Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rates of rock fracturing as a tool for forecasting eruptions at andesitic-dacitic stratovolcanoes

Increasing rates of volcano-tectonic (VT) seismicity, produced by rock fracture and slip along faults, are a common precursor to eruptions. Precursory VT seismicity can thus be related to how fractures develop within and below a volcano before it erupts. This study combines field and experimental data to define constraints on theoretical models for accelerating VT seismicity. VT seismicity before all 17 episodes of lava-dome growth at Mount St. Helens between 1980 and 1986 and before eruptions at selected andesitic-dacitic volcanoes following more than a century of repose was analysed. VT precursors developed within three weeks of lava-dome growth episodes, with stronger patterns before eruptions through larger domes, suggesting that the domes themselves inhibited magma ascent. The accelerations fluctuated about mean trends between exponential and hyperbolic, suggesting that individual sequences evolved under different boundary conditions, including applied stress and rock temperature, that determine the rates of seismogenic fracturing. Before the first eruption after a long repose interval, a hyperbolic acceleration in VT seismicity developed over approximately ten days when the eruption was dome building rather than phreatomagmatic. To investigate the effect of changing boundary conditions, samples of andesite were deformed in compression at temperatures up to 900 °C and confining pressures up to 50 MPa with acoustic emissions (AE) recorded as analogues to VT events. There was no temperature or pressure dependence in mechanical properties nor AE precursors to sample failure at temperatures up to 600 °C for all confining pressures tested. This supports the use of models of precursory VT seismicity based on brittle fracture for volcanoes erupting after long repose intervals, where a new magmatic pathway must be formed. High AE rates for samples tested at 900 °C, which is within the brittle-ductile transition, indicate that VT events can originate from hot material within the lava dome and at magma conduit margins.
Structure and Productivity of Haloxylon ammodendron Communities in the Mongolian Gobi

Communities of Haloxylon ammodendron are widespread in the Mongolian Gobi where they play a significant role in biodiversity preservation. They occupy several main types of habitats, showing differences in density, projective cover, and productivity. Haloxylon ammodendron plays a similar, if not even more important role in the arid zone of Mongolia as the principal forest-making trees in the Northern part of the country. The complex set of quantitative parameters of Haloxylon ammodendron stands studied here in respect to temporal dynamics can serve as an indicator of both the vitality of desert ecosystems, and of environmental change.
Data & Knowledge Engineering

Virtual Knowledge Graphs (VKGs) constitute one of the most promising paradigms for integrating and accessing legacy data sources. A critical bottleneck in the integration process involves the definition, validation, and maintenance of mapping assertions that link data sources to a domain ontology. To support the management of mappings throughout their entire lifecycle, we identify a comprehensive catalog of sophisticated mapping patterns that emerge when linking databases to ontologies. To do so, we build on well-established methodologies and patterns studied in data management, data analysis, and conceptual modeling. These are extended and refined through the analysis of concrete VKG benchmarks and real-world use cases, and considering the inherent impedance mismatch between data sources and ontologies. We validate our catalog on the considered VKG scenarios, showing that it covers the vast majority of mappings present therein.
Experimental variations in functional and demographic traits of Lappula semiglabra among dew amount treatments in an arid region

In an arid region, water is the limiting factor for the performance of plants and, hence, the input of water significantly affects the ecological processes. Although the dew phenomenon often occurs in the desert, whether plants can absorb and utilise this water source is still unknown. In this study, we tested the effects of 3 amounts of dew, that is, total natural amount of dew, half amount of natural dew, and no amount of (zero) dew, in order to investigate variations in functional traits and demographic traits in relation to the life history of an ephemeral plant Lappula semiglabra. Results showed that variations in functional traits including plant height, crown area, leaf area, leaf thickness, leaf relative water content, chlorophyll content, and net photosynthetic rate were significantly increased with increasing dew amount. Leaf water potential was significantly decreased, whereas root length and root diameter showed no significant differences among 3 amounts of dew. Demographic traits including survival rate, survival, total age, and mean life expectancy increased with increasing dew amount, whereas the vanish rate percentage, mortality rate, mortality, and fatal number decreased. In combination, our results showed that leaf and stem traits L. semiglabra related to dew absorption increased with increasing of dew amount, and hence, obtained more water, whereas root traits related to uptake of soil water remain unchanged. We conclude that leaves and stem of L. semiglabra can absorb and efficiently utilise dew as a water resource for better suitability in the arid desert region.
Waterquality of the coastal zone of Bonaire: results field monitoring 2011 - 2013

Eutrophication is a common threat to the integrity of coral reefs as it can cause altered balance and integrity of the reef ecosystem. On the island Bonaire the former waste water treatment is limited which is a point of concern to the quality of the marine park. The reef of Bonaire faces nutrient input by various sources, of which enriched groundwater outflow from land is considered to be a substantial one. It is assumed that groundwater is enriched with nutrients e.g. due to leaking septic tanks.
Self-Organizing Mapping Neural Network Implementation Based on 3-D NAND Flash for Competitive Learning

