Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Shale-Facies Microfossils from the Proterozoic Bylot Supergroup, Baffin Island, Canada

Organic-walled microfossils are reported from the Borden Rift Basin of northern Baffin Island and Bylot Island. The diverse assemblage, obtained by palynological acid maceration, comprises 39 taxa and occurs in fine-grained siliciclastic and carbonate units from all but the two lowermost formations of the Bylot Supergroup; their age is bracketed between 1,270 and 750 Ma. Of 307 samples analyzed from all parts of the basin, 133 yielded identifiable remains. The microbiota comprises the following taxa: Siphonophycus septatum, S. robustum, S. rugosum n. comb. , S. kestron, S. capitaneum, Pellicularia tenera, Polythrichoides lineatus, Obruchevella valdaica, Karamia? sp. , opaque filaments, Oscillatoriopsis spp. , Palaeolyngbya sp. , Arctacellularia tetragonala n. comb. , A. ellipsoidea, Chlorogloeaopsis contexta n. comb. , C. kanshiensis n. comb. , Navifusa bacillaris n. comb. , N. majensis, N. actinomorpha n. comb. , Leiosphaeridia minutissima, L. tenuissima, L. crassa, L. jacutica, L. ternata, Lophosphaeridium granulatum, Valeria lophostriata, Pterospermopsimorpha insolita, Eomicrocystis elegans, E. malgica, Symplassosphaeridium spp. , Synsphaeridium spp. , Satka squamifera, Satka spp. , Coneosphaera arctica n. sp. , Coneosphaera sp. , Spumosina rubiginosa, and Fabiformis baffinensis n. sp. The taxon Palaeocalothrix divaricatus, present in some macerates, is possibly a modern fungal contaminant. Abundance and taxonomic diversity varies considerably between formations and environments, with the Arctic Bay Formation exhibiting the greatest productivity and species diversity of the seven formations studied, and the transgressive muddy shelf deposits being the most productive of the 11 environments recognized. This microfossil assemblage of predominantly planktonic species has distinctive taxa in common with Middle to Late Riphean sequences in Siberia (Lakhanda and Miroedikha Groups, ca. 950 to 850 Ma), the lower part of the Thule Group (< 1,270 Ma) in northwest Greenland, the Fury and Hecla Group in western Baffin Island, and taxa reported from the upper part of the Bushimay Supergroup in Zaire. On the other hand, some elements in the Bylot Supergroup are more characteristic of Vendian beds on the Russian Platform, indicating longer stratigraphic ranges for such taxa than previously thought. The compositional similarity between the Borden Basin and Siberian sequences supports palinspastic reconstructions juxtaposing Siberia and Laurentia during the middle to late Proterozoic, and the opening of the Poseidon Ocean.
Multimodal enactment of characters in conference presentations

In academic oral genres such as conference presentations, speakers resort to more than words to convey meaning. Research also suggests that persuasion, an important element of the communicative purpose of conference presentations, is frequently achieved through a combination of semiotic modes. Therefore, a skilful orchestration of these modes can be considered key to achieving effective communication in this genre. However, our understanding of persuasion has often focused on specific elements of the message considered in isolation and mainly from the linguistic perspective. Relatively little attention has been paid to the overall persuasive effect achieved by the complex multimodal ensemble. This study approaches the analysis of persuasive strategies in conference presentations combining multimodal discourse analysis and ethnographic methods. It focuses on a particular attention-getting technique: enactment of characters, or acting the part of a person that is being referred to. Our analysis shows how it is achieved through the orchestration of different modes such as words, intonation, gestures, head movements, gaze and facial expression.
Evaluation of Stiffness Degradation Curves from in Situ Tests in Various Soil Types

