Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exploring Plant Functional Diversity and Redundancy of Mediterranean High-Mountain Habitats in the Apennines

We analyzed plant functional diversity (FD) and redundancy (FR) in Mediterranean high-mountain communities to explore plant functional patterns and assembly rules. We focused on three above-ground plant traits: plant height (H), a good surrogate of competition for light strategies, and specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf dry matter content (LDMC), useful indicators of resource exploitation functional schemes. We used the georeferenced vegetation plots and field-measured plant functional traits of four widely spread vegetation types growing on screes, steep slopes, snowbeds and ridges, respectively. We calculated Rao’s FD and FR followed by analysis of standardized effect size, and compared FD and FR community values using ANOVA and the Tukey post hoc test. Assemblage rules varied across plant communities and traits. The High FRH registered on snowbeds and ridges is probably linked to climatic filtering processes, while the high FDH and low FDSLA and FDLDMC on steep slopes could be related with underlying competition mechanisms. The absence of FD patterns in scree vegetation pinpoint random assembly processes which are typical of highly unstable or disturbed ecosystems. Improved knowledge about the deterministic/stochastic processes shaping species coexistence on high mountain ecosystems should help researchers to understand and predict vegetation vulnerability to environmental changes.
BRICS - T ÜLKELERİNİN NÜFUS ARTIŞ HIZI İLE KALKINMA İLİŞKİSİ: YAPISAL KIRILMALI EŞBÜTÜNLEŞME ANALİZİ

The world's population began to grow rapidly, especially after the 1950s. Birth, death rates, and migration rates are key drivers of population growth. Population growth plays a crucial role in the country's economic development. The impact of population growth on economic development has been the subject of controversial empirical studies. The researchers argued that population growth could have a positive effect on economic development, as well as negative effects. The BRICS-T (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and Turkey) country group is of great importance as it hosts countries with high growth rates, increased exports and national income, abundant natural resources, geopolitical location, logistical possibilities, and development potential in recent years. This study explores the relationship between development and population growth rate of BRICS-T countries, which have almost half the world's population and whose emerging economies are notable. To this end, Human development index data from the United Nations Development Program official database and annual population growth rate data from the World Bank official database were used, covering the 1990-2019 period. Panel data analysis methods taking into account multiple structural breaks were exploited. For this, the structural break panel unit root test which allows up to 5 structural breaks to two variables, developed by Carrion-i Silvestre et al. (2005), was applied. Then, the panel cointegration test with multiple structural breaks was then carried out, which took into account structural breaks and was introduced into literature by Banerjee and Carrion-i Silvestre (2015). As a result of the findings, there appears to be a long-term relationship between the two variables.
The Potential Beneficial Effects of Vaccination on Antigenically Evolving Pathogens

Although vaccines against antigenically evolving pathogens such as seasonal influenza ; and are designed to protect against circulating strains by affecting the emergence and transmission of antigenically divergent strains, they might in theory also be able to change the rate of antigenic evolution. Vaccination might slow antigenic evolution by increasing immunity, reducing the overall prevalence or population size of the pathogen. This reduction could decrease the supply and growth rates of mutants and might thereby slow adaptation. But vaccination might accelerate antigenic evolution by increasing the transmission advantage of more antigenically diverged strains relative to less diverged strains (i.e., by positive selection). Such evolutionary effects could affect vaccination’s direct benefits to individuals and indirect benefits to the host population (i.e., the private and social benefits). To investigate these potential impacts, we simulated vaccination against a continuously circulating influenza-like pathogen in a simple population. On average, more vaccination decreased the incidence of infection. Notably, this decrease was driven partly by a vaccine-induced decline in the rate of antigenic evolution. To understand how the evolutionary effects of vaccines might affect their social and private benefits, we fitted linear panel models to simulated data. By slowing evolution, vaccination increased the social benefit and decreased the private benefit. Thus, vaccination’s potential social and private benefits may differ from current theory, which omits evolutionary effects. These results suggest that conventional vaccines against influenza and other antigenically evolving pathogens, if protective against transmission and given to the appropriate populations, could further reduce disease burden by slowing antigenic evolution.
Effect of Removable Partial Dentures on Masticatory Performance and Oral Health-related Quality of Life in Shortened Dental Arch Patients

