Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ecology, economy and management of an agroindustrial frontier landscape in the southeast Amazon

The papers in this special issue address a major challenge facing our society: feeding a population that is simultaneously growing and increasing its per capita food consumption, while preventing widespread ecological and social impoverishment in the tropics. By focusing mostly on the Amazon's most dynamic agricultural frontier, Mato Grosso, they collectively clarify some key elements of achieving more sustainable agriculture. First, stakeholders in commodity-driven agricultural Amazonian frontiers respond rapidly to multiple forces, including global markets, international pressures for sustainably produced commodities and national-, state- and municipality-level policies. These forces can encourage or discourage deforestation rate changes within a short time-period. Second, agricultural frontiers are linked systems, land-use change is linked with regional climate, forest fires, water quality and stream discharge, which in turn are linked with the well-being of human populations. Thus, land-use practices at the farm level have ecological and social repercussions far removed from it. Third, policies need to consider the full socio-economic system to identify the efficacy and consequences of possible land management strategies. Monitoring to devise suitable management approaches depends not only on tracking land-use change, but also on monitoring the regional ecological and social consequences. Mato Grosso's achievements in reducing deforestation are impressive, yet they are also fragile. The ecological and social consequences and the successes and failures of management in this region can serve as an example of possible trajectories for other commodity-driven tropical agricultural frontiers.
AN EMPIRICAL EXAMINATION OF THE INFORMATION CONTENT OF BALANCE SHEET AND DIVIDEND ANNOUNCEMENTS : A SIGNALING APPROACH

This paper examines whether changes in financial statements and dividends can together provide a better information transmittal system to deliver missing private information on the firm. The dividend signal draws its value from three sources: its expected content favorableness, sign of dividend change, and type of signaling role. The signaling system can involve three corporate attributes: capital investment, financing, and agency decisions, all of which contribute to the firm's future cash flows. The findings show that the strength of market reaction to dividend announcement depends on the role of the dividend signal (confirmatory, clarificatory or unclear). The results also reveal that the market is more concerned with the news favorableness than with the sign of dividend change.
Growth and posture control strategies in Fagus sylvatica and Acer pseudoplatanus saplings in response to canopy disturbance.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Forest tree saplings that grow in the understorey undergo frequent changes in their light environment to which they must adapt to ensure their survival and growth. Crown architecture, which plays a critical role in light capture and mechanical stability, is a major component of sapling adaptation to canopy disturbance. Shade-adapted saplings typically have plagiotropic stems and branches. After canopy opening, they need to develop more erect shoots in order to exploit the new light conditions. The objective of this study was to test whether changes in sapling stem inclination occur after canopy opening, and to analyse the morphological changes associated with stem reorientation. METHODS A 4-year canopy-opening field experiment with naturally regenerated Fagus sylvatica and Acer pseudoplatanus saplings was conducted. The appearance of new stem axes, stem basal diameter and inclination along the stem were recorded every year after canopy opening. KEY RESULTS Both species showed considerable stem reorientation resulting primarily from uprighting (more erect) shoot movements in Fagus, and from uprighting movements, shoot elongation and formation of relay shoots in Acer. In both species, the magnitude of shoot uprighting movements was primarily related to initial stem inclination. Both the basal part and the apical part of the stem contributed to uprighting movements. Stem movements did not appear to be limited by stem size or by stem growth. CONCLUSIONS Stem uprighting movements in shade-adapted Fagus and Acer saplings following canopy disturbance were considerable and rapid, suggesting that stem reorientation processes play a significant role in the growth strategy of the species.
Gender-Specific Variation in the Prognosis of Papillary Thyroid Cancer TNM Stages II to IV

To investigate the correlation between gender and the clinical presentation of papillary thyroid cancer and the long-term followup results, 435 patients who underwent total or near-total thyroidectomy were enrolled in this study. Among these papillary thyroid cancer patients, 12.2% showed lymph node metastases and a higher incidence of male patients in the N1b group. There were 65 from 316 female (20.6%) and 49 from 120 male (40.8%) patients who had a postoperative disease progression. A total of 55 (12.6%) patients died of thyroid cancer. Male patients showed a higher thyroid cancer mortality than the females. Multiple regression analysis showed that male gender was an independent risk factor for cancer recurrence and mortality. Male patients with TNM stages II to IV of papillary thyroid cancer need to adopt aggressive surgical and postoperative 131I therapy.
Me first, then the environment: young Millennials as green consumers

