Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Valuing Forest Ecosystem Services. Why Is an Integrative Approach Needed?

Among the many types of terrestrial ecosystems, forests have some of the highest levels of biodiversity; they also have many interdependent economic, ecological and social functions and provide ecosystem services. They supply a range of tangible, marketable goods, as well as a variety of nonmarketable and intangible services derived from various forest functions. These translate into social, cultural, health and scientific benefits for people’s quality of life. However, because they cannot be traded on a market, nonmarketable and intangible services are often perceived as free, inexhaustible and, as a result, underestimated. The human–nature interaction has affected both nature (via resource consumption) and society (via development of human welfare and well-being). Decision-makers, both public and private, often manage natural capital for multiple aims. In recent years it has been found that the single, individual approach estimating the value for these goods and services is not able to provide information that generates and supports decisions and policies in complex areas of current relevance such as the constant loss of biodiversity, climate change and global warming in close connection with the need for social development and ensuring an acceptable level of well-being for the greatest part of humanity. An integrated assessment with advanced techniques and methods using a pluralist framework of a heterogeneous set of values is considered a better approach to the valuation of such complex nature of the ecosystem goods and services. This assessment should take into account both costs and benefits trade-off issues among the multiple uses of ecosystem goods and/or services, especially the relationships between them and how they influence or determine the economic, social and cultural development of society. It should also consider the estimation of the complex inverse effect, from society to nature, whose goods and services can be diminished to exhaustion by the extensive and intensive anthropization of natural ecosystems with major impact on the number and quality of goods and services provided by ecosystems. Research has shown that applying an integrative assessment approach that utilizes tools developed by sustainability sciences could be an important component of future environmental policy making.
Production of Volatile Fatty Acids in a Semi-Continuous Dark Fermentation of Kitchen Waste: Impact of Organic Loading Rate and Hydraulic Retention Time

The aim of the study was to evaluate the possibility of using the process of dark fermentation to convert kitchen waste into valuable volatile fatty acids in a semi-continuous process at different values of the organic loading rate (2.5 and 5.0 gVS/(L × d)) and hydraulic retention time (5 and 10 d) using anaerobic mixed microbial consortia. The experiments were performed in a bioreactor of working volume 8L with pH control. The maximum volatile fatty acids yield in a steady state (22.3 g/L) was achieved at the organic loading rate of 5.0 gVS/(L × d) and HRT of 10 days. The main products of dark fermentation were acetic and butyric acids, constituting, respectively, 35.2–47.7% and 24.1–30.0% of all identified volatile fatty acids. Additionally, at the beginning of the fermentation and in a steady-state condition, the microbial population analysis (16S rDNA) of the fermentation mixture with the most effective volatile fatty acids generation has been performed to monitor the DF microflora development. The dominant microorganisms at a phylum level in a steady state were Firmicutes (44.9%) and Bacteroidetes (30.1%), which indicate the main role of those phyla in the volatile fatty acids synthesis.
Evaluation of Chemical Kinetic Mechanisms for Methane Combustion: A Review from a CFD Perspective

Methane is an important fuel for gas turbine and gas engine combustion, and the most common fuel in fundamental combustion studies. As Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling of combustion becomes increasingly important, so do chemical kinetic mechanisms for methane combustion. Kinetic mechanisms of different complexity exist, and the aim of this study is to review commonly used detailed, reduced, and global mechanisms of importance for CFD of methane combustion. In this review, procedures of relevance to model development are outlined. Simulations of zero and one-dimensional configurations have been performed over a wide range of conditions, including addition of H2, CO2 and H2O, and the results are used in a final recommendation about the use of the different mechanisms. The aim of this review is to put focus on the importance of an informed choice of kinetic mechanism to obtain accurate results at a reasonable computational cost. It is shown that for flame simulations, a reduced mechanism with only 42 irreversible reactions gives excellent agreement with experimental data, using only 5% of the computational time as compared to the widely used GRI-Mech 3.0. The reduced mechanisms are highly suitable for flame simulations, while for ignition they tend to react too slow, giving longer than expected ignition delay time. For combustible mixtures with addition of hydrogen, carbon dioxide, or water, the detailed as well as reduced mechanisms generally show as good performance as for the corresponding simulations of pure methane/air mixtures.
Synthesis of DC–DC Converters From Voltage Conversion Ratio and Prescribed Requirements

