Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Estimates for Carbon Stocks in Soil under Humid Grassland Areas in the Federal District of Brazil

The soils that lay below humid ecosystems are characterized as being significant holders of carbon. Because of the great susceptibility of this type of environment to anthropic changes, expressive quantities of carbon stored in the soil can be released into the atmosphere. In the Cerrado biome (Brazil), only a few types of vegetation have had carbon storage levels in their soil estimated. The main purpose of this study was to obtain basic quantitative parameters for carbon storage and to identify the general aspects of soil in regions where there exists Humid Grasslands (Campo Limpo umido), a kind of humid area phytophysiognomy found in the Cerrado. We selected 6 regions of the Federal District with this kind of vegetation formation, characterized by low anthropic impact and located either in the interior or in the proximity of specially protected areas. In each one of the sampled regions, we marked a transect with 4 equidistant points and collected material at 7 different levels of depth: 0 - 5, 5 - 10, 10 - 20, 20 - 30, 30 - 40, 40 - 50 and 50 - 60 cm. We obtained 168 samples, with 84 related to Humid Grassland areas in gleysols and 84 samples related to areas in plinthosols—types of soil dominant in this environment. We determined the texture, bulk density and concentration of nitrogen and carbon at each depth. The average concentration of carbon for Humid Grassland areas was 55.19 g.kg-1, with an average of 61.65 g.kg-1 for Gleysols and 48.73 g.kg-1 for Plinthosols. The soil samples displayed distinct textural differences between gleysols and plinthosols. There were no significant differences in soil density (0.75 kg.dm-3 for Gleysols and 0.72 kg.dm-3 for Plinthosols). The average concentration of nitrogen was 20.66 g.kg-1, with 23.98 g.kg-1 for Gleysols and 17.34 g.kg-1 for Plinthosols. The average carbon storage for Humid Grassland areas, down to 60 cm deep, was 244.17 mg C ha-1 and the total estimated stock for these areas in the Federal District was 206.71 Gg.C. In general, the samples obtained in gleysols showed a carbon content and nitrogen level superior to those in plinthosols, although a greater sampling effort is needed to confirm the differences observed. The density values of stored carbon in the soil beneath Humid Grassland areas proved to be superior to those values observed for other types of vegetation typical for the Cerrado environment.
Honey as a Natural Product Worthy of Re-Consideration in Treating MRSA Wound Infections

The use of antibiotics to treat bacterial infections have largely been successful. However, the misuse and overuse of these precious drugs have led to the development of bacterial resistance and this seems to have jeopardized their effectiveness. Many antibiotics that hitherto were seen as “miraculous drugs”, have witnessed a low efficacy and this has threatened the life of humanity as never before. The rapid emergence of antibiotic resistance in bacteria is the major cause of this sad development. One such superbug is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). MRSA is a general problem in most healthcare centers with a reported astronomical incidence of invasive MRSA infections causing death. Honey, a natural product, popular for its antibacterial activity is increasingly being used owing to its reported antibiotic potential against ‘stubborn’ bacteria. This review discusses the fact that though honey is an ancient remedy, it is still relevant and its application in modern medicine for the treatment of chronically infected wounds caused by MRSA should be re-visited. Furthermore, the in vitro antibacterial and antibiofilm activities of medical-grade honey on S. aureus infections and challenges encountered by Researchers in developing honey, into an acceptable medical, therapeutic antibacterial agent for wound care have also been highlighted.
Impact of Aircraft Emissions on Reactive Nitrogen Over the North Atlantic Flight Corridor Region

