Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exterior noise due to interaction of tyre-thermoplastic transverse rumble strips

Transverse rumble strips (TRS) are a common choice to reduce vehicle speed and increase driver alertness on roadways. However, there is a potential trade-off using them on rural roadway due to the noise problem created when vehicles go over the strips. The present study investigated the noise level, spectral analysis, and the possible noise generation mechanism when the TRS is hit by a vehicle. Tenraised-rumbler (RR) and three-layer-overlapped (TLO) TRS were selected in this study as they have received complaints from the public. Results showed that RR generated a relatively higher noise and impulse at a low speed, and increased sound level in each octave band. Based on these results, RR may irritate human ears even when the vehicle travels at a low speed. It was found that RR increased all noise generation mechanisms of tyre-pavement interaction whilst TLO increased structural resonance, sidewall and surface texture vibration.
State and Not-For-Profit delivery of species conservation. Cost utility analysis of multiple-species projects.

Conservation of species is challenging, and there is continuing interest in finding more effective means to achieve conservation goals. State provision of conservation occurs in many countries, alongside a growing range of alternative providers including Not For Profit organisations and the private sector. Few studies have compared the effectiveness and efficiency of State provision against Not For Profit or private sector provision. This research assesses the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of multiple-species projects in regard to the conservation of threatened and endangered species using a cost-utility analysis. Three State managed projects, three Not For Profit managed projects and one project managed by the State yet funded privately, were evaluated. All of the Not For Profit managed projects were enclosed by predator-proof fences, while the other projects relied on natural barriers and/or intensive predator control methods. Results indicate that State managed multiple-species projects are both more effective and cost-effective than those projects managed by Not For Profits. While the Not For Profit managed projects are not so effective in improving national population totals, they are essential for ensuring regional biodiversity of threatened and endangered species. The objectives set by the projects appear to have a significant impact on their outputs. A number of recommendations are made for improving conservation efforts in the future. Most importantly, the development of a threatened and endangered species database to be contributed to by all conservation project providers. The importance of standardised reporting techniques is highlighted to allow comparisons both over time and between projects.
Effects of stimulation on tenderness of lamb with a focus on protein degradation

Past studies have identified that electrical stimulation systems not only affect the pH–temperature decline of lamb carcasses, but also affect the tenderness of the product. It is unknown whether these differences are due to the effects of an optimal pH–temperature decline path by which the occurrence of shortening is decreased and proteolytic enzyme activity is increased, or by another mechanism, such as disruption of the muscle myofibres. This study attempted to elucidate this by placing control and mid-voltage electrically stimulated samples of the M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum in a water bath to prevent shortening by imposing an even pH–temperature decline on all samples. In order to obtain a complete understanding of the effects of stimulation on the muscle, samples were taken for indicators of tenderness, myofibre degradation and protein breakdown. No effect of stimulation was seen on tenderness and structural degradation measures aside from the expected rapid lowering of muscle pH. Interesting relationships were observed, however, between the different methods of meat tenderness assessment, with muscle structural protein degradation, shear force and muscle fibre and myofibre breakdown comparisons. These results suggest that the effects of electrical stimulation seen in mid-voltage systems as applied in this study are due only to the prevention of shortening conditions.
The Late Roman Gold and Silver Coins from the Hoxne Treasure

Discovered in 1992, the Hoxne Treasure is perhaps the richest cache of gold and silver coins, jewellery and tableware from the entire Roman world. The core of this volume is the catalogue of the 15,000 late 4th- and early 5th-century gold and silver coins, together with an in-depth discussion of the production and supply of late Roman coinage. Hoxne's silver coins are particularly interesting, and the book also contains ground-breaking discussions of the silver content of Roman currency as well as of the peculiarly British phenomena of coin clipping and copying. The value of the Hoxne Treasure in shedding light on an otherwise dark period of British history also calls for a broader, non-numismatic perspective, and the volume includes an important chapter dealing with the social significance of precious metals in the later Roman empire, particularly their role in the gift-exchange networks that defined and maintained late Roman imperial society.
Efficacy of different herbicides over manual weeding in controlling weeds in transplanted rice.