This article proposes a systematic synthesis method to identify the optimum converter topology for a specified voltage conversion ratio. This gain-oriented converter synthesis is formulated as an inverse problem around the inductor flux balance equations. The proposed synthesis method consists of two processes. A set of distinct converter topologies is first synthesized from the specified voltage conversion ratio by obtaining the solutions for a set of six inverse equations in twelve unknowns. The optimal topology for any intended application can be identified based on the desired performance metrics. The complete synthesis method is illustrated with quadratic buck–boost gain as an example. In total, 25 distinct topologies are synthesized using the first process, and their feasibility is validated by PLECS simulation. In total, three case studies are reported to explain the second process. Ground-referenced output and the minimum number of switches are used as the first two selection criteria in all the case studies. Minimum peak inductor current, minimum component stress factor, and minimum voltage and current stress are the third selection criterion in Case Studies-1, 2, and 3, respectively. The steady-state operations of two optimal converters selected in Case Study-1 were verified experimentally.
Influence of maternal age on intracytoplasmic sperm injection outcome and global deoxyribonucleic acid methylation in women undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycle

Background: Intracytoplasmic sperm injection needs sufficient oocytes of high quality in order to increase the rate of fertilization and pregnancy. This study was designed to investigate the influence of maternal age on the ICSI outcomes in women undergoing to first ICSI cycle and to evaluate the influence of maternal age on global DNA methylation.Methods: A total of 242 females were included in this study with a mean age of 30.5±7.3 years. The participants were divided into three groups depending on women's age≤25, N=70; 26-35, N=102 and>35, N=70). The genomic DNA was isolated from the blood samples, then the global DNA methylation was evaluated using ELISA.Results: A significant reduction has been found in the level of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), total number of the collected oocyte, mature oocytes, fertilized oocytes and number of embryos transferred in the older females compared to the younger group (p<0.001). While a significant increase has been found in global DNA methylation level in the older females compared to the younger group (p<0.001). A positive significant correlation has been found between global DNA methylation level and maternal age (p<0.001). In contrast, a negative significant correlation has been shown between AMH level, mature oocytes and maternal age (p<0.001). Conclusions: Maternal age has a significant influence on the number of mature oocytes, number of embryos transferred and global DNA methylation. The pregnancy chance is more in the age group less than 35 years.
Studies on Bioaccumulation of Lead and Arsenic in Different Tissues of Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

Heavy metals present in surroundings tend to accumulate into the bodies of animals vide the food chains. This bioaccumulation of toxic heavy metals cause several pathological conditions, thus, imposing serious health hazards to humans and other animals. It has become extremely important to monitor levels of heavy metals for well being of humans. The present study was carried to evaluate the extent of bioaccumulation of two heavy metals in rabbit by measuring their levels in various tissues. The rabbits were divided into control (C) and two experimental groups i.e. T1 (Lead treated) and T2 (Arsenic treated). Experimental groups were orally administered lead and arsenic at concentration of 0.02 mg/L of glucose solution for a period of 28 days. Further, the concentration of above heavy metals was determined in liver, kidney and muscle using atomic absorption spectrometry. Concentration of lead in liver and kidney, while concentration of arsenic in kidney was found to be significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05) in treatment groups as compared to the control. Higher mean concentration of lead (35.68±7.36) and arsenic (18.70± 3.456) was detected in kidney in treatment groups. Lower mean concentration of lead (12.43±4.70) and arsenic (7.07±2.45) was determined in muscles in treatment groups. The lead accumulated at significantly higher rate (P ≤ 0.05) compared to arsenic in all three tissues in treatment groups. It is concluded that heavy metals tend to bioaccumulate at relatively higher concentration in tissues involved in metabolic activities i.e. kidney and liver in rabbit.
Hydrogen peroxide as a mitigation of salt stress on the germination of Myracroduon urundeuva (Allemão) Engl. Seeds

