Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A delicate balance : Ecohydrological feedbacks governing landscape morphology in a lotic peatland

The Everglades ridge and slough landscape is characterized by elevated sawgrass ridges regularly interspersed among lower and more open sloughs that are aligned parallel to the historic flow direction. Landscape degradation, characterized by topographic flattening, has coincided with a century of drainage, levee construction, nutrient enrichment, and flow reductions. Here we develop a conceptual model of Everglades landscape dynamics based on a literature synthesis and supported by the numerical model PeatAccrete. We propose that two feedback mechanisms govern landscape characteristics. The first, simulated with PeatAccrete, involves differential peat accretion governed by water level and phosphorus concentration, leading to the attainment of an equilibrium ridge elevation relative to slough. Differential peat accretion, however, cannot produce a characteristic ridge width or landscape wavelength. Instead, we propose that feedback between channel morphology and sediment mass transfer controls lateral and longitudinal topographic features, consistent with processes in anabranching rivers. This sediment transport feedback was critical in pattern initiation and evolution, and sediment redistribution from slough to ridge provides a plausible mechanism for preventing gradual ridge expansion. However, PeatAccrete model results show that, in the absence of sediment transport, ridges expand only on the order of meters per century. This result suggests that a combination of factors has driven the widespread disappearance of sloughs over the past century, including altered vertical peat accretion rates that lead to slough infilling. Sensitivity tests indicated that changes in duration and depth of surface water inundation, phosphorus supply, and redox potential have altered differential peat accretion rates in a way that favors topographic flattening. These factors are relatively well defined compared with the role of sediment transport, which requires further quantification. Because both positive and negative feedback processes interact in the Everglades, the trajectory of landscape evolution in time will depend upon current conditions, with areas of remnant ridge and slough topography being more likely than areas of degraded topography to respond to changes in water management in ways that enhance landscape heterogeneity over human timescales. Dual feedbacks between peat accretion and sediment transport are likely important controls on landscape evolution in low-gradient peatlands worldwide with pulsed, unidirectional flow.
Causal Analytics: Testing, Targeting, and Tweaking to Improve Outcomes

Causal Analytics is the business application of statistical methods that are used for modeling causal relationships between inputs, interventions, and outcomes. Three areas of Causal Analytics are introduced in this paper: “testing” whether outcomes change because of an intervention; “targeting” interventions to have the greatest improvement in outcomes; and “tweaking” an intervention to control system outcomes.
The Situationist Critique and Early Confucian Virtue Ethics*

This article argues that strong versions of the situationist critique of virtue ethics are empirically and conceptually unfounded, as well as that, even if one accepts that the predictive power of character may be limited, this is not a fatal problem for early Confucian virtue ethics. Early Confucianism has explicit strategies for strengthening and expanding character traits over time, as well as for managing a variety of situational forces. The article concludes by suggesting that Confucian virtue ethics represents a more empirically responsible model of ethics than those currently dominant in Western philosophy.
Generalization in Pollination Systems, and Why it Matters

One view of pollination systems is that they tend toward specialization. This view is implicit in many discussions of angiosperm evolution and plant-pollinator coevolution and in the long-standing concept of pollination syndromes. But actual pollination systems often are more generalized and dynamic than these traditions might suggest. To illustrate the range of specialization and generalization in pollinators' use of plants and vice versa, we draw on studies of two floras in the United States, and of members of several plant families and solitary bee genera. We also summarize a recent study of one local flora which suggests that, although the colors of flowers are aggregated in phenotype space, there is no strong association with pollinator types as pollination syndromes would predict. That moderate to substantial generalization often occurs is not surprising on theoretical
Visual Exploration of Air Quality Data with a Time-correlation-partitioning Tree Based on Information Theory

Discovering the correlations among variables of air quality data is challenging, because the correlation time series are long-lasting, multi-faceted, and information-sparse. In this article, we propose a novel visual representation, called Time-correlation-partitioning (TCP) tree, that compactly characterizes correlations of multiple air quality variables and their evolutions. A TCP tree is generated by partitioning the information-theoretic correlation time series into pieces with respect to the variable hierarchy and temporal variations, and reorganizing these pieces into a hierarchically nested structure. The visual exploration of a TCP tree provides a sparse data traversal of the correlation variations and a situation-aware analysis of correlations among variables. This can help meteorologists understand the correlations among air quality variables better. We demonstrate the efficiency of our approach in a real-world air quality investigation scenario.
Financing Constraints, Radical versus Incremental Innovation, and Aggregate Productivity

