Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Abundance and expression of denitrifying genes (narG, nirS, norB, and nosZ) in sediments of wastewater stabilizing constructed wetlands

As expected, the expression of denitrifying genes in a Typha wetland (relatively stagnant compared to other ponds), showing higher nitrogen removal efficiency in summer, was affected by temperature. The abundance and gene transcripts of nitrate reductase (narG), nitrite reductase (nirS), nitric oxide reductase (norB), and nitrous oxide reductase (nosZ) genes in seasonal sediment samples taken from the Acorus and Typha ponds of free surface flow constructed wetlands were investigated using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR) and quantitative reverse transcription PCR (Q-RT-PCR). Denitrifying gene copy numbers (105－108 genes g－1 sediment) were found to be higher than transcript numbers- (103－107 transcripts g－1 sediment) of the Acorus and Typha ponds, in both seasons. Transcript numbers of the four functional genes were significantly higher for Typha sediments, in the warm than in the cold season, potentially indicating greater bacterial activity, during the relatively warm season than the cold season. In contrast, copy numbers and expression of denitrifying genes of Acorus did not provide a strong correlation between the different seasons.
Shedding Light on the Anthropogenic Europium Cycle in the EU–28. Marking Product Turnover and Energy Progress in the Lighting Sector

Phase-out strategies for incandescent bulbs in favor of advanced energy-efficiency lighting systems such as fluorescent lamps and solid-state technology have considerably reduced the energy use for lighting, but have also resulted in dependence on many critical materials like rare earth elements and shifted the attention to sustainable use and recovery of resources. In this work, a dynamic material flow model was developed to analyze the socio-economic metabolism of europium in the EU–28. The analysis shows that europium marked product turnover and progress in lighting efficiency, with this element being employed both in traditional and novel lighting technology to provide luminescence. The results also demonstrate that the current anthropogenic reserve could constitute an attractive source of secondary europium with substantial potentials for environmental benefits. However, nonexistent recycling and market forces hinder strategies for material circularity. In particular, the transition from fluorescent lamps to solid-state technology is quickly decreasing the demand for europium. This trend adds further constraints to the creation of a sustainable recycling industry for europium, with primary sources that might remain the preferable route to supply phosphors to future lighting systems.
AFRL-OSR-VA-TR-2015-0092 Influence of Group IV and V Alloying Elements on the Microstructure Engineering

For group VB transition metal carbides, as compared to group IVB carbides, an anomalous rise in hardness occurs for substoichiometric carbon concentrations as compared to the stoichiometric monocarbides. Here we report the computationally derived elastic constants, electronic density of states, and activation energies for carbon vacancy migration as a function of carbon content to elucidate their effect on the hardening responses. The changes in elastic properties with respect to carbon vacancy concentration show similar behaviors of elastic softening and decreasing hardness for all of the cubic carbides. The consistent trends of vacancy diffusion energy barriers between all of the group IVB and VB transition metal carbides also suggests that carbon diffusion may not be a significant contributor to the reported hardness differences. Consequently, we propose that the anomalous hardening for substoichiometric behavior is a competition between elastic constant softening and a microstructural-based effect, i.e. domain hardening, that is present in group VB carbides but not in group IVB carbides. Introduction The group IVB and VB transition metal carbides are a class of refractory ceramics that are well known for their thermal and structural stability. These materials form compounds that have the highest melting temperatures recorded and exhibit exceptional hardness, which are direct results of the mixed covalent-metallic-ionic bonding present in these compounds. Thus, they are well suited for structural applications at high temperatures where a variety of strengths are required. At near equal parts transition metal and carbon, these materials typically form the rock salt or B1 structure. This structure is stable for a range of stoichiometry allowing a large amount of carbon loss. For the group VB compounds, the FCC structure of the metal atoms is maintained with the loss up to approximately 25% carbon at elevated temperatures. At lower temperatures, the carbon vacancies can order resulting the precipitation of a Me6C5 phase, where Me is the metal atom 1. Further carbon loss may result in the precipitation of various faulted metal-rich carbide phases such as Me4C3 and Me2C, which do not share the FCC metal sublattice ordering. Of the group VB metal carbides, vanadium carbide is unique. It does not form a stoichiometric B1 structure like TaC or NbC, rather it phase separates to substoichiometric VCx and graphite, at carbon concentrations equal to or greater than X~0.882 . In contrast, the group IVB compounds can sustain much larger losses of carbon concentrations without the loss of the FCC metal sublattice. Thermodynamic and first principle calculations of these compounds have also shown the stability of equivalent vacancy ordered phases retaining the FCC metal lattice3, but, to the
Pathological and immunohistochemical findings of a case of canine chagasic myocarditis in the state of Mato Grosso Aspectos patológicos e imuno-histoquímico de um caso de miocardite chagásica canina no estado de Mato Grosso