A bstrAct Aim and objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of removable partial dentures (RPDs) on masticatory performance (MP) and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in shortened dental arch (SDA) patients. Materials and methods: Twenty mandibular SDA patients with four occlusal units, opposing with maxillary complete dentition, that were natural teeth or fixed prosthesis, were recruited and measured MP by using gummy jelly (Glucolumn, GC Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan) and Glucosensor GS-II (GC Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan) (glucose extraction method). In addition, OHRQoL was assessed by using the oral health impact profile-14 questionnaire, which consists of 14 questions with seven domains. The total score and individual domain scores were calculated and used as parameters of OHRQoL. At 2 weeks after the final adjustment of RPD, MP and OHRQoL were assessed by the same method and questionnaire. These data were compared before and after rehabilitation. The p value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 20 SDA patients consisting of 17 (85%) females and 3 (15%) males who met the prescribed criteria (45–68 years, mean; 56 ± 8.23 years) were recruited. Both MP ( p < 0.001) and OHRQoL ( p < 0.001) were significantly improved after rehabilitation. Conclusion: These results suggested that rehabilitation with RPDs significantly improves objective MP and subjective OHRQoL in patients with SDA.
Isolation, sequencing of the HvnHID gene and its role in the purple-grain colour development in Tibetan hulless barley

2-hydroxyisoflavanone dehydratase (HID) plays an important role in isoflavone biosynthesis. In this study, HID was isolated from the seeds of the purple-grained Tibetan hulless barley variety Nerumuzha and the white-grained variety Kunlun 10. The HvnHID gene includes the 981 bp open reading frame and encodes a protein of 327 amino acids. It has a typical Abhydrolase_3 domain (78–306) and belongs to the carboxylesterase (CXE) family of the Abhydrolase_3 (α/β hydrolase) superfamily. There are eight nucleotide differences in the HvnHID coding sequence and two amino acid differences (one in the Abhydrolase_3 domain) between Nerumuzha and Kunlun 10. The HvnHID of hulless barley has the closest relationship with the HID in Hordeum vulgare, and the most distant relationship in Panicum hallii. At the early-mid stage of the seed colour development, the HvnHID expression levels in the purple and black seeds were significantly higher than in the white and blue ones (P < 0.01). During the seed colour development of purple-grained hulless barley, the expression of the key genes (HvnF3'H, HvnDRF, HvnANT1, and HvnGT) in the anthocyanidin biosynthetic pathway increased significantly, while the HvnHID expression decreased significantly (P < 0.01). Thus, it is likely that HvnHID negatively regulates the anthocyanidin biosynthesis. This result provides an important basis for further study of the biological functions of HvnHID in the anthocyanidin biosynthetic pathway.
Neural-network-based Power System State Estimation with Extended Observability

This paper proposes a neural-network-based state estimation (NNSE) method that aims to achieve higher time efficiency, improved robustness against noise, and extended observability when compared with the conventional weighted least squares (WLS) state estimation method. NNSE consists of two parts, the linear state estimation neural network (LSE-net) and the unobservable state estimation neural network (USE-net). The LSE-net functions as an adaptive approximator of linear state estimation (LSE) equations to estimate the nominally observable states. The inputs of LSE-net are the vectors of synchrophasors while the outputs are the estimated states. The USE-net operates as the complementary estimator on the nominally unobservable states. The inputs are the estimated observable states from LSE-net while the outputs are the estimation of nominally unobservable states. USE-net is trained off-line to approximate the veiled relationship between observable states and unobservable states. Two test cases are conducted to validate the performance of the proposed approach. The first case, which is based on the IEEE 118-bus system, shows the comprehensive performance of convergence, accuracy, and robustness of the proposed approach. The second case study adopts realworld synchrophasor measurements, and is based on the Jiangsu power grid, which is one of the largest provincial power systems in China.
Speed Control and a Full-Order State Observer for Efficiency Optimized Induction Motor

To improve the efficiency of an induction motor (IM), an algorithm has been developed in terms of slip frequency. A discrete-time multi-input and multi-output (MIMO) optimal regulator is proposed to achieve the desired speed with efficiency optimization. Furthermore, a full-order observer is proposed to estimate rotor flux and magnetizing current because these states of IM are feedback to design the proposed controller. The performances of the efficiency optimized speed control and observer system have been verified by simulation. Regarding the simulation study, it can be stated that the proposed controller and observer system are suitable for the implementation of efficiency optimized speed control of IM.
Atomically Dispersed Catalytic Sites: A New Frontier for Cocatalyst/Photocatalyst Composites toward Sustainable Fuel and Chemical Production

Photocatalysis delivers a promising pathway toward the clean and sustainable energy supply of the future. However, the inefficiency of photon absorption, rapid recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, and especially the limited active sites for catalytic reactions result in unsatisfactory performances of the photocatalytic materials. Single-atom photocatalysts (SAPCs), in which metal atoms are individually isolated and stably anchored on support materials, allow for maximum atom utilization and possess distinct photocatalytic properties due to the unique geometric and electronic features of the unsaturated catalytic sites. Very recently, constructing SAPCs has emerged as a new avenue for promoting the efficiency of sustainable production of fuels and chemicals via photocatalysis. In this review, we summarize the recent development of SAPCs as a new frontier for cocatalyst/photocatalyst composites in photocatalytic water splitting. This begins with an introduction on the typical structures of SAPCs, followed by a detailed discussion on the synthetic strategies that are applicable to SAPCs. Thereafter, the promising applications of SAPCs to boost photocatalytic water splitting are outlined. Finally, the challenges and prospects for the future development of SAPCs are summarized.
Análisis Multigrupo por Sexo y Fiabilidad del Cuestionario de Regulación Emocional (ERQ) en Jóvenes Ecuatorianos

