Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
New evaluation of the antiproton production cross section for cosmic ray studies

Theoretical predictions for the cosmic antiproton spectrum currently fall short of the corresponding experimental level of accuracy. Among the main sources of uncertainty are the antiproton production cross sections in cosmic ray inelastic interactions. We analyse existing data on antiproton production in $pp$ scattering, including for the first time the measurements performed by the NA49 Collaboration. We compute the antiproton spectrum finding that in the energy range where data are available (antiproton energies of about 4-550 GeV) different approaches lead to almost equivalent results, with an uncertainty of 10-20\%. Extrapolations outside this region lead to different estimates, with the uncertainties reaching the 50\% level around $1$ TeV, degrading the diagnostic power of the antiproton channel at those energies. We also comment on the uncertainties in the antiproton production source term coming from nuclei heavier than protons and from neutrons produced in $pp$ scatterings, and point out the need for dedicated experimental campaigns for all processes involving antiproton production in collisions of light nuclei.
Food Production Standards, Farm Size and Farm Worker Welfare in Kenya 1

Taking the example of GlobalGAP in Kenya this study investigates the influence of private food production standards on farm worker welfare and its difference between small and large farms. Welfare is measured in a multidimensional approach via human capital, income, physical and mental health, and life satisfaction. Findings suggest that GlobalGAP certification has a positive impact on welfare since it positively influences the amount of training a worker receives, but also the level of lifesatisfaction. At the same time, certification does not translate into higher wages or better health. The comparison of large and small GlobalGAP certified farms shows that large farms pay higher wages. However, workers on large farms report more health problems compared to workers on small farms.
Role of Mitochondria in the Oxidative Stress Induced by Electromagnetic Fields: Focus on Reproductive Systems

Modern technologies relying on wireless communication systems have brought increasing levels of electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure. This increased research interest in the effects of these radiations on human health. There is compelling evidence that EMFs affect cell physiology by altering redox-related processes. Considering the importance of redox milieu in the biological competence of oocyte and sperm, we reviewed the existing literature regarding the effects of EMFs on reproductive systems. Given the role of mitochondria as the main source of reactive oxygen species (ROS), we focused on the hypothesis of a mitochondrial basis of EMF-induced reproductive toxicity. MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Scopus database were examined for peer-reviewed original articles by searching for the following keywords: “extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMFs),” “radiofrequency (RF),” “microwaves,” “Wi-Fi,” “mobile phone,” “oxidative stress,” “mitochondria,” “fertility,” “sperm,” “testis,” “oocyte,” “ovarian follicle,” and “embryo. ” These keywords were combined with other search phrases relevant to the topic. Although we reported contradictory data due to lack of uniformity in the experimental designs, a growing body of evidence suggests that EMF exposure during spermatogenesis induces increased ROS production associated with decreased ROS scavenging activity. Numerous studies revealed the detrimental effects of EMFs from mobile phones, laptops, and other electric devices on sperm quality and provide evidence for extensive electron leakage from the mitochondrial electron transport chain as the main cause of EMF damage. In female reproductive systems, the contribution of oxidative stress to EMF-induced damages and the evidence of mitochondrial origin of ROS overproduction are reported, as well. In conclusion, mitochondria seem to play an important role as source of ROS in both male and female reproductive systems under EMF exposure. Future and more standardized studies are required for a better understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying EMF potential challenge to our reproductive system in order to improve preventive strategies.
A Numerical Investigation of Thermal Diffusion Influence on Soot Formation in Ethylene/Air Diffusion Flames

Thermal diffusion, caused by temperature gradients, tends to draw lighter molecules to warmer regions and to drive heavier molecules to cooler regions of a mixture. The influence of thermal diffusion on soot formation in coflow laminar ethylene/air diffusion flames is numerically investigated in this paper. Detailed reaction mechanisms and complex thermal and transport properties are employed. The fully elliptic governing equations are solved. Radiation heat transfer from the flames is calculated by the discrete-ordinates method coupled to an SNBCK-based wide band model. A simplified two-equation soot model is used. The interactions between soot and gas-phase chemistry are taken into account. The thermal diffusion velocities are calculated according to the thermal diffusion coefficients evaluated based on multicomponent properties. The results show that thermal diffusion does affect soot formation in ethylene/air diffusion flames. Although the effect on soot formation in pure ethylene/air flame is not significant, the influence is enhanced if lighter species, such as helium, are added to the fuel or the air stream. The peak integrated soot volume fraction doubles if thermal diffusion is not taken into account in the simulation of the flame with helium addition to the air stream.
Landscape-scale e ff ects of land use intensity on birds and butter fl ies

