Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of the Tax System Progressivity Over Time: Theory and Application with Mexican Data

Assessing the progressivity of a fiscal system is relevant to develop a global idea on the extent of redistribution. In this paper we assess the evolution of progressivity over time and how economic shocks and government fiscal policy affects its design. The social performance of fiscal redistributive mechanisms in Mexico has been receiving a growing interest from politicians and researchers. The aim of this paper is to assess the dynamics of progressivity of the fiscal system in Mexico and its effect on inequality and on polarization, and this during the period of 2002-2012. What distinguishes this work is the relevance of the adopted comparison approach of progressivity and where the common support of comparison is imposed. The results of this study confirm the effectiveness of the governmental redistributive mechanisms to decrease after-tax income inequality. Based on our estimates, we find a significant increase in the progressivity of the fiscal system over time, despite the high persistent levels of polarization and inequality in the country. Finally, we find that imposing the common support of comparison has a non-negligible impact on the level of progressivity.
Overcoming Communication Difficulties: a Platform for Alternative Communication

We present in this paper an alternative communication system for disabled persons. Alternative communication primarily relies on an alternative access to the computer and has to take into account the communication situation together with the user’s characteristics. The PCA system (where PCA stands for Alternative Communication Platform) proposes various techniques and accessibility methods devoted to assist the user in verbal and non-verbal communication. The homogeneity of the system warrants a comfortable switch between the different communication techniques, both in terms of accessibility and messages style. PCA makes use of generic resources: a French lexicon of more than 300 000 forms with intrinsic frequency of occurences and morphosyntactic information and a pictograms basis of 750 icons allowing an efficient basic communication. The PCA system is moreover evolutive. Thanks to its training module, the system builds a user’s model by learning personal habits during each use of the system. PCA includes also a tool allowing to customize the organisation of the pictograms basis and to add new icons to the user’s personal lexical material. The evolutivity of the system also suggests that PCA can be used as a re-educational tool. The platform has been developed by a consortium of laboratories and French associations for disabled persons.
An Experimental Study on Drying Kinetics of Guava Fruit (Psidium Guajava L) By Thin Layer Drying

The thin layer drying behavior of Psidium guajava L (guava fruit) cultivar Rayalaseema area AP, India, were studied experimentally to examine the influence of drying air temperature, slice thickness, and air velocity on the drying curves. Drying operation was carried out at 55 o C, 60 o C and 65 o C temperatures, at slice thickness of 2.5 mm, 4 mm and 6 mm at 1 and 1.5 m/sec velocities. The predominant falling rate drying regime was observed. The analysis reveals that, the drying temperature and slice thickness has a significant effect and velocity has a least effect on moisture removal. Drying rate is found to increase with the increase in air temperature and thus reduced the drying time. Drying time increases with increase in slice thickness. The various drying models in defining the suitability of drying behavior were examined by statistical analysis. The analysis reveals, that the Henderson and Pabis model is better model that explains the drying behavior of Guava Fruit (R 2 =0.993).
NEW DYROSAURID REMAINS (CROCODYLIFORMES, MESOEUCROCODYLIA) FROM THE PALEOCENE OF THE PARAÍBA BASIN, NE BRAZIL

The fossil crocodyliforms from the Paraíba Basin in Northeastern Brazil are represented by two species, Hyposaurus derbianus,(uncertain age) and Guarinisuchus munizi, from the Paleocene Maria Farinha Formation. Herein we present new material of a dyrosauridalso collected in deposits of the Maria Farinha Formation, representing cranial, axial and appendicular remains. The specimens are housedat Centro Acadêmico de Vitória, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (CAV–UFPE) and at Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco(UFRPE). The most important contribution of this find is a well-preserved mandibular specimen (CAV 0056-V) with 16 alveoli on the leftside and 13 on the right side. Nine complete or partial tooth crowns are preserved, in positions 1–5. The teeth are conical and homodont withvertical striations. The largest teeth are located at positions d1 and d4. The biggest occlusion pits are located between positions d2 and d3. Theseventh alveoli are reduced and close to the eighth alveoli. The mandible, CAV 0056-V, possesses three foramina in the anterior portion ofthe dentaries and the mandibular symphysis extends to the posterior margins of the d11–d12 dentary alveoli. Based on the features presentedin the mandible and the other fossils recovered, we attribute these materials to Dyrosauridae, particularly, to Guarinisuchus cf. G. munizi.
Microbiological Approach in Diagnosing Native and Heart Valves Prosthesis Infections

