Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Life cycle assessment of liquid inverted sugar and high-fructose corn syrup

The aim of this study is to compare the environmental impact of liquid inverted sugar (77°Bx) produced with enzymatic hydrolysis of beet sugar and HFCS (75% DM) produced from corn in a wet milling process. Given the different sweetness equivalents of liquid inverted sugar (77°Bx) and HFCS (75% DM), the reference flows were defined as 900 kg of liquid inverted sugar or 1000 kg HFCS. The analysis was performed with the life cycle assessment (LCA) method focusing on the cradle-to-gate stage. The inventory data of liquid inverted sugar processing were supplied by a producer while the LCA of HFCS relies on secondary data (literature) which describes the material and energy flows associated with glucose production. Life cycle inventory of relevant inputs and outputs were available from the Ecoinvent 3.4 database. Environmental impacts were calculated with the ReCiPe 2016 (H) life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) method. LCA results have revealed that inverted liquid sugar has a lower impact in 14 out of the 18 analysed impact categories. Consumption of inverted liquid sugar (>77°Bx) instead of HFCS (75% DM) could lead to significant reduction in GHG emissions (by 38%), fossil energy (by 31%) and water (by 95%) consumption, and reduces the required land area by 67%.
Drought effects on tree growth, water use efficiency, vulnerability and canopy health of Quercus variabilis-Robinia pseudoacacia mixed plantation

Drought-induced forest canopy die-back and tree mortality have been commonly recorded in the lithoid mountainous regions of northern China. However, the capacity of trees to regulate their carbon and water balance in response to drought remains inadequately understood. We measured tree growth, intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE), vulnerability, and canopy health during drought events using dendrochronology, C isotope measurements, and a tree canopy health survey in a mixed plantation of Quercus variabilis and Robinia pseudoacacia. Resistance (Rt), recovery (Rc), resilience (Rs), and increased amplitude in iWUE compared to the indices 3 years before drought (iWUEr) were calculated for each species across the dominant tree (D), co-dominant tree (CD), and suppressed tree (S). Our results revealed that D and CD showed lower Rt, higher Rc, and higher iWUEr than S. After exposure to multiple sequential drought events, Q. variabilis showed an increasing trend in Rt, and R. pseudoacacia showed a decreasing trend in Rc. R. pseudoacacia exhibited a more conservative strategy towards drought, resulting in a negative SRt-iWUEr (slope of the linear model fitted to capture the trend between Rt and iWUEr) during drought events than Q. variabilis. For individual trees, lower Rc or positive SRt-iWUEr Q. variabilis and negative SRt-iWUEr R. pseudoacacia were more susceptible to canopy die-back. In conclusion, our study offers a new perspective for improved management practices in the design of silvicultural actions for forestry plantations in lithoid mountainous areas with increasing drought risk.
Assessment of Heavy Metal and Selenium Levels in Leachates and Soils of Central Bank of Nigeria Dumpsite Makurdi

