Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A new key locality for the Pliocene vertebrate record of Europe: the Camp dels Ninots maar (NE Spain)

A new Pliocene Konservat-Lagerstatte in north-eastern Spain is described here for the first time. It is referred to as Camp dels Ninots. The particular geological conditions of the site, which correspond to lacustrine sedimentation in a maar, made it ideal for the preservation of fossils. At present, five large mammal skeletons in anatomical connection have been recovered: three individuals of Alephis tigneresi, one of Stephanorhinus jeanvireti and one of Tapirus arvernenis, as well as isolated remains. A minimum of five individuals of the chelonian Mauremys leprosa have been recovered, some of them in anatomical connection. The rodent Apodemus atavus, the amphibians cf. Pleurodeles sp. , Lissotriton aff. helveticus and Pelophylax cf. perezi and freshwater fishes (Leuciscus ? ) complete the vertebrate assemblage uncovered up to the present time. The coexistence of Stephanorhinus jeanvireti and Alephis tigneresi suggests an age of about 3.2Ma for the Camp dels Ninots, near the MN15-MN16 transition. The Camp del Ninots fossil record enables one to extend the biogeographic range of some vertebrate taxa, such as Stephanorhinus jeanvireti, Tapirus arvernensis or Mauremys leprosa to the Iberian Peninsula. Taphonomic evidences of the skeletal remains indicates minimal (if any) weathering. Deposition at the lake bottom seems to have taken place in oxygen depleted layers. In this way, Camp dels Ninots is comparable to other remarkable maar sites such as Messel, the Eocene site situated in Germany.
Regulating Convergence: Challenges for Contemporary Media in Indonesia

This paper examines the implications of media liberalization and media convergence to regulatory issues and journalism practices in Indonesia. While technologies are being used to serve the economic interests of media companies, corporate concentration and technological convergence effectively disempower media workers. It will do so through an in-depth analysis of the current trends and case studies in the Indonesian media industry. The Indonesian case shows how media liberalization affects Indonesian media landscape at a first place, and how the media landscape is then shaped by conglomeration and convergence. Using the concept of diversity, media scholars are still debating the consequences of liberalization and convergence, to see whether those will undermine journalism and threaten the diversity of voices as the heart of media in democracy. This creates another challenge for regulatory bodies in Indonesia. On one hand, a free and competitive economic marketplace, a consideration of competitive markets is critical. On the other hand, there should be some tools to ensure media pluralism and diversity (ownership and content), hence provide necessary protections for the public. May there are interventions needed from the government body regarding this double-edge sword situation, a clear distinction needs to be drawn between regulation in the public interest and regulation to protect against market failure. Keywords: Indonesia; media ownership, media concentration, convergence, content diversity, political economy, policy
Diet of larval albacore Thunnus alalunga (Bonnaterre, 1788) off Mallorca Island (NW Mediterranean)

These are the first data on the feeding of larval albacore ( Thunnus alalunga Bonnaterre, 1788) in the Mediterranean. Specimens were gathered from day-time bongo-hauls conducted over the SW Mallorcan (Balearic Islands) shelf-slope. Ninety eight percent of 101 individuals ranging from 2.65 to 9.4 mm standard length (SL) contained 1 to 15 prey items per gut. Mean number of prey/gut was 3.55 ± 2.19 (SD). A positive correlation was found between larval SL and the number of prey/gut. The analysis of frequency of occurrence (F), numerical frequency (N), weight frequency (W) and the Index of Relative Importance (IRI) showed a dominance of copepodites and nauplii in the smallest size-class. As larvae grew, cladocerans and Calanoida copepodites dominated the diet, and cladocerans and copepodites were important in F, N and W. Piscivory was observed after notochord flexion and was important in terms of W. A positive correlation between mean prey size and both SL and lower jaw length (LJL) was observed. The niche breadth (S) did not vary with LJL, but the raw prey size range did. Larger copepodites, the absence of nauplii and the incorporation of fish larvae and a larger number of cladocerans in the diet accounted for the increase in mean prey size through increased larval size.
Policy Learning in Regional Networks

The article contributes to the current discourse on learning regions. It aims to identify favourable conditions for policy learning in regions. Supported by the most prominent theories on regional development and innovation, the existence of autonomous policy networks in regions is regarded as a fundamental prerequisite for generating innovations. However, previous research does not clarify how networks have to be organized and linked to the institutional framework inside and outside a region, how actors should interact in networks, and whether competitive or cooperative orientations of actors are more conducive to change. Our theoretical reasoning leads us to the conclusion that learning regions are those that manage to meet different, to a certain degree contradictory, demands regarding structures of networks and actors involved. Successful learning, the generation and implementation of new patterns of politics and new policies depends on specific structural characteristics of networks, but also on actors’ cognitive dispositions, orientations, strategies and interactions. Moreover, favourable institutional settings are identified which may induce adequate network structures and support innovative policies. Finally we draw some conclusions for practical regional policy in a ‘learning region’.
In vivo measurements of the seasonal photosynthetic fluorescence of the Mediterranean coral Cladocora caespitosa (L.)

