Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
How cracks modify permeability and introduce velocity dispersion: Examples of glass and basalt

The porosity of igneous rocks is usually very small, although for some basalts it can be nonnegligible due to gas exsolution. In the case of glass, it is vanishingly small. Why is it of any interest to look at this kind of material from the point of view of rock physics? Two series of reasons indeed motivate such investigations.
The effects of students' meta-cognitive abilities and gender on the development of their foreign language skills

This study of meta-cognitive abilities and their impact on the development of foreign language skills makes a significant contribution to research into foreign language teaching and learning in general. The study presented in this paper was carried out on a large sample of university students in Serbia, illustrating its relevance to this educational setting. The study looks at the use of metacognitive strategies examined through the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) questionnaire (Oxford, 1990) as well as the effects of gender on the development of students’ language skills, as reported through self-assessment. Five out of nine elements of meta-cognitive strategy were found to be predictive of self-assessment of language skills. This finding supports the assumption that the use of meta-cognitive strategies is important in building language skills. However, the study failed to discover evidence of differences in learning strategy use between genders, since only one out of nine elements was found to be statistically significant. The study found a relationship between gender and students’ perception of their own language skills. Men scored higher than women on all four variables, which means they assessed their own language skills better than the women did. The pedagogical implications are to consider didactic instructions that would encourage students to identify a problem in foreign language learning and to realize the ways in which actions are regulated, which would lead to a solution of the problem.
Integrative model for the selection of a new product launch strategy, based on ANP, TOPSIS and MCGP: a case study

AbstractNew product launch strategy is a key competitive advantage for a new product development. A new product launch is a multiple criteria decision-making problem, which involves evaluating different criteria or attributes in a strategy selection process. The purpose of this paper is to develop a qualitative and quantitative approach for the selection of a new product launch strategy. The current study proposes an integrated approach, integrating analytic network process, the technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution and multi-choice goal programming, which can be used to determine the best launch strategy for marketing problems. The advantage of this integrated method is that it enables the consideration of both tangible (qualitative) and intangible (quantitative) criteria as well as both “more/higher is better” (e.g., benefit criteria) and “less/lower is better” (e.g., cost criteria) in the launch strategy of a new product selection problem. To show the practicality and useful.
The need to report effect size estimates revisited. An overview of some recommended measures of effect size

Recent years have witnessed a growing number of published reports that point out the need for reporting various effect size estimates in the context of null hypothesis testing (H0) as a response to a tendency for reporting tests of statistical significance only, with less attention on other important aspects of statistical analysis. In the face of considerable changes over the past several years, neglect to report effect size estimates may be noted in such fields as medical science, psychology, applied linguistics, or pedagogy. Nor have sport sciences managed to totally escape the grips of this suboptimal practice: here statistical analyses in even some of the current research reports do not go much further than computing p-values. The p-value, however, is not meant to provide information on the actual strength of the relationship between variables, and does not allow the researcher to determine the effect of one variable on another. Effect size measures serve this purpose well. While the number of reports containing statistical estimates of effect sizes calculated after applying parametric tests is steadily increasing, reporting effect sizes with non-parametric tests is still very rare. Hence, the main objectives of this contribution are to promote various effect size measures in sport sciences through, once again, bringing to the readers’ attention the benefits of reporting them, and to present examples of such estimates with a greater focus on those that can be calculated for non-parametric tests
ANALYSIS OF ATTITUDE TOWARDS GREEN PURCHASE: PAKISTAN IN CONTEXT

The present study was conducted to analyze consumers’ attitudes towards the purchase of green products. The purpose of the study was to measure the level of ecological awareness which would hypothetically lead to a positive attitude towards green products. Sampling was done by approaching 300 people, out of which 280 responded to the measurement tool. The respondents were from semi government and multinational organizations across Rawalpindi and Islamabad, and were educated at a bachelors’ degree level or higher. The measurement tool was adopted from some previous researches in the same field. Correlation Coefficient, Regression, Independent Sample t-test and ANOVA were employed for analysis, which revealed that ecological awareness did not contribute to affecting an attitude towards green purchase. With respect to the responses of the two groups i.e. male and female, Independent Sample t-test showed that there was no significant difference. One – way ANOVA indicated that there were no significant differences in attitude with respect to age and education among different groups. The study concluded that ecological awareness of the consumers was found to be at a lower level than expected thus bearing no significant impact on their attitude towards green purchase.
Conceptual and Numerical Modeling of the BIG'95 Debris Flow, Western Mediterranean Sea