Although today there is ample evidence that biodiversity is affected by agricultural land use intensification, little is known about how species respond to different land use intensity gradients at landscape scale. To properly describe the relationship between biodiversity and land use intensity, intensity indicators need to account for land cover, management intensity, and be assessed at landscape scale. The study was conducted in 91 landscapes of 1 km in Switzerland. Three different land use intensity indicators were calculated: indicator 1 was defined as the ratio between agricultural and natural area; indicator 2 as the ratio between arable land and permanent grassland; and indicator 3 as the ratio between agricultural area and biodiversity promotion areas (BPA, i.e. wildlife-friendly managed areas under Swiss agri-environment schemes). Species richness and abundance of birds and butterflies were used as biodiversity indicators and trait-based community indices were used to describe bird community changes. Overall, we found that birds were affected by landscape composition and agricultural management, while butterflies were mainly affected by agricultural management. Specifically, from natural (e.g. forest dominated) to agriculture-dominated landscape, bird species richness showed a sharp decrease when 80% or more of the landscape was farmed. Butterfly species richness followed a hump-shaped curve. None of the species groups was significantly correlated with the proportion of arable land versus permanent grassland. Yet species richness of birds and butterflies significantly changed with the proportion of BPA: the lower the proportion of BPA, the lower the observed richness. Finally, when the proportion of agricultural land increased, populations of migratory birds and hedge/tree breeders decreased. We conclude that to further promote farmland biodiversity, natural areas, such as forests, hedges and waterbodies, should cover at least 20% of the agricultural landscapes and the proportion of BPA should be increased.
HI Supergiant Shells in the Large Magellanic Cloud

Abstract The recently completed HI mosaic survey of the Large Magellanic Cloud (Kim et al. 1997) reveals complex structure in the interstellar medium, including filaments, arcs, holes and shells. We have catalogued giant and supergiant HI shells and searched for correlations with Hα emission, using a new image taken with a camera lens mounted on the 16-inch telescope at Siding Spring Observatory.
Xylem hydraulic efficiency versus vulnerability in seedlings of four contrasting Mediterranean tree species (Cedrus atlantica, Cupressus sempervirens, Pinus halepensis and Pinus nigra)

We studied the xylem hydraulic traits and anatomy of four diverse Mediterranean conifers to determine how these species protect themselves against catastrophic xylem failure. Cedrus atlantica, Cupressus sempervirens, Pinus nigra and P. halepensis see- dlings were grown for two years in pots in a greenhouse under well-watered conditions. Measurements were conducted in April and Sep- tember. The vulnerability to cavitation was lower in April in the two pines and cedar whereas the conductivity was lower in the two pines and cypress. There were also large species differences in vulnerability to cavitation in September: loss of 50% conductivity occurred at -2.8 MPa in P. nigra, -3.8 MPa in C. atlantica, -4.8 MPa in C. sempervirens and -4.9 MPa in P. halepensis. Leaf specific hydraulic conductivity was much higher in Cupressus sempervirens and P. nigra than in Cedrus atlantica and P. halepensis. No trade-off between xylem safety (low vulnerability) and efficiency (high hydraulic conductivity) was found among the four species. Specific conductivity was directly related to "hydraulic mean" tracheid lumen diameter, while xylem vulnerability appeared to be independent of tracheid size.
Light and Electron Microscopic Study of the Possible Protective Effect of Nigella Sativa on Metalaxyl Induced Hepatotoxicity in Adult Albino Rats

Metalaxyl is a fungicide used to control soil-borne fungal diseases on fruits, cotton, soybean, peanuts and grasses. However, metalaxyl showed hazardous effects in animals. This study aimed to elucidate the histological, ultra structural alterations in the liver tissue caused by metalaxyl and to investigate the possible protective effects of Nigella Sativa (NS) against these alterations. Thirty adult male albino rats were divided into three equal groups. Group I (control), Group II (metalaxyl treated) received metalaxyl in a dose of 130 mg/kg/day 3 times per week for continuous 6 weeks. Group III (prophylactic group) received metalaxyl as group II in addition to oral Nigella Sativa (NS) in a daily dose of 400 mg/kg. At end of experiment, liver specimens were taken and processed for light and electron microscope examination. The histological study of the liver sections of metalaxyl treated group II showed necrotic and apoptotic changes in hepatocytes. Some central veins were congested and the blood sinusoids were ill-defined in between hepatocyte cords. The bile ducts of some portal tracts appeared with thickened wall and surrounded by cellular infiltrations. The liver sections of prophylactic group III appeared with more preserved histological structure except the presence of slightly congested central veins, and few hepatocytes with apoptotic nuclei. The statistical analysis of biochemical assay of serum and liver tissue of metalxyl treated animals, showed significant increase in oxidative stress marker malondialdehyde (MDA) with significant decrease in antioxidants glutathione (GSH) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). However, there was significant increase in GSH with decrease in MDA and increase in GPx nearly to control levels in prophylactic group. Metalaxyl causes histopathological changes in liver most probably through oxidative stress. However, NS therapy could ameliorate these changes in liver most probably through its antioxidant properties. This may indicate the effectiveness of NS in prevention of metalaxyl hepatotoxicity.
Geochemistry of the Esence granitoid (Göksun-Kahramanmarafl), SE Turkey