An experiment was conducted on transplanted Aman (monsoon) rice at the Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University farm Dhaka (90 0 33´ E longitude and 23 0 77´ N latitude), Bangladesh during June-November, 2005. There were seven different weed control treatments viz. T 1= Amchlor ® 5G @ 15 kg ha -1 + IR5878 ® 50 WP @ 120 g ha -1 , T 2= Ronstar ® 25EC @ 1.25 L ha -1 + IR5878 ® 50 WP @ 120 g ha -1 , T 3= IR5878 ® 50 WP @ 150 g ha -1 , T 4= IR5878 ® 50 WP @ 120
Students and Housewives: Differences in Susceptibility to Reference Group Influence

Two different samples consisting of housewives and students, respectively, were examined in terms of differences in their susceptibility to reference group influence. The results reveal significant differences between housewives and students in terms of the influence which the three types of reference groups have upon brand selection. The findings raise a serious question concerning the external validity of studies which use students as subjects yet make generalizations to a broader population base.
Studies of vegetation–environment relationships and vegetation dynamics in Chinese subtropical forests

2 List of papers 4 Introduction 5 Purpose and objectives 8 Study area 9 Materials and methods 11 Approach 11 Selection of study areas and placement of plots within each study area 12 Recording of environmental variables 12 Recording of species composition and abundance 12 Recording of tree variables 13 Statistical analyses 13 Abstracts of Papers I – III 15s of Papers I – III 15 Paper I 15 Paper II 16 Paper III 17 Discussion of main results and general conclusions 18 Gradient structure of vegetation and the environmental variables 18 Changes in forest understorey vegetation, and underlying reasons 20 EFT models for single-tree influence on understorey vegetation 21 Conclusions and recommendations 22 References 25 Original papers I-III
South Atlantic meridional transports from NEMO-based simulations and reanalyses

Abstract. The meridional heat transport (MHT) of the South Atlantic plays a key role in the global heat budget: it is the only equatorward basin-scale ocean heat transport and it sets the northward direction of the global cross-equatorial transport. Its strength and variability, however, are not well known. The South Atlantic transports are evaluated for four state-of-the-art global ocean reanalyses (ORAs) and two free-running models (FRMs) in the period 1997–2010. All products employ the Nucleus for European Modelling of the Oceans (NEMO) model, and the ORAs share very similar configurations. Very few previous works have looked at ocean circulation patterns in reanalysis products, but here we show that the ORA basin interior transports are consistently improved by the assimilated in situ and satellite observations relative to the FRMs, especially in the Argo period. The ORAs also exhibit systematically higher meridional transports than the FRMs, which is in closer agreement with observational estimates at 35 and 11 ∘ S. However, the data assimilation impact on the meridional transports still greatly varies among the ORAs, leading to differences up to ∼ 8 Sv and 0.4 PW in the South Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation and the MHTs, respectively. We narrow this down to large inter-product discrepancies in the western boundary currents (WBCs) at both upper and deep levels explaining up to ∼ 85 % of the inter-product differences in MHT. We show that meridional velocity differences, rather than temperature differences, in the WBCs drive ∼ 83 % of this MHT spread. These findings show that the present ocean observation network and data assimilation schemes can be used to consistently constrain the South Atlantic interior circulation but not the overturning component, which is dominated by the narrow western boundary currents. This will likely limit the effectiveness of ORA products for climate or decadal prediction studies.
The 4.2 ka BP event in the Central Mediterranean: New data from
Corchia speleothems (Apuan Alps, central Italy)

Abstract. We present new data on the 4.2 ka BP event in the central Mediterranean from Corchia Cave (Tuscany, central Italy) stalagmite CC27. The stalagmite was analysed for stable isotopes (δ13C δ18O) and trace elements (Mg, U, P, Y), with all proxies showing a coherent phase of reduced cave recharge between ca. 4.5 and 4.1 ka. Based on the current climatological data on cyclogenesis, the reduction in cave recharge is considered associated to weakening of the cyclone centre located in the Gulf of Genoa in response to reduced advection of air masses from Atlantic during winter. These conditions, which closely resemble a positive North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)-like configuration, are associated with cooler and wetter summers, with reduced sea warming, which reduced the western Mediterranean evaporation during autumn-early winter further reducing precipitation.
An inventory of the marine and transitional Middle/Upper Eocene deposits of the Southeastern Pyrenean Foreland Basin (NE Spain)

In the southeastern Ebro Foreland Basin, the marine deposits of Lutetian and Bartonian age show excellent outcrop conditions, with a great lateral and horizontal continuity of lithostratigraphic units. In addition, the rich fossil record -mainly larger foraminifers-, provides iostratigraphic data of regional relevance for the whole Paleogene Pyrenean Basin, that can be used for the Middle Eocene biocorrelation of the western Tethys. This contribution is a sedimentary and biostratigraphic synthesis of the basic outcrops and sections of the Lutetian and Bartonian marine and transitional deposits in the southeastern sector of the Ebro Foreland Basin.
Physical Properties of Rough and Brown Rice of Japonica, Indica and NERICA Types