In situ photosynthetic fluorescence of the zooxanthellate Mediterranean coral Cladocora caespitosa (L.) was measured seasonally on colonies from 5 to 27 m depth using an INF-300 Integrating Natural Fluorometer (Biospherical Instrument Inc.). This oceanographic instrument, used to measure the in vivo phytoplankton chlorophyll a (Chl a ) fluorescence, was adapted to record the natural fluorescence of C. caespitosa by SCUBA divers. The resulting curves of natural fluorescence of Chl a vs photosynthetically active radiation (PAR 400-700 nm) showed that: (1) natural fluorescence was limited by light availability in both deep and shallow colonies in all seasons; (2) photosynthesis occurred in C. caespitosa also in winter, when temperature is low and seawater turbidity contributes significantly to PAR attenuation; and (3) the efficiency of the Chl a fluorescence increased from summer to winter. This last finding outlines the winter coupling between zooxanthellae activity and calcification processes and is consistent with the formation of the high density band in the coral skeleton.
School district leadership styles and school improvement: evidence from selected school principals in the Eastern Cape Province

The purpose of this study was to investigate how leadership styles in the Eastern Cape school districts support school improvement. Mixed methods research was employed and data was collected through the use of questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with school principals in various districts. The study was guided by the following questions: (1) what are the most common leadership styles among the school district officials in the province; and (2) how do the prevailing leadership style/s appear to support or hinder change and school improvement in the district? The quantitative data was analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) for statistical analysis, while qualitative data analysis followed the iterative approach as suggested by Miles and Huberman (1994). Findings revealed prevalence of more authoritarian top-down leadership styles, which tend to have negative effects on school improvement. The paper ends with recommendations for more empirical work that would uncover district leadership approaches that influence the success of the districts and support school improvement.
Does Volatility in Government Borrowing Leads to Higher Inflation? Evidence from Pakistan

This study analyzes the impact of volatility in government borrowing from central bank (GBCB) on domestic inflation in Pakistan. This paper utilizes Generalized Auto Regressive Conditional Hetroskedasticity (GARCH) model to estimate volatility in GBCB using monthly data from July 1992 to June 2007. The empirical results, based on auto regressive distributed lag (ARDL) with bound testing technique suggest that domestic inflation in Pakistan is related with volatility in government borrowing from central bank in the long run. Furthermore, error correction model (ECM) estimates show that in the short run, inflation is also affected by volatility in GBCB.
The dynamics of structure across scale in a primaeval European beech stand

We explored the spatial dynamics of structural complexity in the living tree stratum in a 10-ha stem-mapped portion of an unmanaged nearly monospecific primaeval European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) stand in Western Ukraine. Development dynamics were assessed through patterns of change in association across scales (from 156.25 m 2 to 1 ha) among stand basal area (BA), tree density, average and standard deviation (STD) of tree diameters, Gini coefficient (GC), the indexof spatial aggregation (R), diameter differentiation index (T) and structural complexity index (SCI). At the smallest scales, STD, GC and Tcontrasted patches of differing structure (i.e. large between-patchstructuraldifferences). Assubplotareaincreasedandincorporatedmoreheterogeneity,structural differences between subplots became more subtle and measures of tree-to-tree size variation (STD, T) lost sensitivitywhereasitwasgainedformeasuresofoverallwithin-patchheterogeneity(GC). Atsmallscales,differencesin STDlargelyexplainedvariationintheSCI(between-plotvariability);atintermediatescales,sizedifferencesamong neighbours(T)explainedmostofthevariability;andatlargescales,plot-leveldifferencesinBAanditsallocationto trees of different sizes (GC; within-plot variability) overrode size differences among nearest neighbours. The characterization of a fine-scale shifting mosaic of patches in different development stages appears to hold for primaeval beech forests in this spatially contiguous area of relatively large extent. The coalescence of small-scale processes into neighbourhoods, and then into patches at larger scales, may be best captured by the change in associations among structural measures across scales because the structural imprint of gap dynamics extends considerably beyond the scale of individual gaps.
Genotyping of Rotavirus by Using RT-PCR Methods