Abstract The BIG'95 debris flow affected 2,200 km2 of the Ebro continental slope and rise in the western Mediterranean Sea. The resulting deposit of sandy and silty mud has a volume of 26 km3 and is up to 150 m thick. Dating yields a minimum failure age of ca. 11,500 cal yr BP. Swath bathymetry data, very-high-resolution seismic reflection profiles, side-scan sonographs, and sediment cores indicate that the debris flow consisted of two main components: relatively coarse, more mobile material, which was mostly remolded during flow; and finer, more cohesive material, which moved as independent blocks and partially kept its internal coherence. These blocks were partially buoyant and were pushed and dragged up to 15 km by the mobile material. During transport the blocks broke into smaller fragments. The more mobile material kept on flowing, reaching almost 2,000 m water depth in the Valencia Channel after traveling ~ 110 km. In this paper, a conceptual and numerical model of the BIG'95 debris flow is investigated. The more mobile component has been modeled as a Bingham fluid with assigned rheological properties. The more cohesive material has been idealized as consisting of rigid blocks. Using a simplified end-member scenario, the blocks are modeled as being at rest and then moved by interaction with the mobile material. As the mobile material comes into contact with the blocks, the latter are subjected to interaction forces: the impact force, static earth-pressure force, shear force, and water drag, in addition to gravity and the Coulomb friction with the seafloor. Theoretical values for the internal friction angle of the blocks and the yield strength of the mobile material were adjusted to reproduce the observed run-outs of 15–20 km for the blocks and 70 km for the mobile material. The numerical results demonstrate that the proposed conceptual model is physically possible with input values of the order of 1° for the Coulomb frictional angle and 800 Pa for the yield strength. Such values, even if certainly low, are in line with recent estimates for other subaqueous debris flows, and might be explained by processes aiding mobilization such as hydroplaning and entrapment of more mobile material underneath the blocks. Alternatively, it might imply that the blocks were already in motion before the impact of the mobile material took place.
Learning and Soft Computing: Support Vector Machines, Neural Networks, and Fuzzy Logic Models

This textbook provides a thorough introduction to the field of learning from experimental data and soft computing. Support vector machines (SVM) and neural networks (NN) are the mathematical structures, or models, that underlie learning, while fuzzy logic systems (FLS) enable us to embed structured human knowledge into workable algorithms. The book assumes that it is not only useful, but necessary, to treat SVM, NN, and FLS as parts of a connected whole. Throughout, the theory and algorithms are illustrated by practical examples, as well as by problem sets and simulated experiments. This approach enables the reader to develop SVM, NN, and FLS in addition to understanding them. The book also presents three case studies: on NN-based control, financial time series analysis, and computer graphics. A solutions manual and all of the MATLAB programs needed for the simulated experiments are available.
The theory of two-electron atoms: between ground state and complete fragmentation

Since the first attempts to calculate the helium ground state in the early days of Bohr-Sommerfeld quantization, two-electron atoms have posed a series of unexpected challenges to theoretical physics. Despite the seemingly simple problem of three charged particles with known interactions, it took more than half a century after quantum mechanics was established to describe the spectra of two-electron atoms satisfactorily. The evolution of the understanding of correlated two-electron dynamics and its importance for doubly excited resonance states is presented here, with an emphasis on the concepts introduced. The authors begin by reviewing the historical development and summarizing the progress in measuring the spectra of two-electron atoms and in calculating them by solving the corresponding Schrodinger equation numerically. They devote the second part of the review to approximate quantum methods, in particular adiabatic and group-theoretical approaches. These methods explain and predict the striking regularities of two-electron resonance spectra, including propensity rules for decay and dipole transitions of resonant states. This progress was made possible through the identification of approximate dynamical symmetries leading to corresponding collective quantum numbers for correlated electron-pair dynamics. The quantum numbers are very different from the independent particle classification, suitable for low-lying states in atomic systems. The third section of the review describes modern semiclassical concepts and their application to two-electron atoms. Simple interpretations of the approximate quantum numbers and propensity rules can be given in terms of a few key periodic orbits of the classical three-body problem. This includes the puzzling existence of Rydberg series for electron-pair motion. Qualitative and quantitative semiclassical estimates for doubly excited states are obtained for both regular and chaotic classical two-electron dynamics using modern semiclassical techniques. These techniques set the stage for a theoretical investigation of the regime of extreme excitation towards the three-body breakup threshold. Together with periodic orbit spectroscopy, they supply new tools for the analysis of complex experimental spectra.
DEVELOPMENT AND SENSORY EVALUATION OF READY-TO- COOK IDLI MIX FROM BROWNTOP MILLET (Panicum ramosa)