This research involved a study of the physical properties of rough and brown rice of various types. The effect of kernel thickness on physical properties w as analyzed. Fundamental physical properties, such as dimensions, mass, and frictional characteristics, were measured for different fractions of rough and brown rice of seven different varieties: Nanatsuboshi , Yumepirika , Oborozuki (Japonica type), IR-28 , IR-50 , IR-64 (Indica type), and NERICA-4 (NERICA type). Results showed that, in both rough and brown rice, the physical properties of the NERICA type showed a closer relationship with the Indica type than they did with the Japonica type. Moreover, statistical analysis indicated that t he physical properties were affected by kernel thickness within each variety of rough and brown rice, information that could be helpful in designing facilities and machines required for rice processing and storage.
Imagining a Silicon Savannah? Technological and Conceptual Connectivity in Kenya's BPO and Software Development Sectors

This is a paper about expectations surrounding a potentially highly transformative moment in East Africa's history: the arrival of underwater fibre‐optic broadband communications cables into the Indian Ocean port of Mombasa. It combines a media content analysis with findings from interviews with business owners in Kenya's nascent business process outsourcing (BPO) and software development sectors in order to explore how such moments of technological ‘connectivity’ are imagined, marketed and enacted within economic development. It argues that connectivity is not just a matter of boosting physical/material capacity but also about redressing conceptual connectivity; bringing places ‘closer together’ involves rehabilitating the images of places in peoples’ minds and removing imagined senses of distance. As such, technologies of connectivity are marketed not just as tools of altered communications affordances, but more importantly, as momentary opportunities for revisiting the image of places from afar. Additionally, the cables reveal the importance of fostering internal linkages in order to better build international recognition and connections. ‘Moments of expectation’ that surround new ICT technologies reveal how discourse and representation play a strong role in enabling markets to form and change. The very idea of ‘connectivity’ itself is driving plans and policies throughout the region.
Cyanobacteria, algae and microfungi present in biofilm from Božana Cave (Serbia)

Caves represent very specific worldwide environments (Lamprinou et al., 2012) and many of them are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List (Czerwik-Marcinkowska, 2013). Cave habitats are characterized by almost constant temperature (T) and relative humidity (RH) all year round. A typical cave can be divided into three primary zones: the entrance-, transition-, and a deep cave zone (Tobin et al., 2013). Light intensity is the major factor which determines whether the microbial communities of cave stone substratum will be autotrophic (cyanobacteria and algae) or heterotrophic (bacteria and fungi) (Albertano, 2012). The above mentioned factors (T, RH, LI) determine which microbial communities can grow in a given location, but many other characteristics of caves, such as location, entrance dimensions, morphology, orientation, intrinsic substratum properties, and other microclimate parameters (air circulation, hydrological conditions, etc.) are also important (Martinez & Citation:
Gas phase synthesis of non-bundled, small diameter single-walled carbon nanotubes with near-armchair chiralities

We present a novel floating catalyst synthesis route for individual, i.e. non-bundled, small diameter single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with a narrow chiral angle distribution peaking at high chiralities near the armchair species. An ex situ spark discharge generator was used to form iron particles with geometric number mean diameters of 3-4 nm and fed into a laminar flow chemical vapour deposition reactor for the continuous synthesis of long and high-quality SWCNTs from ambient pressure carbon monoxide. The intensity ratio of G/D peaks in Raman spectra up to 48 and mean tube lengths up to 4 microns were observed. The chiral distributions, as directly determined by electron diffraction in the transmission electron microscope, clustered around the (n,m) indices (7,6), (8,6), (8,7) and (9,6), with up to 70% of tubes having chiral angles over 20{\deg}. The mean diameter of SWCNTs was reduced from 1.10 to 1.04 nm by decreasing the growth temperature from 880 to 750 {\deg}C, which simultaneously increased the fraction of semiconducting tubes from 67 to 80%. Limiting the nanotube gas phase number concentration to approx. 100 000 per cubic centimetre successfully prevented nanotube bundle formation that is due to collisions induced by Brownian diffusion. Up to 80 % of 500 as-deposited tubes observed by atomic force and transmission electron microscopy were individual. Transparent conducting films deposited from these SWCNTs exhibited record low sheet resistances of 63 Ohms/sq. at 90 % transparency for 550 nm light.
Integrating ERP into the Organization: Organizational Changes and Side-Effects

Faced with increasingly strong and varied forms of competition, firms are seeking more efficient organizational models. At the same time, the widespread application of information and communication technologies (ICT) is transforming the manner in which the information required for coordinating the units within an organization is collected, exchanged, and stored. The question then arises of how the installation of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) program may affect these coordination mechanisms. The subordination of technological change to organizational change appears to underestimate the scope of the transformations that ERP can bring about within an organization. Theoretical and empirical arguments lean towards attributing direct effects to ERP, believing it to possess intrinsic organizational virtues. Because of the difficulty of making an ad hoc inventory of organizations employing ERP software, earlier statistical studies have largely ignored the integration of ERP into the organization.
A Study of Private Rental Housing Market in Kaduna Metropolis, Nigeria