R. L. A. (2021). Hydrogen peroxide as a mitigation of salt stress on 49 (130), e3557. https://doi.org/10.18671/scifor.v49n130. 14 Abstract In this research, the objective was to evaluate the effect of different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide as a mitigation of salt stress on the germination of Myracrodruon urundeuva A. seeds. The work was performed at the Seed Analysis Laboratory of the Agricultural Sciences Center of Federal University of Paraíba. The concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) used were as follows: 0.0; 7.0; 14.0; 21.0 and 28.0 μmol L -1 , while saline levels were of 0.0; 2.5; 5.0; 7.5 and 10.0 dS m -1 prepared from the addition of NaCl to distilled water (0.0 dS m -1 ). The experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design, with a 5 x 5 factorial scheme, whose evaluated characteristics were germination and vigor (first count, average time and germination speed index, as well as length and shoot dry weight, roots and total seedlings). The concentrations of 7.0 and 14.0 μmol L -1 of hydrogen peroxide attenuate the negative effect caused by the salinity level of up to 3.2 dS m -1 ; however, excessive concentrations of hydrogen peroxide cause damage to the germination process
Consciousness, the unconscious, and the self.

This article examines the various ways in which the self is (or is not) involved in conscious and unconscious mental life. The self may be construed as a cognitive structure representing a person ’ s knowledge of him or herself. This knowledge structure may take the form of a concept, image, or a node in an associative network of memories. Conscious states are not just represented in working memory (e.g., the “ global workspace ” ), but must be linked to a mental representation of the self (as agent or patient, stimulus or experiencer), also represented in working memory. In unconscious mental life, as exempli ﬁ ed by automatic processing or explicit – implicit dissociations, this aspect of self-reference is missing, giving rise to effects that occur outside of phenomenal awareness. At the biophysical level of analysis, the self may be represented by a single “ grandmother ” neuron, a sparse network of neurons, or it may be widely distributed across the cortex. Viewed phylogenetically, ontogenetically, or culturally, the development of consciousness may be intimately tied to the development of the sense of self.
First step and last resort: One-Euro-Jobs after the reform

Abstract Job creation programmes aim at increasing the employability of hard-to-place unemployed, and eventually integrating them into employment. Yet, previous evaluation studies have been pessimistic about their efficacy. For One-Euro-Jobs, a job creation programme for welfare benefit recipients in Germany, previous evaluations found unfavourable effects particularly for easier-to-place participants. Thus, in 2012 the legislator reformed the programme in order to target the hard-to-place more accurately. This study is the first post-reform evaluation of One-Euro-Jobs. We find that, although the programme is indeed better targeted than before, One-Euro-Jobs decrease participants’ employment chances within three years after programme entry. These outcomes are worse than those found for pre-reform participants. We cannot conclude with certainty whether the reform decreased the programme’s efficacy, but we identify channels through which the reform and other contemporaneous changes may have done so. These channels include changes in programme design features, changes in business-cycle conditions, and prolonged lock-in effects due to “programme careers”. To substantiate the latter explanation, we also provide novel evidence that One-Euro-Jobs seem to initiate programme careers.
The importance of size ranges in aerosol instrument intercomparisons: a case study for the Atmospheric Tomography Mission