Background: Traditional culturing approaches either on native (NV) or on prosthetic valves (PV) are still not efficient in detecting pathogens responsible of infection. In fact, despite the continuous development of microbiological technologies, a truly valid technique that could be used as reference has yet to be found. Here we present a revised version of traditional culture methods based on a pre-treatment of both NVs and PVs by DL–dithiothreitol (DTT). Methods and findings: A total of 79 specimens were included in the study: 54 were NVs and 25 were PVs. We compared the results of both culturing methods and molecular assays performed on NVs/PVs collected in two different periods named pre-DTT and post-DTT, respectively. The protocol consisted in treating NV/PV by an appropriate volume of DTT, following which the suspension of bacteria/DTT was used for culture and molecular assay. In pre-DTT period five specimens were culture-positive and one was positive by molecular assay only (1/20; 5%), showing a culture positivity rate of 25% (5/20). In the post-DTT period, of 59 specimens processed, 19 were culture positive (19/59; 32%). Moreover, PCRs performed on specimens treated with DTT contributed to the identification of six additional positive specimens plus an identification of poly-microbial infection lost by culture (7/59; 12%). Conclusion: Our findings show that the use of DTT can be helpful in increasing the identification of microorganisms involved in NV/PV infections. Given its simple and cost-effective use and considering the issue that this technique does not require any specific instrumentation, it could easily be introduced in any laboratories. However, since our study included a limited number of specimens, more extensive studies are needed to further confirm our results.
Contrasting inbreeding depression in early and late stages of the life cycle of a Mediterranean shrub, Anagyris foetida (Leguminosae)

Anagyris foetida L. has a Mediterranean distribution, but its populations are highly fragmented. This, together with its mixed mating system, puts it at clear risk of being strongly affected by inbreeding depression. To determine the effect of inbreeding depression in this species, hand pollinations were performed during the 2003/04 season in 2 populations from SW Spain to generate selfed and outcrossed seeds. These seeds were divided in 2 sample lots and seedlings were obtained in different years. During the first year of life the first lot showed no differences in vegetative parameters between the 2 populations, so that no differentiation was made between populations in analyzing the results. Reproductive parameters were determined during the first 2 flowering periods in the second sample lot. The results showed inbreeding depression to be manifest in the populations studied throughout the life cycle, adversely affecting the reproductive parameters more than the vegetative parameters, with the male capacity being strongly affected. This shows the need to study the entire life cycle to understand how it is affected by inbreeding depression, and to analyze more than one flowering period in long-lived species. The findings may have important implications for the long-term conservation management of these populations.
Theoretical values of convective turnover times and Rossby numbers for solar-like, pre-main sequence stars

