Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mathematical Modeling of PAG‐ and NIPAM‐Based Polymer Gel Dosimeters Contaminated by Oxygen and Inhibitor

A mathematical model for crosslinking copolymerization of acrylamide (or NIPAM) and N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide is extended to account for contamination by oxygen and the inhibitor MEHO. This model improves basic understanding of interactions among oxygen, MEHO and polymerization reactions in gel dosimeters that are used to verify radiation doses delivered by cancer treatment equipment. Improved parameter estimates result in a good match between model predictions and data. The model predicts that a larger absorbed dose will be required to overcome the oxygen inhibition with increasing oxygen contamination, in agreement with experimental data. The model also predicts that MEHO, in the absence of oxygen, has almost no influence on dosimeter response.
Best-reply matching and the centipede game

In their paper on Best-Reply Matching (BRM), Droste, Kosfeld & Voorneveld (2003) obtained quite intuitive results for the centipede game. In this short paper we first show that these results derive from the application of their criterion to the reduced normal form of the game. Then we prove that applying their criterion to the normal form of the game leads to different results. Third we propose an extension of Droste, Kosfeld & Voorneveld’s criterion, which leads to the same results in both the reduced normal form and the normal form of a game. This extension leads to a larger set of behaviors, including the Subgame Perfect Nash equilibrium but also a limited rationality behavior that strongly sustains the continuation of the game.
Measuring the Economic Value of Public Relations

This study established a 2-step model to measure the economic value of public relations by testing 2 relationships: the impact of public relations expense on reputation as a goal of public relations and the economic impact of reputation on companies' bottom lines. The proposed model illustrated an appropriate fitting, and coefficients were statistically significant. All 3 hypotheses were supported. The proposed 2-stage model for measuring the economic impact of public relations activities was supported by integrating the results of the hypothesis tests. The model containing a latent public relations expense illustrates a new empirical method for public relations evaluation.
Effects of late growing‐season and late dormant‐season prescribed fire on herbaceous vegetation in restored pine‐grassland communities

We compared the effects of late dormant-season and late growing-season prescribed fires on herbaceous spe- cies in restored shortleaf pine- ( Pinus echinata) grassland communities in the Ouachita Highlands of western Arkansas. Herbaceous species richness, diversity, and total forb and legume abundance increased following fire. Late growing- season burns reduced distribution and abundance of panicums (primarily Panicum boscii, P. dichotomum, and P. lineari- folium) while late dormant-season burns increased Panicum distribution and abundance. Density of legumes (such as Stylosanthes biflora) increased following frequent or annual dormant-season fires. However, season of fire influenced the distribution and abundance of fewer than 10 % of the species. Fire plays an essential role in pine-grassland communities by creating and maintaining open canopy conditions that perpetu- ate understory herbaceous plant communities.
The long-term changes in soil organic matter contents and quality in Chernozems

Horáček J., Novák P., Liebhard P., Strosser E. , Babulicová M. (2017): The long-term changes in soil organic matter contents and quality in Chernozems. Plant Soil Environ. , 63: 8–13. For the purposes of assessment of long-term changes, two sets of Chernozems soil samples were analysed and compared in parallel: ‘old’ file samples obtained during the Soil Survey 1960–1970 in the former Czechoslovakia and a ‘present’ (2013) set of samples from exactly the same sites as the archive samples. The recently collected samples revealed worse qualitative parameters (lower humic acid to fulvic acid (HA/FA) ratios and higher colour quotient Q4/6 values) than the file samples, for all the localities. On the other side, the quantitative soil organic matter (SOM) parameters (oxidizable carbon (Cox) and all its determined components) showed contrary results. The amount of total SOM at the same sites is higher now than it was about 50 years ago. It can be concluded that the current decline in SOM quality in Chernozems is partly compensated for by higher accumulation of SOM in the soils. All the analysed Chernozem samples were found to have much worse qualitative SOM parameters than the values mentioned for this soil type in the older literature. However, a comparison of the current data and the file data of Chernozem SOM quality can still be considered an open issue and require more complex research.
Preliminary Lipid Analyses of Cores 49, 54, and 59 from Hole 462

The solvent-extractable lipids of Sections 462-49-4 (lower Maestrichtian), 462-54-2 (Campanian), and 462-59-1 (Cenomanian), from the Nauru Basin, were investigated for aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, ketones, alcohols, and acids, after separation into acid and neutral fractions. Detailed analyses of the total neutral fraction revealed only n-alkanes, steranes, and triterpanes present in sufficient concentration (>0.5 ng/100 g dry sediment for individual compounds) for component recognition. JV-alkanes (C19-C35) constitute the major component of each section, with the most abundant present as 10 (n-C^), 135 (n-C29), 17 (n-C26) ng/100 g dry sediment in Sections 462-49-4, 462-54-2, and 462-59-1, respectively. The results suggest a high degree of thermal maturity of the lipids, which is interpreted in terms of the high geothermal gradient (about 50°C/km) and the regional volcanicity. The lipid data also suggest that the major source of organic matter was terrestrial and that deposition took place in a low-productivity oxic environment.
Applying Data Mining to China’s Swine Farming Industry: A Compromise Perspective of Economic, Environmental and Overall Performances