Browntop millet (Panicum ramosa) is an annual warm season grass that used to prepare some foods in some parts of Karnataka. The present study was focused on development of ready-to-cook idli mix using browntop millet, by varying the levels of browntop millet and wheat semolina in the ratio of 100:0, 75:25, 50:50 and 0:100 respectively. The product was subjected to sensory evaluation, idli mix with 75 per cent millet was found to be best accepted with scores of 7.3, 7.3, 7.4, 7.4, 7.5 and 7.4 for appearance, texture, colour, aroma, taste and overall acceptability. The proximate composition of the idli mix was found to contain 9.71, 7.43, 1.52, 3.42 and 51.12 per cent of protein, fat, minerals, crude fibre and carbohydrates respectively. The product was stored for shelf life study for a period of 3 months at both refrigeration and ambient temperature. The stored product was subjected for sensory evaluation, which revealed that the mixes can be kept for three months both in ambient and refrigerated temperature without affecting quality.
Costunolide: A novel anti-cancer sesquiterpene lactone

Currently an ample interest is found among oncologists to explore anticancer compounds from herbs. Sesquiterpene lactones have accredited significant attention in pharmacological research. Costunolide is a well-known sesquiterpene lactone present in plants used as popular herbal remedy. Several plant-derived compounds are currently successfully employed in cancer treatment. Growing evidences demonstrated that costunolide possesses anticancer activities by inhibiting cell proliferation, tumor invasion, angiogenesis, metastasis and inducing apoptosis of a variety of tumor cell lines. This review is aimed to summarize the recent researches about costunolide focusing on anti-tumor activity and to lay emphasis on its molecular targets and its mechanisms, which may help the further design and conduct of preclinical and clinical trials.
IDENTIFYING STUDENTS’ SCIENTIFIC ARGUMENTATION SKILL AT JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL 1 ARGAMAKMUR, NORTH BENGKULU

This is a preliminary study aimed to identify students’ scientific argumentation skill at Junior High School 1, Argamakmur, North Bengkulu. The data were gathered by online survey to 8 science teachers in Bengkulu and test to 32 students of grade eight in Junior High School 1, Argamakmur, North Bengkulu. Online survey consisted of 4 questions focused on science learning issues. The essay test to obtain scientific argumentation skill consisted of 4 questions, where each question was covering four indicators of scientific argumentation: claim, data, warrant and backing. A valid scientific argumentation test was adopted from Putri (2016). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics by calculating the percentage of average score of teacher answers and students’ scientific argumentation skill as a whole. The data analysis revealed that the teachers argue that students’ scientific argumentation skill was still very low compared to others skill like the science process skill, critical thinking skill, creative thinking skill, scientific literacy skill and student independence and this statement supported by test result where the score of students’ argumentation skill achieved low category. This phenomenon might be caused by the lack of educational learning process that facilitates students in expressing their opinions according to scientific evidence both orally and in writing. This paper also offers an idea helping teachers to improve students’ scientific argumentation skill by implementing phenomenon-based learning with video assistance through a modified " flipped classroom " approach.
NDT_A_199456 2119..2128

Aixia Zhang Gaizhi Li Chunxia Yang Penghong Liu Yanfang Wang Lijun Kang Yuchen Wang Kerang Zhang 1Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, People’s Republic of China; 2Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, People’s Republic of China Purpose: We used parcellation based on 264 putative functional areas to explore the difference of amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) between refractory depression and non-refractory depression patients. Patients and methods: Sixty first episode drug-naive patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and 20 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited in this study; the MDD group was divided into a refractory depression (TRD) group (n=15) and a non-refractory depression (non-TRD) group (n=18) according to the treatment effect following up for 2 years. All the subjects underwent magnetic resonance imaging scanning and performed the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) and all the patients with MDD finished the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD17). We used a parcellation based on 264 putative functional areas to explore the difference of ALFF measures in the three groups. The correlation between the abnormal ALFF value and characteristics of MDD was examined. Results: RBANS total scores and index scores in the HCs were significantly different from that of the MDD group. HAMD-17 in the TRD group was significantly higher than that of non-TRD group. Relative to HCs, MDD groups showed significantly lower ALFF within the right default mode network, which was positively correlated with the immediate memory and language in the MDD group. Compared with the non-TRD group, the TRD group showed higher ALFF in the right sensory/somatomotor hand, right auditory and left default mode network. Conclusion: Dysfunction of the somatosensory areas, right auditory and left default mode network may be a marker for specific psychopathology symptoms of TRD.
Galactic evolution of rapid neutron capture process abundances: the inhomogeneous approach