I provide new empirical evidence on the negative relationship between financial frictions and productivity growth over a firm’s life cycle. I show that a model of firm dynamics with incremental innovation cannot explain this evidence. However, further including radical innovation, which is very risky but potentially very productive, allows for the joint replication of several stylized facts about the dynamics of young and old firms and the differences in productivity growth in industries with different degrees of financing frictions. These frictions matter because they act as a barrier to entry that reduces competition and the risk-taking of young firms. (JEL D22, D24, D25, G32, L25, L60, O31)
The stress system in a suspension of force-free particles

The purpose of the paper is to consider in general terms the properties of the bulk stress in a suspension of non-spherical particles, on which a couple (but no force) may be imposed by external means, immersed in a Newtonian fluid. The stress is sought in terms of the instantaneous particle orientations, and the problem of determining these orientations from the history of the motion is not considered. The bulk stress and bulk velocity gradient in the suspension are defined as averages over an ensemble of realizations, these averages being equal to integrals over a suitably chosen volume of ambient fluid and particles together when the suspension is statistically homogeneous. Without restriction on the type of particle or the concentration or the Reynolds number of the motion, the contribution to the bulk stress due to the presence of the particles is expressed in terms of integrals involving the stress and velocity over the surfaces of particles together with volume integrals not involving the stress. The antisymmetric part of this bulk stress is equal to half the total couple imposed on the particles per unit volume of the suspension. When the Reynolds number of the relative motion near one particle is small, a suspension of couple-free particles of constant shape is quasi-Newtonian; i.e. the dependence of the bulk stress on bulk velocity gradient is linear. Two significant features of a suspension of non-spherical particles are (1) that this linear relation is not of the Newtonian form and (2) that the effect of exerting a couple on the particles is not confined to the generation of an antisymmetrical part of the bulk stress tensor. The role of surface tension at the particle boundaries is described. In the case of a dilute suspension the contributions to the bulk stress from the various particles are independent, and the contributions arising from the bulk rate of strain and from the imposed couple are independent for each particle. Each particle acts effectively as a force doublet (i.e. equal and opposite adjoining ‘Stokeslets’) whose tensor strength determines the disturbance flow far from the particle and whose symmetrical and antisymmetrical parts are designated as a stresslet and a couplet. The couplet strength is determined wholly by the externally imposed couple on the particle; but the stresslet strength depends both on the bulk rate of strain and, for a non-spherical particle, on the rate of rotation of the particle relative to the fluid resulting from the imposed couple. The general properties of the stress system in a dilute suspension are illustrated by the specific and complete results which may be obtained for rigid ellipsoidal particles by use of the work by Jeffery (1922).
Use of Colored Shade Netting in Horticulture

Higher plants respond to light quantity, quality, direction, and periodicity. There are numerous photoreceptors in plants, including chlorophylls, phtyochromes, cryptochromes, phototropins, and ones that react to green light (Batschauer, 1999; Folta and Maruhnich, 2007). Light, along with other environmental cues, enables plants to adapt to environmental conditions. Efforts to manipulate plant morphology and physiology using photoselective filters have been ongoing for decades, especially in greenhouse environments (Cemy et al., 2003; Ilias and Rajapakse, 2005; Kambalapally and Rajapakse, 1998; Li et al., 2000; Mortensen and Stromme, 1987; Rajapakse and Kelly, 1991, 1992, 1995; Rajapakse et al., 1999; Wilson and Rajapakse, 2001a, 2001b). More recently, colored shade netting (shadecloth) designed specifically for manipulating plant development and growth has become available. These nets can be used outdoors as well as in greenhouses. They can provide physical protection (birds, hail, insects, excessive radiation), affect environmental modification (humidity, shade, temperature) (Perez et al., 2006), and increase the relative proportion of diffuse (scattered) light as well as absorb various spectral bands, thereby affecting light quality. These effects can influence crops as well as the organisms associated with them.
Scattering theory for Floquet-Bloch states

Motivated by recent experimental implementations of artificial gauge fields for gases of cold atoms, we study the scattering properties of particles that are subjected to time-periodic Hamiltonians. Making use of Floquet theory, we focus on translationally invariant situations in which the single-particle dynamics can be described in terms of spatially extended Floquet-Bloch waves. We develop a general formalism for the scattering of these Floquet-Bloch waves. An important role is played by the conservation of Floquet quasi-energy, which is defined only up to the addition of integer multiples of $\hbar\omega$ for a Hamiltonian with period $T=2\pi/\omega$. We discuss the consequences of this for the interpretation of "elastic" and "inelastic" scattering in cases of physical interest. We illustrate our general results with applications to: the scattering of a single particle in a Floquet-Bloch state from a static potential; and, the scattering of two particles in Floquet-Bloch states through their interparticle interaction. We analyse examples of these scattering processes that are closely related to the schemes used to general artifical gauge fields in cold-atom experiments, through optical dressing of internal states, or through time-periodic modulations of tight-binding lattices. We show that the effects of scattering cannot, in general, be understood by an effective time-independent Hamiltonian, even in the limit $\omega \to \infty$ of rapid modulation. We discuss the relative sizes of the elastic scattering (required to stablize many-body phases) and of the inelastic scattering (leading to deleterious heating effects). In particular, we describe how inelastic processes that can cause significant heating in current experimental set-up can be switched off by additional confinement of transverse motion.
Autosomal Dominant Hereditary Essential Thrombocythemia due to a Gain of Function Mutation in the Thrombopoietin (TPO) and JAK2 Gene as the Cause of Congenital Aspirin-Responsive Sticky Platelet Syndrome: Personal Experiences and Review of the Literature