Leachates from dumpsite basically contain a wide range of heavy metals and selenium. However, heavy metals have negative public health and environmental impacts once the leachates are allowed to infiltrate into groundwater. This is one of the oldest, growing problems threatening the surrounding globally. Therefore, it is imperative to quantify the information on the environmental impact of heavy metal and selenium levels, and suggesting various techniques that could be used to clean-up their concentrations from the environment to the minimum to ameliorate the plight of the people. The aim of this study was to determine the concentration of heavy metal and selenium levels in leachate of Central Bank of Nigeria dumpsite along University of Agriculture Road-Makurdi and also to investigate their levels in soil around the dumpsite platform. The concentrations of some heavy metals such as Chromium (Cr), Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), Mercury (Hg) and non metal Selenium (Se) levels in leachate from Central Bank of Nigeria Dumpsite platform and surrounding soil along University of Agriculture road, Makurdi, were determined using Atomic absorption spectrophotometry (Flame AAS) for Cr, Pb and Cd while cold vapour and hydride generation were used for Hg and Se respectively. The soil samples were collected at different depths (cm) 0 – 20, 20 – 40, 40 – 60 and 60 – 80. The levels of all heavy metals and non metal selenium in this study area were found to be higher than those of the control samples. The total mean concentration of the soil samples analysed for each metal and selenium levels at different depths range from Cr (74.7 – 2.6 mg/kg), Cd (7.41 – 0.6 mg/kg), Hg (4.45 – 1.4 mg/kg), Se (2.04 – 1.2 mg/kg) and Pb (8.53 – 1.7 mg/kg). The concentrations in leachates were Cr (0.079 mg/L), Cd (0.010 mg/L), but Pb, Hg and Se were not detected. The concentrations of Cr and Cd determined in leachate were below the WHO standard limits. Similarly, the concentrations of Pb, Hg and Se in soil analyzed in this study were within the permissible limits. However, the concentration of Cr and Cd were found to be higher than the permissible limits due to the increasing anthropogenic activities in the area. Awareness of the level of soil and leachate pollution around the dumpsite needs to be created urgently especially among people living in the environment. Proper and effective waste management plan should be developed and implemented.
PROSPECTIVE PLANTS USED FOR IMPROVING FARMLANDS AND MINING SOILS IN NIGERIA

The imbalance of soil nutrients poses health threat to mankind. Excesses result in toxicity of biota while deficiencies attribute to impaired health conditions. The aim of the paper is to find from the literature for plants (hyperaccumulators) that can be used to balance excess nutrients due to mining activity and compost same to improve farmlands in Nigeria. Potential contaminants from the prioritize mineral ores in Nigeria include Ba, Cd, Co, Cu, Ge, Hg Pb, Zn and SiO 2 . Cu, Zn, B and Mo were found excessively in some soils in the country. The metals hyperaccumulating plants including Great mullein (Verbascum densiflora), Chinese brake fern (Pteris vittata), willow (Salix viminalis), Siam weed (Chromoleaeceae odarata), Indian Mustard (Brassica juncea), Sword grass (Imperata cylindrical), Helianthus annuus (Sunflower), Trifolium pratense (Red clover) and Atriplex halimus may remedy the contaminants and when composted amend deficiencies in the soils elsewhere. Research is required to arrive at optimum conditions for efficient soil phytoremediation and amendments.
Small and common: the oldest tropical Chrysomelidae (Insecta: Coleoptera) from the lower Eocene Cambay amber of India

Nadein, K.S. & Perkovsky, E.E. 2 July 2019. Small and common: the oldest tropical Chrysomelidae (Insecta: Coleoptera) from the lower Eocene Cambay amber of India. Alcheringa XXX, X–X. ISSN 0311-5518. Three new genera and species of flea beetles (Chrysomelidae: Alticini) are described from the lowermost Eocene Cambay amber: Cambaltica paleoindica Nadein, gen. et sp. nov., Protorthaltica setosella Nadein, gen. et sp. nov., and Davidaltica cambayensis Nadein, gen. et sp. nov. These taxa share a zoogeographic affinity with extant Oriental and Afrotropical flea beetle faunas, with similarities to Afrotropical elements interpreted to be a result of Neogene migrations from Laurasia to Africa. The flea beetles within the Cambay amber are characterized by their small body size (1.2–1.9 mm), and the absence or rarity of larger flea beetles in the Cambay amber forest is assumed to be evidence for a progressive increase in the average body size of tropical flea beetles beginning in the early Eocene. Konstantin S. Nadein [k.nadein@gmail.com], University of Kiel, Zoological Institute, Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Am Botanischen Garten 1–9, Kiel, Germany; Evgeny E. Perkovsky [perkovsk@gmail.com], Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology, National Academy of Science of Ukraine, Bogdana Khmelnitskogo Str. 15, Kiev, Ukraine, Borissiak Paleontological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Profsoyuznaya Str. 123, Moscow, 117997, Russia.
Image Retrieval Research Based on Broadcasting & Film