Self-organizing Map (SOM) neural network is a prominent algorithm in unsupervised machine learning, which is widely used for data clustering, high-dimensional visualization, and feature extraction. However, the hardware implementation of SOM is limited by the von Neumann bottleneck. Herein, a SOM neural network is implemented by the combination of 3D NAND flash memory arrays and in-memory Euclidean distance (ED) calculation. The weights in the SOM network are mapped to the conductance of the 3D NAND differential pair. It is experimentally demonstrated that the differential pair in 3D NAND flash array possesses superior characteristics for neuromorphic computing during increasing and decreasing synaptic weight. Using the 3D NAND-based SOM, a competitive learning neural network is established and used for the unsupervised classification of a set of Gaussian distribution data points. The experimental results illustrate the excellent performance and efficiency of the proposed architecture, highlighting the potential of 3D NAND-based in-memory computing for artificial intelligence applications.
Can the Blended Application of Controlled-Release and Common Urea Effectively Replace the Common Urea in a Wheat–Maize Rotation System? A Case Study Based on a Long–Term Experiment

The one-time application of blended urea (BU), combining controlled-release urea (CRU) and uncoated urea, has proven to be a promising nitrogen (N) management strategy. However, the long-term sustainability of blending urea remains largely unexplored. To assess whether a single application of blended urea could effectively replace split uncoated urea applications, a long-term field experiment was conducted in the North China Plain (NCP). The results indicated that, when compared to common urea (CU) at the optimal N rate (180 kg N ha−1), BU achieved comparable grain yields, N uptake and NUE (61% vs. 62). BU exhibited a 12% higher 0–20 cm soil organic nitrogen stock and a 9% higher soil organic carbon (C) stock. Additionally, BU reduced life–cycle reactive N (Nr) losses and the N footprint by 10%, and lowered greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the C footprint by 7%. From an economic analysis perspective, BU demonstrated comparable private profitability and a 3% greater ecosystem economic benefit. Therefore, BU under the optimal N rate has the potential to substitute split applications of common urea in the long–term and can be regarded as a sustainable N management strategy for wheat and maize production in the NCP.
In Situ ALD-TEM System to Study Atomic Nucleation Phenomena - Enabled by Ultrathin Large Aspect Ratio Free-Standing Shell Structures

Today, Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) sets the limits for achieving nanometer precision of thin, yet almost dense films. However, the initial growth process, determining possible film thinness, is poorly understood. A better understanding can be obtained with the help of in-situ characterization during film growth with high spatial and chemical resolution. Transmission Electron microscopy (TEM) would be a suitable and widely available technique to accomplish this objective. However, standard instruments have differing vacuum requirements than those necessary for ALD. During ALD, TEM detectors could be damaged as they are being exposed to corrosive volatile chemical compounds. Here we present a dedicated TEM holder design, where ALD deposition occurs inside a microchip containing a large area cavity surrounded by thin film Al2O3 membranes. These membranes act as windows for TEM characterization while decoupling the ALD process from the TEM environment. The microchip consists of longitudinal large overhang shell structures, themselves made by ALD and etched in an HF vapor etch processes. The set-up, which includes controlled heating, was tailored to ALD requirements, and passed a vacuum-pressure test. Post-mortem inspection of film growth on a silicon sample chip demonstrates the successful formation of an ALD Al2O3 film with 40 nm thickness inside the cavity. These results demonstrate the potential of the system to enable a range of experiments on growth phenomena that may lead to even thinner films and better control of interfaces than previously possible.
Response of Sage ( Salvia Officinalis L.) Plants to Zinc Application Under Different Salinity Levels.

Two field experiments were carried out during two successive seasons of 2003 and 2004. The experiments were conducted at the Experimental Farm of National Research Center (NRC), Dokki, Cairo, Egypt, to study how to decrease the harmful effect of soil salinity on sage (Salvia officinalis L.) plants under zinc application. Results reported that, the vegetative growth characters (Plant height, number of branches, fresh and dry weight) of sage plants treated by zinc with saline soil were greater than those treated with saline soil conditions only. The interaction between soil salinity and zinc application resulted in a marked decrease of essential oil percentage, total carbohydrates and proline content but essential oil (g/plant) and zinc content were increased compared to the treatments under soil saline conditions. Treatment of 2500 ppm soil salinity with zinc increased the components of ά thujone and 1,8 cineol but it decreased the components of β- thujone and camphore compared with the control treatment. Our results suggested that sage plants were more tolerant to salinity when zinc application was carried out before transplanting.
Calculation of energy consumption in the construction of low-rise buildings