Purpose This research aims to shed greater light on millennials’ green behavior by examining four psychographic variables (selfless altruism, frugality, risk aversion, and time orientation) that may be relevant to millennials’ motives to engage in environmental activities. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from a sample of younger millennials (n = 276; age = 18 to 30) using a self-administered questionnaire. The data were then analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) technique. Findings Overall, the results of the study reveal that rational and self-oriented rather than emotional and others-oriented motives lead millennials to act pro-environmentally. Practical implications The findings of this study have implications for environmental advocates, policymakers and green marketers. For instance, the findings suggest that environmental regulators and lawmakers should continue their efforts to provide economic incentives to encourage pro-environmental purchases among millennials. Additionally, marketers of green products may pursue self-directed targeting strategies in promoting green products among millennials. Originality/value Millennials grasp the environmental consequences of their actions and have the education, motivation and social awareness to participate in the green movement. However, they have not truly begun to fully integrate their beliefs and actions. The present study is an initial attempt to address this issue by investigating various psychological factors that are relevant to the millennials’ core behavioral motives.
VT-AMDF, a pitch detection algorithm

This paper proposes a VT-AMDF pitch detection algorithm which based on average magnitude difference function (AMDF). Time processing is important when implement in real time system. In order to decrease computational time and complexity of pitch detection, the VT-AMDF uses only 55% of total time intervals. The method can reduce the computational time 1.3, 1.4, 4.8 and 5.4 times, compared with original AMDF, autocorrelation function (ACF), normalized square difference function (NSDF) and YIN, respectively. The experiments evaluate on seven words in five different tones of Thai isolated word. The results show that the gross error of VT-AMDF is 3.88%, which is more than original AMDF 0.48 and YIN 0.22, but less than ACF 0.54 and NSDF 1.47.
The Fading Optical Counterpart of GRB 970228, 6 Months and 1 Year Later

We report on observations of the fading optical counterpart of the gamma-ray burst GRB 970228, made with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and the Keck I telescope. The gamma-ray burst (GRB) was observed approximately 6 months after outburst, on 1997 September 4, using the HST/STIS CCD, and approximately 1 year after outburst, on 1998 February 24, using HST/NICMOS, and on 1998 April 4 using the NIRC on Keck. The unresolved counterpart is detected by STIS at V=28.0 ± 0.25, consistent with a continued power-law decline with exponent -1.10 ± 0.05. The counterpart is located within, but near the edge of, a faint extended source with diameter ~0. ″8 and integrated magnitude V=25.8 ± 0.25. A reanalysis of HST and New Technology Telescope observations performed shortly after the burst shows no evidence of proper motion of the point source or fading of the extended emission. Although the optical transient is not detected in the NICMOS images (H≥25.3), the extended source is visible and has a total magnitude H=23.3 ± 0.1. The Keck observations find K=22.8 ± 0.3. Comparison with observations obtained shortly after outburst suggests that the nebular luminosity has also been stable in the infrared. We find that several distinct and independent means of deriving the foreground extinction in the direction of GRB 970228 all agree with AV=0.75 ± 0.2. After adjusting for this Galactic extinction, we find that the size of the observed extended emission is consistent with that of galaxies of comparable magnitude found in the Hubble Deep Field (HDF) and other deep HST images. Only 2% of the sky is covered by galaxies of similar or greater surface brightness. We therefore conclude that the extended source observed about GRB 970228 is almost certainly its host galaxy. Additionally, we find that independent of assumed redshift, the host is significantly bluer than typical nearby blue dwarf irregulars. With the caveat that the presently available infrared observations of the HDF are only fully complete to a limit about one-half magnitude brighter than the host, we find that the extinction-corrected V-H and V-K colors of the host are as blue as any galaxy of comparable or brighter magnitude in the HDF. Taken in concert with recent observations of GRB 970508, GRB 971214, and GRB 980703 our work suggests that all four GRBs with spectroscopic identification or deep multicolor broadband imaging of the host lie in rapidly star-forming galaxies.
‘I’m not Sherlock Holmes’: Suspicions, secrecy and silence of transplant professionals in the human organ trade

This article presents the results of a qualitative interview study amongst 41 Dutch transplant professionals. The overarching aim was to acquire in-depth understanding of transplant professionals’ experiences with and attitudes towards patients who purchase kidneys. We found that transplant professionals occasionally treat patients who are suspected of kidney purchases abroad. However, they turn a blind eye to their patients’ suspected purchases. Secrecy and silence function as a tacit agreement between patients and their caregivers that keeps the subject of kidney purchase at a safe distance and allows transplant professionals to ignore its suspected occurrence. They thus participate in the building of walls of secrecy and silence in the organ trade.
A qualitative study on corporal punishment and emotionally abusive disciplinary practices among mothers of children with ADHD