Autosomal dominant hereditary Essential Thrombocythemia (ET) due to the gain of function mutation CG transversion in the splice donor of intron 3 in the TPO gene on chromosome 3q27 in a Dutch and Polish family is associated with marked increased TPO levels and Aspirin-responsive Sticky Platelet Syndrome (SPS). SPS is featured by typical clinical manifestations of aspirin responsive microvascular circulation disturbances including erythromelalgia and atypical transient ischemic attacks. Increase of large platelets in blood smears and large mature megakaryocytes with hyperploid nuclei in a normal cellular bone marrow were diagnostic for autosomal dominant hereditary ET (HET). The spectrum of platelet-mediated thrombophilia in HET is comparable to the aspirin responsive SPS in acquired JAK2 V617F positive ET. The affected members of the Dutch and Polish HET families showed no endogenous erythroid colony (EEC) formation. The first generation of the Dutch HET family, two females and one male had stable increased platelet counts, no features of PV, no splenomegaly during life-long follow-up. Three of four elderly family members in the Dutch HET family developed pancytopenia due to myelofibrosis at the age of 71 and 73 years in two, and evolution in acute myeloid leukemia at age 60 in one. These 3 HET patients were on long-term low dose aspirin to prevent SPS manifestations and not treated cytoreductive agents indicating that evolution of ET into myelofibrosis (MF) and leukemia belong to the natural history of TPO-induced HET. In the congenital HET caused by gain of function mutation in the TPO and the JAK2 gene ( JAK2 V617I and JAK2 R564Q ) the responses of mutated CD33 and CD34+ cells to TPO are increased, but the responses to EPO were normal thereby explaining why HET caused by heterozygous germline TPO and JAK2 mutations are associated with the biological characteristics of ET without PV features.
On the Implementation of a Land Cover Classification System for SAR Images Using Khoros

The Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) sensor is widely used to record data about the ground under all atmospheric conditions. The SAR acquired images have very good resolution which necessitates the development of a classification system that process the SAR images to extract useful information for different applications. In this work, a complete system for the land cover classification was designed and programmed using the Khoros, a data flow visual language environment, taking full advantages of the polymorphic data services that it provides. Image analysis was applied to SAR images to improve and automate the processes of recognition and classification of the different regions like mountains and lakes. Both unsupervised and supervised classification utilities were used. The unsupervised classification routines included the use of several Classification/Clustering algorithms like the K-means, ISO2, Weighted Minimum Distance, and the Localized Receptive Field (LRF) training/classifier. Different texture analysis approaches such as Invariant Moments, Fractal Dimension and Second Order statistics were implemented for supervised classification of the images. The results and conclusions for SAR image classification using the various unsupervised and supervised procedures are presented based on their accuracy and performance.
Culling Versus Density Effects in Management of a Deer Population

Abstract Wildlife managers often manipulate hunting regulations to control deer populations. However, few empirical studies have examined the level of hunting effort (hunter-days) required to limit population growth and demographic effects through harvesting of females. Moreover, the relative importance of density effects on population growth has not been quantified. We reconstructed a sika deer [Cervus nippon] population over a period of 12 years (1990–2001) using age- and sex-specific harvest data. Using cohort analysis, we analyzed population dynamics, focusing on 1) the relationship between hunting effort and hunting-induced mortality rate, 2) relative contributions of hunting mortality and recruitment of yearlings to annual changes in population growth rate, and 3) annual variation in recruitment rate. Population size increased until 1998 and declined thereafter. The population growth rate changed more in response to annual changes in recruitment rate than hunting mortality rate. Temporal variation in recruitment rate was not controlled by birth rate alone; direct density dependence, intensities of hunting mortality for fawns, and for females (≥2 yr of age), which accounted for the fawn survival rate, were required as factors to explain temporal variation. Density effects on the recruitment rate were not strong enough to regulate the population within the study period; high hunting mortality, with intensive female harvesting, was necessary to prevent population growth. Hunting effort was a good predictor of the hunting mortality rate, and female harvest had a negative effect on the recruitment rate through fawn survival. We suggest that >3,500 hunter-days and prioritization of female harvesting are required to prevent increases in this deer population.
- 49-SOME TOXICOLOGICAL STUDIES ON EFFECT OF SOME WATER POLLUTANTS ( HEAVY METALS ) IN ALBINO RATS

