Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sensitivity of Red Sea circulation to sea level and insolation forcing during the last interglacial

Abstract. This study investigates the response of Red Sea circulation to sea level and insolation changes during termination II and across the last interglacial, in comparison with termination I and the Holocene. Sediment cores from the central and northern part of the Red Sea were investigated by micropaleontological and geochemical proxies. The recovery of the planktic foraminiferal fauna following high salinities during marine isotopic stage (MIS) 6 took place at similar sea-level stand (~50 m below present day), and with a similar species succession, as during termination I. This indicates a consistent sensitivity of the basin oceanography and the plankton ecology to sea-level forcing. Based on planktic foraminifera, we find that increased water exchange with the Gulf of Aden especially occurred during the sea-level highstand of interglacial MIS 5e. From MIS 6 to the peak of MIS 5e, northern Red Sea sea surface temperature (SST) increased from 21 °C to 25 °C, with about 3 °C of this increase taking place during termination II. Changes in planktic foraminiferal assemblages indicate that the development of the Red Sea oceanography during MIS 5 was strongly determined by insolation and monsoon strength. The SW Monsoon summer circulation mode was enhanced during the termination, causing low productivity in northern central Red Sea core KL9, marked by high abundance of G. sacculifer, which – as in the Holocene – followed summer insolation. Core KL11 records the northern tip of the intruding intermediate water layer from the Gulf of Aden and its planktic foraminifera fauna shows evidence for elevated productivity during the sea-level highstand in the southern central Red Sea. By the time of MIS 5 sea-level regression, elevated organic biomarker BIT values suggest denudation of soil organic matter into the Red Sea and high abundances of G. glutinata, and high reconstructed chlorophyll-a values, indicate an intensified NE Monsoon winter circulation mode. Our results imply that the amplitude of insolation fluctuations, and the resulting monsoon strength, strongly influence the Red Sea oceanography during sea-level highstands by regulating the intensity of water exchange with the Gulf of Aden. These processes are responsible for the observation that MIS 5e/d is characterized by higher primary productivity than the Holocene.
Is the diet of a typical shredder related to the physical habitat of headwater streams in the Brazilian Cerrado

Macroinvertebrates are important for processing leaf detritus in temperate streams, but studies about their role in tropical streams often present conflicting results. Via digestive tract analyses, we assessed the diets of Phylloicus sp. larvae (Trichoptera: Calamoceratidae), collected from streams of two southeastern Brazil river basins (Araguari, Sao Francisco). We classified gut contents as coarse particulate organic matter (CPOM), fine particulate organic matter (FPOM), algae, animal tissue, vascular plant tissue and mineral material. We hypothesized that the diets of Phylloicus larvae would be related to the physical habitat of the streams (e.g., riparian vegetation, organic matter availability and morphological characteristics), larval size and river basin. Although FPOM content predominated in both basins, we found greater CPOM content in Phylloicus larvae of Upper Sao Francisco sites, and this food item was related to greater riparian vegetation canopy density. The FPOM content was greater in larvae of Upper Araguari sites, and this food item was correlated with greater instream brush cover. Algae, animal tissue, vascular plant tissue and mineral material were very rare in the digestive tracts, and therefore could not be explained. These results indicate the importance of riparian vegetation structure in modulating feeding habitats of macroinvertebrates. We conclude that the Phylloicus larvae had more flexibility in what they eat than we might expect based on their traditional classification as shredders. Therefore, trusting in published classifications, ignoring regional or local differences, may be inaccurate. Instead, regional studies of feeding habits are needed for accurate classifications of invertebrate taxa into trophic guilds.
Mobility, education and livelihood trajectories for young people in rural Ghana: a gender perspective

This paper examines the gendered implications of Africa's transport gap (the lack of cheap, regular and reliable transport) for young people in rural Ghana, with particular reference to the linkages between restricted mobility, household work demands, access to education and livelihood potential. Our aim is to show how mobility constraints, especially as these interact with household labour demands, restrict young people's access to education and livelihood opportunities. Firstly, the paper considers the implications of the direct constraints on young people's mobility potential as they travel to school. Then it examines young people's (mostly unpaid) labour contributions, which are commonly crucial to family household production and reproduction, including those associated with the transport gap. This has especially important implications for girls, on whom the principal onus lies to help adult women carry the heavy burden of water, firewood, and agricultural products required for household use. Such work can impact significantly on their educational attendance and performance in school and thus has potential knock-on impacts for livelihoods. Distance from school, when coupled with a heavy workload at home will affect attendance, punctuality and performance at school: it may ultimately represent the tipping point resulting in a decision to withdraw from formal education. Moreover, the heavy burden of work and restricted mobility contributes to young people's negative attitudes to agriculture and rural life and encourages urban migration. Drawing on research from rural case study sites in two regions of Ghana, we discuss ethnographic material from recent interviews with children and young people, their parents, teachers and other key informants, supported by information from an associated survey with children ca. 9–18 years.
On the influence of scenario-based landscapeplanning – a comparison of two alternative futures projects