Dogs are as considered important reservoirs of trypanosomiasis and play a vital role in maintaining the interaction between the domestic and wild cycles of this disease. This paper reports the clinical and pathological findings of a case of Chagas disease myocarditis in a dog from an urban area in Brazil. During clinical examination, the animal showed apathy, weakness and pale ocular mucous and died shortly after. Necropsy revealed ascites, hydrothorax and hydropericardium. The heart was remarkably globoid with scattered multifocal pale in the epicardium and ventricular miocardium and dilated chambers. Histological analysis revealed non-suppurative myocarditis and cardiomyocyte necrosis. The sarcoplasms of cardiomyocytes were frequently infiltrated by T. cruzi pseudocysts filled with amastigotes. The myocardium immunostained positive for anti-T. cruzi antibody. The presence of Chagas disease in a dog from an urban area increases the risk of disease transmission to man, which
Towards Automated Bayesian Optimization

Bayesian optimization is a powerful tool for global optimization of expensive functions. One of its key components is the underlying probabilistic model used for the objective function f . In practice, however, it is often unclear how one should appropriately choose a model, especially when gathering data is expensive. In this work, we introduce a novel automated Bayesian optimization approach that dynamically selects promising models for explaining the observed data without human intervention. Crucially, we account for the uncertainty in the model choice; our method is capable of using multiple models to represent its current belief about f and subsequently using this information for decision making. We argue, and demonstrate empirically, that our approach automatically finds suitable models for the objective function, which ultimately results in more-efficient optimization.
Pertinent spatio-temporal scale of observation to understand suspended sediment yield control factors in the Andean region: the case of the Santa River (Peru)

Hydro-sedimentology development is a great challenge in Peru due to limited data as well as sparse and confidential information. This study aimed to quantify and to understand the suspended sediment yield from the westcentral Andes Mountains and to identify the main erosioncontrol factors and their relevance. The Tablachaca River (3132 km2) and the Santa River (6815 km2), located in two adjacent Andes catchments, showed similar statistical daily rainfall and discharge variability but large differences in specific suspended-sediment yield (SSY). In order to investigate the main erosion factors, daily water discharge and suspended sediment concentration (SSC) datasets of the Santa and Tablachaca rivers were analysed. Mining activity in specific lithologies was identified as the major factor that controls the high SSY of the Tablachaca (2204 t km2 yr-1), which is four times greater than the Santa's SSY. These results show that the analysis of control factors of regional SSY at the Andes scale should be done carefully. Indeed, spatial data at kilometric scale and also daily water discharge and SSC time series are needed to define the main erosion factors along the entire Andean range.
Arrhythmic sudden death in children