The economic and environmental performances of the swine farming industry have always resulted in heated discussions in developing countries. Exploring the relationship between these features and the producers’ overall performance is the focus of this paper. For constructing multi-objective features that include the above features, a compromise approach for optimization is taken into consideration. For classifying the overall performance into different levels and detecting the effect of economic and environmental features on such features, an iteration scheme is developed in which the overall performance is treated as a target label. By neglecting this target label, a k-means clustering method is then used to help predict the producer’s overall performance given their economic and environmental features. In data pre-processing, correlation analysis for feature selection shows that the producer’s pollution emission and received regulation intensity largely affect its overall performance, while profit is found to be negatively correlated with pollution emission as regulation intensity is neglected. The classification result derived from the Silhouette Coefficient shows that the data set can be efficiently split into different groups in terms of the producer’s overall performance. The average distance between the objects in the low-performance group is larger than that of the high-performance group. The threshold position between the two groups is found to be largely dependent on the features of pollution emission and regulation intensity. The clustering result obtained by the k-means method shows good effectiveness and efficiency in separating the objects into different groups based on various features other than the overall performance. In 2- and 3-cluster cases, the result also shows evidence of the impact of economic and environmental features on the clustering result. The cross-validation analysis under a set of randomly chosen splitting points shows an increasing out-of-sample prediction quality with increases in training sample size. As one of the by-products of this paper, the geographical distribution in the clustering result is found partially consistent with the official report from Chinas central government regarding advantageous regions within the industry. In addition to current research, the ease of using the knowledge obtained in this paper for transfer learning is discussed.
Fungi toxic efficiency of some plant volatile essential oils against plant pathogenic fungi

Plant essential oils have the potential to replace the synthetic fungicides in the management of different fungal diseases. Four different essential oils of eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus), citronella (Cymbopogon citrate), karanj (Pongamia pinnata) and neem (Azadirachta indica) were selected because of their high inhibitory activities against ten phytopathogenic fungi. The antifungal screening for all the four Eos clearly indicates the effective lowest concentration to control the fungal growth. The more lower the MIC value, the better antifungal potency of the relative plant volatile E. globulus. Among the plant volatile essential oils, eucalyptus oil showed the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), i.e. 0.5 mg/disc. Higher MIC values were registered, in the order, for citronella, karanj and neem oils, singly used to control all the ten fungal pathogens. Highest zone of inhibition (ZI) values followed the same pattern. These results indicated that plant volatile essential oils after suitable formulation could be used to control of different fungal pathogens. This may encourage the farmers to produce organic commodities to generate more revenue. Key words Essential oils, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), zone of inhibition, fungal disease.
On V-r-invexity and vector variational-like inequalities

In this paper, we consider the multiobjective optimization problems involving the differentiable V-r-invex vector valued functions. Under the assumption of V-r-invexity, we use the Stampacchia type vector variational-like inequalities as tool to solve the vector optimization problems. We establish equivalence among the vector critical points, the weak efficient solutions and the solutions of the Stampacchia type weak vector variational-like inequality problems using Gordan’s separation theorem under the V-r-invexity assumptions. These conditions are more general than those appearing in the literature.
Luminescence chronostratigraphy for the loess deposits in Złota, Poland

Abstract Loess formations in Poland display a close relationship with cooling and warming trends of the Northern Hemisphere during the Pleistocene. Loess sequences sensitively record regional palaeoclimatic and palaeoecological changes. The Złota loess profile (21°39’E, 50°39’N) provides a unique opportunity to reconstruct climate conditions in the past in this part of Poland. This continuous sequence of loess and palaeosol deposits allows to distinguish between warmer and more humid climate which is favourable for soil development and much colder and dry periods which are conducive to loess accumulation. The silty and sandy aeolian material originates mainly from weathered rock surfaces affected by frost shattering or from glaciofluvial/fluvial deposits of river flood plains. In Poland, loess and loess-like formations occur in the southern part of the country, mostly in the south polish uplands, i.e. in the Lublin, Sandomierz, and Cracow Uplands. We used different techniques to establish a chronological framework for this site. 21 samples for luminescence dating were collected from the investigated loess profile in Złota. Infrared post-IR IRSL dating method was applied to the polymineral fine grains (4–11µm). The dating results are accompanied by detailed analyses of the geochemical composition, organic carbon and carbonate. Also, analysis of magnetic susceptibility and grain-size distribution were investigated. Based on such a large stratigraphic dataset an age-depth model using OxCal has also been constructed for this site.
Clinical Study IUGR Management : New Perspectives

