Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spring mortality of the cyclopoid copepod Oithona similis in polar waters

The cyclopoid copepod Oithona similis is highly abundant and ubiquitous in the marine epipelagic environment, yet rates of mortality in this species have rarely been quantified; indeed we are lacking such measurements for Copepoda in general in cold waters. In the present study we examined O. similis stage structure, egg production and mortality rates across the Scotia Sea, Southern Ocean, sampling from the ice edge to the Polar Front in the austral spring of 2006, The population stage structure near the retreating ice edge was indicative of a recruitment pulse moving through the younger stages; therefore, the assumptions of the vertical life table (VLT) approach were not met and mortality was not estimated for those stations. At all other stations the assumptions of VLT were largely met, and mortality rates were determined as across-station averages, The highest rates of mortality occurred across the egg to NIT stages at around 0.04 d(-1), falling to < 0.03 d(-1) in subsequent stages, and then increasing again to 0.11. d(-1) across copepod stage V to adult males. The ratio of adult males to females suggested that males have a mortality rate similar to 12 times greater than females (i.e. the adult male to female abundance ratio is 0.08). It is unlikely that these differences can be attributed simply to the males' shorter physiological longevity (longevity when free of predators); the primary cause is likely elevated predation mortality due to the risks associated with mate locating behaviour.
Human bocavirus frequency in pre-school and school-aged hospitalized wheezing children and association to epidemiological risk factors of wheezing

Recurrent wheezing in infancy is associated with acute respiratory infection (ARI) and atopy. The objectives of this work were to determine the frequency of respiratory human bocavirus (HBoV) in children hospitalized with acute wheezing and associated clinical-epidemiological variables. A cross-section observational study was performed. Nasal and pharyngeal swabs were obtained from pediatric patients hospitalized with acute wheezing and HBoV DNA was detected by PCR. Clinical and epidemiological data of patients were analyzed in relation with HBoV detection. Eight of 40 patients studied (20%) were pre-school age children (≤ 4 years old; average 3.5±0.5 yr.) and 32/40 (80%) were school-age children (5 to 14 years old; average 7.8±2.8 yr.). HBoV genome was detected in 22/40 patients (55%; IC95%: 40-69%), the majority of them school-aged children (19/22, 86.4%). No statistically significant differences were observed when comparing HBoV prevalence in groups of patients clustered by sex, age, antecedents of rhinitis, number of wheezing episodes in the previous year, and family history of atopy. Significant association was found between HBoV detection and (a) passive smoking: 17/23 (73.9%) patients with exposure to cigarette smoke were HBoV+ (p=0.006); (b) contact with cohabitant with ARI: 11/12 (91.7%) patients living with a cohabitant with ARI were HBoV+ (p=0.002). HBoV was frequent among school-age hospitalized wheezing children. HBoV genome detection was associated with passive smoking and contact with cohabitant with ARI.
A NLIP Model on Wage Dispersion and Team Performance

Using a Non-Linear Integer Programming (NLIP) model, I examine if wage differences between Super talents and Normal players improve the performance of four teams which participate in a tournament, such as in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) group matches. With ad-hoc wage differences, the optimal solutions of the model show that higher wage equality seems to improve the performance of all teams, irrespectively if the elasticity of substitution between Super- and Normal- players is high or low. In addition to that, a U-type performance exists in two teams with the highest and the second high elasticity of substitution. With team data from the 2011-12 UCL group matches and from the Italian Serie A over 2010-12 seasons, the wage dispersion has no effect on team performances.
Study of the Growth of Nephrolepis biserrata Kuntze and Its Utilization as Cover Crop Under Mature Oil Palm Plantation