The impact of aircraft emissions on reactive nitrogen in the upper troposphere (UT) and lowermost stratosphere (LS) was estimated using the NO y -O 3 correlation obtained during the Subsonic Assessment (SASS) Ozone and Nitrogen Oxide Experiment (SONEX) carried out over the U.S. continent and North Atlantic Flight Corridor (NAFC) region in October and November 1997. To evaluate the large-scale impact, we made a reference NO y -O 3 relationship in air masses, upon which aircraft emissions were considered to have little impact. For this purpose, the integrated input of NO x from aircraft into an air mass along a 10-day back trajectory (ΔNO y ) was calculated based on the Abatement of Nuisance Caused by Air Traffic/European Commission (ANCAT/EC2) emission inventory. The excess NO y (dNO y ) was calculated from the observed NO y and the reference NO y -O 3 relationship. As a result, a weak positive correlation was found between the dNO y and ΔNO y , and dNO y and NO x /NO y values, while no positive correlation between the dNO y and CO values was found, suggesting that dNO y values can be used as a measure of the NO x input from aircraft emissions. The excess NO y values calculated from another NO y -O 3 reference relationship made using in situ condensation nuclei data also agreed with these dNO y values, within the uncertainties. At the NAFC region (45°N-60°N) the median value of dNO y in the troposphere increased with altitude above 9 km and reached 70 parts per trillion by volume (pptv) (20% of NO y ) at 11 km. The excess NO x was estimated to be about half of the dNO y values, corresponding to 30% of the observed NO x level. Higher dNO y values were generally found in air masses where O 3 = 75-125 ppbv, suggesting a more pronounced effect around the tropopause. The median value of dNO y in the stratosphere at the NAFC region at 8.5-11.5 km was about 120 pptv. The higher dNO y values in the LS were probably due to the accumulated effect of aircraft emissions, given the long residence time of affected air in the LS. Similar dNO y values were also obtained in air masses sampled over the U.S. continent.
Guidance of circumnutation of climbing bean stems: An ecological exploration

Guidance of circumnutation of climbing bean stems: 1 An ecological exploration 2 3 4 5 6 Paco Calvo* (fjcalvo@um.es) 7 Minimal Intelligence Lab, Universidad de Murcia, Spain 8 9 Vicente Raja (rajagave@mail.uc.edu) 10 Department of Philosophy, University of Cincinnati, USA 11 12 David N. Lee (dave.lee@ed.ac.uk) 13 Perception-Movement-Action Research Consortium, University of Edinburgh, UK 14 15 *To whom correspondence should be addressed. 16 17 Abstract In this report we explore the guidance of circumnutation of 18 climbing bean stems under the light of general rho/tau theory, a theory that 19 aims to explain how living organisms guide goal-directed movements 20 ecologically. We present some preliminary results on the control of 21 circumnutation by climbing beans, and explore the possibility that the 22 power of movement in plants, more generally, is controlled under 23 ecological principles. 24
Host specialization in microparasites transmitted by generalist vectors : insights into the 1 cellular and immunological mechanisms

cellular and immunological mechanisms 2 Yi-Pin Lin*, Danielle M. Tufts, Alan P. Dupuis, II, Matthew Combs, Ashley L. 3 Marcinkiewicz, Andrew D. Hirsbrunner, Alexander J. Diaz, Jessica L. Stout, Anna M. Blom, 4 Klemen Strle, April D. Davis, Laura D. Kramer, Maria A. Diuk-Wasser* 5 Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, 6 Albany, NY, USA, Department of Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at 7 Albany, NY, USA, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia 8 University, New York, NY USA, Division of Medical Protein Chemistry, Department of 9
Thermal Manipulation: Embryonic Development, Hatchability, and Hatching Quality of Broiler Chicks