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVES The present study aimed to investigate actual disciplinary behaviours of Turkish mothers’ in the context of relational environment and to investigate ADHD as a risk factor on abusive disciplinary practices. METHODS Totally 120 children (children with ADHD; study group and healthy controls; control group) – and their mothers were interviewed with this aim. The interviews were qualitatively coded and analysed. T-test and Odds ratio were used for descriptive statistics with the aim of supporting the qualitative results. RESULTS According to the results of the study, emotionally abusive disciplinary behaviours (81% of all mothers 58% of all children) and corporal punishment (76% of all mothers and 65% of all children) were commonly used as a disciplinary method. Nevertheless, children with ADHD was shown to be at higher risk for both abusive disciplinary practices. The present study has also shown that children with ADHD and their mothers shared less positive activities compared to the control group. In addition to this, emotionally abusive disciplinary practices were found to be at least as hurtful as corporal punishment. CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, the present study was the first one investigating Turkish mothers’ actual abusive disciplinary acts together with the relational environment between them and their children (including their relationship, positive sharing, problematic issues) by gathering information from both mothers and children of both study and control groups and then comparing these groups in terms of all these aspects. Qualitative nature of the study gave the opportunity of determining the actual disciplinary methods and the actual relational risk factors rather than attitudes and questionnaire scores about mother–child relationship. Therefore, it can be suggested that the results of the study provide important information about the abusive disciplinary behaviours of Turkish mothers and also provide the opportunity of predicting risk factors – keeping cultural context in mind – of these behaviours.
Sex-Biased Transcriptome of Schistosoma mansoni: Host-Parasite Interaction, Genetic Determinants and Epigenetic Regulators Are Associated with Sexual Differentiation

Background Among more than 20,000 species of hermaphroditic trematodes, Schistosomatidae are unusual since they have evolved gonochorism. In schistosomes, sex is determined by a female heterogametic system, but phenotypic sexual dimorphism appears only after infection of the vertebrate definitive host. The completion of gonad maturation occurs even later, after pairing. To date, the molecular mechanisms that trigger the sexual differentiation in these species remain unknown, and in vivo studies on the developing schistosomulum stages are lacking. To study the molecular basis of sex determination and sexual differentiation in schistosomes, we investigated the whole transcriptome of the human parasite Schistosoma mansoni in a stage- and sex-comparative manner. Methodology/ Principal Findings We performed a RNA-seq on males and females for five developmental stages: cercariae larvae, three in vivo schistosomulum stages and adults. We detected 7,168 genes differentially expressed between sexes in at least one of the developmental stages, and 4,065 of them were functionally annotated. Transcriptome data were completed with H3K27me3 histone modification analysis using ChIP-Seq before (in cercariae) and after (in adults) the phenotypic sexual dimorphism appearance. In this paper we present (i) candidate determinants of the sexual differentiation, (ii) sex-biased players of the interaction with the vertebrate host, and (iii) different dynamic of the H3K27me3 histone mark between sexes as an illustration of sex-biased epigenetic landscapes. Conclusions/ Significance Our work presents evidence that sexual differentiation in S. mansoni is accompanied by distinct male and female transcriptional landscapes of known players of the host-parasite crosstalk, genetic determinants and epigenetic regulators. Our results suggest that such combination could lead to the optimized sexual dimorphism of this parasitic species. As S. mansoni is pathogenic for humans, this study represents a promising source of therapeutic targets, providing not only data on the parasite development in interaction with its vertebrate host, but also new insights on its reproductive function.
Effects of the cookie cutter function shapes on Monte Carlo simulations of weapon effectiveness

Several shapes of cookie cutter function have been used in weapon effectiveness analyses. Although it is perceived that different cookie cutter shapes would lead to different analysis results, little proof has been developed. This paper investigates whether different cookie cutter shapes produce different results of Monte Carlo simulations to determine the probability of damage on area targets. Four cookie cutter shapes, which are circle, ellipse, rectangle, and the actual shape of weapon lethal zone, were employed in a case study on multiple shots of artillery weapons against a uniform value target. The Monte Carlo simulations were carried out on different number of shots, targets, and weapon lethality data. Statistical analyses were performed and it was suggested that the difference between the results determined by different shapes of cookie cutter function was statistically significant but the effect of the shapes of cookie cutter function on the results was small.
SPADA: single-photon avalanche diode arrays

We present a silicon monolithic array of 60 photon counters (single-photon avalanche diode array) for two-dimensional imaging, with detection efficiency higher than 30% in the visible range. The fabricated solid-state array is rugged and easy to be integrated in the optical system. It is free from readout noise and provides very fast frame rates and nanosecond gating. The detection electronics includes integrated active quenching circuits for each pixel of the array. We report the optical and electrical characterization of both array detectors and associated electronics.
Application of Rigidity Theory to the Thermostabilization of Lipase A from Bacillus subtilis