Many publications report on processes and products of scenario-based landscape planning (SLP) but often place attention on its effectiveness to change local governance. This paper aims at enhancing understanding of the influence of SLP on decision making. First, qualitative case study methods are employed to assess the decision processes following two completed SLP projects. Second, potential reasons for the level of influence achieved in the projects are discussed in the light of a recently developed conceptual framework on the influence of scenario planning. The case studies are SLP projects in Pennsylvania and Arizona, USA. Both projects followed the Steinitz Framework for Alternative Futures Studies, but differed in context conditions and ways of implementation. The case study analyses resulted in the surprising finding that the graduate student planning process employed in the Pennsylvania case seemed to stronger influence local decisions than the multi-year research effort in the Arizona case. The analyses reconfirm prior propositions on the importance of context, but also strongly emphasizes that credibility alone is insufficient for yielding influence. Perceived levels of salience and legitimacy seemed crucial for local actors to consider planning results in decisions and creativity appeared to be essential for attaining public interest.
Endogenous Risk and Growth 1

While much of recent growth literature has focused on innovation in the technology frontier, less attention has been paid to the role of the least productive agents in generating growth. We develop an analytically tractable model where growth is created as a positive externality from risk taking by individuals at the bottom of the productivity distribution learning from more productive agents. Heterogeneous firms choose to produce or pay a cost and search for a better opportunity within the economy. Sustained growth comes from the feedback between the endogenously determined distribution of productivity, as evolved by past search decisions, and an optimal forward looking search policy. The growth rate depends on characteristics of the productivity distribution, with a thicker tailed distribution leading to more growth. JEL: D92, E23, 014, O31, O33, O40
How important is human capital for growth in reforming economies

Abstract The aim of the paper is to broaden the research on human capital providing new evidence that human capital matters for economic growth in reforming economies. We propose a new model for measuring human capital. An advantage of the proposed model consists in international comparability; money metric scale and more importantly provide solid evidence on human capital significance for economic growth. This new approach in measuring human capital proved robust to the spurious regression problem involving human capital. Study results shows that human capital is important for growth and that large educational investments are essential to boost accumulation.
Interactive comment on “ Factors controlling temporal variability of near-ground atmospheric 222 Rn concentration over Central Europe ”

The paper addresses relevant scientific questions within the scope of ACP, by combining different experimental methods for (long-term) atmospheric monitoring, and combining those with modelling studies. Before publication I recommend changes and improvements as outlined below. Especially the strength of the named combinations and the added value in applying those to different locations should be more clearly emphasized.
A Comparison of the Characteristics Affecting the Pricing of Equity Carve-Outs and Initial Public Offerings

In contrast to initial public offerings, equity carve-outs (ECOs) refer to the firm created when a parent company sells a portion of a subsidiary or a division to public shareholders. Although both are classified as initial public offerings, IPO firms and ECO firms are fundamentally different with respect to the level of information available to investors and the stage of the firm life cycle. Consistent with the information asymmetry hypothesis, ECOs have a significantly lower level of underpricing than IPOs. For a sample of 219 ECOs during the period 1991 to 2000, we find a mean excess return of 11.42%, a statistically lower return than for a matched sample of IPOs. The results show that variables such as the listing exchange, the over-allotment option (or greenshoe option), the size of the issue, gross spread, and the percentage of the firm carved out affect the initial excess returns earned by investors in ECOs. Other variables that are known to affect returns on IPOs, such as lead underwriter, the number of managers, and lockup agreements, however, are shown to have no effect on the initial excess returns of ECOs. We also find that the size of the offer is more important to IPOs than to ECOs in explaining the excess returns earned by shareholders in early trading.
Retrospective Analysis of Equine General Anesthesia Performed at Korea Racing Authority