Here, PRISMA guidelines were utilized to systematically evaluate the publications reporting the effect of thermal manipulation during embryogenesis on incubation performance, hatchability, and hatching quality of broiler chicks. The search and selection of eligible publications was through databases web of science, PubMed, and Scopus. Publications written in English between 2015 and September 2021 were considered. It is evidenced that during TM, key considerations include duration and strength of TM besides stage of embryonic development. The moderate elevation in incubation temperature (38.5–39.5°C) intermittently (3–18 h/d) between E07 and E18 improves the chick’s thermoregulation capacity and reduces any adverse effect of TM on hatchability, and chick quality (e.g., hatch weight and chick length) compared with continuous TM. In addition, high temperature TM (38.5–39.5°C) between E7 and E18 has no significant effect on embryo mortality, hatchability, and chick quality compared to standard incubation temperature (37.8°C). TM above 39.5°C significantly increases and decreases embryo mortality and hatchability, respectively compared with standard incubation temperature. In conclusion, the results of TM studies on embryogenesis, hatchability and hatching quality of broiler chicks are still contradicting, which is a possible limitation for its commercial use.
Bank robbery: the real losers in the 1998 Bangladesh flood

During July, August and September 1998, Bangladesh was subjected to the most extensive flood in living memory. At peak flood, approximately two‐thirds of the country was under water. The media showed submerged houses, drowned livestock, and women and children wading neck deep in water carrying water jars or food on their heads. Such images reinforce many people's perceptions of Bangladesh as a country incessantly subjected to devastating floods that destroy crops and cause untold misery to the nation's people. Yet, beyond this media‐generated view, there is a country where agricultural production is still the mainstay of the rural population's livelihood system. The nation's water resources, both above and below ground, provide a multitude of services to the population: water to drink and in which to bathe, fish to eat and water to irrigate crops. This paper outlines the local‐level research indicating that most rural Bangladeshis living on the central Bangladesh floodplain, view the annual monsoon flood season not as an inconvenience but as a necessity. It suggests that many people in the research areas recognize the benefits associated with extreme flood events. The 1998 flood provided plentiful amounts of fish, a staple diet and labouring work in the form of building up flood defences. It also flushed out stagnant water in ponds and pagars (open system ponds), and in time, led to a bumper harvest of rice. The research highlights the lives of those whose livelihoods are devastated by such events, describes the nature of the monsoon of 1998, analyses the effects on the community's livelihood systems and describes the nature of their coping strategies. It also suggests ways in which the government and aid agencies could better assist those whose livelihoods are most vulnerable. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Tabulation of asbestos-related terminology

The term asbestos has been defined in numerous publications including many State and Federal regulations. The definition of asbestos often varies depending on the source or publication in which it is used. Differences in definitions also exist for the asbestos-related terms acicular, asbestiform, cleavage, cleavage fragment, fiber, fibril, fibrous, and parting. An inexperienced reader of the asbestos literature would have difficulty understanding these differences and grasping many of the subtleties that exist in the literature and regulatory language. Disagreement among workers from the industrial, medical, mineralogical, and regulatory communities regarding these definitions has fueled debate as to their applicability to various morphological structures and chemical compositions that exist in the amphibole and serpentine groups of minerals. This debate has significant public health, economic and legal implications. This report summarizes asbestos-related definitions taken from a variety of academic, industrial, and regulatory sources. This summary is by no means complete but includes the majority of significant definitions currently applied in the discipline.
Stable continental regions are more vulnerable to earthquakes than once thought

Seismic events at shield areas throughout the world suggest that the stable continental regions (SCR) are much more vulnerable to earthquakes than was once thought. Earthquakes have struck SCRs at a number of locations, including the New Madrid Zone, United States; Tennant Creek, Australia; Ungava, Canada; and Kachchh, Koyna, Latur, and Jabalpur, India. In several developing countries, such as India, the problems caused by SCR earthquakes have become very serious because of high population density and the proliferation of structures not built to withstand earthquake damage. A recent Chapman Conference on SCR earthquakes attracted 90 researchers from 12 countries. Eighty papers were presented. Globally, the stable continental region earthquakes account for about 0.5% of total seismic energy released. The largest SCR earthquakes occurred in the New Madrid zone from 1811 to 1812, when three earthquakes of Mw 7.8-8.1 occurred within just 53 days.
Bistatic airborne/spaceborne hybrid experiment: basic considerations