Abstract Increasingly complex design systems require an individual approach when determining the necessary design parameters. As soils are characterized by strong strain-dependent nonlinearity, test methods used to characterize the subsoil should be carefully selected, in terms of their “sensitivity” as well as suitability for the analyzed type of problem. When direct measurements are not available, while design calculation models require specific parameters, indirect parameter estimation may be used. This approach requires calibration and validation of empirical correlations, based on well documented database of tests and case studies. One of the parameters often used, when analyzing soil-structure interaction problems, is the shear stiffness of the soil and its strain-dependent degradation. The aim of the article is to present the procedure for description and evaluation of soil stiffness based on field tests (CPTU, DMT and SDMT) and a large number of reference curves obtained from laboratory tests (TRX) for selected soil types. On the basis of the given algorithm, it is possible to obtain a stiffness module G0 value at any level of deformation, based on in-situ tests.
Improving the Bag-of-Words model with Spatial Pyramid matching using data augmentation for fine-grained arbitrary-oriented ship classification

ABSTRACT In this letter, we investigate fine-grained classification of arbitrary-oriented ships in very high resolution optical imagery using Bag of Word model with Spatial Pyramid (SP-BoW). Given that based on ‘spatial pyramid’ of the histogram of local features, the final feature vectors not only count the multiplicity of ‘words’ but also represent their spatial topology. We attempt to improve the performance of this model by introducing augmented data for training phase. Our aim is to make the dataset big enough to be able to capture holistic variation of ship orientation. Three data augmentation operations are used including random rotate by an angle of modulo 90°, random flip-left-right, and random flip-top-bottom. Through this procedure, our trained SP-BoW model is able to get better generalization. The proposed approach is validated on the High-Resolution Ship Collections 2016 (HRSC2016) ship dataset. The results indicate that training on augmented data can significantly improve the performance of SP-BoW. Beside, compared to other state-of-the-art convolutional neural network-based approaches, the approach proposed in this research has yielded competitive results and could make it a good baseline for evaluating more sophisticated CNN architecture in the future.
Effect of Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense) and Musk Thistle (Carduus nutans) Control on Grass Herbage

All herbicide treatments controlled the initial stand of Canada thistle [Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. ] and musk thistle (Carduus nutans L.) on a subirrigated range site. Annual retreatment controlled seedlings and the few plants that emerged from surviving root remnants after the first application. Average perennial grass production on unfertilized, herbicide-treated plots increased 110, 314, and 212%/yr over unfertilized check plots during the 3-yr period of treatment, i.e., 960, 3450, and 4300 kg/ha, respectively. Grasses did not fully reoccupy the site at the end of 3 consecutive yr of excellent thistle and forb control. The increase in grass production varied considerably among several herbicide treatments that controlled thistles equally. Grass production in the third year was greater under the 3,6-dichloropicolinic acid and 2,4-D [(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)acetic acid] treatment series than all other treatments. Ammonium nitrate enhanced the recovery of grass damaged by certain herbicides, but favored the competitive ability of the thistle more than that of the grasses.
FOUNDATIONS – Integrating Evidence-based Teaching and Learning Practices into the Core Engineering Curriculum

Gail P. Baxter is the Co-Director, Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education (CIESE) at Stevens Institute of Technology. Baxter leads CIESE research and evaluation efforts on several national and statewide K-12 STEM curriculum development and teacher professional development programs and she manages a program to support faculty adoption of evidence-based teaching practices in the core courses in the School of Engineering at Stevens. Before joining CIESE, Baxter was a Senior Survey Researcher at Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., Senior Research Scientist at Educational Testing Service, and an Assistant Professor in the Graduate School of Education at the University of Michigan. In addition, she served on National Academy of Sciences Committees on Foundations of Educational and Psychological Assessment and Evaluation of National and State Assessments of Educational Progress. She earned a PhD in Educational Psychology from UC Santa Barbara.
Effect of Capital Structure on Corporate Liquidity and Growth: Evidence from Tobacco Industry in Pakistan