Aim of the Study. Analyzing velocimetric (umbilical artery, UA; ductus venosus, DV; middle cerebral artery, MCA) and computerized cardiotocographic (cCTG) (fetal heart rate, FHR; short termvariability, STV; approximate entropy, ApEn) parameters in intrauterine growth restriction, IUGR, in order to detect early signs of fetal compromise. Population Study. 375 pregnant women assisted from the 28th week of amenorrhea to delivery and monitored through cCTG and Doppler ultrasound investigation. The patients were divided into three groups according to the age of gestation at the time of delivery, before the 34th week, from 34th to 37th week, and after the 37th week. Data were analyzed in relation to the days before delivery and according to the physiology or pathology of velocimetry. Statistical analysis was performed through the t-test, chi-square test, and Pearson correlation test (P < 0.05). Our results evidenced an earlier alteration of UA, DV, and MCA. The analysis between cCTG and velocimetric parameters (the last distinguished into physiological and pathological values) suggests a possible relation between cCTG alterations and Doppler ones. The present study emphasizes the need for an antenatal testing in IUGR fetuses using multiple surveillance modalities to enhance prediction of neonatal outcome.
FARMERS’ WILLINGNESS TO PAY FOR SOIL TESTING SERVICE IN NORTHERN HAITI

The study uses interval regression to investigate factors affecting farmers’ willingness to pay for soil testing services in Northern Haiti. Data were collected from 452 farmers in 17 localities in Northern Haiti. The findings reveal that most farmers (90%) have never tested and have little knowledge of soil testing benefits. However, the explanation of soil testing benefits, led to a large number of farmers (93%) willing to pay on average 503 HTG, an equivalent of 7 USD per test. The models reveal that various factors affect the amount to be paid for soil testing services. These factors include: the type of crops grown, group membership, farmers’ educational level, access to credit, gender, contact with extension services or any institution, type of soils, income level, participation in soil testing program and farm size. Two major policy implications can be derived from this study. The training module on soil testing benefits should be designed and supported by extension services and NGOs. Second the financial support in form of subsidies or access to credit should help low income farmers to pay for soil testing services.
Studies on lactate peak in blood following judo match

The physiological responses to exertions undergoing by judo players during a match, have been widely explored over last decade. Typical judo contest characterises itself by number of sudden, explosive, few-second actions, separated by short-lasting interruptions. These actions (attacks and/or coun ter attacks) engage muscles of lower and upper limbs, and of trunk to undergo maximal anaerobic exertions. According to the rules, the overall duration of active actions lasts 5 minutes (full time), but shorter duration of contest takes place when one competitor demonstrates clear predominance over his/ her opponent, that makes him/her a winner before a time. Concentrations of blood lactate level (LA) were extensively examined during competitions of martial arts, since in anaerobic exertions that parameter is informative for evaluation of contribution of energy derived from glycolysis. Studies on a wrestling matches, which actions intensities and work-time structure are similar to these of judo combats revealed, that average overall duration of non-active periods is one-third that of active periods. The increment of LA rise induced by various duration is hard to predict, but the longer the duration, the higher LA [1]. Moreover, besides of duration of whole active periods, also profile-time of non-active period contri bute to the end-match LA. It seems, that interruptions during an official match play a similar physiological role as short lasting post-effort recovery i.e. they promote partly LA recovery during an effort. It was found, that the type of exertions performed in the two styles in wrestling is almost the same, however, somewhat higher mean end-match LA was noted in
Determinants of profitability according to groups of banks in Albania

The paper analyzed the determinants of profitability of all the commercial banks in Albania, where the banks were analyzed by dividing into groups [1] . These determinants are categorized into two groups, internal and external factors. The objective of the study is to determine the factors that affect the profitability in commercial banks, to show how they differ according to groups of the banks and making some recommendations which can help the management. A panel data with all the commercial banks that operate in Albania is analyzed for the period 2009-2014. To measure the profitability is used the independent variable return on assets. Banking specific factors that are used in this study include variables such as bank size, asset management, credit risk, liquidity of assets, capital adequacy, operational efficiency and cost of financing. On the other hand is taken into consideration only one industry specific factor, which is the concentration and some macroeconomic factors as GDP, exchange rate and inflation. The quantitative data are obtained from the financial statements of commercial banks, INSTAT, Bank of Albania, World Bank and Bankscope, in order to make empirical analysis needed to identify and measure the determinants of bank profitability. In particular, the multiple regression analysis is used to measure the impact of determinants in bank profitability and to realize empirical analysis is used Eviews 7. The results of the study showed a positive relationship between bank size and profitability, statistically important in the group 2, with 1% level of significance. The credit risk had an inverse relation with profitability in the model, statistically significant at 1% level of significance for the group 2 and 5% for the group 1 and 3. While, in terms of macroeconomic factors, GDP had a positive relationship with profitability and it is statistically significant in the group 3. On the other hand, inflation and exchange rate showed a positive relation with profitability (ROA/ROE) but statistically insignificant for the model. [1] According to the Bank of Albania, in December 2014, banks in the Albanian sector are divided by size of activity: 1) The bank group 1 (0-2% of total banking sector assets) include United Bank of Albania, Veneto Bank, International Commercial Bank, First Investment Bank, Credit Bank of Albania; 2) The bank group 2 (2-7% of total banking sector assets) include Procredit Bank, Credit Agricole Bank, National Bank of Greece, Societe Generale Bank - Albania, Alpha Bank - Albania, Union Bank; and 3) The banks group 3 (about 7% of total banking sector assets) include Raiffeisen Bank, Credins Bank, National Commercial Bank, Intesa Sanpaolo Bank-Albania, Tirana Bank.
Extinction risk or lack of sampling in a thrEatEnEd spEciEs : gEnEtic structurE and EnvironmEntal suitability of thE nEotropical frog