Protein thermostability is a crucial factor for biotechnological enzyme applications. Protein engineering studies aimed at improving thermostability have successfully applied both directed evolution and rational design. However, for rational approaches, the major challenge remains the prediction of mutation sites and optimal amino acid substitutions. Recently, we showed that such mutation sites can be identified as structural weak spots by rigidity theory-based thermal unfolding simulations of proteins. Here, we describe and validate a unique, ensemble-based, yet highly efficient strategy to predict optimal amino acid substitutions at structural weak spots for improving a protein’s thermostability. For this, we exploit the fact that in the majority of cases an increased structural rigidity of the folded state has been found as the cause for thermostability. When applied prospectively to lipase A from Bacillus subtilis, we achieved both a high success rate (25% over all experimentally tested mutations, which raises to 60% if small-to-large residue mutations and mutations in the active site are excluded) in predicting significantly thermostabilized lipase variants and a remarkably large increase in those variants’ thermostability (up to 6.6°C) based on single amino acid mutations. When considering negative controls in addition and evaluating the performance of our approach as a binary classifier, the accuracy is 63% and increases to 83% if small-to-large residue mutations and mutations in the active site are excluded. The gain in precision (predictive value for increased thermostability) over random classification is 1.6-fold (2.4-fold). Furthermore, an increase in thermostability predicted by our approach significantly points to increased experimental thermostability (p < 0.05). These results suggest that our strategy is a valuable complement to existing methods for rational protein design aimed at improving thermostability.
Academic work engagement, resources and productivity: empirical evidence with policy implications

ABSTRACT This paper analyzes the impact of job resources on academic productivity measured by publication and credit points in 53 departments in one large Norwegian university. The theoretical framework is the so-called conservation of resources theory. The resources data came from the so-called ARK Intervention Program. The results showed that engagement and administrative and technical support for research and teaching stimulated research publications but had adverse effects on credit points from teaching, thus also contributing to the research-teaching nexus debate. To avoid adverse trade-offs between research and teaching, and to gain further positive effects on research productivity, targeted means and reward structures seem important.
The Days and Nights of Zoo Elephants: Using Epidemiology to Better Understand Stereotypic Behavior of African Elephants (Loxodonta africana) and Asian Elephants (Elephas maximus) in North American Zoos

Stereotypic behavior is an important indicator of compromised welfare. Zoo elephants are documented to perform stereotypic behavior, but the factors that contribute to performance have not been systematically assessed. We collected behavioral data on 89 elephants (47 African [Loxodonta africana], 42 Asian [Elephas maximus]) at 39 North American zoos during the summer and winter. Elephants were videoed for a median of 12 daytime hours per season. A subset of 32 elephants (19 African, 13 Asian) was also observed live for a median of 10.5 nighttime hours. Percentages of visible behavior scans were calculated from five minute instantaneous samples. Stereotypic behavior was the second most commonly performed behavior (after feeding), making up 15.5% of observations during the daytime and 24.8% at nighttime. Negative binomial regression models fitted with generalized estimating equations were used to determine which social, housing, management, life history, and demographic variables were associated with daytime and nighttime stereotypic behavior rates. Species was a significant risk factor in both models, with Asian elephants at greater risk (daytime: p<0.001, Risk Ratio = 4.087; nighttime: p<0.001, Risk Ratio = 8.015). For both species, spending time housed separately (p<0.001, Risk Ratio = 1.009), and having experienced inter-zoo transfers (p<0.001, Risk Ratio = 1.175), increased the risk of performing higher rates of stereotypy during the day, while spending more time with juvenile elephants (p<0.001, Risk Ratio = 0.985), and engaging with zoo staff reduced this risk (p = 0.018, Risk Ratio = 0.988). At night, spending more time in environments with both indoor and outdoor areas (p = 0.013, Risk Ratio = 0.987) and in larger social groups (p = 0.039, Risk Ratio = 0.752) corresponded with reduced risk of performing higher rates of stereotypy, while having experienced inter-zoo transfers (p = 0.033, Risk Ratio = 1.115) increased this risk. Overall, our results indicate that factors related to the social environment are most influential in predicting elephant stereotypic behavior rates.
Electronic Content Management Systems use and implementation in highly integrated businesses

Many organizations have invested large amounts of money in implementing Electronic Content Management Systems (ECMS), which refers to the technologies used to manage, store, and deliver business-related information across the organization. However, research indicates that many ECMS implementations fail to yield the kind of information sharing that is useful for business process executions. From the IS literature point of view, this is not because of the technologies, but it is due to ways ECMS is implemented and used which is not aligned with organization's way of doing business. Therefore, this paper explores how organizations that emphasize high integration and low standardization of business processes termed as Coordination use and implement ECMS to support its business operations. We suggest guidelines that explain the ways ECMS should be used and implemented in Coordination organizations that include (1) ways to use ECMS for sharing business process-related information, (2) ECMS infrastructure, (3) ways to manage content and (4) administration of ECMS. These findings are grounded in the analysis of qualitative data from one case study. The finding is significant for business and IT managers because it will guide them with ways to use ECMS and gain more benefits from these types of systems.