Low-rise housing construction is a promising segment of the development of the housing construction industry. One of the priority tasks of state policy in advanced countries is to increase energy efficiency in various sectors of the national economy. In the general life cycle, the stage of construction of buildings, despite a relatively short period of time, is a large consumer of energy resources, so the issue of energy saving during the construction of buildings becomes especially relevant. The predominance of manual labor, as well as the use of low-power construction equipment, significantly affects the reduction of energy consumption at the stage of construction of low-rise residential buildings. However, the widespread use of various technologies for low-rise construction and, as a consequence, differences in design and technological solutions affect the specifics of the use of construction machines and mechanisms. From the standpoint of rational energy consumption, it is advisable to take into account the costs of fuel and energy resources at the construction planning stage. The article proposes tools for calculating the consumption of fuel and energy resources during work on a construction site, identifies the most energy-intensive technology for low-rise housing construction.
NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK: FEASIBILITY OF IDENTIFYING SMALL SAFETY ASSETS FROM POINT CLOUDS USING DEEP LEARNING

Abstract. Asset management systems are beneficial for maintaining building infrastructure and can be used to keep up-to-date records of relevant safety assets, such as smoke detectors, exit signs, and fire extinguishers. Existing methods for locating and identifying these assets in buildings primarily rely on surveys and images, which only provide 2D locations and can be tedious for large-scale structures. Indoor point clouds, which can be captured quickly for buildings using mobile scanning techniques, can provide us with 3D asset locations. In this paper, we study the feasibility of using 3D point clouds of buildings combined with deep learning techniques to identify safety-related assets, particularly small-sized assets like fire switches and exit signs. We adopt the state-of-the-art Deep Learning network, Kernel Point-Fully Convolutional Network (KP-FCNN), to identify these assets through semantic segmentation. Using the obtained results, we create a 3D-geometry model of the building with assets pinpointed, providing scene semantics and delivering more value. Our method is tested using three different point cloud datasets obtained from a depth camera, a mobile laser scanner, and an iPhone lidar sensor.
Olive Oil Polyphenols Improve HDL Cholesterol and Promote Maintenance of Lipid Metabolism: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

In 2011, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) accorded a health claim to olive oil polyphenols in that they protected LDL particles from oxidative damage. However, limited scientific evidence has so far failed to confer any claim of function on the maintenance of normal lipid metabolism. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of human RCTs, evaluating the effect of olive oil polyphenol administration on lipid profiles. Previous literature was acquired from six electronic databases until June 2023. A total of 75 articles were retrieved and screened for inclusion criteria, which resulted in the selection of 10 RCTs that evaluated the effect of daily exposure to olive oil polyphenols on serum lipids in adults. Meta-analyses were built by tertiles of outcomes, as follows: low (0–68 mg/kg), medium (68–320 mg/kg), and high (320–600 mg/kg) polyphenols for HDL and LDL cholesterol (HDL-C and LDL-C, respectively), and low (0–59.3 mg/kg), medium (59.3–268 mg/kg), and high (268–600 mg/kg) polyphenols for total cholesterol (TC). The study protocol was registered on PROSPERO (registration code: CRD42023403383). The study design was predominantly cross-over (n = 8 of 10) but also included parallel (n = 2 of 10). The study population was predominantly European and healthy. Daily consumption of olive oil polyphenols did not affect TC levels and only slightly significantly reduced LDL-C, with WMD statistically significant only for high daily consumption of olive oil polyphenols (WMD −4.28, 95%CI −5.78 to −2.77). Instead, our data found a statistically significant HDL-C enhancing effect (WMD pooled effect model: 1.13, 95%CI 0.45; 1.80, heterogeneity 38%, p = 0.04) with WMD by daily exposure level showing a statistically significant improvement effect for low (WMD 0.66, 95%CI 0.10–1.23), medium (WMD 1.36, 95%CI 0.76–1.95), and high (WMD 1.13, 95%CI 0.45–1.80) olive oil polyphenol consumptions. Olive oil polyphenols contribute toward maintaining lipid metabolism. Thus, food labeling regulations should stress this health feature of olive oil, whereby a declaration of the olive oil polyphenol content should be added to products on the market. Consumers need to be aware of the quality and possible health effects of any products they consume, and enforcement of nutrition labels offers the best way of providing this information.
Treatment of a mahewu processing plant wastewater using coagulant Ferrifloc 1820