Financing decision is one of the important areas in financial management to attain high profitability, assets utilization, market value and growth rate. This research paper measures the effect and relationship between capital structure, liquidity and growth in the Pakistan tobacco industry. It analyzes whether the capital structure affects corporate liquidity and growth within the firms. To that affect, four leverage ratios are used to define capital structure, four liquidity ratios are used to define liquidity and two marketability ratios with four profitability ratios are assumed for corporate growth. Leverages ratios provide a guideline to see the company’s method of financing and its solvency, while the liquidity ratios measure the amount of liquid assets and whether these are enough to meet the current obligations. Similarly, the corporate growth is defined by considering market measures and profitability ratios. The purpose is to find out how firms’ financing decisions affect the corporate liquidity and growth in tobacco industry. Secondary data of tobacco companies listed on Karachi stock exchange over the period of 2011- 2016 is used. The regression test applied on calculated ratios demonstrated that leverage influences corporate liquidity and growth. It finds that tobacco companies are depending on debt financing and holding high proportion of short term debt. It is also explored that tobacco companies are highly liquid, attaining good market position and enjoying high profits which shows that leverage is positively related to corporate liquidity and growth.
Perceived importance and performance of System of Rice Intensification (SRI) Between adopters and Dis-adopters: Insights from Indonesia

System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is an innovative approach to increase rice production. This study examines the perceived importance and performance of six system of rice intensification (SRI) attributes by adopters and dis-adopters in Indonesia. The six attributes identified were ‘profit’, ‘risk’ ‘effort’, ‘compatibility’, ‘assurance’, and ‘simplicity’. The importance-performance analysis revealed that ‘profit’ was the primary attribute. It was followed by ‘risk’ and ‘effort’. However, their below average performance caused them to fall into the ‘concentrate here’ quadrant. These major weaknesses require immediate attention for an improvement in the uptake of SRI to occur. Given that local rice systems are competitive, SRI is more likely to be adopted and continued in use when it clearly demonstrates a degree of profitability that sufficiently outweighs its costs, associated risks and efforts, and opportunity costs. Market-based (i.e. access to high value market/returns) solutions are more sustainable (than government incentives) and therefore recommended. This study has made an important contribution to previous understanding of innovation diffusion by demonstrating the importance and performance of SRI attributes as perceived by Indonesian adopters and dis-adopters.
Biological aspects of the marine crab Plagusia depressa (Fabricius, 1775) on the northeast coast of Brazil

ABSTRACT The marine crab Plagusia depressa, despite its broad geographic range, is not well known. Here, we attempt to fill this gap by studying several aspects of its biology. We sampled P. depressa in the reefs of Coruripe, Brazil and investigated the sex ratio, body size, maturity, the allometric growth of the gonopod in males and of the abdomen in females, the reproductive effort, the breeding season and the influence of environmental variables. We found that 1) the sex ratio, overall, does not deviate from 1:1; 2) females (33.71±10.62 mm) are larger than males (30.45±9.94 mm; t1,764: -4.40, p<0.001); 3) males (23.42±0.24 mm) mature at smaller sizes than females (26.78±0.19 mm); 4) the growth of the gonopod is positive allometric in juveniles (slope = 1.66±0.04), but negative allometric in adolescents (0.93±0.02) and adults (slope = 0.86±0.03). In females, the abdomen undergoes a positive allometry in juveniles (slope = 1.74±0.04) and adolescents (slope = 1.97±0.09), but an isometric growth in adults (slope = 0.99±0.04); 5) the breeding period is continuous and not influenced by rainfall, water temperature and salinity; 6) egg mass strongly increases with body mass (slope = 1.56, R2=0.84, p<0.001).
Counterexamples to Kodaira’s vanishing and Yau’s inequality in positive characteristics

WegeneralizeTango’stheoremontheFrobeniusmapoftheﬁrstcohomology groups to higher-dimensional algebraic varieties in characteristic p > 0 . As an applica-tion we construct counterexamples to Kodaira vanishing in higher dimension and prove the Ramanujam-type vanishing on surfaces which are not of general type when p ≥ 5 .
What Makes a Good Research Consultant?