This study was conducted to analyze the results of inhalation anesthesia performed at the equine hospital of Korea Racing Authority (KRA) and to find out the influencing factors on mortality during and/or after inhalation anesthesia. Among 585 cases of anesthesia, orthopedic surgery (410) was performed the most frequently, followed by colic surgery (85) and upper airway surgery (45). Twenty out of 585 horses were either euthanized or died during and/or after anesthesia. Among those twenty horses, fourteen horses received colic surgery, three received orthopedic surgery, and three others received upper airway surgery. The major causes of mortality were rupture of intestine in colic surgery and airway obstruction during recovery in upper airway surgery. Myopathy, refracture, laminitis were the causes of mortality in orthopedic surgery. Consequently, the horses that received colic and upper airway surgeries showed significantly high mortality rate rather than horses that received orthopedic surgery (p ＜ 0.01). According to the results, horses that received colic surgery showed the highest mortality rate from euthanasia due to poor and grave prognosis. To reduce the perioperative mortality of horses, it is recommended to perform perioperative intensive care for colic surgery and careful monitoring for upper airway surgery during recovery.
Limitations on recruitment of the rare sand daphne Pimelea arenaria (Thymelaeaceae), lower North Island, New Zealand

Abstract Pimelea arenaria, an endangered native sand dune plant, appears to be experiencing recruitment failure. The structure of four populations from the lower North Island, New Zealand, was examined for recruitment patterns, while one population was examined for flowering, pollination, and seed germination limits on regeneration. Line transects and searches found no seedlings, and measures of individual plant sizes (n = 331) showed bias towards medium, with some large, individuals, suggesting recruitment failure at all sites. Flowers are plentiful. The standing crop of nectar was c. 0.4–0.9 joules per hermaphrodite flower, with insects appearing to be the main pollen vectors. Pollination manipulations were carried out on both genders at one site, with fruit set measured from natural, hand out‐crossed, and pollinator‐exclusion treatments. Female flowers do not appear to be pollen limited as natural fruit set is only non‐significantly lower than that in hand‐out‐crossed flowers. Only hermaphrodite plants selfed autonomously, with nearly 90% producing fruit. One quarter of the seed from both female and hermaphrodite flowers germinated. Results suggest that recruitment failure of Pimelea arenaria is not due to reproductive biology, pollen limitation, or poor seed germination. Therefore, recruitment failure probably occurs during the seedling establishment phases, due to environmental pressures and/or predation.
Rethinking the Target Corollary : The Effects of Social Distance , Perceived Exposure , and Perceived Predispositions on First-Person and Third-Person Perceptions

This study examines the effects of social distance, perceived exposure, and perceived predispositions on perceived media effects for desirable and undesirable health messages. It finds support for the effect social distance as traditionally measured; that is, groups that are more socially distant from the self, like the public, are perceived to be more affected by cigarette ads than close groups, such as friends. However, individual measures of respondents’ social distance from any given comparison group generally are unrelated to perceived effects on the group. The influence of a group’s perceived exposure on perceived message effects is confirmed for cigarette ads but not for desirable messages. Perceived attitudes of comparison groups toward message-relevant behaviors emerge as a factor that deserves inclusion in models of perceived effects.
A Review on Obesity –Related Glomerulopathy

Obesity-related glomerulopathy (ORG) is mostly being a secondary style of glomerular disease that may occur in people with fats. However, absolutely the risk for an obese individual to develop progressive renal deterioration is low. Therefore, fat alone seems to be inadequate to develop such severe renal injury, and there are mostly different factors that contribute to the growth of this entity. The glomerular hyper filtration found in patients with ORG has been postulated to show structural abnormalities in glomeruli, like glomerulomegaly and focal segmental focal segmental glomerular sclerosis, in a very analogous manner to delimit in patients with reduced renal mass. In fact, recent studies counsel that a deduction in nephron mass is concerned in patients with ORG and synergistically contributes to the development of this renal complication with obesity-induced changes in renal hemodynamics.
DNA barcoding allows the accurate assessment of European maerl diversity: a Proof-of-Concept study

Two non-geniculate coralline red algae (Lithothamnion corallioides and Phymatolithon calcareum) are partially protected under the assumption that they are the main components of maerl beds in Atlantic Europe. However, what we know about the composition of maerl relies mainly on morphology-based identifications that are notoriously difficult due to a lack of diagnostic features, convergence, and widespread phenotypic plasticity. Now, this state of affairs can be improved with new alternatives that, unlike morphology, allow the unambiguous partition of a large number of rhodoliths into species regardless of their size, shape, and condition (fertile or sterile). Here, we report the first DNA barcoding assessment of the relative abundance of maerl-forming algae. The plastidial gene psbA was sequenced for 1140 rhodoliths from 15 maerl beds scattered along 2000 km from the British Isles to South Portugal; rhodoliths were randomly collected along linear transects to obtain quantitative estimates of species composition. Most (97%) of our collections belonged to three, rather than two, species that often appeared intermixed along a single transect. Lithothamnion corallioides and P. calcareum dominated in the British Isles and Brittany (NW France), but they were gradually replaced by Phymatolithon sp3 in Galicia (NW Spain) and became extremely rare in Algarve (S Portugal). Morphology (rhodolith size and shape, branch diameter, habit) varied considerably between and within beds but the three species converged to a remarkably similar habit when living in sympatry. Still, P. calcareum and L. corallioides seemed to perform best in Brittany while Phymatolithon sp3 produced the largest rhodoliths with thickest branches in Algarve. Altogether, our study shows that the replacement of species of maerl seen in northern latitudes continues to the south along the coasts of Iberia. It also serves as a proof-of-concept of the benefits of DNA barcoding for ecological and biogeographic research of these taxonomically challenging taxa.
Identifying the Causes of Academic Procrastination from the Perspective of Male Middle School Male Students

