Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Experiment of Carbonate Dissolution: Implication for High Quality Carbonate Reservoir Formation in Deep and Ultradeep Basins

As the most frontiers in petroleum geology, the study of dissolution-based rock formation in deep carbonate reservoirs provides insight into pore development mechanism of petroleum reservoir space, while predicting reservoir distribution in deep-ultradeep layers. In this study, we conducted dissolution-precipitation experiments simulating surface to deep burial environments (open and semiopen systems). The effects of temperature, pressure, and dissolved ions on carbonate dissolution-precipitation were investigated under high temperature and pressure (~200°C; ~70 Mpa) with a series of petrographic and geochemical analytical methods. The results showed that the window-shape dissolution curve appeared in 75~150°C in the open system and 120~175°C in the semiopen system. Furthermore, the dissolution weight loss of carbonate rocks in the open system was higher than that of semiopen system, making it more favorable for gaining porosity. The type of fluid and rock largely determines the reservoir quality. In the open system, the dissolution weight loss of calcite was higher than that of dolomite with 0.3% CO2 as the reaction fluid. In the semiopen system, the weight loss from dolomitic limestone prevailed with 0.3% CO2 as the reaction fluid. Our study could provide theoretical basis for the prediction of high quality carbonate reservoirs in deep and ultradeep layers.
MEDIATING ROLE OF COGNITIVE EMOTION REGULATION STRATEGIES IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ATTACHMENT STYLES AND ALEXITHYMIA

The main objective of the present study was to investigate the mediating role of cognitive emotion regulation strategies on the relationship between attachment styles and alexithymia. Five hundred and thirty six undergraduate students (282 girls, 254 boys) from public universities in Tehran participated in this study. Participants were asked to complete the Adult Attachment Inventory (AAI), the Farsi version of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (FTAS-20), and Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ). The results illustrated a significant negative correlation between secure attachment style and alexithymia. Moreover, the results revealed a significant positive correlation between avoidant and ambivalent attachment styles with alexithymia. Regression analysis showed that both adaptive and maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies, have a mediating role on the relationship between attachment styles and alexithymia. Secure and insecure attachment styles predicted changes in alexithymia through adaptive and maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies in opposite directions. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that the mediating role of cognitive emotion regulation strategies on the relationship between attachment styles and alexithymia is partial.
Ownership structure, independent chair and firm performance

The focus of this study was to examine the effect of ownership structure and the independent board chair as the moderating variable on the performance of companies in the finance industry of the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia. The study used a total of 185 observation data collected from 37 finance companies from the years 2007 to 2011. The results of the study showed that the independent board chair as the moderating variable had a negative relationship with the finance companies’ Tobin’s Q value. The literature advocates that the independent board chair has an influence on the monitoring of owner managers and in safeguarding minority shareholders’ economic interest. On the other hand independent chair control and monitoring of company decisions can be affected by the dominant voice of the CEO, the majority presence of executive directors, the presence of owner manager and leverage.
From scenes to spikes

From scenes to spikes by Joel Leon Zylberberg Doctor of Philosophy in Physics University of California, Berkeley Assistant Professor Michael DeWeese, Chair The human genome (containing ∼ 10 bits of information) is unlikely to fully specify the connectivity between neurons in our brains – such a “wiring diagram” requires ∼ 10 bits. Physiological evidence suggests that the genome instead specifies plasticity rules through which the brain self-organizes in response to experience. As systems neuroscientists, we seek to understand those rules and, by extension, our brains. In this thesis, I will use this approach to study the primary visual cortex (V1) – the brain region that receives visual inputs from the eyes, via a relay station called the lateral geniculate nucleus. I first study the statistical structure of natural images, which provide the visual experience that shapes V1. Then, I introduce a biophysically motivated model for visual cortex, which adapts to natural image statistics in order to efficiently encode them – in this case, the neural plasticity rules can be shown to optimize this “efficient” representation. I then demonstrate that this model can account for several features of V1 physiology, including the features to which V1 neurons respond (“receptive fields”), and the developmental trends in the sparseness of V1 activity. I will conclude that efficient coding models can be implemented within the constraints imposed by the neural substrate, and that efficient coding principles may yield a parsimonious systems-level understanding of visual cortex.
Metabolic CO 2 production in the Mediterranean Sea: A case study for estimating carbon budget in the sea*

SUMMARY: A synthesis of published metabolic CO 2 production rates determined in the water column of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea from 1993 to 1999 is reported with the aim of furnishing an overall picture of the remineralization processes occurring in the basin. The trends of the remineralization are also interpreted with respect to the so-called Eastern Mediterranean Transient (EMT) event. This study augments the sparse data set of respiration measurements, from oceanographic surveys, and highlights the tight coupling between biological processes and circulation patterns. In the photic zone, the rates decreased from West to East as well as from North to South. In the aphotic zone, the C remineralization trend followed the traditional routes of intermediate and deep waters in the Eastern Mediterranean Basin, and underwent the important modifications into the depths as a consequence of the EMT impact.
An empirical analysis of credit accessibilty of small and medium sized enterprises in Vietnam