Context. Magnetic fields are at the heart of the observed stellar activity in late-type stars, and they are presumably generated by a dynamo mechanism at the interface layer (tachocline) between the radiative core and the base of the convective envelope. Aims. Since dynamo models are based on the interaction between differential rotation and convective motions, the introduction of rotation in the ATON 2. 3 stellar evolutionary code allows for explorations regarding a physically consistent treatment of magnetic effects in stellar structure and evolution, even though there are formidable mathematical and numerical challenges involved. Methods. As examples of such explorations, we present theoretical estimates for both the local convective turnover time (τ c ,), and global convective times (τ g ) for rotating pre-main sequence solar-type stars, based on up-to-date input physics for stellar models. Our theoretical predictions are compared with the previous ones available in the literature. In addition, we investigate the dependence of the convective turnover time on convection regimes, the presence of rotation and atmospheric treatment. Results. Those estimates, as opposed to the use of empirically derived values of τ c for such matters, can be used to calculate the Rossby number Ro, which is related to the magnetic activity strength in dynamo theories and, at least for main-sequence stars, shows an observational correlation with stellar activity. More important, they can also contribute for testing stellar models against observations. Conclusions. Our theoretical values of τ c , τ g and Ro qualitatively agree with those published by Kim & Demarque (1996, ApJ, 457, 340). By increasing the convection efficiency, T g decreases for a given mass. FST models show still lower values. The presence of rotation shifts τ g towards slightly higher values when compared with non-rotating models. The use of non-gray boundary conditions in the models yields values of τ g smaller than in the gray approximation.
An Improved Approach for Essential Tremor Spirography Processing: By Integrating Frequency Domain Information and Spatial Domain Information

Spirography is a standard neurological test that has been commonly used for essential tremor diagnosis and its severity assessment for years. Spirography requires simple hardware and software for data recording, which perfectly suits for clinical applications by its easy accessibility and useful and rich-information-contained outcomes. However, current spirography analysis is handled by Fourier Transformation (FT) on acquired data only. Further analysis on spirography is limited due to the loss and restraint of information during digitization, and the lack of valid processing procedures. This thesis provides a brief introduction of Essential Tremor and the application of spirography processing. In order to validate the algorithms developed in this study, algorithmic simulations for smooth spirals and spirals with tremor oscillation are created. In the end, current obstacles in spirography analysis and further development direction are discussed. Suggestions to handle patient spirography data are also provided in the last Chapter.
Wind Speed and Sea State Dependencies of Air‐Sea Gas Transfer: Results From the High Wind Speed Gas Exchange Study (HiWinGS)

A variety of physical mechanisms are jointly responsible for facilitating air-sea gas transfer through turbulent processes at the atmosphere-ocean interface. The nature and relative importance of these mechanisms evolves with increasing wind speed. Theoretical and modeling approaches are advancing, but the limited quantity of observational data at high wind speeds hinders the assessment of these efforts. The HiWinGS project successfully measured gas transfer coefficients (k660) with coincident wave statistics under conditions with hourly mean wind speeds up to 24 m s−1 and significant wave heights to 8 m. Measurements of k660 for carbon dioxide (CO2) and dimethylsulfide (DMS) show an increasing trend with respect to 10-meter neutral wind speed (U10N), following a power-law relationship of the form: k660 co2~U10N1.68 and k660 dms~U10N1.33. Among seven high wind speed events, CO2 transfer responded to the intensity of wave breaking, which depended on both wind speed and sea state in a complex manner, with k660 co2 increasing as the wind sea approaches full development. A similar response is not observed for DMS. These results confirm the importance of breaking waves and bubble injection mechanisms in facilitating CO2 transfer. A modified version of the Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment Gas transfer algorithm (COAREG ver. 3.5), incorporating a sea state-dependent calculation of bubble-mediated transfer, successfully reproduces the mean trend in observed k660 with wind speed for both gases. Significant suppression of gas transfer by large waves was not observed during HiWinGS, in contrast to results from two prior field programs.
(Re)Constructing Career Strategies After Experiencing Involuntary Job Loss