Wastewater from a mahewu processing plant was collected for characterisation and jar testing using Ferrifloc 1820 and a combination of Ferrifloc 1820 and the polyelectrolyte Magnafloc. Treatment showed that Ferrifloc 1820 caused a statistically significant decrease on both the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and oil and grease content of the wastewater. The mean decrease for the COD using Ferrifloc 1820 was 65.24% with the mean oil and grease reduction using Ferrifloc 1820 being 94.58 %. The polyelectrolyte Magnafloc was shown to have a statistically significant impact when used in combination with Ferrifloc 1820 on the COD. However, it did not show any statistically significant impact in the reduction of the oil and grease content of the wastewater. Although the treatment of the wastewater using Ferrifloc 1820 yielded significant results in the reduction of COD and oil and grease, the resultant results did not meet the Zimbabwean legislative standard for discharge. The resultant decrease of the oil and grease of the mahewu effluent due to this treatment makes it desirable to apply the use of Ferrifloc 1820 as a pre-treatment method for anaerobic digesters. There is need however, to determine the optimal pH and temperature and other operational parameters for Ferrifloc 1820 in the treatment of the mahewu wastewaters. Key words: Mahewu, chemical oxygen demand, coagulant, polyelectrolyte.
Resveratrol Production from Hairy Root Cultures of Scutellaria baicalensis

The levels of resveratrol produced by hairy root cultures of Scutellaria baicalensis were investigated using different media of varying strengths and in the presence of various concentrations of auxins. The levels of resveratrol were higher when the hairy root cultures were maintained in full-strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium when compared with other growth media. The cultures grown in full-strength MS medium produced 2.5-fold higher resveratrol than those grown in half-strength B5 medium—the lowest resveratrol-producing medium. The levels of resveratrol varied significantly when cultures were grown in full-strength MS with varying concentrations of auxins. Supplementation of the media with the auxin indole acetic acid (IAA) at 0.1 mg/L produced the highest accumulation of resveratrol. Our findings reveal a valuable alternative approach for the production of resveratrol from S. baicalensis.
Formalizing conceptual modeling: An application to Orchard Meadows in Baden- Württemberg

Conceptual modeling is a decisive stage in any modeling process, but especially relevant for the analysis of complex, large systems. Here, researchers must filter out those processes that appear relevant, even before specific research questions can be posed. For this step of conceptual model reduction, we propose an explicit framework. Our research project assessed causes for biodiversity loss in German orchard meadows. A large conceptual model was assembled using literature review and expert interviews, creating an excessively large model. Then, two different approaches were applied to simplify this model and identify policy intervention points. Both approaches yielded different cause-effect explanations and pointed to very different research questions and intervention points. We found that combining an actor-centred approach with a macro-perspective greatly improved the relevance of our conceptual model with respect to policy advice.
FeFET Local Multiply and Global Accumulate Voltage-Sensing Computation-In-Memory Circuit Design for Neuromorphic Computing

This work presents a design of voltage-sensing Computation-in-Memory (CiM) using ferroelectric FET (FeFET) in the point of device and circuit for neuromorphic computing. FeFET CiM with Local Multiply and Global Accumulate (LM-GA) operation works for multiply–accumulate (MAC) of artificial neural networks (ANNs) and integrate operation of spiking neural networks (SNNs). The high scalability and high ON/OFF ratio of FeFETs contribute to large-capacity CiM for neural networks. For the device design, measured FeFET characteristics by source-follower read show small variation in read-disturb and data-retention. The circuit design of FeFET LM-GA CiM is discussed with evaluations of wiring capacitance and resistance, threshold voltage shift, and gate timing. In addition, integration operation of SNNs, which is not possible with current-sensing CiM, is possible with FeFET LM-GA CiM.
Extratropical cyclone classification and its use in climate studies

Extratropical cyclones have long been known to be important for midlatitude weather. It is therefore important that our current state‐of‐the‐art climate models are able to realistically represent these features, in order that we can have confidence in how they are projected to change in a warming climate. Despite the observation that these cyclones are extremely variable in their structure and features, there have, over the years, been numerous attempts to classify or group them. Such classifications can provide insight into the different cloud structures, airflows, and dynamical forcing mechanisms within the different cyclone types. This review collects and details as many classification techniques as possible, and may therefore act as a reference guide to classifications. These classifications offer the opportunity to improve the way extratropical cyclone evaluation in climate models is currently done by giving more insight into the dynamical and physical processes that occur in climate models (rather than just evaluating the mean state over a broad region as is often done). Examples of where these ideas have been used, or could be used, are reviewed. Finally, the potential impacts of future climate changes on extratropical cyclones are detailed. The ways in which the classification techniques could improve our understanding of future changes in extratropical cyclones and their impacts are given.
Comparing the performance of QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus with QuantiFERON-TB Gold in-tube among highly TB exposed gold miners in South Africa [version 2; peer review: 1 approved with reservations

Background: QuantiFERON-TB-Gold-in-tube (QFT-GIT) is an interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) used to diagnose latent tuberculosis infection. Limited data exists on performance of QuantiFERON-TB Gold-Plus (QFT-Plus), a next generation of IGRA that includes an additional antigen tube 2 (TB2) while excluding TB7.7 from antigen tube 1 (TB1), to measure TB specific CD4+