Sudden death (SD) in childhood is rare, representing only 10% of paediatric mortality after one year of age. The individual risk is estimated between 1 in 20.000 and 1 in 50.000 per year. In case of a negative autopsy for cardiac morphologic anomalies, the most presumable cause remains a genetically-determined malignant primary ventricular arrhythmia. Rhythmic sudden cardiac death can be categorized as a complication of a cardiomyopathy (dilated or hypertrophic), or as a primary channelopathy without any structural heart disease. Primary ventricular arrhythmias include long QT syndrome, Brugada syndrome, short QT syndrome and Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia. The diagnosis of such syndromes relies upon specific ECG anomalies, personal history of family members, eventually echocardiography and drug challenge. For some of these diseases, morbid genes have been identified thus rendering possible the management of pre symptomatic or undiagnosed family members within specialized multidisciplinary teams. In case of sudden arrhythmic death in children, the parents and siblings must be examined Rescued sudden death exposes to a high risk of recurrence. In such patients, the automatic implantable defibrillator has dramatically improved survival. © 2008 Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.
Modelling and Optimization of Toll Stations on a Highway by Using Nonstationary Poisson Process

The Poisson process is used to simulate streams of many independent real events. The nonstationary (nonhomogeneous) Poisson process (NPP) is an enlargement of the basic approach and the main difference lies in a various intensity of events at different times. In the article this tool is presented as a method for modelling and optimization of toll stations on a highway. The car traffic intensity on highways varies, depending on the time of the day. Therefore it is reasonable to apply NPP for its simulation. Results indicate that this approach is promising and can be helpful in determining the most efficient setting for the gates.
Evaluation and improvement of a global land model against soil carbon data using a Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo method

Long‐term land carbon (C) cycle feedback to climate change is largely determined by dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC). However, most evaluation studies conducted so far indicate that global land models predict SOC poorly. This study was conducted to evaluate predictions of SOC by the Community Land Model with Carnegie‐Ames‐Stanford Approach biogeochemistry submodel (CLM‐CASA'), investigate underlying causes of mismatches between model predictions and observations, and calibrate model parameters to improve the prediction of SOC. We compared modeled SOC to the SOC pools from a globally gridded observation data product and found that CLM‐CASA' on average underestimated SOC pools by 65% (r2 = 0.28). We applied data assimilation to CLM‐CASA' to estimate SOC residence times, C partitioning coefficients among the pools, and temperature sensitivity of C decomposition. The model with calibrated parameters explained 41% of the global variability in the observed SOC, which was substantial improvement from the initial 27%. The SOC and litter C feedback to changing climate differed between models with original and calibrated parameters: after 95 years of climate change (2006–2100), soils released 48 Pg C less in the calibrated than in the noncalibrated model and litter released 6.5 Pg C less in the calibrated than the noncalibrated model. Thus, assimilating estimated soil carbon data into the model improved model performance and reduced the amount of C released under changing climate. To further reduce the uncertainty in the soil carbon prediction, we need to explore alternative model structures, improve representation of ecosystems, and develop additional global datasets for constraining model parameters.
Erythropoietin Response in Patients with Anaemia of Chronic Disorders

Chronic disease conditions characterized by infection and intense inflammatory response abound in Sub-Saharan Africa and are very often complicated by anemia. Erythropoietin (EPO) is up regulated in response to anemic conditions. In Nigeria there is a dearth of public literature describing Anemia of Chronic Disease (ACD) and Erythropoietin levels in chronic diseases. The aim of the study was to determine the appropriateness of erythropoietin response to anemia observed in chronic disease.
Sobre los alimentos con actividad hipolipemiante