Nephrolepis biserrata is one kind of weeds in oil palm plantations that have the potential to be used as cover crop. Spreading in the areas of oil palm plantations, this plant should be easy to be planted in other areas related to the utilization of N.biserrata as soil cover. This study was a field research that included the observation of N.biserrata growth and development, as well as the experiment of N.biserrata to find out its further potential with regard to its use as cover crop. The study was carried out from November 2013 to September 2014 under mature oil palm plantation with 17-year-old oil palm trees in Cikabayan Experimental Garden, University Farm, IPB, Bogor, West Java. N.biserrata Kuntze. can be planted as cover crop under mature oil palm plantations and can grow well after 8 WAP in terms of plant height, number and length of leaves. The planting of N.biserrata can improve physical and chemical properties of the soil, making it possible to increase ground water reserves. In comparison, the land not planted with N.biserrata experienced an average ground water deficit of 0.26 mm, while the land planted with N.biserrata had an average surplus of soil water content of 1.33 mm in September 2014. The land planted with N.biserrata showed an increase in the element content such as C-organic (12.74%), N (15%), P (26.82%) and K (17:45%) and a decrease in the value of the C / N (2.02%). The planting of N.biserrata seemed to be able to reduce the content of clay in the soil by 25.13% and raise the sand and dust content by 5.35% and 148.53% respectively. During the decomposition process, N.biserrata could increase the soil nutrient content of N, P, K and C-organic, respectively as high as 41%, 11%, 93%, and 11.3%.
THE DISTRIBUTION OF DARK MATTER IN THE MILKY WAY’S DISK

We present an analysis of the effects of dissipational baryonic physics on the local dark matter (DM) distribution at the location of the Sun, with an emphasis on the consequences for direct detection experiments. Our work is based on a comparative analysis of two cosmological simulations with identical initial conditions of a Milky Way halo, one of which (Eris) is a full hydrodynamic simulation and the other (ErisDark) is a DM-only one. We find that in Eris two distinct processes lead to a 30% enhancement of DM in the disk plane at the location of the Sun: the accretion and disruption of satellites resulting in a DM component with net angular momentum, and the contraction of baryons pulling the DM into the disk plane without forcing it to co-rotate. Owing to its particularly quiescent merger history for dark halos of Milky Way mass, the co-rotating dark disk in Eris is less massive than what has been suggested by previous work, contributing only 9% of the local DM density. Yet, since the simulation results in a realistic Milky Way analog galaxy, its DM halo provides a plausible alternative to the Maxwellian standard halo model (SHM) commonly used in direct detection analyses. The speed distribution in Eris is broadened and shifted to higher speeds, compared to its DM-only twin simulation ErisDark. At high speeds f(v) falls more steeply in Eris than in ErisDark or the SHM, easing the tension between recent results from the CDMS-II and XENON100 experiments. The non-Maxwellian aspects of f(v) are still present, but much less pronounced in Eris than in the DM-only runs. The weak dark disk increases the time-averaged scattering rate by only a few percent at low recoil energies. On the high velocity tail, however, the increase in typical speeds due to baryonic contraction results in strongly enhanced mean scattering rates compared to ErisDark, although they are still suppressed compared to the SHM. Similar trends are seen regarding the amplitude of the annual modulation, while the modulated fraction is increased compared to the SHM and decreased compared to ErisDark.
Sentimentality and Nostalgia in Elderly People: Psychometric Properties of a New Questionnaire

A new questionnaire measuring sentimentality and nostalgia in elderly people was developed based on the scale Sentimentality from HEXACO Personality Inventory – Revised (Lee & Ashton, 2013), the scale Sentimentality from Psychological Inventory of Criminal-Thinking Styles (PICTS) (Walters, 2002; Walters & Geyer, 2005); the subscale Sentimentality from Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised (TCI-R) (Cloninger, Svrakic, & Przybeck, 1993). A sample of 121 Bulgarian elderly people was studied. The results revealed the importance of the past for the elderly people. The questionnaire had good psychometric properties. Four factors were extracted - Past emotions continue in the present; Nostalgia of the Past; Sentimental compensation; and One’s past perceived by the others. Comparison of the average values on the factors divided into the number of the items in the factor indicated that nostalgia of the past was the most strongly expressed among the elderly people, followed by the experiences related to one’s past perceived by the other people, past emotions continuing in the present, and the attempts for sentimental compensation of some past bad deeds.
Investigations on biocomposites from oat hull and biodegradable polymers