In Vietnam, SMEs account for up to 98% of the total number of enterprises. They contribute about 48% to the country’s GDP, 20% to export value and provide jobs for 77% of the country’s labor force. However, majority of the SMEs are micro enterprises with very limited access to resources such as advanced technology and formal credit, etc. Despite their significant contributions to social and economic development, SMEs are often regarded as “the missing middle” they are usually not the subject of interest for commercial banks while their loans might be too large to borrow from microfinance institutions. This study surveys SMEs credit accessibility, identify the factors that affect their credit access, and the interest rate charged on their loan in Vietnam. Primary data are obtained from a survey of 487 SMEs in Hanoi in June 2013. Logistic regression is used to determine SMEs’ ability to access to credit and ordinary least square to estimate the interest rate charged on the SMEs largest loan. The results show owner characteristics, educational level and gender are the most important factors in determining the access to credit, followed by SMEs relationship with banks and customers. With regards to the loan interest rate, the owner characteristics variables are non-significant. The most expensive source of financing is from private money lender, followed by commercial bank loan and microfinance.
A Linguistic Analysis of the Modern Greek Dekapentasyllavo Meter

Dekapentasyllavo ( DPS ), the dominant poetic meter in the Modern Greek poetic tradition since several centuries, has barely received any attention by modern linguistic theories. Basing our discussion on the analysis of several dimotika tragoudia (folk songs), we seek to understand the structure underlying the meter. Our investigation reveals which patterns are frequently attested, which are less frequent and those which are (virtually) inexistent. DPS verifies the oft-cited L - R asymmetry in verselines (cf. Ryan 2013), which renders L -edges looser than the stricter R -edges. It also tolerates stress lapses much more than stress clashes. Our ensuing account captures this distribution by referring to, primarily, the relation of phonological phrasing to counting of metrical positions and, secondarily, to rhythm. These components are then integrated within a formal analysis along the lines of the Bracketed Grid Theory (Fabb & Halle 2008). We conclude by outlining how DPS poses a challenge for theories of poetic meter and by contemplating its contribution to the field.
Estimate of the (R)USLE rainfall erosivity factor from monthly precipitation data in mainland Spain

The need for continuous recording rain gauges makes it difficult to determine the rainfall erosivity factor (R-factor) of the (R)USLE model in areas without good temporal data coverage. In mainland Spain, the Nature Conservation Institute (ICONA) determined the R-factor at few selected pluviographs, so simple estimates of the R-factor are definitely of great interest. The objectives of this study were: (1) to identify a readily available estimate of the R-factor for mainland Spain; (2) to discuss the applicability of a single (global) estimate based on analysis of regional results; (3) to evaluate the effect of record length on estimate precision and accuracy; and (4) to validate an available regression model developed by ICONA. Four estimators based on monthly precipitation were computed at 74 rainfall stations throughout mainland Spain. The regression analysis conducted at a global level clearly showed that modified Fournier index (MFI) ranked first among all assessed indexes. Applicability of this preliminary global model across mainland Spain was evaluated by analyzing regression results obtained at a regional level. It was found that three contiguous regions of eastern Spain (Catalonia, Valencian Community and Murcia) could have a different rainfall erosivity pattern, so a new regression analysis was conducted by dividing mainland Spain into two areas: Eastern Spain and plateau-lowland area. A comparative analysis concluded that the bi-areal regression model based on MFI for a 10-year record length provided a simple, precise and accurate estimate of the R-factor in mainland Spain. Finally, validation of the regression model proposed by ICONA showed that R-ICONA index overpredicted the R-factor by approximately 19%.
A general two-phase debris flow model

[1] This paper presents a new, generalized two-phase debris flow model that includes many essential physical phenomena. The model employs the Mohr-Coulomb plasticity for the solid stress, and the fluid stress is modeled as a solid-volume-fraction-gradient-enhanced non-Newtonian viscous stress. The generalized interfacial momentum transfer includes viscous drag, buoyancy, and virtual mass. A new, generalized drag force is proposed that covers both solid-like and fluid-like contributions, and can be applied to drag ranging from linear to quadratic. Strong coupling between the solid- and the fluid-momentum transfer leads to simultaneous deformation, mixing, and separation of the phases. Inclusion of the non-Newtonian viscous stresses is important in several aspects. The evolution, advection, and diffusion of the solid-volume fraction plays an important role. The model, which includes three innovative, fundamentally new, and dominant physical aspects (enhanced viscous stress, virtual mass, generalized drag) constitutes the most generalized two-phase flow model to date, and can reproduce results from most previous simple models that consider single- and two-phase avalanches and debris flows as special cases. Numerical results indicate that the model can adequately describe the complex dynamics of subaerial two-phase debris flows, particle-laden and dispersive flows, sediment transport, and submarine debris flows and associated phenomena.
Prevalence of Anaphylaxis among children 3 to 18 years old in Kuweit

