channel fabricated on epi-surface, it was confirmed that they are consistent under our experimental conditions. In the experiment, because we employed a 4° off-axis substrate, impacts of the channel plane orientation were systematically obtained by changing the trench direction. According to the relationship between the channel plane orientation and the MOS channel resistivity, it is important to refrain from trench tilting toward Si-polar orientation even by several degrees. Furthermore, Hall effect analysis revealed that trench tilt toward Si-polar orientation results in both decreasing in the carrier density and mobility in the MOS channel.
An Efficient Homologous Recombination-Based In Situ Protein-Labeling Method in Verticillium dahliae

Simple Summary In situ protein labeling through homologous recombination is a powerful method for studying protein function across various fungal organisms. Traditionally, research on gene function in plant pathogens depends on methods like ectopic or overexpression, which may not always reflect natural protein behavior. Our study successfully implemented in situ labeling of proteins in the fungus Verticillium dahliae, a plant pathogen, by attaching Flag/GFP tags to proteins’ C-terminus via homologous recombination. We demonstrated the technique’s effectiveness by analyzing the subcellular localization and protein levels, confirming its utility in this organism. This advancement in protein in situ labeling provides a more precise approach to examine protein expression and function in plant pathogens, enhancing our understanding of their biological functions and potentially aiding in the development of disease control strategies. Abstract Accurate determination of protein localization, levels, or protein−protein interactions is pivotal for the study of their function, and in situ protein labeling via homologous recombination has emerged as a critical tool in many organisms. While this approach has been refined in various model fungi, the study of protein function in most plant pathogens has predominantly relied on ex situ or overexpression manipulations. To dissect the molecular mechanisms of development and infection for Verticillium dahliae, a formidable plant pathogen responsible for vascular wilt diseases, we have established a robust, homologous recombination-based in situ protein labeling strategy in this organism. Utilizing Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT), this methodology facilitates the precise tagging of specific proteins at their C-termini with epitopes, such as GFP and Flag, within the native context of V. dahliae. We demonstrate the efficacy of our approach through the in situ labeling of VdCf2 and VdDMM2, followed by subsequent confirmation via subcellular localization and protein-level analyses. Our findings confirm the applicability of homologous recombination for in situ protein labeling in V. dahliae and suggest its potential utility across a broad spectrum of filamentous fungi. This labeling method stands to significantly advance the field of functional genomics in plant pathogenic fungi, offering a versatile and powerful tool for the elucidation of protein function.
Association of Circulating Carbohydrate Antigen 19-9 Level with Type 2 Diabetic Kidney Disease in Chinese Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective Very few and conflicting data are available regarding the correlation between circulating carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) levels and diabetic kidney disease (DKD) and its components including albuminuria and a low estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). This study aimed to examine the association of circulating CA19-9 and DKD in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods A total of 402 hospitalized T2DM patients between September 2017 and December 2021 were included in this cross-sectional study. There were 224 and 178 subjects in non-DKD and DKD groups, respectively. Serum CA19-9 was measured by chemiluminescence method, and its potential relationship with DKD was evaluated by multivariate logistic regression and correlation analyses, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results T2DM patients with DKD had significantly higher serum CA19-9 levels than those without, and serum CA19-9 levels were positively related to urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio and negatively to eGFR (P<0.01). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that serum CA 19-9 was an independent factor of DKD [odds ratio (OR), 1.018; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.002–1.035; P<0.05]. Moreover, an increased progressively risk of DKD with an increase in serum CA19-9 quartiles was observed (P for trend <0.001), and T2DM patients in the highest serum CA19-9 quartile were associated with an increased likelihood of DKD when compared to those in the lowest quartile (OR: 2.936, 95% CI 1.129–7.633, P<0.05). Last, the analysis of ROC curves suggested that serum CA 19-9 at a cut of 25.09 U/mL resulted in the highest Youden index with sensitivity 43.8% and 75.4% specificity to predict the presence of DKD. Conclusion These results showed that high circulating CA19-9 was related to DKD and may serve as a useful biomarker of DKD in hospitalized Chinese T2DM patients.
Catchment water storage variation with elevation