The toxicological studies of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and manganese (Mn), were carried out on albino rat. Twenty five rat classified to five equal groups. First group was given water contain Cd, Pb and Mn, as (0.54g /L ,0.73g L 0.54g /L)respectively and kept as positive control. Second, third and forth groups were given water (orally by stomach tube 1ml/rat/day for 2 month) contain some pollutant as first group but after treatment with alum, ferric chloride and Pseudomonas bacteria respectively . Fifth group administrated distal water and kept as control negative. At the end of experiment serum sample were collected for estimation of Alanine amino transferase (ALT), Aspatrate amino transferase (AST) and electrolytes (Na, Ca, Ph and K), liver samples collected for determination of oxidative cascade and samples from liver and kidney were collected for residues and histopathological examination. The result indicated that the forth group (given water treated with Pseudomonas bacteria) showed less toxic effect than other groups (second and third) in which water was treated by alum and ferric chloride respectively. We can concluded that removal of heavy metal from water by bacteria was more effective than removal by ferric chloride which was more effective than removal by alum.
Integrating trait-mediated effects and non-trophic interactions in the study of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning

The need to consider trait-mediated effects and non-trophic interactions in the study of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning has emerged as a central issue in ecology during the past two decades because of increasing concerns about the potential ecological and societal consequences of current biodiversity loss (Loreau et al. 2001; Naeem et al. 2009; Loreau 2010). Biological invasions are one of themain drivers of this biodiversity loss as human activities contribute to accelerate introductions of exotic species in many of the world’s ecosystems, with considerable economic impacts (Williamson 1996; Mooney and Hobbs 2000). Although the effects of biodiversity loss on ecosystem functioning have now been studied in a wide range of organisms and ecosystems (Hooper et al. 2005; Balvanera et al. 2006; Cardinale et al. 2006; Naeem et al. 2009), most experimental and theoretical studies have considered either competitive communities at a single trophic level or relatively simple food webs (Duffy et al. 2007). The only direct species interactions considered in these studies are trophic interactions, and the only indirect species interactions considered are densitymediated interactions (for instance, exploitation competition). Similarly, the impacts of biological invasions on native ecosystems and the relationship between biodiversity and invasion resistance have beenmainly studied in experimental plant communities (e.g., Kennedy et al. 2002) andmodels that consider a single type of species interactions, either competition (e.g., Case 1990; Byers and Noonburg 2003) or trophic interactions (e.g., Law and Morton 1996). Although there is growing recognition of the significance of non-trophic and trait-mediated interactions in communities and ecosystems (Bolker et al. 2003; Bruno et al. 2003), these interactions are still poorly studied theoretically, andwe still know little about general patterns and mechanisms. Ecosystems are much more than mere food webs; they are complex systems that involve multiple
Parental leave regulations and the persistence of the male breadwinner model: Using fuzzy-set ideal type analysis to assess gender equality in an enlarged Europe

This paper uses fuzzy-set ideal type analysis to assess the conformity of European leave regulations to four theoretical ideal typical divisions of labour: male breadwinner, caregiver parity, universal breadwinner and universal caregiver. In contrast to the majority of previous studies, the focus of this analysis is on the extent to which leave regulations promote gender equality in the family and the transformation of traditional gender roles. The results of this analysis demonstrate that European countries cluster into five models that only partly coincide with countries’ geographical proximity. Second, none of the countries considered constitutes a universal caregiver model, while the male breadwinner ideal continues to provide the normative reference point for parental leave regulations in a large number of European states. Finally, we witness a growing emphasis at the national and EU levels concerning the universal breadwinner ideal, which leaves gender inequality in unpaid work unproblematized.
Extraction Methods for the Isolation of Isoflavonoids from Plant Material

Abstract The purpose of this review is to describe and compare selected traditional and modern extraction methods employed in the isolation of isoflavonoids from plants. Conventional methods such as maceration, percolation, or Soxhlet extraction are still frequently used in phytochemical analysis. Despite their flexibility, traditional extraction techniques have significant drawbacks, including the need for a significant investment of time, energy, and starting material, and a requirement for large amounts of potentially toxic solvents. Moreover, these techniques are difficult to automate, produce considerable amount of waste and pose a risk of degradation of thermolabile compounds. Modern extraction methods, such as: ultrasound-assisted extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, accelerated solvent extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, and negative pressure cavitation extraction, can be regarded as remedies for the aforementioned problems. This manuscript discusses the use of the most relevant extraction techniques in the process of isolation of isoflavonoids, secondary metabolites that have been found to have a plethora of biological and pharmacological activities.