Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The regional intraplate stress field in South America

A compilation of lithospheric stress directions for continental South America and the inferred major patterns of the regional intraplate stress field are presented. Stress orientations are based primarily on earthquake focal mechanisms and Quaternary fault slip inversion published in the literature. Four new focal mechanisms based on short-period P wave modeling, and selected centroid-moment-tensor solutions (published by U.S. Geological Survey) consistent with P wave first motions at South American and other World-Wide Standard Seismograph Network stations are also included in the data base. The observed patterns of intraplate stresses may be useful in constraining numerical models of the plate driving forces in the South American plate. In the Andean plateau (altitudes greater than 3000 m), N-S extensional stresses predominate. E-W compressional stresses are observed in the sub-Andean and platform regions extending up to about 1000 km east of the Andes. The maximum horizontal stress (SHmax) is uniformly oriented in the E-W direction throughout western South America. Averages of the SHmax direction at grid points spaced 2.5 o were taken as representing the "regional" field. The E-W direction of this regional field is not affected by the change of strike of the Andean chain nor by the contact of a flat subducted slab underneath. The regional SHmax direction is oriented 15 o more clockwise than the direction of the Nazca plate convergence. The difference between the regional SHmax orientations and the absolute plate motion may be only about 6 o. This may indicate that contact forces with the Nazca plate may not be the only major contributor to the intraplate stresses in western South America. The eastern limit of this Andean stress province seems to coincide with aseismic regions in the Upper Amazon basin and in the Paraml basin. In the central Amazonian region, seismicity and stress data suggest a seismic province with N-S compressional stresses. The origin of these stresses is not yet clearly understood but could possibly be related to lower crustal loading along the middle Amazon basin. In northeastern Brazil, seismicity is characterized by upper crustal strike-slip earthquakes bordering the Potiguar marginal basin. A model is proposed for this region in which the stress field is the result of a superposition of regional E-W compressional stresses and local extensional stresses (oriented perpendicular to the continental margin) possibly related to density contrasts and sediment loading in the continental shelf.
A New and Unifying Approach to Spin Dynamics and Beam Polarization in Storage Rings

With this paper we extend our studies [1] on polarized beams by distilling tools from the theory of principal bundles. Four major theorems are presented, one which ties invariant fields with the notion of normal form, one which allows one to compare different invariant fields, and two that relate the existence of invariant fields to the existence of certain invariant sets and relations between them. We then apply the theory to the dynamics of spin-1/2 and spin-1 particles and their density matrices describing statistically the particle-spin content of bunches. Our approach thus unifies the spin-vector dynamics from the T-BMT equation with the spin-tensor dynamics and other dynamics. This unifying aspect of our approach relates the examples elegantly and uncovers relations between the various underlying dynamical systems in a transparent way.
Growth of a Pleistocene giant carbonate vein and nearby 1 thermogene travertine deposits at Semproniano , southern 2 Tuscany , Italy 3 4 5 6 7 8

A giant carbonate vein (≥50 m thick; fissure ridge travertines) and nearby travertine plateaus in the Semproniano area (Mt. Amiata geothermal field, southern Tuscany, Italy) are investigated through a multidisciplinary approach, including field and laboratory geochemical analyses (U/Th geochronology, C, Nd, O and Sr isotope systematics, REE abundances, and fluid inclusion microthermometry). The main aim of this work is to understand: (1) modes and rates for the growth of the giant vein and nearby travertine deposits within a Quaternary volcano-tectonic domain; (2) implications in terms of the CO2 release; and (3) possible relationships with Quaternary paleoclimate and hydrological oscillations. Results show that the giant vein was the inner portion of a large fissure ridge travertine and grew asymmetrically and ataxially through repeated shallow fluid injections between >650 and 85 ka, with growth rates in the order of 10 -2 and 10 -3 mm/a. The giant vein developed mainly during warm humid (interglacial) periods, partially overlapping with the growth of nearby travertine plateaus. Estimated values of CO2 leakage connected with the vein precipitation are between about 5x10 6 and 3x10 7 mol a -1 km -2 , approximately representing one millionth of the present global CO2 leakage from volcanic areas. Temperatures estimates as obtained from O-isotopes and fluid inclusion microthermometry indicate epithermal conditions (9050 °C) for the circulating fluid during the giant vein growth, with only slight evidence of cooling with time. Geochemical and isotope data document that the travertine deposits have developed mainly during Pleistocene warm humid periods, within a tectonically-controlled convective fluid circuit fed by meteoric infiltration and maintained by the regional geothermal anomaly hosted by the carbonate reservoir of the Mt. Amiata field.
Assessment of Equilibrium Scour by a Submerged Circular Turbulent Impinging Jet in Cohesive Soils