Oat hull is an abundantly available form of biomass in Canada, which is mostly used as low-value feed material. With high fibre content, it can be used in the production of industrial products by providing opportunity as an additive in the replacement of petroleum-based products. Moreover, bio-based plastics/ biodegradable polymers are gaining popularity, as reinforced matrices into natural fibres to produce biodegradable composites. Therefore, the objectives of this investigation were to develop biocomposite materials from cellulose and lignin which were post-hydrolysis products of oat hull using biodegradable polymers (polylactic acid (PLA) and polycaprolactone (PCL)) and to compare the physical and mechanical properties of formulated biocomposites with polypropylene (PP) biocomposites so that a low-cost and eco-friendly biomaterial can be produced. Further, the effect of an impact modifier was investigated to improve the impact properties of such biocomposites. The oat hull biomass was cleaned and chemically pretreated to produce different kinds of fibres by dilute acid hydrolysis followed by delignification at different temperature conditions. The fibres resulting from pretreatment processes were AHB (acid-catalyzed hydrolysis by-product), CRB-30 and CRB-65 (cellulose-rich biofibre). Chemical analysis of fibres showed a reduction in hemi-cellulose and lignin content, with increased cellulose content. Formulations with rates of at 15% and 30% AHB or CRB fibres of the total mass of biocomposites were tested. The effect of impact modifier at 15% inclusion rate was also investigated with polylactic acid- and polycaprolactone-based composites. A twin screw extruder and a compression molding machine were respectively used for compounding the formulations and product molding/fabrication. The performance of the composites in all formulations was finally assessed by measuring their physical and mechanical properties such as density, color measurement, water absorption, tensile strength, flexural strength and tensile-impact energy. Fibre loading from 15% to 30% significantly affected the density and water absorption of the manufactured composites. The density of composites increased with addition of fibres; water absorption also increased with fibre addition in all formulations. Color analysis showed that products appeared darker in color because of addition of fibres. The results for the mechanical properties of PLA-based composites indicated that tensile and flexural strength of biocomposites generally decreased when compared to those of virgin polymers, while Young’s modulus and flexural modulus increased with corresponding increase in fibre content from 15% to 30%. On the other hand, PCL-based biocomposites with 30% fibre loading offered higher flexural strength than that of composites loaded with 15% fibres; similarly, tensile modulus and flexural modulus increased with an increase in fibre content. The most significant result is that tensile-impact strength of PLA- and PCL-based composites increased with addition…
Reflection Of Customer-Brand Engagement On Purchase Intention In Social Media

Creating and developing purchase intention in social media is an important strategic goal for businesses. Marketers, in particular, feel the need to invest in consumer-brand engagement (CBE) in social media marketing more than ever before as social media platforms are available for consumers to socialize and interact with each other. However, current research in marketing provides little guidance to marketers how brand pages in Facebook can be leveraged to engage customers and create purchase intention for the brands. Toward filling this gap, the present research examines the customer’s brand engagement-purchase intention link with the mediating role of customer’s information motivation in social media. Using data from 298 surveys of brand pages are analysed in partial-least squares (PLS) structural equation modelling (SEM). The research fills a gap in the literature through its analysis of the mediating role of information motivation of consumers in the relationship between customer-brand engagement and purchase intention in social media. The specific strategies, and the implications of this research for theory and practise are discussed. © 2017 Published by Future Academy www.FutureAcademy. org.UK
Cognitive and Affective Correlates of Chinese Children’s Mathematical Word Problem Solving