For the origin of heavy r-process elements, different sources have been proposed, e.g., core-collapse supernovae or neutron star mergers. Old metal-poor stars carry the signature of the astrophysical source(s). Among the elements dominantly made by the r-process, europium (Eu) is relatively easy to observe. In this work we simulate the evolution of europium in our galaxy with the inhomogeneous chemical evolution model ’ICE’, and compare our results with spectroscopic observations. We test the most important parameters affecting the chemical evolution of Eu: (a) for neutron star mergers, the coalescence time scale of the merger (tcoal) and the probability to experience a neutron star merger event after two supernova explosions occurred and formed a double neutron star system (PNSM) and (b) for the sub-class of magneto-rotationally driven supernovae (”Jet-SNe”), their occurrence rate compared to standard supernovae (PJet−SN). We find that the observed [Eu/Fe] pattern in the galaxy can be reproduced by a combination of neutron star mergers and magneto-rotationally driven supernovae as r-process sources. While neutron star mergers alone seem to set in at too high metallicities, Jet-SNe provide a cure for this deficiency at low metallicities. Furthermore, we confirm that local inhomogeneities can explain the observed large spread in the europium abundances at low metallicities. We also predict the evolution of [O/Fe] to test whether the spread in α-elements for inhomogeneous models agrees with observations and whether this provides constraints on supernova explosion models and their nucleosynthesis.
Jointly Robust Prior for Gaussian Stochastic Process in Emulation, Calibration and Variable Selection

Gaussian stochastic process (GaSP) has been widely used in two fundamental problems in uncertainty quantification, namely the emulation and calibration of mathematical models. Some objective priors, such as the reference prior, are studied in the context of emulating (approximating) computationally expensive mathematical models. In this work, we introduce a new class of priors, called the jointly robust prior, for both the emulation and calibration. This prior is designed to maintain various advantages from the reference prior. In emulation, the jointly robust prior has an appropriate tail decay rate as the reference prior, and is computationally simpler than the reference prior in parameter estimation. Moreover, the marginal posterior mode estimation with the jointly robust prior can separate the influential and inert inputs in mathematical models, while the reference prior does not have this property. We establish the posterior propriety for a large class of priors in calibration, including the reference prior and jointly robust prior in general scenarios, but the jointly robust prior is preferred because the calibrated mathematical model typically predicts the reality well. The jointly robust prior is used as the default prior in two new R packages, called "RobustGaSP" and "RobustCalibration", available on CRAN for emulation and calibration, respectively.
Pomegranate improvement through clonal selection and hybridization in Elche

Spain is one of the most important pomegranate producers and exporters in the Mediterranean Basin. In spite of various pomegranate cultivars grown, sweet and soft seeds 'Mollar de Elche' and 'Valenciana' are the main varieties-population. This paper reports the activities in progress on pomegranate germplasm and breeding in the last ten years at Valencian Agricultural Research Institute (IVIA) in Elche. A collection of 35 accessions collected from different parts of Alicante was established and characterised. The collection has been implemented with new accessions. Hybridization between 'Mollar de Elche' and other foreign varieties was done in order to obtain darker skin and early ripening. Crossbred progenies were selected and they are being examined in an experimental orchard.
Do industries lead the stock market in Australia?: an examination of the gradual information diffusion hypothesis

Using the monthly data for more than 1700 Australian stocks over the period from 1990 to 2009, we extend the work of Hong et al (JFE, 2007) to investigate whether industry portfolio returns predict the aggregate market. We find that a few industries, such as general retailers, industrial engineering and oil equipment & services, significantly lead the market even controlling for wellrecognized market predictors. However, we do not find that the ability of an industry to predict the market is closely related to its capacity to forecast economic growth as documented by Hong et al (2007) for the U.S. markets. Instead, we find that the ability of an industry to lead the market is significantly moderated by proxies for investor recognition, providing evidence in support of the gradual-information-diffusion hypothesis. We also find that the predictive power of industry portfolio returns is weaker during periods of economic recession. Draft: 1 December 2011 JEL classification: G12, G14; E32 and E44.