Anaphylaxis is an acute though potentially life-threatening multisystem allergic reaction characterized by a rapid inception and progression following exposure to an allergen. Hence, immediate diagnosis and treatment of the disease is critical. Anaphylaxis can be caused by a wide range of substances, namely food, medications, drugs, latex and insect prickles [1]. Diagnosis of anaphylaxis in patients presenting with classic sudden onset of signs and symptoms after exposure to a known trigger is mainly done through a review of the medical history in combination with a physical examination. In some cases, clinicians need to pay special attention to those patients who have not experienced an anaphylactic reaction previously as they may not be aware of the underlying trigger for their reac tion and may experience atypical signs and symptoms as opposed to the classic criteria [1]. Ideally, when symptoms are suggestive of anaphylaxis, increased serum tryptase drawn 15 minutes to 3 hours post onset of symptoms can confirm the diagnosis [2]. However, 3 hours past onset of clinical symptoms, laboratory confirmation becomes of limited value. Moreover, particularly in food allergies, normal tryptase levels do not exclude possible anaphylaxis. Optimally, a comparison of successive tryptase level measurements throughout an anaphylaxis reaction with baseline levels drawn after the anaphylactic reaction has resolved is more informative. Total and allergen-specific IgE and skin prick tests are other tools used to support suggestive anaphylaxis diagnosis, but are of limited value when performed in isolation. Rule of thumb for food allergy diagnosis is the double-blind, placebo controlled food challenge [3]. Abstract
MicroRNA and HIV

microRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNAs (19-25 nucleotides) that regulate gene expression at transcriptional level [1-6]. They bind to messenger RNAs (mRNA), generally by imperfect base alignment in 3'-UTR region, and cause translational repression, mRNA destabilization and/or mRNA direct destruction [3-5]. It has been described that miRNAs can induce heterochromatin formation as well as it can induce protein translations sometimes [4]. There are over 2500 annotated and more than 60% of human genes are regulated by them [1,3,4]. A particular miRNA can regulate multiple mRNAs. miRNAs can be found into cells (cellular miRNAs) or in different fluids such as serum, plasma, urine, breast milk or saliva (circulating miRNAs). The latter are important to cell communication [2,6]. They may be encapsulated in microvesicles or bound to proteins; they can come from the immune system or other tissues and circulate in the bloodstream [2,5,6]. For instance, treatment with INF-alpha causes an exomal transfer of miRNAs to naive uninfected cells conferring resistance to HIV virus [7]. miRNAs have been used as biomarkers because they are stable, present in plasma, and their detection is easy [8]. It has been demonstrated that their analysis allows to know the immune status of patients with cancer or viral infections [2,3,9,10]. miRNAs are involved in different cellular processes (differentiation, development, death) and their deregulation is related to infectious diseases, cancer or altered immune response [4,10-12]. The impact of miRNAs on the regulation of inflammatory and antiviral immune response is widely characterized [5,6].
Sustainable Management of Calcareous Saline-Sodic Soil in Arid Environments: The Leaching Process in the Jordan Valley

A leaching experiment of calcareous saline-sodic soil was conducted in Jordan Valley and aimed to reduce the soil salinity ≤ 4.0 dS m−1. The quantification of salt removal from the effective root zone was done using three treatment scenarios. Treatment A contained soil amended with gypsum leaching with fresh water (EC = 1.1 dS m−1). Treatments B and C contained nonamended soil, but B was leached with fresh water only while treatment C’s soil was washed with saline agricultural drainage water (EC = 8 dS m−1) at the start of the experiment and continued with fresh water to reach the desired soil salinity. All treatments were able to reduce the soil salinity to the desired level at the end of the experiment; however, there were clear differences in the salt removal efficiencies among the treatments which were attributed to the presence of direct source of calcium ion. The soil amended with gypsum caused a substantial decline in soil salinity and drainage water’s electrical conductivity and drained the water twice as fast as the nonamended soil. It was found that utilizing agricultural drainage water and gypsum as a soil amendment for calcareous saline-sodic soil reclamation can beneficially contribute to sustainable agricultural management in the Jordan Valley.
Connections between Modes of Thinking and Learning Approaches: Implications for Education and Research