IUCN Red Lists have been a valuable tool to prioritize conservation plans in endemic Neotropical frogs. However, many areas in this region are poorly known in terms of their diversity and endemism. Based on examined museum specimens of the threatened species Pristimantis penelopus we revised its geographic distribution and determined the habitat suitability using niche modeling techniques. Using a mitochondrial fragment of COI gene, we determine the phylogenetic position and the extent of the genetic variation across its distribution in Colombia. We present the first records of P. penelopus for the Cordillera Oriental, the western versant of Cordillera Occidental and the northern portion of the Cauca river basin. Based on the molecular phylogenetic analysis, Pristimantis penelopus belongs to the P. ridens series sensu Padial et al. (2014). The mean of intraspecific genetic variation is 2.1% and the variation among population ranges between 2.3 and 3.5%. The genetic distance between the western populations and the Magdalena Valley populations suggests a potential phylogeographic break in northwestern Antioquia. We expand the realized distribution by 258 kilometers north, 200 km east and 223 km northwest. Based on our results and according to the IUCN criteria we propose a new category for the species and highlight the need to increase the surveys in poorly known regions to better understand the geographic distribution and conservation status of listed species. Key-Words: Colombia; IUCN Red List; Niche modeling; Phylogeography; Terrarana.
PMKT 2 , a new killer toxin from Pichia membranifaciens , and its promising biotechnological properties for control of the spoilage yeast

Received 25 August 2008 Revised 4 November 2008 Accepted 5 November 2008 Pichia membranifaciens CYC 1086 secretes a killer toxin (PMKT2) that is inhibitory to a variety of spoilage yeasts and fungi of agronomical interest. The killer toxin in the culture supernatant was concentrated by ultrafiltration and purified to homogeneity by two successive steps, including native electrophoresis and HPLC gel filtration. Biochemical characterization of the toxin showed it to be a protein with an apparent molecular mass of 30 kDa and an isoelectric point of 3.7. At pH 4.5, optimal killer activity was observed at temperatures up to 20 6C. Above approximately this pH, activity decreased sharply and was barely noticeable at pH 6. The toxin concentrations present in the supernatant during optimal production conditions exerted a fungicidal effect on a variety of fungal and yeast strains. The results obtained suggest that PMKT2 has different physico-chemical properties from PMKT as well as different potential uses in the biocontrol of spoilage yeasts. PMKT2 was able to inhibit Brettanomyces bruxellensis while Saccharomyces cerevisiae was fully resistant, indicating that PMKT2 could be used in wine fermentations to avoid the development of the spoilage yeast without deleterious effects on the fermentative strain. In small-scale fermentations, PMKT2, as well as P. membranifaciens CYC 1086, was able to inhibit B. bruxellensis, verifying the biocontrol activity of PMKT2 in simulated winemaking conditions.
Atypical Work and Ireland’s Labour Market Collapse and Recovery

Across many countries, the rise of atypical work has been noted whereby employees are increasingly in less secure contractual situations. While this might lead to more flexible labour markets, there are potential downsides for individuals. We explore the prevalence of atypical work in Ireland which provides a fascinating case study. Ireland experienced a dramatic deterioration in its labour market around the Great Recession with unemployment rising from 4.8 per cent in 2007 to 15 per cent in 2012. This situation was also reversed somewhat quickly with unemployment falling to 8 per cent by 2016. Such dramatic swings provide the context in which we explore whether atypical work increased for new job holders with the onset of recession and whether or not this weakened as the economy recovered. We find that atypical work did increase with the recession and, although moderating, the likelihood of new jobs being atypical persisted into the recovery. This raises important questions about whether economic recovery alone will improve job quality, in addition to job numbers.