Academic procrastination is a serious problem in the educational environment, and the causes of its emergence have long been of interest to psychologists. Given the prevalence of academic procrastination in college students and its numerous subsequent negative effects, this article seeks to explore the antecedent causes of procrastination among middle school students. The current research was conducted through a qualitative approach using interviews and content analysis. Fifteen male students enrolled in middle school in the 2014-2015 academic years were selected based on purposive sampling, and they were interviewed during fifteen sessions. In analyzing the interview manuscripts, five themes were extracted. Major themes obtained in the study on the causes of procrastination among middle school students include the number of hours of attendance at school;-role of parents and their use of positive and negative reinforcements;- a sense of competition, and peer influence;- fear of failure (perfectionism); and a preference for immediate factors over delayed ones. The most important causes of academic procrastination, given extracted categories, include the psycho-emotional, cognitive-behavioral, and contextual dimensions of each student and their underlying individual differences.
University Students’ Interpersonal Cognitive Distortions, Psychological Resilience, and Emotional Self-Efficacy According to Sex and Gender Roles

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between college students’ level of cognitive distortions, resilience and emotional self-efficacy. In addition, how sex and gender roles affect interpersonal cognitive distortions, emotional self-efficacy beliefs and endurance is examined. This study was conducted with 346 university students. In this study, Interpersonal Cognitive Distortions Scale, Resilience Scale III-R, Self-Efficacy Scale, and Sex Role Inventory were administered to the participants. The results indicated that there was a negative correlation between interpersonal cognitive distortions, self-efficacy and psychological resilience. On the other hand, there was a positive correlation between psychological resilience and self-efficacy. Significant differences were found between gender roles and interpersonal cognitive distortions. In line with this, significant differences were found between gender roles and psychological resilience. However, there was no significant relation between sex and interpersonal cognitive distortions. Furthermore, the correlation between sex and psychological resilience is not significant. Additionally, self-efficacy and sex has no a significant relation, but has a significant relation with gender roles. Lastly, there was a significant relation between interpersonal cognitive distortions and gender roles.
“C’est la clé du succès”: Thinking Through the Parental Experience of a New Support Program for Newcomer Students in Minority French-Speaking Schools in Canada

In 2010, the Ministry of Education of one of the most diverse provinces in Canada initiated the implementation of a support program for newcomer students to facilitate their academic, linguistic, social, and cultural adaptation in French speaking schools. This longitudinal multiple case study will document how immigrant parents support their children’s learning, and create a home environment conducive to learning and cultural development. It will be shown that although parents in this study made it very clear that their primary priority was their children’s success, some of them simply did not have the social, cultural or linguistic tools to help foster this desire into reality. Moreover, parents’ active involvement with the implementation of the new curriculum was affected by their own understandings of the notion of culture; the status of the French language in the province where the research took place; and the preservation of their families’ heritage cultures and languages.
Audit committee independence and a contracting perspective on goodwill impairment: Singaporean evidence

This study examines factors influencing and constraining the decision to recognize zero goodwill impairment in a sample of 52 Singaporean listed firms from 2010–2012. Using binary logistic regressions, the results reveal that firms that are approaching violation of their debt covenants have a higher likelihood of exercising the recognition choice, while a higher proportion of audit committee independence constrains this choice. The policy implication of this study is that to improve the quality of the financial statements, the relevant authorities need to monitor firms’ reporting incentives closely. This study contributes to the literature on IFRS by providing evidence that supports the applicability of the debt hypothesis in explaining the decision of Singaporean listed firms to recognize zero goodwill impairment. been presented at national and international level. Her research interests focus in the areas of financial reporting, accounting choice, corporate governance, goodwill impairment, ownership concentration and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).