La determinacion de los lipidos circulantes en la sangre se ha constituido en uno de los metodos bioquimicos mas veraces de evaluacion del riesgo de aparicion de enfermedades cronicas como la arterioesclerosis, la hipertension arterial, y las afecciones cardio- y cerebro-vasculares, entre otras. Las alteraciones de cualquiera de las fracciones componentes del perfil lipidico conducen a las dislipidemias: uno de los eventos moleculares subyacentes en las enfermedades cardiovasculares (ECV) que suelen causar 17 millones de muertes anualmente a nivel mundial. Se han desarrollado terapias farmacologicas para el tratamiento medicamentoso de las dislipidemias. Tambien se han explorado alternativas nutricionales para el tratamiento de las dislipidemias. Entre estas alternativas se encuentran fitoquimicos con actividad hipolipemiante que son capaces de disminuir las concentraciones sericas de LDL a la vez que incrementan las de las HDL a traves de diferentes mecanismos. Dentro de estos hipolipemiantes naturales se encuentran la fibra dietetica, los acidos grasos monoinsaturados (como el acido oleico) y los poliinsaturados (especialmente los pertenecientes a la serie w3); los fitoesteroles y los antioxidantes (entre ellos los polifenoles y los flavonoides). La presente revision explora las propiedades bioquimicas de los distintos agentes hipolipemiantes citados en la literatura consultada y los posibles mecanismos de la accion hipolipemiante de los mismos. Se espera que esta revision contribuya a un uso mas extendido de los agentes naturales hipolipemiantes en la practica nutricional, asi como a una evaluacion exhaustiva de los beneficios de su uso.
ICON‐A, the Atmosphere Component of the ICON Earth System Model: I. Model Description

ICON‐A is the new icosahedral nonhydrostatic (ICON) atmospheric general circulation model in a configuration using the Max Planck Institute physics package, which originates from the ECHAM6 general circulation model, and has been adapted to account for the changed dynamical core framework. The coupling scheme between dynamics and physics employs a sequential updating by dynamics and physics, and a fixed sequence of the physical processes similar to ECHAM6. To allow a meaningful initial comparison between ICON‐A and the established ECHAM6‐LR model, a setup with similar, low resolution in terms of number of grid points and levels is chosen. The ICON‐A model is tuned on the base of the Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP) experiment aiming primarily at a well balanced top‐of atmosphere energy budget to make the model suitable for coupled climate and Earth system modeling. The tuning addresses first the moisture and cloud distribution to achieve the top‐of‐atmosphere energy balance, followed by the tuning of the parameterized dynamic drag aiming at reduced wind errors in the troposphere. The resulting version of ICON‐A has overall biases, which are comparable to those of ECHAM6. Problematic specific biases remain in the vertical distribution of clouds and in the stratospheric circulation, where the winter vortices are too weak. Biases in precipitable water and tropospheric temperature are, however, reduced compared to the ECHAM6. ICON‐A will serve as the basis of further development and as the atmosphere component to the coupled model, ICON‐Earth system model (ESM).
Increased cuticular wax accumulation and enhanced drought tolerance in transgenic alfalfa (Medicago sativa) by overexpression of a transcription factor gene

Plant cuticular waxes play an important role in protecting aerial organs from damage caused by multiple environmental stresses such as drought, cold, UV radiation, pathogen infection, and insect attack. We characterized a novel AP2 domain-containing transcription factor gene, designated WXP1, from the model legume plant Medicago truncatula. The gene is able to activate wax production and confer drought tolerance in alfalfa (Medicago sativa). The predicted protein of WXP1 has 371 aa; it is one of the longest peptides of all the single AP2 domain proteins in M. truncatula. Transcript level of WXP1 is inducible by cold, ABA and drought treatment in shoot tissues. Overexpression of WXP1 under the control of CaMV35S promoter led to a significant increase in cuticular wax loading on leaves of transgenic alfalfa. Transgenic leaves showed reduced water loss and chlorophyll leaching. Transgenic alfalfa plants with increased cuticular waxes showed enhanced drought tolerance demonstrated by delayed wilting after watering was ceased and quicker and better recovery when the dehydrated plants were re-watered.
COMPENSATION AND BUY-BACK DEALS IN SUPPLY CHAINS: ANALYZING STRATEGIC DECISION AREAS BY USING AHP