There is a great diversity of rotavirus genotypes circulating worldwide, with dominant genotypes changing from year to year. Rotavirus genotyping was performed by using reverse transcription PCR with type-specifi c-primers. Since rotavirus is a RNA virus that has high mutation rate, there was a possibility of technical diffi culty in genotyping due to mutation in the primer binding sites. During Indonesian rotavirus surveillance study 2006-2009, it was reported that 17% of samples subjected for G type and 21% of samples subjected for P type were untypeable. The objective of this study was to identify genotypes of the samples that were untypeable previously using RT-PCR based on the method described by Das et al. (1994) and Gentsch et al. (1992). There were 30 samples subjected to G type and 61 samples subjected to P type to be re-typed using method described by Gouvea et al. (1990) and Simmond et al. (2008) for G and P typing, respectively. By using another set of primer, the genotype of all samples was identifi ed. This study highlights the importance of a constant reconsideration of primer sequences employed for the molecular typing of rotaviruses. Key words: rotavirus, G typing, P typing
Aerosol properties, source identification, and cloud processing in orographic clouds measured by single particle mass spectrometry on a central European mountain site during HCCT-2010

Abstract. Cloud residues and out-of-cloud aerosol particles with diameters between 150 and 900 nm were analysed by online single particle aerosol mass spectrometry during the 6-week study Hill Cap Cloud Thuringia (HCCT)-2010 in September–October 2010. The measurement location was the mountain Schmucke (937 m a.s.l.) in central Germany. More than 160 000 bipolar mass spectra from out-of-cloud aerosol particles and more than 13 000 bipolar mass spectra from cloud residual particles were obtained and were classified using a fuzzy c-means clustering algorithm. Analysis of the uncertainty of the sorting algorithm was conducted on a subset of the data by comparing the clustering output with particle-by-particle inspection and classification by the operator. This analysis yielded a false classification probability between 13 and 48 %. Additionally, particle types were identified by specific marker ions. The results from the ambient aerosol analysis show that 63 % of the analysed particles belong to clusters having a diurnal variation, suggesting that local or regional sources dominate the aerosol, especially for particles containing soot and biomass burning particles. In the cloud residues, the relative percentage of large soot-containing particles and particles containing amines was found to be increased compared to the out-of-cloud aerosol, while, in general, organic particles were less abundant in the cloud residues. In the case of amines, this can be explained by the high solubility of the amines, while the large soot-containing particles were found to be internally mixed with inorganics, which explains their activation as cloud condensation nuclei. Furthermore, the results show that during cloud processing, both sulfate and nitrate are added to the residual particles, thereby changing the mixing state and increasing the fraction of particles with nitrate and/or sulfate. This is expected to lead to higher hygroscopicity after cloud evaporation, and therefore to an increase of the particles' ability to act as cloud condensation nuclei after their cloud passage.
Evaluating Dense 3d Reconstruction Software Packages for Oblique Monitoring of Crop Canopy Surface

Abstract. Crop Surface Models (CSMs) are 2.5D raster surfaces representing absolute plant canopy height. Using multiple CMSs generated from data acquired at multiple time steps, a crop surface monitoring is enabled. This makes it possible to monitor crop growth over time and can be used for monitoring in-field crop growth variability which is useful in the context of high-throughput phenotyping. This study aims to evaluate several software packages for dense 3D reconstruction from multiple overlapping RGB images on field and plot-scale. A summer barley field experiment located at the Campus Klein-Altendorf of University of Bonn was observed by acquiring stereo images from an oblique angle using consumer-grade smart cameras. Two such cameras were mounted at an elevation of 10 m and acquired images for a period of two months during the growing period of 2014. The field experiment consisted of nine barley cultivars that were cultivated in multiple repetitions and nitrogen treatments. Manual plant height measurements were carried out at four dates during the observation period. The software packages Agisoft PhotoScan, VisualSfM with CMVS/PMVS2 and SURE are investigated. The point clouds are georeferenced through a set of ground control points. Where adequate results are reached, a statistical analysis is performed.
Fault‐related folds above the source fault of the 2004 mid‐Niigata Prefecture earthquake, in a fold‐and‐thrust belt caused by basin inversion along the eastern margin of the Japan Sea

[1] The 2004 mid-Niigata Prefecture earthquake occurred in a fold-and-thrust belt that has been growing since late Pliocene time in a Miocene rift basin along the eastern margin of the Japan Sea. We constructed the trajectory of the subsurface faults responsible for the growth of the folds from the geologic structure and stratigraphy in the source region, assuming that the folds have been growing as fault-related folds because of inclined antithetic shear with a dip of 85° in the hanging wall above a single reverse fault. The fault trajectory constructed from the fold geometries nearly coincides with the geometries of the source fault of the main shock of the 2004 earthquake revealed by aftershocks, which supports that the rupture was along a geologic fault that has ruptured repeatedly during the last a few million years. A three-dimensional fault model based on 12 fault trajectories constructed along parallel sections revealed that the main shock occurred on a convex bend in the fault surface and that the southern termination of the aftershock distribution nearly coincides with a concave bend in the fault. The close relation between the source fault and the geologic structure shows that it is possible to construct source fault geometry assuming inclined shear as deformation mechanism of a hanging wall and to infer the rupture areas from geologic data.
The Dependence Structure of Macroeconomic Variables in the US