espanolEl objetivo de este estudio fue investigar la invarianza factorial y la fiabilidad con respecto al sexo del Cuestionario de Regulacion Emocional (ERQ) en una muestra de jovenes ecuatorianos. Se trata de un estudio instrumental de la equivalencia de medida o invarianza factorial del ERQ y de la fiabilidad. Participaron 435 estudiantes de bachillerato (53,8% mujeres), con edades comprendidas entre 14 y 20 (X=16.7; s=1.4). El modelo de dos factores es confirmado con χ2 =145.4 gl(68); p EnglishThis study aimed to determine the factorial invariance by gender and the reliability of the Emotional Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) in a sample of young Ecuadorians. A Measurement Equivalence or factorial invariance Instrumental study of the ERQ and its reliability was performed. Participants were 435 high school students (53.8% female), aged 14 to 20 (X=16.7, s=1.4). The ERQ’s bifactor model was confirmed with χ2 =145.4; df (68); p portuguesO objetivo deste estudo foi investigar a invariância e a confiabilidade do fator em relacao ao sexo do Questionario de Regulacao Emocional (ERQ) em uma amostra de jovens equatorianos. Trata-se de um estudo instrumental da equivalencia de medida ou invariância fatorial do ERQ e da confiabilidade. Participaram 435 estudantes do ensino medio (53,8% mulheres), com idades entre 14 e 20 anos (X=16,7; s=1,4). O modelo de dois fatores do ERQ e confirmado com χ2 =145,4 gl(68); p Alem disso, a confiabilidade mostra que as quantidades sao aceitaveis com ωSE=0,636; ωRC=0,762 em homens e ωSE=0,694; ωRC=0,742 em mulheres. E evidente que o modelo ERQ e invariavel em relacao ao sexo e que, por sua vez, e confiavel.
Four-legged three-phase PFC rectifier with fault tolerant capability

A four-legged three-phase PFC rectifier is proposed to handle unbalanced source voltage and to provide fault tolerant operation. The four-legged PFC rectifier is controlled by a three-dimensional space vector modulation (3D SVM) scheme, and runs in the overmodulation region when the source is unbalanced and/or a leg failure occurs. Modeling and control of the four-legged PFC rectifier are presented. Under unbalanced source, operation of the four-legged rectifier with three control strategies-equal current, equal resistance and constant power are analyzed. Two rectifier failure modes are studied: (1) entire leg fails; (2) active switches fail with the anti-parallel diodes still functional. It turns out that in both failure modes, the PFC rectifier can have an equal or higher than 2/3 of the rated output power level. The operation of the four-legged rectifier with 3D SVM is demonstrated by experimental results. The simulation results show that the proposed four-legged rectifier is advantageous over directly coupled three single-phase PFC rectifier and three-legged three-phase PFC rectifier.
Status, prospects and commercialization of SiC power devices

Summary form only given. We have developed SiC Schottky diodes for blocking voltages ranging from 300 V to 1700 V covering a range of nominal currents from 4 A up to more than 25 A. Schottky diodes for blocking 300 V with nominal current ratings of 6 A and 10 A respectively, and for blocking 600 V with nominal current rating of 4 A and 6 A respectively, have already been commercialized by the parent Company Infineon Technologies AG; Schottky diodes for blocking 1200 V will follow soon. For higher blocking voltages up to 3 kV merged diodes were also successfully developed. We have also performed R&D on n-channel enhancement SiC MOSFETs. However, despite the promising performance ( 1800 V, 46 m/spl Omega/cm/sup 2/ e.g.) SiC MOSFET's are still far away from commercialization due to the lack of long term stability and an on-resistance sufficiently low enough to compete with their silicon enemies. As a rugged and very promising alternative to the SiC MOSFET we have developed vertical junction field effect transistors (VJFETs).
Novel Technologies and Their Application for Protected Area Management: A Supporting Approach in Biodiversity Monitoring