Mathematical word problem solving (MWPS) involves multiple steps, including comprehending the problem statements, determining the arithmetic operations that have to be performed, and finding the answers. This study investigated the relative contributions of different cognitive and affective variables to children’s MWPS. To achieve this goal, 116 third-grade Chinese children were tested. Results showed that after controlling for age and non-verbal intelligence, the abilities to solve direct and indirect mathematical word problems were positively correlated with the working memory component of executive function, reading comprehension ability, math fact fluency and math anxiety. Moreover, math anxiety was found to fully mediate the relationships between reading anxiety and MWPS. Implications of the findings on how to promote children’s MWPS skills were discussed.
Extended soft X-ray emission in 3CR radio galaxies at z < 0.3: high excitation and broad line galaxies

We analyze Chandra observations of diffuse soft X-ray emission associated with a complete sample of 3CR radio galaxies at z < 0.3. We focus on the properties of the spectroscopic sub-classes of high excitation galaxies (HEGs) and broad line objects (BLOs). Among the 33 HEGs we detect extended (or possibly extended) emission in about 40% of the sources; the fraction is even higher (8/10) when restricting the analysis to the objects with exposure times larger than 10 ks. In the 18 BLOs, extended emission is seen only in two objects; this lower detection rate can be ascribed to the presence of their bright X-ray nuclei that easily outshine any genuine diffuse emission. A very close correspondence between the soft X-ray and optical line morphology emerges. We also find that the ratio between [O III] and extended soft X-ray luminosity is confined within a factor of 2 around a median value of 5. Both results are similar to what is seen in Seyfert galaxies. We discuss different processes that could explain the soft X-ray emission and conclude that the photoionization of extended gas, coincident with the narrow line region, is the favored mechanism.
Effect of Spin Coating Speed on Some Optical Properties of ZnO Thin Films

This paper reports the synthesis and characterization of ZnO thin films prepared by sol-gel spin coating technique. The sol-gel was prepared from zinc acetate dehydrate as a precursor, 2-me- thoxyethanol as a solvent and di-ethanolamine as a stabilizer, and then deposited on glass substrate using spin coater at the coating speed of 1000 rpm, 2000 rpm, 3000 rpm, 4000 rpm, 5000 rpm and 6000 rpm. After pre-heated at 150℃, the samples were post-heated at 250oC and also annealed at 400℃. X-ray diffraction (XRD) of the films showed polycrystalline hexagonal structure, with (002) orientation as most intense peak having a grain size of 28.1 nm. The absorbance of the film decreases with increasing wavelength and the transmittance was generally high between visible regions from 280 nm - 1200 nm. The ZnO films deposited at a spinning speed of 2000 rpm had highest transmittance of 88% in the visible region from 280 nm - 1200 nm. The energy band gap was found to be in the range of 3.23 - 3.40 eV. The thicknesses of the films decreased with increase in coating speed. Based on these results, ZnO thin films obtained could have useful application in transparent conducting oxide electrode in solar cells.
Different calcification rates in males and females of the coral Porites panamensis in the Gulf of California

Density banding provides a record of per- formance of coral colonies over time and across envi- ronments, and offers 3 measurable variables: skeletal density, extension rate, and calcification rate. Skeleton formation is energetically expensive for corals and may be associated with other energy-dependent processes, such as reproduction. Egg production requires more energy expenditure than sperm production. Thus, cal- cification rate is hypothesized to be different for each gender. To evaluate differences in skeletal growth be- tween males and females, we studied a gonochoric massive coral, Porites panamensis, from 3 regions of the Gulf of California. Colony sex was identified using histology methods, and growth parameters were meas- ured using photo-densitometry of X-radiographs. Ex- tension and calcification rates were significantly higher in male colonies than in females (by 18 to 23%) at 2 of our 3 study sites, while skeletal density was similar in both genders. Our results support the hypothesis of a gender bias in growth characteristics and suggest that environmental conditions may impact coral calcifica- tion differently in male and female colonies.
Possibilities of developing Favourable Body Fat Partition Via Selection Indexes – Application on Rabbits