This study aimed to examine connections between modes of thinking and approaches to learning. Participants were 1490 students attending to 9 high schools located in Ankara. The Style of Learning and Thinking-Youth Form and Revised Version of Learning Process Questionnaire were administered to these students. The connections between modes of thinking and approaches to learning were examined by path analysis. Results of the path analysis revealed that holistic and integrative thinking modes positively contributed to the deep strategy while the integrative thinking mode positively contributed to the deep motive and the surface strategy. These findings are consistent with the theoretical model. However, inconsistent with the theoretical model, the analytic thinking mode negatively contributed to the surface approach and the holistic thinking mode negatively contributed to the deep approach to learning. How educators could benefit from these findings to enhance the quality of learning outcomes is discussed.
Sustainability on campus: knowledge creation through social and environmental reporting

ABSTRACT This study contributes to the debate on sustainability in higher education through a project conducted in a single Scottish university that incorporated sustainability into undergraduate accounting education through the application of a real-world problem in the form of a social and environmental report. Data from study participants were collected through questionnaires, which were analysed and interpreted through the lens of knowledge creation. The results demonstrate an increase in awareness and positive response to sustainability issues from all parties. It further indicates that opportunities to shape and develop further sustainability initiatives are possible through a dialogical approach. Such an approach is shown to provide an opportunity for knowledge creation and the transfer of sustainability issues in a democratic and emancipatory way. It highlights the importance of developing spaces/opportunities for sustainability dialogue that not only transcend the boundaries of a specific graduate discipline but also the borders of higher education institutions.
Improved bound on isotropic Lorentz violation in the photon sector from extensive air showers

Cosmic rays have extremely high particle energies (up to $10^{20} \; \text{eV}$) and can be used to search for violations of Lorentz invariance. We consider isotropic nonbirefringent Lorentz violation in the photon sector for the case of a photon velocity larger than the maximum attainable velocity of the standard fermions. Up to now, Earth-based bounds on this type of Lorentz violation have been determined from observations of TeV gamma rays. Here, we elaborate on a novel approach to test Lorentz invariance with greatly improved sensitivity. This approach is based on investigating extensive air showers which are induced by cosmic-ray particles in the Earth's atmosphere. We study the impact of two Lorentz-violating decay processes on the longitudinal development of air showers, notably the atmospheric depth of the shower maximum $X_\text{max}$. Specifically, the two Lorentz-violating decay processes considered are photon decay into an electron-positron pair and modified neutral-pion decay into two photons. We use Monte Carlo simulations performed with the CONEX code which was extended to include these two Lorentz-violating decay processes at a magnitude allowed by the best previous Earth-based bound. Compared to standard physics, these Lorentz-violating decay processes reduce the average $X_\text{max}$ for showers with primary energies above $10^{18}\;\text{eV}$ by an amount that is significantly larger than the average resolution of current air shower experiments. Comparing the simulations of the average $X_\text{max}$ to observations, new Earth-based bounds on this type of Lorentz violation are obtained, which are better than the previous bounds by more than three orders of magnitude. Prospects of further studies are also discussed.
Financial Protection and Universal Health Coverage in Nigerian

Universal Coverage and financial protection are the goals of health systems the world over. Using data from the Harmonized Nigerian Living Standard Survey HNLSS 2009/2010 to calculate the catastrophic and impoverishing impacts of out-of-pocket health payment in Nigeria, we discovered that 19.5% of Nigerians suffered financial catastrophe, while 3.5% are pushed below the poverty line. Factors associated with catastrophic health expenditure include; household size, number of spouse in the household, geopolitical zones, place of residence, household sex. We also utilized the tool of financing incidence analysis to show the progressivity of out-of-pocket expenditure across socioeconomic groups in Nigeria. A health system dominated by excessive reliance on out-of-pocket expenditure cannot achieve the goal of financial protection and UC. Vulnerable households with high risks of catastrophic and impoverishing effects of OOP should be targeted. Keywords: Financial protection, Universal Health Coverage, Catastrophic health expenditure, impoverishment and Out-of-pocket expenditure
Forward-looking information in annual reports : a study into its realisation

In today’s dynamic business environment forward-looking corporate information forms a relevant source of information to investors. However, no guarantee can be given that the this information will match with future reality. This research is concerned with monitoring forward-looking information in annual reports, by comparing this information with backward-looking information on its realisation provided in later annual reports. Forward-looking information is retrieved from selected sections of the annual reports of 2004 until 2013 from two case companies. It can be concluded that realisation could not be determined for all forward-looking information, as some information appeared to be not specific enough to be able to monitor it or the needed backward-looking information was found to be lacking in later annual reports. For the forward-looking information units for which realisation could be determined it was found that, although for eighteen out of twenty firm-years these were mostly found to be matching with subsequent reality, every firm-year included forward-looking information that appeared to be mismatching with backward-looking information on its realisation. This might indicate the difficulty for firms to exactly predict and plan their future. Investors must be aware of the fact that certainty regarding the realisation of forward-looking information is non-existing.