Collecting data using different sensors mounted on different platforms is the challenge of multisensorics. Applications in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) normally lead to extreme bi- or multistatic constellations in the multisensorial case. This paper describes basic considerations concerning the geometry, especially the antenna steering for a bistatic SAR experiment. Using the TerraSAR-X as a transmitter and a SAR system mounted on a plane as a receiver we want to record experimental raw data for further processing. Because of the high difference between the velocity of the transmitter platform and that of the receiver platform relative to a point target, stripmap mode is not useful in this case. By operating the transmitter in sliding spotlight or spotlight mode and using antenna steering to provide footprint chasing on the side of the receiving system, a useful scene extension in azimuth can be achieved. This is of course at the cost of a shorter time interval in which the point target is both illuminated by the transmitter and seen by the receiver. First simulations of a point target response will show that nevertheless we can expect a useful Doppler bandwidth and thus an adequate resolution in azimuth.
Application of the Loewner Equation for Neurite Outgrowth Mechanism

Stochastic Loewner evolution (SLE), which was discovered by Schramm, is a kind of growth processes described by the Loewner equation having a stochastic driving function. The SLE is used as a model for random curves in statistical mechanics. On the other hand, there exist many types of self-organized curves in biological systems. Among them, the neurite curves are very diverse and inherently constitute ambiguous messages in their forms, being closely related to their functions and development. Recently, we have proposed a statistical-physical approach to analyze neurite morphology based on the Loewner equation, which leads to not only a physical interpretation of neurite outgrowth mechanism but also a new description of self-organization mechanism of complex curves. In this chapter, we first review the concept of the Loewner equation and its calculation algorithm. We next show that neurite outgrowth process can be described by the Loewner equation having a deterministic (chaotic) driving function, which differs from the SLE. Based on this point of view, we finally analyze induced-pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neurons from a healthy person and an Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patient and discuss pathological neurite states and the possibility of a medical application of our approach.
Fate of long-lived trace species near the Northern Hemispheric tropopause. 2. Isotopic composition of carbon dioxide (13CO2, 14CO2 and C18O16O)

CO2 samples collected by aircraft near the winter midlatitude and high-latitude Northern Hemispheric tropopause were measured for their stable isotope (13C/12C, 18O/16O) and radioisotope (14C/12C) ratios. The strongly varying CO2 and δ13C(CO2) values spanning 21ppm and 1.1‰, respectively, as well as the low 13C/12C ratio of the source/sink system responsible for these variations (inferred by applying a simple “Keeling relationship”) point to frequent transport of polluted air masses to the tropopause. This hypothesis is supported by the often depleted 14C/12C ratios in CO2, marking contributions of up to 9ppm (14C-free) fossil fuel combustion derived CO2. The oxygen isotope ratio δ18O(CO2) was found to correlate negatively with the CO2 mixing ratio (R ≈ −0.8), which demonstrates that even the δ18O(CO2) data can, as a first approach, be interpreted in terms of a Keeling relation. However, the apparent δ18O(CO2) source/sink signature was found to drop from −(11±3)‰ south of the polar front down to −(27±4)‰ north of it. The low Arctic δ18O(CO2) values can be explained by the assumption that in the wintertime Arctic about double the amount of CO2 isotopically exchanges with 18O-depleted soil water as is net released by the entire biosphere. A vertical δ18O(CO2) gradient of 0.5‰ km−1 was observed above the tropopause. This δ18O(CO2) increase in the stratosphere is most likely due to oxygen isotope exchange between CO2 and electronically excited oxygen O(1D), the isotope composition of which is controlled by that of O3, in the stratosphere known to be strongly enriched in the heavy oxygen isotopes. The typical δ18O(CO2) gradient is assumed to be lower compared to measured because our high-altitude samples were affected by chemically disturbed polar vortex air.
Evolution of new variants of SARS-COV-2 during the pandemic: mutation limited or selection limited?