A central role for economic policy involves reducing the incidence of systemic down-turns, when key economic variables experience joint extreme events. In this paper, we empirically analyze such dependence using two approaches, correlations and copulas. We document four findings. First, linear correlations and copulas disagree substantially about the nation’s dependence structure, indicating correlation complexity in the US economy. Second, GDP exhibits linear dependence with interest rates and prices, but no extreme dependence with the latter. This is consistent with the existence of liquidity traps. Third, GDP exhibits asymmetric extreme dependence with employment, consumption and investment, with relatively greater dependence during downturns. Fourth, money is neutral, especially during extreme economic conditions.
Measuring coastal cliff retreat in the Kongsfjorden area, Svalbard, using terrestrial photogrammetry

As part of the international project Arctic Coastal Dynamics, results from two sites for measuring coastal cliff retreat in the Kongsfjorden area in Svalbard (79 ° N, 13 ° E) are presented. The two sites were established in August 2002 and revisited in August 2004. Photographs with stereo coverage were taken at distances of 7 and 15 m from the cliff walls with a 60-mm Hasselblad camera mounted on a theodolite. Fixed points were established by drilling bolts into the cliff wall and were then surveyed. These fixed points were used as control points for orientation of the photogrammetric models. Digital photogrammetry applied to scanned photographs of the sites resulted in a detailed digital terrain model (DTM) for each site and year. The coastal cliff retreat rates were found by differencing the DTMs of 2002 and 2004. As a result of the short distance between camera and cliff, the DTM differencing was accurate down to 10 mm at least. The results show a yearly retreat of 2.7 and 3.1 mm. These rates are taken to be significant as most of the retreat takes place within small areas with rates well above the accuracy limits of the technique. The results are analysed and discussed in light of earlier rock-wall retreat studies in the same area.
Nurses’ International Migration and the Crystallizing ‘Culture of Exile’ in Nigeria: Historical Trends, Dynamics and Consequences

This paper examines an oft-neglected feature of international migration: social changes (disruptions and/or dislocations of their normal ways of living) in source societies in response to the exigencies of these migrations, and their eventual consequences. It demonstrates how policies in developed economies inadvertently impact on developing societies by creating new social conditions. An exploratory case of Nigerian nurses’ international migration, the paper takes the hypothetical perspective that the socioeconomic effects of migration have engendered a crystallizing ‘culture of exile’ among significant youth populations. It examines the lures/motivation of nurse training and establishes a new dominant drive – the urge to migrate to developed, high-income economies. This development is a direct result of the long-term ‘progressive impact’ of migrated nurses’ remittances in local societies. The paper shows how locals’ belief in the high probability of nurses to attract ‘overseas’ suitors/spouses also feeds into the narrative. The development dire consequences were also highlighted.
Can Targeted, Non-Cognitive Skills Programs Improve Achievement? Evidence from Epis

EPIS is an original and large private-sector program aimed at improving student achievement and eroding early school leaving at Portuguese state schools. The program first screens students to focus only on those more likely to perform poorly; and then conducts a number of small-group sessions aimed at improving the non-cognitive skills (e.g. study skills, motivation, self-esteem) of the selected students. Our quasi-experimental evidence of the effects of EPIS is drawn from rich longitudinal student data and the different timings in the roll-out of the program, both within and across schools. The results indicate that the program reduced grade retention by at least 10 percentage points and did so in a cost effective way.
A Meta-Analysis of 36 Crisis Intervention Studies

This article is designed to increase our knowledge base about effective and contraindicated types of crisis intervention. A number of crisis intervention studies focus on the extent to whichpsychiatricmorbidity(e.g.,depressivedisorders,suicideideation, andposttraumatic stress disorder) was reduced as a result of individual or group crisis interventions or multicomponent critical incident stress management (CISM). In addition, family preservation, also known as in-home intensive crisis intervention, focused on the extent to which out-of-home placement of abused children was reduced at follow-up. There are a small number of evidence-based crisis intervention programs with documented effectiveness. This exploratory meta-analysis of the crisis intervention research literature assessed the results of the most commonly used crisis intervention treatment modalities. This exploratory meta-analysis documented high average effect sizes that demonstrated that both adults in acute crisis or with trauma symptoms and abusive families in acute crisis can be helped with intensive crisis intervention and multicomponent CISM in a large number of cases. We conclude that intensive home-based crisis intervention with families as well as multicomponent CISM are effective interventions. Crisis intervention is not a panacea, and booster sessions are often necessary several months to 1 year after completion of the initial intensive crisis intervention program. Good diagnostic criteria are necessary in using this modality because not all situations are appropriate for it. [Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention 6:10–21 (2006)]