Abstract This research article focuses on experiences of involuntary job loss following organizational change as occasions for career (re)construction. Using narrative inquiry, it explores the career stories of four former professionals on an Irish active labour market programme assisting the long-term unemployed to transition to employment. The article portrays how, and in what ways, the participants respond when confronted with transformation. Offering an empirically grounded understanding of the character and conduct of those encountering transition with greater nuance than that currently found in the literature, the article comprehends the approach that the former professionals use to (re)construct their career strategies. By integrating the concepts of the fateful moment and sensemaking, the article locates career identity within its wider societal and organizational contexts. It outlines the reactions of the professionals to the involuntary job loss by describing the criteria they use to evaluate their career success (‘envisionment’) and recounting their perception of control over their career outcomes (‘enactment’). The article identifies four possible career (re)construction strategies – changed envisionment/changed enactment, constant envisionment/changed enactment, constant envisionment/constant enactment and changed envisionment/constant enactment. Three new categories of career success are proposed to take account of the participant's altered career scripts – ‘monetarists’, ‘recognition seekers’ and ‘security seekers’.
Pilot Data Assessing the Functional Integrity of the Default Network in Adult ADHD with fMRI and sLORETA

Intrinsic functional connectivity within the default mode network (DMN) of the brain has gained growing interest in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The DMN is proposed to support such core functions as theory of mind, self-related activities such as autobiographical self, stimulus independent thought, self-projection, self-reference, and introspective processes as well as central features of self-regulation, task compliance, and executive functions. Based on prior data showing that sLORETA and fMRI localize DMN regions with complementary accuracy, we hypothesized that this combination of methods could provide important information about the functional integrity of DMN connectivity with special attention between parietal and medial prefrontal regions. This study was conducted with 6 adults with ADHD and 7 age-similar, nonclinical controls. The present study recorded brain activity using both EEG and fMRI during rest and a Stroop paradigm. For this study only the eyes-opened rest data were .
Observation of Mitotic and Cytological Effects Induced by Bean Yellow Mosaic Virus in Affecting Leguminous Plants

Bean Yellow Mosaic Virus (BYMV) causing yellow mosaic and leaf malformation was detected and isolated from naturally infected bean plants collected from Southern region of Saudia Arabia BYMV was transmitted mechanically and identified by serologica1 tests. Light microscopy examinations revealed amorphous cytoplasmic and crystalline inclusions in bean plants infected with BYMV. Ultra structural changes in the deformed chloroplasts and grana were severe affected, chloroplasts were more affected, swollen, irregular, rupture lamella, crash grana and combination with each in the form of amoebic. The nucleus was elongated irregular with spindle like shape. The results suggest that the depressive effect in the mitotic process of Vicia faba L. was demonstrated when infected with Bean yellow mosaic virus. Remarkably, there was a progressive decrease in mitotic indices and increase in the total percentage of abnormalities due to bean yellow mosaic virus infection. Types of abnormalities revealed the induction of spindle disturbance, stickiness, laggards, fragments, bridges and micronuclei which lead to the loss of genetic material.
Geotrichum candidum Enhanced the Enterococcus faecium Impact in Improving Physiology, and Health of Labeo rohita (Hamilton, 1822) by Modulating Gut Microbiome Under Mimic Aquaculture Conditions

The present study is designed to evaluate the impact of potential probiotics Enterococcus faecium QAUEF01 in single and its mix-culture with Geotrichum candidum QAUGC01 on the Labeo rohita (Hamilton, 1822). In the mix-culture, both bacteria and yeast survived comparatively better under mimic gut conditions and showed higher hydrophobicity. Moreover, mix-culture showed comparatively more antipathogenic activity. A feeding trial of 90 days for L. rohita fingerlings comprising of three treatments, control group fed on basal diet, second group fed on E. faecium supplemented diet and third group was fed on mix-culture probiotics supplemented diet. Mix-culture probiotics fed group showed significantly higher (P<0.05) growth as compared to control. Better specific growth rate (SGR) was significantly correlated with the feed conversion ratio (FCR) and feed conversion efficiency (FCE), protease and cellulase activity in probiotic fed fishes. The applied probiotics established well in fish gut and shown no harmful impact on fish physiology. Probiotic application distinctly modulated fish gut microbiome evident by increased level of friendly microbiota and exclusion of potential fish pathogens. The results suggested an effective eco-friendly strategy to boost the fish productivity.
The influence of coral reefs and climate change on wave‐driven flooding of tropical coastlines