The recent pandemic caused by SARS-Cov-2 has witnessed an evolving succession of variants of the virus. While the phenomenon of invasion by immunity evading variants is known for other viruses such as influenza, the dynamics of the ecological and evolutionary process in the succession is little known. Since during the Covid-19 pandemic, large scale epidemiological data were collected and made available in the public domain, it is possible to seek answers to a number of evolutionary questions, which will also have public health implications. We list multiple alternative hypotheses about the origin and invasion of the variants and evaluate them in the light of epidemiological data. Our analysis shows that invasion by novel variants is selection limited and not mutation limited. Further novel variants are not the necessary and sufficient causes of the repeated waves during the pandemic. Rather there is substantial overlap between the conditions leading to a wave and those favoring selection of a partial immune evading variant. This is likely to lead to an association between invasion by new variant and the rise of a new wave. But the association is not sufficiently strong and does not support a causal role of the new variant. The dynamics of interaction between epidemiological processes and selection on viral variants have many public health implications that can guide future policies for effective control of infectious epidemics.
Vegetation and fire history since the Late Pleistocene from the Trinity Mountains, northwestern California, USA

A 267-cm sediment core spanning the past c. 15 200 cal. yr was recovered from Mumbo Lake, in the Trinity Mountains of northwestern California's Klamath Region. Plant macrofossils and pollen detail local and extra-local vegetation history, while high-resolution charcoal analysis provides details on local fire history. For the first c. 3000 years, climate was colder and drier than present, and supported an open, subalpine parkland vegetation, with low fire frequencies and fuel biomass. From c. 12 100 to 9800 cal. yr BP increasing moisture and soil development led to a woodland community with three new pine species invading the basin. Fire frequencies remained low, but individual fires may have been more intense because of increased fuel loads. Between c. 9800 and 7200 cal. yr BP, climate warmed and dried considerably, allowing for the expansion of oak and other chaparral species. Fire frequencies increased in the early Holocene, but low charcoal accumulation rates suggest a frequent, relatively low-intensity fire regime. From c. 7200 to 3800 cal. yr BP, the climate became cooler and moister again. Many conifer species appeared for the first time, although chaparral species maintained a strong presence. The fire record shows a dramatic increase in charcoal accumulation rates as well as an increase in fire frequency. From c. 3800 cal. yr BP to present, more conifer species enter the record, and abundance of chaparral species gradually diminishes to present levels.
Affective Outcomes of a World Geography Course

Abstract Affective goals and objectives, rarely stated in geographic education standards, textbooks or course syllabi, include improving students' attitudes toward other people. World geography courses expose students to other parts of the world and to people different from themselves. Although affective goals may not be stated for such courses, could it be that there are nevertheless affective outcomes related to changes in students' attitudes toward people from the regions and countries they study? This paper seeks to answer that question by examining the characterizations of people from other regions and countries by ninth-grade public school students in Utah before and after a world regional geography course where affective goals were not stated.
Atmospheric transport, deposition, and fate of triazine herbicides and their metabolites in pristine areas at Isle Royale National Park

Trace concentrations of triazine herbicides, used in the Midwestern United States, are being transported atmospherically hundreds of kilometers and deposited by precipitation onto pristine areas, such as Isle Royale National Park (Lake Superior). Atrazine, deethylatrazine, deisopropylatrazine, and cyanazine were detected in Isle Royale rainfall from mid-May to early July (1992−1994) at concentrations of less than 0.005 to 1.8 μg/L. Analysis of predominant wind direction indicated that the herbicides originated from the upper Midwestern United States. The annual mass of herbicides deposited by rainfall varied between years, from 13.4 μg/m2/yr for 1992, 3.7 μg/m2/yr for 1993, and 54 μg/m2/yr for 1994. Atrazine and deethylatrazine were found also in concentrations of less than 5−22 ng/L in lakes across Isle Royale. Concentrations of atrazine in the surface layer of the lakes increased during deposition periods and decreased later in the year. The fate of triazines in shallow lakes suggests faster degradation.