Rental housing is an expanding and lucrative investment sector that has garnered a lot of investors both in the developed and developing countries of the world. The high rate of rental default in urban centres of Nigeria tends to discourage massive investment in rental housing by the prospective investors. The study examines the nature of private rental housing market and the influencing factors in Kaduna Metropolis from the view of both tenants and property managers (Estate Surveyors and Valuers). To accomplish the aim, questionnaires were administered on practicing Estate Surveyors and Valuers (statutorily recognized property managers) and selected tenants through proxy questionnaires from the sampled firms. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Findings show that there are different forms of rental payment patterns and tenant selection criteria adopted. The study assessed tenants’ (rental housing consumers’) behaviour and ranked breach of tenancy agreement and harsh landlord’s policy as the main causes of rental default. It recommends the needs for effective regulation and tenancy legislation review as a way forward to ensure refinement in the residential property management practice in Kaduna Metropolis. Keywords : housing, rental housing, tenancy, rental default, affordability
Transposition and National-Level Resources: Introducing the Cross-Border Healthcare Directive in Eastern Europe

The Cross-Border Patients’ Rights Directive represents an attempt to resolve the unclear situation that had developed due to ‘negative integration’ within the field of healthcare. While the adoption of the directive ends the EU-level decision process, it represents the start of the implementation process, where national institutional structures and interests play a key role. This article investigates the role of resources as a key factor shaping transposition within the member states, with a focus on Poland and Bulgaria. The article shows that a multidimensional perspective of resources is important for understanding transposition of EU directives in member states. While previous research has tended to consider resources at the aggregate, national level, the present study shows that specific concerns about the ‘adjustment costs’ at the sector system level are of key importance.
Antithetical Arts: On the Ancient Quarrel Between Literature and Music

Preface PART I: THE FOUNDING OF FORMALISM 1. First the Music, and then the Words 2. Designs a la Grecque 3. Body and Soul PART II: THE FORTUNES OF FORMALISM 4. Mood and Music 5. Persona Non Grata 6. Action and Agency 7. Shostakovich's Secret? PART III: THE FATE OF FORMALISM 8. The Failure of Formalism and the Failure of its Foes 9. Attention, Ritual, and the Additive Strategy 10. Musical Morality 11. Empty Pleasure to the Ear BIBLIOGRAPHY
Short-term antioxidant diet prevents hyperfiltration in young male rat kidney subjected to ischemia/reperfusion injury

Objectives: The process of transplantation is associated with exposure to both long and short cold and warm ischemic times that result in ischemia/reperfusion injury. Oxidative stress contributes to tissue fibrosis, renal dysfunction, and/or rejection. Treatments that scavenge oxygen free radicals and have antioxidant properties can ameliorate the damaging results in renal grafts following ischemia/reperfusion injury. The present study tests the hypothesis that an antioxidant-fortified diet given to rats before and after renal ischemia/reperfusion injury will reduce the kidney damage that results and improve renal function. Endothelial and inducible nitric oxide synthases may change with tissue injury, including ischemia/ reperfusion. Materials and Methods: Male Wistar rats were subjected to ischemia/reperfusion injury at 7 or 19 weeks of age with or without dietary antioxidant supplementation. One week later, glomerular filtration rate, mean arterial pressure and urinary nitric oxide were measured, and renal endothelial and inducible nitric oxide synthases examined. Results: The glomerular filtration rate was elevated more than two-fold above the normal range at 8 weeks in animals on the regular diet exposed to ischemia/reperfu- sion, while in the 8 week antioxidant-fortified diet group the glomerular filtration rate was normal. Also, in 8 week rats, levels of endothelial nitric oxide synthase protein in cortex were higher on the regular than on the antioxidant-fortified diet. Conclusion: Early after ischemia/reperfusion injury renal endothelial nitric oxide synthase levels rise, possibly contributing to vascular dilation and hyperperfusion, and an antioxidant-fortified diet can ameliorate these changes in the younger age group.
Looking for clues to paleoceanographic imprints: A diagnosis of the Gulf of Cadiz contourite depositional systems

A new morphosedimentary map of the Gulf of Cadiz is presented, showing the contourite depositional system on the gulf's middle slope. This map is constructed from a broad da- tabase provided by the Spanish Research Council and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. Our map shows that this contourite depositional system comprises five morphosedimentary sectors: (1) proximal scour and sand ribbons; (2) overflow sedimentary lobe; (3) channels and ridges; (4) contourite deposition; and (5) submarine canyons. The Gulf of Cadiz con- tourite depositional system stems directly from the interaction between Mediterranean Out- flow Water and the seafloor; its morphosedimentary sectors are clearly related to the sys- tematic deceleration of the Mediterranean Outflow Waters westward branches, bathymetric stress on the margin, and the Coriolis force. The slope's depositional system can be consid- ered as a mixed contourite and turbidite system, i.e., a detached combined drift and fan.