Statistical and research consulting is defined as the collaboration of a statistician or methodologist with another professional for devising solutions to research problems. An in-depth, interview qualitative approach was taken to answer the research question of what makes a good research consultant. The authors interviewed four faculty members in the field of statistics and research methods and two experienced graduate student consultants. In-depth, face-to-face interviews revealed common themes regarding consultancy skills, resourcefulness, communication and interpersonal skills. The participants discussed how to improve consulting sessions and deal with clients with different statistics levels and backgrounds. Participants felt there was no difference in how they approached a qualitative vs. quantitative consulting session. Finally, all the participants stated that the training of graduate student consultants can be improved by project-based coursework.
The true 99th percentile of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin for the hospital population: an observational cohort study - the CHARIOT Study

Objective: clinicians use the cardiac troponin (cTn) assay to aid in the diagnosis of an acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Each assay manufacturer provides the 99th percentile for cTn levels in a group of healthy individuals, and this level is taken as the upper limit of normal (ULN). The objective of this study was to determine the distribution, and specifically the true 99th percentile, for the whole hospital population, using the cTn assay currently employed routinely at our institution. Design: prospective study of 20,000 consecutive patients undergoing blood sampling for any reason at a large teaching hospital. Hs-cTnI concentrations (Beckman Coulter Access AccuTnI+3 assay) were nested for analysis in all cases except those in whom the supervising physician had requested hs-cTnI for clinical reasons. Setting: University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust (UHS). Participants: 20,000 consecutive individuals, inpatient or outpatient, undergoing blood tests at UHS for any clinical reason. Main outcome measures: distribution of hs-cTnI concentrations of all study patients, and specifically the 99th percentile. Results: the 99th percentile of hs-cTnI for the whole population (n=20,000) was 296 ng/L, compared to a manufacturer quoted 99th percentile of 40 ng/L (currently used clinically as the ULN). In 1 in 20 (5.4%, n=1080) of the total population hs-cTnI concentrations were above 40 ng/L. After exclusion of individuals diagnosed with an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) (n=122), or those in whom troponin was requested (n=1707), the 99th percentile for the remainder (n=18,171) was 189 ng/L. The 99th percentile for inpatients (n=4759) and outpatients (n=9280) was 563 ng/L and 65 ng/L, respectively. Patients from the emergency department (n=3706) had a 99th percentile of 215 ng/L, with 6.1% (n=225) above the quoted ULN. 39.02% (n=48) of all individuals from the critical care units (n=123) and 14.16% (n=67) of all medical inpatients had a hs-cTnI concentration above the quoted ULN. Conclusions: in 20,000 consecutive patients undergoing a blood test for any reason at this hospital 1 in 20 have a hs-cTnI above the supplied ULN. These data highlight the need for clinical staff to interpret hs-cTnI concentrations carefully, particularly when applying the supplied ULN to diagnose AMI. The use of hs- cTnI to diagnose AMI in any patient could lead to misdiagnosis in the absence of an appropriate clinical presentation.
Organic tracers of fine aerosol particles in central Alaska: summertime composition and sources

Abstract. PM2.5 aerosols were collected at Fairbanks (64.51∘ N and 147.51∘ W) in central Alaska during the summer of 2009 and analyzed for organic tracer compounds using a gas chromatograph–mass spectrometer. The organic compounds were grouped into 14 classes based on their functional groups and sources. Concentrations of the total organics measured ranged from 113 to 1664 ng m−3 (avg 535 ng m−3). Anhydrosugars (avg 186 ng m−3) and n-alkanoic acids (avg 185 ng m−3) were 2 major classes among the 14 compound classes. The similar temporal trends and strong positive correlations among anhydrosugars and n-alkanoic acids demonstrated that biomass burning (BB) is the major source of organic aerosols (OAs) in central Alaska. The dominance of higher molecular weight n-alkanoic acids over lower molecular weight homologs and their carbon preference index (5.6–9.8) confirmed that they were mostly emitted from plant waxes during BB in central Alaska. The mass concentration ratios of levoglucosan to mannosan denoted that softwood is the main biomass burned. The rainfall event distinctly enhanced the levels of mannitol and arabitol due to the growth of fungi and active discharge of fungal spores in the subarctic region. Molecular compositions of biogenic secondary organic aerosol (BSOA) tracers inferred that isoprene is a crucial precursor of BSOA over central Alaska. Our results suggest forest fires and plant emissions to be the crucial factors controlling the levels and molecular composition of OAs in central Alaska. We propose that PM2.5 laden with OAs derived in central Alaska may significantly impact the air quality and climate in the Arctic via long-range atmospheric transport.
Financial profitability of green chilli production: a case study in Bogra district of Bangladesh