The broadcasting film P2P content extraction middleware system based on IPv6 is a China Next Generation Internet project of National Development and Reform Commission.On the background of this project,the content based image retrieval is studied.The normal color and texture feature extraction algorithm is mainly researched.Choose the block RGB means method,advanced reference color table and grey smooth co occurrence matrix to extract the features from images.The standard Corel image library is used to set up the image feature database.In this paper,not only one single feature is used to retrieve images,but also combined-feature is used to retrieve.And the result is analyzed.Lots of experiments prove that the retrieval result gaining from combined-feature is more efficient.The recall and precision is improved.So the combinedfeature is used to retrieve the broadcasting film images.
Research of individuation search engine based on web

According to drawbacks of traditional search engine system,architecture of a personalized search engine system forward is designed firstly,and then an improved vector space model is proposed.The model uses a non-linear term weighting method in detail.Finally,a personalized search algorithm based on the vector space model is presented to provide different search results for different users.The experimental results show that the algorithm can effectively improve the performance of search engine and meet user demand for per-sonalized.
Leakage Modeling Through Empirical Equations: An Experimental Approach:

In this study, an alternative laboratory experimental approach was used to simulate leakage through round shape orifices in a complex pressurized pipe network. In order to achieve a good representation of leakage in water distribution systems, the laboratory network was supplied by centrifugal hydraulic pumps and the leaks were submerged in water during the experiments. The experimental data was used to investigate common relationships to model leakage flow according to system pressures. The results pointed to the existence of significant errors when fixed coefficients are adopted, even for ideal cases. As an alternative, a new empirical relationship it was proposed, based on the use of different functions for operational pressure head zones.
General mean-field backward stochastic differential equations with discontinuous coefficients

In this paper, we deal with a general type of one-dimensional mean-field backward stochastic differential equations (general mean-field BSDEs, in short) whose coefficient may be discontinuous in y, continuous in µ and z. We prove the existence of the solutions of such general mean-field BSDEs under some conditions we set.
Recent advances in gasoline three-way catalyst formulation: A review

Development of three-way catalyst technology has been critical in maintaining air quality regulations for gasoline engines via the conversion of pollutants from the internal combustion engine exhaust. The development of improved three-way catalyst formulations is an important challenge for automotive industry. Indeed, in order to meet increasingly stringent environmental regulations around the world, the development of more efficient catalysts depends on a complete understanding of the many parameters related to three-way catalyst design. In this review paper, some of these parameters are examined in relation to three-way catalyst performance, and especially low-temperature activation performance, with a focus on more recently published work. In particular, washcoat composition, platinum group metal ratios and loading, and substrate design are considered. The effect of these parameters with regard to the conversion efficiency of carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides pollutants is summarized.
Chaotic Analysis for Malaysian West Coast Sea Level: a Case Study of Kukup, Johor

Sea level prediction is an important task for navigation, coastal engineering, geodetic application and recreational activities. Predicting the behavior of future sea level is necessary for protection of coastal as well as for monitoring and forecasting of changes in fishery and marine ecosystems. This study is focused on the analysis and prediction of hourly sea level time series data at the benchmark station located in Kukup, Johor by using chaotic approach. The aim of this study was to detect the presence of chaotic behavior by the phase space reconstruction and Cao methods, and also a local linear approximation method is employed for prediction purposes. The results revealed that the value of correlation coefficient between the observed and predicted time series is 0.879 which is near to one. This indicates that the local linear approximation method can be used to predict the sea level time series in Malaysia. Indeed, the result of this study is expected to help stakeholder such as Department of Survey and Mapping Malaysia (JUPEM) in having a better sea level management.
Release of Heavy Metals and Metalloids from Two Contaminated Soils to Surface Runoff in Southern China: A Simulated-Rainfall Experiment