Abstract. Estimates of phenotypic and genetic parameters of body fat partition and other related traits were calculated using an experimental material of 152 New Zealand White rabbits of 15 bucks and 42 adult does. To construet nine selection indexes aiming at improving fat partition, estimates of phenotypic and genetic parameters for weight and linear dimensions of the live body were also obtained. The aggregate genotype included the percentage total body fat depositing subcutaneously and intermuscularly at the marketing age of 12 weeks. The full index included the weaning body weight, marketing body weight, body length, loin width and heart girth. The full index had the highest correlation with the true breeding value (rT| = 0.597). Comparable accuracy (rTi = 0.561) would be expected from the best-reduced index (I7 = 0.009 BW –0.988 HG) combining marketing body weight and heart girth. At each round of selection with intensity =1, such a reduced index is expected to result in developing rabbits with advantageous fat partition in terms of higher percentage total body fat depositing subcutaneously (+0.35 unit %), intermuscularly (+1.91 unit %) and intramuscularly (as reflected by 0.15 unit % increase in carcass muscle yield. As compared with its unrestricted form, the best reduced index reduced to zero change in total body fat (I7(TBF)) would result in drastic decline in percentage total fat depositing as kidney knob and Channel fat (+0.32 vs. –0.18 unit %) with little amelioration in percentage total fat aecumulating in the other depots. Selection on I7(TBF) instead of 17 would reduce improvement in marketing body weight (+0.52 vs. +0.33 gm), carcass yield (+0.10 vs. 0.04 unit %) and carcass boneless meat yield (+0.19 vs. 0.07 unit %) with increase of gain in carcass muscle yield (+0.15 vs. 0.32 unit %).
Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles as a platform for biomedicinal application

The biosynthesis of nanoparticles has been proposed as a cost effective and environmentally benevolent to chemical and physical methods. In the present study, one pot facile green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) has been demonstrated by using powder extract of dry ginger rhizome (Zingiber officinale). The structural analysis has been carried out by using Ultra Violet-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and photoluminescence. The thermal stability has been also investigated by using thermo-gravimetric analysis. The biosynthesized nanoparticles investigated for their in-vitro antimicrobial activity in a dose-dependent manner against different pathogenic organisms under different temperatures and pH. It was noteworthy that AgNPs depicted promising antimicrobial activity. The reduction in the amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced within the micro-organism cells treated with AgNPs and apoptosis have been investigated.
Social Capital in Microfinance: A Critical Investigation of Bangladesh

Nowadays, Microfinance is one of the effective tools for alleviating poverty in all over the world. It empowers women, increases standard of living, alleviates poverty and creates social capital. Microfinance institutions also use the proxies of social capital such as bonding, bridging, norms of norms of reciprocity and networks and thus these institutions perform microfinance activities smoothly for attaining sustainable development. This paper is based on a qualitative study and a small-scale field study in Bangladesh. The small-scale field study provided answers to the research question. The methods used in the field were mainly questionnaire that has been attached in the appendix. Primary data is collected through semi-structured interviews. The theoretical framework is based on written literature about Putnam's Social Capital. The results that have been analysed with microfinance and social capital permit the following conclusions: Microfinance puts contribution to increase in standard of living of poor people, empower women and reduce poverty. However, some consensuses are that microfinance is not the effective tool for increasing standard of living, empowering women and alleviating poverty. However, the main purpose of this paper is to analyze the effectiveness of microfinance, especially for increasing the level of income of the deprived people in society that would create social capital and boost the country's economic development. It is significant to study on micro finance as it has enormous role in poverty alleviation, social development, women empowerment and so on. The impact of this study may be on the people engaged in different sector like, agriculture, education, health and social development as many of them are getting the benefits of micro credit. It will also help the people to take decision who are interested to come under the facilities of micro credit. This study will helpful for the policy makers to take necessary policy regarding micro credit. Students will also be benefited from this study who is interested to know about micro credit.