The study aims to assess financial profitability of green chilli. Fifty producers of green chilli from three upazila of Bogra district were selected for study purpose. A structured questionnaire was constructed for data collection. The results are as descriptive statistics and interpreted based on farmer feedbacks. Findings include that total cost (TC) for green Chilli is Tk. 128011.13; gross return (GR) of Green Chilli is Tk. 240864; gross margin (GM) for green Chilli is Tk. 137698. All the calculations are based on per hectare. Thus, producing green Chilli net return (NR) is Tk. 112852.87. The green chilli is attractive for farmers to produce as its benefit cost ratio (BCR) shows 1.88 in our study. Lack of agricultural credit, lack of farmer’s association and lack of crop insurance were the major problems for green chilli cultivation. Farmers expect to avail sufficient credit facilities along with regular government extension services, strong market monitoring authority and better transportation facilities for assisting Chilli cultivation. Moreover, a farmers’ association is needed to be formed in chilli production area.
Palliative Intervention for Mitigating Fatigue and Sleep Inefficiency among Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Clients

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a public health problem cause mortality. Palliative intervention is supportive in managing, and helping clients living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Aim: This study aims to evaluate the effect of palliative care intervention for mitigating fatigue and sleep inefficiency among chronic obstructive pulmonary disease clients. Design: A quasi-experimental design was used. Setting: The study was conducted in Chest Outpatient Clinic, Ain Shams University Hospitals. Sample: A purposive sample comprised of 70 clients. Tools: A structured interview questionnaire was used to collect the data and included three parts: Part I. Client's demographic characteristics. Part II. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Part III. Fatigue Severity Scale. Results: The sleep quality index was improved from 7.1% of clients had good sleep quality pre intervention to 85.7% post intervention and also fatigue severity was improved from 90% of them had high fatigue pre intervention to 4.3% post intervention with highly statistically significant positive correlation between total fatigue and sleep quality index among chronic obstructive pulmonary disease clients (p= Conclusion: The palliative care intervention had a positive effect on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease clients and helped them to mitigate sleep inefficiency, which led to reduce fatigue. Recommendations: An illustrated booklet containing information about benefits of gradual relaxation exercises should be available in all chest outpatient clinics. Training of the nurses on how to apply the palliative care intervention to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease clients.
Effects of Competition in Violent and Nonviolent Video Games on Aggressive/Prosocial Behavior

Effects of Competition in Violent and Nonviolent Video Games on Aggressive/Prosocial Behavior Christopher Edward Hawk Department of Psychology, BYU Doctor of Philosophy Previous research shows that playing violent video games leads to increases in aggressive feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. However, recent research has questioned the reliability of these findings. Two important variables associated with aggressive outcomes that have yet to be fully explored in the violent video game literature are the competitive aspects of the games and the outcomes of that competition (e.g., winning or losing). The present study was a two (gameplay: violent vs. nonviolent) by two (difficulty: easy vs. hard) by three (competition: no competition vs. competition win vs. competition lose) between-subjects factorial design, with aggressive/prosocial behavior measured as the dependent variable. Results revealed only a significant main effect for competition, such that participants became more aggressive after playing a competitive, as opposed to a noncompetitive game (i.e., regardless as to whether the participant won or lost). Although, there were some violations of the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) assumptions, additional data examining the reasons why respondents behaved the way they did confirmed the initial finding. The present study supports the assertion that competition in video games has an independent and significant effect on subsequent aggression regardless of the level of violence in a video game.