The release of heavy metals and metalloids (HMs), including Pb, Zn, Cd, As, and Cu, from two typical contaminated soils with different properties, namely red soil and limestone-dominated soil, was characterized through simulated-rainfall experiments in order to investigate the effects of soil properties on HM release. Significant differences in the HM concentrations between the two soils resulted in various concentrations of dissolved and particulate HMs in the runoff. Differences in the dissolved HM concentrations in the runoff were inconsistent with the HM concentrations in the soils, which is attributed to the variable solubilities of HMs in the two soils. However, the HM enrichment ratios were not significantly different. The strong correlation between dissolved organic carbon and dissolved HMs in the runoff, and between the total organic carbon and particulate HMs in sediments, were observed, especially in the limestone-dominated soil. The speciﬁc surface area and HM concentrations in sediments were weakly correlated. Acid-rainfall experiments showed that only the limestone-dominated soil buffered the effects of acid rain on the runoff; the concentrations of dissolved Pb, Zn, Cd, and Cu increased in the red soil under acid rainfall and were 60, 29, 25, and 19 times higher, respectively, than under the neutral conditions. The results contribute to the understanding of HM behavior in the two typical soils in southern China, exposed to frequent storms that are often dominated by acid rainfall.
Transient and Steady State Analysis of Modified Three Phase Multilevel Inverter for Photovoltaic System

The transient and steady state analysis of Modified Three Phase Multilevel Inverter (MMLI) for Photovoltaic (PV) system fed from single DC input is presented in this paper. The transient and Steady state conditions of modified three phase multilevel inverter are analyzed using Proportional Integral (PI) and Fuzzy Logic Controller (FLC) with change in irradiance level of PV panels. The three phase multilevel inverter is designed with reduce number of power semiconductor switches, components, single DC input and effectively controlled by using Space Vector Pulse width Modulation technique (SVPWM). The obtained results are validated using MATLAB/ Simulink.Finaly, semiconductor switches and componets utilization of MMLI is compared with other similar topologies.
Mnemonics Technique versus Context Method in Teaching Vocabulary at Upper-Intermediate Level* * Orta-üstü Düzeyde Sözcük Öğretiminde Kullanilan Bağlam Yöntemine Karşi Bellek Destekleyici Tekniği

The aim of this study is to investigate the comparison of the effects of using mnemonics technique providing some keywords to students and context method on the retention of the vocabulary items. For the purpose of this study, 84 students who were at the upper-intermediate level of English from Selcuk University, Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department took part in the experiments. The students were divided into two groups to form the experimental and the control groups. Twenty target vocabulary items were used in the study. Each group was given a pre-test before the presentation of the new words. The vocabulary items were taught with mnemonics technique to the experimental group, and the control group was introduced with the context method. Immediate recall and recognition tests were applied to each group after the treatment. To measure long term retention, delayed recall and recognition tests were given to the groups five weeks after the immediate tests. To analyze the difference between mnemonics technique and context method, t-test calculations were used with the results of the pre-tests, immediate and delayed tests. According to the results, mnemonics technique is more effective than the context method in immediate and delayed recall and recognition of the vocabulary.
Air Quality Implications of Neighborhood Design: Case Study of Charlotte, NC

Mobile source emissions are a significant contributor to the problem of air pollution in urban areas. While studies have analyzed the links between neighborhood design, travel behavior, and auto emissions, most of these studies are based on simulation models. This paper attempts to analyze the affect of neighborhood design on the total auto emissions produced by persons and households using data from a household travel survey conducted in 2002 in the Charlotte, North Carolina metropolitan area. Auto emissions were directly estimated using the distance traveled and model year of the vehicle used for each trip made by households in Mecklenburg County. Trip emissions were estimated for carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and hydrocarbons (HC). Percentage of auto trips beginning with cold starts was also calculated. Emissions and cold starts were estimated at the person and household level in ordinary least squares regression models using socioeconomic variables and land use indicators aggregated at the census block group level as predictors. Controlling for socioeconomic factors, significant relationships between land use variables and predicted emissions and percentage of trips beginning with cold starts were found. Origin and destination walkability and local/regional accessibility and origin property values had the strongest relationships with person level per-trip emissions, though the relationships with origin and destination walkability and accessibility were somewhat confounding. For household-level per-trip emissions, distance from the home census block to the central business district and local/regional accessibility displayed small, positive relationships, while property values had a large negative association with predicted emissions.
Clustering with Cross Layer Design against Spectrum Access Attack in Cognitive Radio Networks