Abstract. Aerosol intercomparisons are inherently complex as they convolve instrument-dependent detection efficiencies vs. size (which often change with pressure, temperature, or humidity) and variations in the sampled aerosol population, in addition to differences in chemical detection principles (e.g., inorganic-only nitrate vs. inorganic plus organic nitrate for two instruments). The NASA Atmospheric Tomography Mission (ATom) spanned four separate aircraft deployments which sampled the remote marine troposphere from 86∘ S to 82∘ N over different seasons with a wide range of aerosol concentrations and compositions. Aerosols were quantified with a set of carefully characterized and calibrated instruments, some based on particle sizing and some on composition measurements. This study aims to provide a critical evaluation of inlet transmissions impacting aerosol intercomparisons, and of aerosol quantification during ATom, with a focus on the aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS). The volume determined from physical sizing instruments (aerosol microphysical properties, AMP, 2.7 nm to 4.8 µm optical diameter) is compared in detail with that derived from the chemical measurements of the AMS and the single particle soot photometer (SP2). Special attention was paid to characterize the upper end of the AMS size-dependent transmission with in-field calibrations, which we show to be critical for accurate comparisons across instruments with inevitably different size cuts. Observed differences between campaigns emphasize the importance of characterizing AMS transmission for each instrument and field study for meaningful interpretation of instrument comparisons. Good agreement (regression slope =0.949 and 1.083 for ATom-1 and ATom-2, respectively; SD =0.003) was found between the composition-based volume (including AMS-quantified sea salt) and that derived from AMP after applying the AMS inlet transmission. The AMS captured, on average, 95±15 % of the standard PM1 volume (referred to as the URG Corp. standard cut 1 µm cyclone operated at its nominal efficiency). These results support the absence of significant unknown biases and the appropriateness of the accuracy estimates for AMS total mass and volume for the mostly aged air masses encountered in ATom. The particle size ranges (and their altitude dependence) that are sampled by the AMS and complementary composition instruments (such as soluble acidic gases and aerosol, SAGA, and particle analysis by laser mass spectrometry, PALMS) are investigated to inform their use in future studies.
Effect of Processing on Phenolic Composition of Olive Oil Products and Olive Mill By-Products and Possibilities for Enhancement of Sustainable Processes

The bio-functional properties of olive oil products and by-products rely greatly on the proportions and types of the endogenous phenolics that may favorably/unfavorably change during various processing conditions. The olive oil industrial activities typically produce (i) olive oils, the main/marketable products, and (ii) olive mill by-products. The mechanical processing of olive oil extraction is making progress in some areas. However, the challenges inherent in the existing system, taking into consideration, the susceptibilities of phenolics and their biosynthetic variations during processing, hamper efforts to ascertain an ideal approach. The proposed innovative means, such as inclusion of emerging technologies in extraction system, show potential for sustainable development of olive oil processing. Another crucial factor, together with the technological advancements of olive oil extraction, is the valorization of olive mill by-products that are presently underused while having great potential for extended/high-value applications. A sustainable re-utilization of these valuable by-products helps contribute to (i) food and nutrition security and (ii) economic and environmental sustainability. This review discusses typical processing factors responsible for the fate of endogenous phenolics in olive oil products/by-products and provides an overview of the possibilities for the sustainable processing to (i) produce phenolic-rich olive oil and (ii) optimally valorize the by-products.
Single and Binary Fe- and Al-hydroxides Affect Potential Phosphorus Mobilization and Transfer from Pools of Different Availability

Phosphorus (P) fixation is a global problem for soil fertility and negatively impacts agricultural productivity. This study characterizes P desorption of already fixed P by using KCl, KNO3, histidine, and malic acid as inorganic and organic compounds, which are quite common in soil. Goethite, gibbsite, and ferrihydrite, as well as hydroxide mixtures with varying Fe- and Al-ratio were selected as model substances of crystalline and amorphous Fe- and Al-hydroxides. Especially two- and multi-component hydroxide systems are common in soils, but they have barely been included in desorption studies. Goethite showed the highest desorption in the range from 70.4 to 81.0%, followed by gibbsite with values in the range from 50.7 to 42.6%. Ferrihydrite had distinctive lower desorption in the range from 11.8 to 1.9%. Within the group of the amorphous Fe-Al-hydroxide mixtures, P desorption was lowest at the balanced mixture ratio for 1 Fe: 1 Al, increased either with increasing Fe or Al amount. Precipitation and steric effects were concluded to be important influencing factors. More P was released by crystalline Fe-hydroxides, and Al-hydroxides of varying crystallinity, but desorption using histidine and malic acid did not substantially influence P desorption compared to inorganic constituents.
The Changes of PM2.5, BC, Elements and Pollution Sources Using Nuclear Technology in Xinzhen, Beijing Over the Past Decade