State-of-the-art tools are revolutionizing protected area (PA) manager approaches to biodiversity monitoring. Effective strategies are available for test site establishment, data collection, archiving, analysis, and presentation. In PAs, use of new technologies will support a shift from primarily expert-based to automated monitoring procedures, allowing increasingly efficient data collection and facilitating adherence to conservation requirements. Selection and application of appropriate tools increasingly improve options for adaptive management. In this chapter, modern biodiversity monitoring techniques are introduced and discussed in relation to previous standard approaches for their applicability in diverse habitats and for different groups of organisms. A review of some of today’s most exciting technologies is presented, including environmental DNA analysis for species identification; automated optical, olfactory, and auditory devices; remote sensing applications relaying site conditions in real-time; and uses of unmanned aerial systems technology for observation and mapping. An overview is given in the context of applicability of monitoring tools in different ecosystems, providing a theoretical basis from conceptualization to implementation of novel tools in a monitoring program. Practical examples from real-world PAs are provided.
Simulating urban encroachment on rural land with fuzzy-logic-controlled cellular automata in a geographical information system

Abstract Encroachment on rural land is a serious problem in developing countries, particularly in regions that are undergoing rapid economic development. Monitoring and simulating land conversions thus are critical to the formulation of a sustainable development strategy. This paper describes a computer-based approach for simulating land encroachment with fuzzy-logic-controlled cellular automata (CA). Unlike CA models developed in the domain of natural sciences, this simulation model seeks to integrate rule definition with explicit, interactive and heuristic decision-making processes. Fuzzy logic was used to capture the feature of land conversion behaviour, while CA was to used to simulate global pattern from local rules and implemented in a geographical information system (GIS) using ARC/INFO software. By providing a series of simulation scenarios, the study reveals potential hazardous consequences inherent in some development policies that would jeopardize sustainable development of the region and demonstrates that this approach is a useful tool to provide decision support. 1998 Academic Press
Effect Evaluation of State Priority Support Policies on Promoting Green TFP：Empirical Evidence from Old Revolutionary Areas

Promoting the high-quality development of old revolutionary areas is an important strategic task of Chinese coordinated regional development in the new era. Since 2012, China has issued a series of policies and measures to support the development of old revolutionary areas. In order to test the effect and functional mechanism of state priority support policies, this paper uses the data of old revolutionary areas from 2008 to 2018 as the research sample, and uses the measurement method of PSM-DID to evaluate the policy effect on the green TFP of five key old revolutionary areas.The results show that: Firstly, state priority support policies have significantly improved the green TFP of old revolutionary areas, which helps to promote the green and high-quality development of old revolutionary areas. Secondly, state priority support policies have three functional mechanisms on the high-quality development of old revolutionary areas, namely, intellectual capital investment, industrial structure upgrading and ecological governance. Thirdly, the policy effect on the green TFP of old revolutionary areas with different urban characteristics is heterogeneous. In order to further prioritize the policy effect, it is necessary not only to increase the investment in science, technology and education, and promote the upgrading of industrial structures and ecological governance, but also to formulate differentiated supporting policies and foster endogenous driving forces of green and high-quality development in old revolutionary areas.This paper tries to make contributions in the following aspects: Firstly, based on the dimension of regional development quality, it innovatively studies the policy effect on the green TFP of old revolutionary areas. Secondly, it takes old revolutionary areas as the research object and pays more attention to the key bottlenecks that restrict the coordinated development of regions. This is different from the problem of coordinating the development gap between the eastern and western regions, and the research object is relatively new. Thirdly, from the perspective of research methods, the PSM-DID method is used to identify the policy effect on the green TFP of old revolutionary areas, and the heterogeneity of the policy effect on old revolutionary areas with different urban characteristics is tested. Fourthly, from the perspective of functional mechanisms, it clarifies the three functional mechanisms of state priority support policies to promote green and high-quality development in old revolutionary areas for the first time.
Impact of the Agulhas Current on southern Africa precipitation: a modelling study

The Agulhas Current (AC) creates a sharp temperature gradient with the surrounding ocean, leading to a large turbulent flux of moisture from ocean to atmosphere. We use two simulations of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to show the seasonal impact of the warm core of the AC on southern Africa precipitation. In one simulation the sea surface temperature (SST) of the AC is similar to satellite observations, while the second uses satellite SST observations spatially smoothed to reduce the temperature of the core of the AC by ~1.5°C. We show that decreasing the SST of the AC reduces the precipitation of the wettest seasons (austral summer and autumn) inland. Over the ocean, reducing the SST reduces precipitation, low-level wind convergence, SST and SLP Laplacian above the AC in all seasons, consistent with the pressure adjustment mechanism. Moreover, winter precipitation above the Current may be also related to increased latent flux. In summer and autumn, the AC SST reduction is also associated with decreased precipitation further inland (more than 1.5 mm/day), caused by an atmospheric circulation that decreases the horizontal moisture flux from the AC to South Africa. The reduction is also associated with higher geopotential height extending from the surface east and over the AC to the mid-troposphere over southeastern Africa. The westward tilted geopotential height is consistent with the linear response to shallow diabatic heating in midlatitudes. An identical mechanism occurs in spring but is weaker. Winter rainfall response is confined above the AC.