Cognitive Radio (CR) is an attractive solution in mobile communication for solving the spectrum scarcity problem. Moreover, security concerns are not yet fully satisfied. This article focuses on attacks such as the Primary user emulation attack (PUE) and the jammer attack. These attacks create anomalous spectrum access thereby disturbing the dynamic spectrum usage in the CR networks. A framework based on cross-layer has been designed effectively to determine these attacks in the CR networks. First, each secondary user will sense the spectrum in the physical layer and construct a feature space. Using the extracted features, the clusters are formed effectively for each user. In the network layer, multipath routing is employed to discover the routes for the secondary user. If the node in the path identifies any spectrum shortage, it will verify that location with the help of constructed cluster. If the node does not belong to any of the clusters, then it will be identified as the attacker node. Simulation results and security analysis are performed using the NS2 simulations, which show improvement in detection of the attacks, decrease in the detection delay, and less route dis-connectivity. The proposed cross-layer framework identifies the anomalous spectrum access attack effectively.
Assessment of HIV Transmission and Diagnosis Patterns in North Carolina

Objective: HIV transmission is influenced by status awareness and receipt of care and treatment. We analyzed these attributes of named partners of persons with acute HIV infection (index AHI cases) to characterize the transmission landscape in North Carolina (NC). Design: Secondary analysis of programmatic data. Methods: We used data from the NC Screening and Tracing of Active Transmission Program (2002-2013) to determine HIV status (uninfected, AHI, or chronic HIV infection [CHI]), diagnosis status (new or previously-diagnosed), and care and treatment status (not in care, in care and not on treatment, in care and on treatment) of index AHI cases' named partners. We developed an algorithm identifying the most likely transmission source among known HIV-infected partners to estimate the proportion of transmissions arising from contact with persons at different HIV continuum stages. We conducted a complementary analysis among a subset of index AHI cases and partners with phylogenetically-linked viruses. Results: Overall, 358 index AHI cases named 932 partners, of which 218 were found to be HIVinfected (162 (74.3%) previously-diagnosed, 11 (5.0%) new AHI, 45 (20.6%) new CHI). Most transmission events appeared attributable to previously-diagnosed partners (77.4%, 95% confidence interval 69.4-85.3%). Among these previously-diagnosed partners, 23.2% (14.032.3%) were reported as in care and on treatment near the index AHI case diagnosis date. In the subset study of 33 phylogenetically-linked cases and partners, 60.6% of partners were previously diagnosed (43.9-77.3%). Conclusions: A substantial proportion of HIV transmission in this
Seasonal rainfall forecasting for the Yangtze River basin using statistical and dynamical models

Summer monsoon rainfall forecasting in the Yangtze River basin is highly valuable for water resource management and for the control of floods and droughts. However, improving the accuracy of seasonal forecasting remains a challenge. In this study, a statistical model and four dynamical global circulation models (GCMs) are applied to conduct seasonal rainfall forecasts for the Yangtze River basin. The statistical forecasts are achieved by establishing a linear regression relationship between the sea surface temperature (SST) and rainfall. The dynamical forecasts are achieved by downscaling the rainfall predicted by the four GCMs at the monthly and seasonal scales. Historical data of monthly SST and GCM hindcasts from 1982 to 2010 are used to make the forecast. The results show that the SST‐based statistical model generally outperforms the GCM simulations, with higher forecasting accuracy that extends to longer lead times of up to 12 months. The SST statistical model achieves a correlation coefficient up to 0.75 and the lowest mean relative error of 6%. In contrast, the GCMs exhibit a sharply decreasing forecast accuracy with lead times longer than 1 month. Accordingly, the SST statistical model can provide reliable guidance for the seasonal rainfall forecasts in the Yangtze River basin, while the results of GCM simulations could serve as a reference for shorter lead times. Extensive scope exists for further improving the rainfall forecasting accuracy of GCM simulations.