One of the most important functions of catchments is the storage of water. Catchment storage buffers meteorological extremes and interannual streamflow variability, controls the partitioning between evaporation and runoff, and influences transit times of water. Hydrogeological data to estimate storage are usually scarce and seldom available for a larger set of catchments. This study focused on storage in prealpine and alpine catchments, using a set of 21 Swiss catchments comprising different elevation ranges. Catchment storage comparisons depend on storage definitions. This study defines different types of storage including definitions of dynamic and mobile catchment storage. We then estimated dynamic storage using four methods, water balance analysis, streamflow recession analysis, calibration of a bucket‐type hydrological model Hydrologiska Byråns Vattenbalansavdelning model (HBV), and calibration of a transfer function hydrograph separation model using stable isotope observations. The HBV model allowed quantifying the contributions of snow, soil and groundwater storages compared to the dynamic catchment storage. With the transfer function hydrograph separation model both dynamic and mobile storage was estimated. Dynamic storage of one catchment estimated by the four methods differed up to one order of magnitude. Nevertheless, the storage estimates ranked similarly among the 21 catchments. The largest dynamic and mobile storage estimates were found in high‐elevation catchments. Besides snow, groundwater contributed considerably to this larger storage. Generally, we found that with increasing elevation the relative contribution to the dynamic catchment storage increased for snow, decreased for soil, but remained similar for groundwater storage.
Capabilities, knowledge and skills of superior human resources through the competency of Tanjung Balai Karimun Port Employees, Riau Islands, Indonesia

The community complains about the service at the sea passenger port in Tanjungbalai Karimun because it is considered unfriendly to passengers. This port is the only entrance to The Tanjung Balai Karimun Port and was built decades ago. One complaint is the surly service. The number of respondents in this study was 300. With the Slovin formula, 172 samples were obtained. The analysis tool used the AMOS software version 24. The following results were obtained. The Capabilities’ influence on the Competence metric indicates a positive impact. A strong positive correlation exists between the Determination and Knowledge of Competence variables. In this case, the Skills vs. Competence outcome is overwhelmingly favorable. Knowledge has an excellent impact on the Superior Human Resources decision. In a highly encouraging turn of events, the Capabilities variable’s determination of the Superior Human Resources variable was found to be true—an optimistic but unimportant result from applying The Skills variable to the Superior Human Resources variable. Competence has a highly favourable effect on the Super Human Resources criterion. Competence on the job has a square correlation of 89.6%, whereas superior human resources correlate with 100.00%. The already significant factors are being kept that way, while the determination of the Skills variable on the Superior Human Resources team requires some work.
An Afterword to Rise of the Self-Replicators: Placing John A. Etzler, Frigyes Karinthy, Fred Stahl, and Others in the Early History of Thought About Self-Reproducing Machines

Abstract This article is an afterword to the book Rise of the Self-Replicators: Early Visions of Machines, AI and Robots That Can Reproduce and Evolve, coauthored by Tim Taylor and Alan Dorin (2020). The book covered the early history of thought about self-reproducing and evolving machines, from initial speculations in the 17th century up to the early 1960s (from which point onward the more recent history is already well covered elsewhere). This article supplements the material discussed in the book by presenting several relevant sources that have come to the author’s attention since the book was published. The most significant additions to the history are from the German-born, 19th-century inventor and utopian John Adolphus Etzler in the 1830s–1840s, the Hungarian author and satirist Frigyes Karinthy in 1916, and the U.S. mathematician and computer scientist Fred Stahl in 1960.
An Analysis on Matching Mechanisms and Token Pruning for Late-interaction Models