The Esence granitoid intruded into the Paleozoic-Mesozoic Malatya metamorphics and Late Cretaceous Göksun ophiolite in the area between Göksun and Afflin, to the north of Kahramanmarafl. It is represented by granodiorite and microgranite. The granodioritic rocks contain amphibole-bearing mafic microgranular enclaves (MME) ranging in size between 5 cm and 30 cm whereas the microgranites comprise number of aplitic dykes. These rocks present granular, microgranular porphyric and micrographic textures, respectively. On the basis of geochemical observations, the intrusive rocks are interpreted as I-type, calcalkaline granitoids. ORG-normalized spider diagram shows LIL element (K, Rb, Ba, Th) enrichment and HFS element (Hf, Zr, Sm, Y) depletion, suggesting subduction related setting for the granitoid rocks. Tectonomagmatic discrimination diagrams also confirm their volcanic arc setting. All the geochemical data combined with the field observations suggest following evolutionary scenario for the Esence granitoid rocks. The ophiolites and related metamorphic rocks were formed in a suprasubduction zone environment in southern branch of Neotethys in Late Cretaceous. These units were then accreted to the base of the Malatya-Keban platform. Finally all the former units were intruded by the Esence granitoid in volcanic arc setting in Late Cretaceous.
FORUM: Dingoes can help conserve wildlife and our methods can tell

Summary Management of apex predators is among the most controversial wildlife management issues globally. In Australia, some ecologists have advocated using the dingo, Canis dingo, as a tool for conservation management, due to evidence that they suppress invasive mesopredators. Hayward & Marlow (Journal of Applied Ecology, 51, 2014 and 835) questioned the capacity of dingoes to provide benefits to native biodiversity due to their inability to eradicate foxes and cats. They also argued that indices of abundance commonly used in studies of mesopredator release by dingoes (namely, track-based indices) invalidate the conclusions of the studies. Hayward & Marlow caution conservation practitioners against incorporating dingoes into conservation programmes. Counter to their claims, we summarise research showing that the suppression of invasive mesopredators (cf. eradication) can enhance populations of native species and is therefore a meaningful conservation objective. We highlight literature supporting the hypothesis that dingoes suppress mesopredator abundance and activity, which in turn benefits native biodiversity. We show that Hayward & Marlow overlook many studies of carnivores that show track indices capture a large amount of the variation in the density of medium- and large-sized carnivores. Synthesis and applications. Practitioners cannot afford to wait to act given the perilous state of Australia's mammal species, and we argue that the evidence is sufficiently strong to justify managing dingoes for biodiversity conservation.
Selection and Market Reallocation: Productivity Gains from Multinational Production

Assessing the productivity gains from multinational production has been a vital topic of economic research. Positive aggregate productivity gains are often attributed to within-firm productivity improvement; however, an alternative, less emphasized explanation is between-firm selection and market reallocation, whereby competition from multinationals leads to factor reallocation and the survival of only the most productive domestic firms. We investigate the roles of the two different mechanisms in determining the aggregate productivity gains by exploring their distinct predictions on the distributions of domestic firms: within-firm productivity improvement shifts the productivity and the revenue distributions rightward while between-firm selection and market reallocation raise the left truncation of the distributions and shift revenue leftward. Using a rich cross-country firm-level panel dataset, we find significant evidence of both mechanisms, but between-firm selection and market reallocation accounts for the majority of aggregate productivity gains, suggesting that ignoring this channel could lead to substantial bias in understanding the nature of gains from multinational production.
Superconductor to weak-insulator transitions in disordered tantalum nitride films