A numerical model, XBeach, calibrated and validated on field data collected at Roi‐Namur Island on Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of Marshall Islands, was used to examine the effects of different coral reef characteristics on potential coastal hazards caused by wave‐driven flooding and how these effects may be altered by projected climate change. The results presented herein suggest that coasts fronted by relatively narrow reefs with steep fore reef slopes (~1:10 and steeper) and deeper, smoother reef flats are expected to experience the highest wave runup. Wave runup increases for higher water levels (sea level rise), higher waves, and lower bed roughness (coral degradation), which are all expected effects of climate change. Rising sea levels and climate change will therefore have a significant negative impact on the ability of coral reefs to mitigate the effects of coastal hazards in the future.
Particle-attached bacteria and heterotrophic plankton associated with the Columbia River estuarine turbidity maxima

A significant fraction of the particulate organic material entering the Columbia River estuary (USA) is metabolized or altered before i t is carried out to the ocean. Estuarine turbidity maxima are part of the particle-trapping mechanism that lengthens the residence time of river-borne organic material in an estuary, increasing that material's availability to estuarine bacteria and the estuarine food web. In May and June, 1992, water samples in and around the Columbia River estuarine turbidity maxima were analyzed to determine rates of bacterial carbon production, and bacterial and putative bacterivore abundances. Salinity, turbidity, and tidal data were used to interpret bacterial activity patterns, and to identify distributions of bacterial predators. Bacterial carbon production, based on the rate of W-thymidine uptake, correlated with turbidity, and varied from 0.3 to 5.6 pg 1. ' h-'. Sharp peaks in bacterial production were found in the estuarine turbidity maxima, and were determined to be due to particle-attached bacteria by measuring bacterial production directly on particles. Variation in bacterial production outside the estuarine turbidity maxima seemed to be related to the tidal cycle, supporting hypotheses on particle cycling in the estuary. Nanoflagellates, small 'oligotrich' ciliates and rotifers were the most numerous grazers in the estuary. Correlation analysis between grazer and bacterial abundances and production suggested that rotifers and small ciliates may be the primary consumers of bacteria outside the estuarine turbidity maxima. Rotifers were enhanced in the estuarine turbidity maxima and therefore may be key consumers of particle-attached bacteria.
CNO and F abundances in the barium star HD 123396

Context. Barium stars are moderately rare, chemically peculiar objects, which are believed to be the result of the pollution of an otherwise normal star by material from an evolved companion on the asymptotic giant branch (AGB). Aims. We aim to derive carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and fluorine abundances for the first time from the infrared spectra of the barium red giant star HD 123396 to quantitatively test AGB nucleosynthesis models for producing barium stars via mass accretion. Methods. High-resolution and high S /N infrared spectra were obtained using the Phoenix spectrograph mounted at the Gemini South telescope. The abundances were obtained through spectrum synthesis of individual atomic and molecular lines, using the MOOG stellar line analysis program, together with Kurucz’s stellar atmosphere models. The analysis was classical, using 1D stellar models and spectral synthesis under the assumption of local thermodynamic equilibrium. Results. We confirm that HD 123396 is a metal-deficient barium star ([Fe/H] = −1.05), with A(C) = 7.88, A(N) = 6.65, A(O) = 7.93, and A(Na) = 5.28 on a logarithmic scale where A(H) = 12, leading to [(C+N)/Fe] ≈ 0.5. The A(CNO) group, as well as the A(Na) abundances, is in excellent agreement with those previously derived for this star using high-resolution optical data. We also found A(F) = 4.16, which implies [F/O] = 0.39, a value that is substantially higher than the F abundances measured in globular clusters of a similar metallicity, noting that there are no F measurements in field stars of comparable metallicity. Conclusions. The observed abundance pattern of the light elements (CNO, F, and Na) recovered here as well as the heavy elements (s-process) studied elsewhere suggest that the surface composition of HD 123396 is well fitted by the predicted abundance pattern of