Practice reports suggest that the oldest form of trade – barter – is taking shape in supply chain management and production research. The paper highlights the phenomenon of countertrade in supply chains and takes first steps towards the conceptualization and explanation of a potentially powerful competitive tool–the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) – in practice.To test the construct, the model is applied to an illustrative case. The illustrations and the decision model shed light into why, and how, firms use countertrade in supply chains to support long-term business success. The identified forms of countertrade in supply chains exhibit different strengths with regard to a set of business objectives. The results contribute to the academic discussion of reciprocal agreements in supply chains as well as to the field of strategic production research in general. This paper should be of interest to practitioners as well as to academics specializing in supply chain management and strategic alliances in business networks.
Naneye 3 DA Miniaturised Stereo Camera System

The goal of this End Of Studies project is to realise an extremely miniaturised stereo vision system. The camera provided are extremely small and measure only 1×1×1.6 mm, two of them have been connected to a computer in order to calculate the depth of every pixel delivered by the cameras. The software used to compute the depth information from an image pair is the real-time stereo engine S3E developed by the Austrian Institute of Technology. The driver of the cameras was adapted to support several cameras and an interface to the software S3E has been developed to communicate with the cameras, i.e. to compute the depth information and to control their settings via a USB interface. A prototype has been realised to host 2 cameras, an illumination system, and a glass cover to protect the cameras. It was realised with a CAD software and then plotted with a fast prototyping machine. The illumination system consists of 8 optical fibers coupled with surface mounted LEDs. Two prototype versions were produced using two cameras with a convergence angle of 10◦, and having an overall diameter of 6.4 mm and 6.7 mm. This demonstrator produces depth maps with a resolution of 250×250 pixels up to 10 frames per second with a normal desktop computer. Since the cameras used cannot be triggered, a synchronisation was achieved by choosing the best synchronized image pairs sent by the cameras, reducing the average time jitter from 18 ms to 0.8 ms at 4 fps, thus enabling stereo matching of moving objects. The mean distance error of the system has been measured to be 0.04 mm at a distance of 15 mm.
The structure of an intercalated ordered kaolinite – a Raman microscopy study

Abstract Changes in the molecular structure of a highly ordered kaolinite, intercalated with urea and potassium acetate, have been studied using Raman microscopy. A new Raman band, attributed to the inner surface hydroxyl groups strongly hydrogen bound to the acetate, is observed at 3605 cm-1 for the potassium acetate intercalate with the consequential loss of intensity in the bands at 3652, 3670,3684 and 3693 cm-1. Remarkable changes in intensity of the Raman spectral bands of the low-frequency region of the kaolinite occurred upon intercalation. In particular, the 144 and 935 cm-1 bands increased by an order of magnitude and were found to be polarized. These spectroscopic changes provide evidence for the inner surface hydroxyl group-acetate bond being at an angle approaching 90° to the 001 face. Decreases in intensity of the bands at 243, 271 and 336 cm-1 were observed. The urea intercalate shows additional Raman bands at 3387, 3408 and 3500 cm-1 which are attributed to N-H vibrations after formation of the urea-kaolinite complex. Changes in the spectra of the inserting molecules were also observed.
Walking and Talking Corporate Social Responsibility: Implications of Firm Size and Organizational Cost

In this paper we address two interrelated research gaps in the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) literature. The first results from a lack of understanding of different patterns of CSR engagement with respect to CSR talk (impression management and the creation of symbolic images and documentation) and CSR walk (substantive implementation of CSR policies, structures and procedures). Related to this, the second gap concerns limited knowledge about the influence of firm size on CSR engagement. We develop a conceptual model that explains differences in CSR talk versus walk based on organizational cost and firm size. This allows us to theorize the antecedents of what we call the large firm implementation gap (large firms tend to focus on communicating CSR symbolically but do less to implement it into their core structures and procedures) and vice versa the small firm communication gap (less active communication and more emphasis on implementation). Our model expands a new theoretical understanding of CSR engagement based on as yet underemphasized firm-level antecedents of CSR, and opens up several new avenues for future, and in particular comparative, research.