The concentrations of PM2.5, black carbon (BC), elements as well as sources of pollution in Beijing from 2003 to 2018 were investigated. The results show that the concentrations of PM2.5 and BC had similar annual and seasonal trends, especially in autumn-winter, which with declining trends in recent years. The proportion of BC in PM2.5 reduced from 13% in 2013(max) to 8.5% in 2018(min), indicating the reducing measure of replacing coal boiler with gas boilers worked well. In this study, annual trends of 15 elements were also discussed, it is found that the concentrations of S, K, Mn, Ca, Pb, Cu, Mn and Fe displayed remarkable decrease these years. Br, Zn and Cl was growing overall and Cl was more concentrated in PM2.5 in autumn and winter. Moreover, the In detected by NAA with high sensitivity may be a new and crucial fingerprint element associated with coal combustion, industry emission or biomass combustion because of correlation with BC, Na, K, Cu and halogen elements well. Finally, 6-factor solution was identified during 2007 and 2016-2017 by EPA PMF, and the proportions of some pollution sources changed a lot in PM2.5. Soil management in north China reduced the soil and dust source by 9.2%; The contribution of Industry-S or secondary S showed decrease from 27.5% to 22.5% due to industries relocating , gasoline with sulfur optimization and coal burning restriction; Banning straw burning and waste incineration in 2007 kept biomass and waste combustion out gradually. However, initial stage of some policies maybe the main reasons for a small increase of coal combustion source despite some steps taken.
Analysis of Genomic Variation in Different Brassica Napus Synthetic Allopolyploids

Allopolyploidy is an evolutionary and mechanisticaly intriguing process involving the reconciliation of two or more sets of diverged genomes and regulatory interactions, resulting in new phenotypes. In this study, we explored the genomic variation of eight F2 synthetic B. napus using whole-genome sequencing. We found that there was a genetic variation in the F2 generation. Part of the variation was consistent in the F2 generation, and a small number of mutations only appeared in a single plant of the F2 generation. The analysis of copy number variation (CNV) found that most of the AA genome was lost, and most of the CC genome was obtained. In addition, there was inter-chromosomal translocation (CTX) in the F2 generation and the number of each plant was different. The above results indicate that the F2 generation showed genetic variation and there was a difference between eight plants, which may lay a molecular basis for the unique field performance of the offspring. It provides a new perspective of genomic variation and trait separation in the early stages of allopolyploid polyploid formation.
Enhanced cross-polarization isolation of loop-dipole antenna array backed by dielectric cavities for 5G base stations

Various decoupling methods were proposed and investigated for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) Base Station (BS) systems. These methods can effectively decouple the dual-polarized co-polar signal but fail to decouple the cross-polarized signal, similarly limiting the BS's overall decoupling performance. In this paper, different antenna arrays are designed to illustrate the coupling mechanism of cross-polarized BS antennas, and a comprehensive study of the relationship between antenna configurations and mutual couplings is conducted. It is shown that compact size antenna elements enlarge the edge-to-edge separation, and the loop-shaped dipole elements reduce the cross-polarization couplings. Finally, the array-antenna decoupling surface (ADS) method is applied in a 2×2 array composed of the designed antennas. Thanks to the improved antenna unit, the decoupling task is eased, and a better decoupling performance is achieved compared with the original ADS work.