With the development of pre-trained language models, the dense retrieval models have become promising alternatives to the traditional retrieval models that rely on exact match and sparse bag-of-words representations. Different from most dense retrieval models using a bi-encoder to encode each query or document into a dense vector, the recently proposed late-interaction multi-vector models (i.e., ColBERT and COIL) achieve state-of-the-art retrieval effectiveness by using all token embeddings to represent documents and queries and modeling their relevance with a sum-of-max operation. However, these fine-grained representations may cause unacceptable storage overhead for practical search systems. In this study, we systematically analyze the matching mechanism of these late-interaction models and show that the sum-of-max operation heavily relies on the co-occurrence signals and some important words in the document. Based on these findings, we then propose several simple document pruning methods to reduce the storage overhead and compare the effectiveness of different pruning methods on different late-interaction models. We also leverage query pruning methods to further reduce the retrieval latency. We conduct extensive experiments on both in-domain and out-domain datasets and show that some of the used pruning methods can significantly improve the efficiency of these late-interaction models without substantially hurting their retrieval effectiveness.
Renal involvement in Takayasu’s arteritis; a mini-review study

Takayasu’s arteritis is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the aorta and its branches. It can also involve other organs, such as the kidneys. Inflammation of the renal artery can lead to hypertension, proteinuria, and progressive loss of kidney function over time. This condition is known as renovascular hypertension. The treatment for Takayasu’s arteritis involves managing symptoms with medications like corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, and antihypertensive drugs. Surgical intervention may be necessary if there are complications, such as aneurysms or blockages in the affected blood vessels. Lifestyle modifications such as maintaining a healthy weight, regular exercise, and smoking cessation can also help manage better disease management.
Corrigendum: "The GOddard SnoW impurity module (GOSWIM) for the NASA GEOS-5 earth system model: Preliminary comparisons with observations in Sapporo, Japan" [SOLA, 10, (2014) 50-56] DOI:10.2151/sola.2014-011

In Yasunari et al. (2014), there were errors in Fig. 3. They inadvertently compared the simulated particulate organic matter (POM or OM) in snow to the measured organic carbon (OC) in snow by Aoki et al. (2011). Strictly speaking, the model mass ratio between POM and OC was a factor of 1.4 as mentioned for the GEOS-4 treatment in Colarco et al. (2010), which is a typical OM/ OC mass conversion treatment on atmospheric aerosol discussion (e.g., Chin et al. 2009). Yasunari et al. (2014) actually did treat the POM mass in their OC snow-darkening calculations in the model because of using the POM depositions from the GOCART module in GEOS-5 as they were. Therefore, the modeled OC mass concentrations in snow in Fig. 3 of Yasunari et al. (2014) should have been divided by 1.4 (or the observed pure OC by Aoki et al. (2011) should be multiplied by 1.4) for proper comparisons. However, this treatment had minor impact on the discussions and conclusions by Yasunari et al. (2014). Hence, we just briefly mention this point here for readers as a corrigendum. The OC, which was referred in Qian et al. (2015) and Yasunari et al. (2015) on the GEOS-5 related descriptions and/or the discussions on snowdarkening effect, also represented POM (or OM) mass in snow as well. References
Tidal Forces in Majumdar-Papapetrou Spacetimes

Tidal disruption events occur when astrophysical objects are destroyed by black holes due to strong tidal force effects. Tidal forces have been studied in a variety of black hole spacetimes, including Reissner-Nordström and Kerr spacetimes. Despite the vast literature on the subject, tidal forces around black holes in static equilibrium have never been investigated before. The aim of this work is to fill in this gap and explore tidal forces in the Majumdar-Papapetrou spacetime describing two extremely charged binary black holes in equilibrium. We focus on tidal forces associated with radial and circular geodesics of massive neutral particles moving on the plane equidistant to the black holes. In particular, we study the behavior of the tidal forces as a function of the distance from the black holes and as a function of the energy of the geodesics. We also investigate the numerical solutions of the geodesic deviation equation for different initial conditions.