We study the two-dimensional superconductor-insulator transition (SIT) in thin films of tantalum nitride. At zero magnetic field, films can be disorder-tuned across the SIT by adjusting thickness and film stoichiometry; insulating films exhibit classical hopping transport. Superconducting films exhibit a magnetic field-tuned SIT, whose insulating ground state at high field appears to be a quantum-corrected metal. Scaling behavior at the field-tuned SIT shows classical percolation critical exponents $z \nu \approx$ 1.3, with a corresponding critical field $H_c \ll H_{c2}$. The Hall effect shows a crossing point near $H_c$, but with a non-universal critical value $\rho_{xy}^c$ comparable to the normal state Hall resistivity. We propose that high-carrier density metals will always exhibit this pattern of behavior at the boundary between superconducting and (trivially) insulating ground states.
A review of regionalisation for continuous streamflow simulation

Research on regionalisation in hydrology has been constantly advancing due to the need for prediction of streamflow in ungauged catchments. There are two types of studies that use regionalisation techniques for ungauged catchments. One type estimates parameters of streamflow statistics, flood quantiles in most cases. The other type estimates parameters of a rainfall-runoff model for simulating continuous streamflow or estimates continuous streamflow without using a model. Almost all methods applied to the latter can be applied to the former. This paper reviews all methods that are applied to continuous streamflow estimation for ungauged catchments. We divide them into two general categories: (1) distance-based and (2) regression-based. Methods that fall within each category are reviewed first and followed with a discussion on merits or problems associated with these various methods.
Factors controlling nitrous oxide at the microbial community and estuarine scale

This paper examines the effect of oxygen on nitrous oxide (N2O) concentrations in estuarine waters. N2O has been measured year-round in the Schelde estuary, a high-nitrogen, low- oxygen macrotidal system. N2O concentrations were above atmospheric equilibrium levels indicating that this estuary represents a source to the atmosphere. The distribution of N2O showed consistent and systematic relationships with distribution patterns of ammonium, oxygen, nitrite and nitrification activities. A controlled laboratory experiment with a natural bacterial community from the Schelde estuary revealed maximum N2O production to occur at oxygen concentrations of about 5 µM. This production was inhibited by acetylene, a nitrification inhibitor. Maximum N2O concentration in the field occurred at oxygen concentrations below 35 µM. The difference in the oxygen concentration that results in maximum N2O may have arisen because low-oxygen environments present in the estu- ary were destroyed by stirring in our laboratory experiment. It appears that low oxygen concentra- tions in estuarine water trigger enhanced N2O production if ammonium is present in sufficient amounts. This conclusion is further illustrated by data from the Thames, Loire and Gironde estuaries.
Is there Wealth Impact from Capital Expenditure Announcements?: Malaysia Listing Firms of Industrial Products Sector

This paper investigates the capital expenditure decisions of Malaysia listing firms and the announcements impact on shareholder wealth. Overall, we find no significance positive reactions on the day of 14 capital expenditure announcements during the period 2005 – 2010 for industrial products sector in Malaysia. To tackle the nature of developing countries stock exchange that is prompt to nonsynchronous trading and small sample sizes, we have employed both generalized sign test Cowan (1992) and rank test (Corrado, 1989) non-parametric tests for the test of significance. Under the assumption that the announcements are a surprise to the market, the market reacted at an insiginifance negative - 0.75% raw returns and – 0.83% market model adjusted returns. The findings is inconsistent with previous literature conducted in other countires where significant positive adjusted returns are found to exist on the day of capital expenditure announcements released. By employing both non parametric tests, each exhibited different inferences on the significance of the returns. This implies caution is needed when making inferences base on sole tests of significance. Field of Research: Capital expenditure announcements, event study methodology, abnormal returns
Using Quantile Regression to Analyze Mutual Fund Risk and Investor Behavior of Variable Life Insurance

In this study, we identified the relationship between purchase and redemption behavior of flow-return and flow-fund characteristics within different group investors by using Quantile regression. Our results showed that, under different levels of fund risks, fund performance would affect purchase behavior in the ways of preferring higher fund turnover and lower fund expense ratio for insured investors. In addition, risk-averse investors would actively redeem funds with strong performance and funds with high risk.
Influences of media images on healthy female’s body-self unity experience

This study examined the effects of media images of models performing a difficult body movement on young, healthy female’s body-self unity experience. According to van der Heij (2007), body-self unity consists of alienation and harmony of the body and self. Female participants (N = 44) were randomly selected into three group conditions. In the first two conditions they were exposed to several media images of models performing a difficult Yoga body movement and either answered statements about the body functionality or the attractiveness of the model. The last condition was a control group in which respondents were shown images of accessories and answered statements about the usefulness of these accessories. Using the Body Experience Questionnaire as an indicator of body-self unity, women who were exposed to the media images of models showed significantly greater discrepancies between themselves and their bodies as indicated by body-self alienation. However, no differences between the groups were found on body-self harmony. These results suggest that exposure to certain media images can have negative influences on individual’s experience of body-self unity, in particular body-self alienation.