In this paper, results from a study where detailed measurements of the time development of the scour holes produced by a submerged circular vertical impinging jet in cohesive soils from long-term scour tests are presented. This is the type of jet used in the ASTM standard Jet Erodiblity Test, which relies on measurements of the time development of scour for prediction of soil erodibility parameters. In the experiments, measurements of the entire scour hole were taken after scouring times of 5 min, 10 min, 15 min, 20 min, 30 min, 40 min, 50 min, 1 h, 1.5 h, 2 h, 4 h, 8 h, 16 h, 24 h, and then at an interval of 24 h thereafter until the scour hole was considered to have reached equilibrium. The measurements were taken on a 2 mm grid using a computer-controlled laser displacement meter. For the tests, two types of manufactured pottery clays were used. The growth of the maximum depth of scour, average scour hole radii, centerline depth of scour, and scour hole volume were evaluated. It was seen that the characteristic dimensions of the scour hole that have been typically been used to assess equilibrium state, namely, the maximum and centerline scour holes, come to equilibrium more quickly than other locations in the scour hole. Results also showed the Sumer et al. (1993) model for predicting the time development of scour worked well for the present tests.
Adaptive orthogonal series estimation in additive stochastic regression models

In this paper, we consider additive stochastic nonparametric regression models. By approximating the nonparametric components by a class of orthogonal series and using a generalized cross-validation criterion, an adaptive and simultaneous estimation procedure for the nonparametric components is constructed. We illustrate the adaptive and simultaneous estimation procedure by a number of simulated and real examples.
Evaluation of a push-pull strategy against fungus gnats ( Diptera : Sciaridae )

Fungus gnats (Diptera: Sciaridae) are major insect pests in greenhouse production systems. Their larvae reside in the growing medium and can cause severe damage on the plants when feeding on the root system. When the fungus gnats occur at high population densities, the damage can inhibit plant growth, or in worst-case kill the plant entirely. Moreover, both adult and larva are capable of spreading certain diseases within the greenhouse. There is a need for new methods to supplement the current integrated pest management, and one alternative is to use odours that repel fungus gnats from the growing area. A push-pull strategy was developed using essential oil of peppermint (Mentha piperita) to repel the fungus gnats, and yellow sticky card traps to attract and kill them. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the potential of using this strategy to diminish the fungus gnat population in organic greenhouse production of basil (Ocimum basilicum). Furthermore, the experiment tested if it was possible to enhance the effect of the strategy by equipping the yellow sticky cards with green light-emitting diods (LED). The results show that the push-pull strategy was successful in reducing the number of fungus gnats in the treated areas. However, the effect of the strategy was not enhanced by equipping the yellow sticky cards with green LEDs.
Moderating effects of teachers teaching experience on home learning associated with literacy skills among Chinese preschoolers

This study was designed to determine the influence of home learning on Chinese preschoolers’ literacy skills is likely to be moderated by the level of teacher’s teaching experience. There were 136 preschoolers aged ranged between three to six years old with their parents and teachers recruited in this study using a Multi-Stage Cluster sampling technique. The results of the Hierarchical Multiple Regression analysis indicate that teacher’s teaching experience has a significant moderating effect on the strengths of the relationship between home learning and preschoolers’ literacy skills. Further research is needed to investigate more deeply to identify whether these relationships are upheld over time and with diverse sample.
Role of Leadership in Employees’ Work Engagement: Organizational Identification and Job Autonomy

Transformational leadership is a style of leadership that leads to transformation in the opinions and beliefs of followers. The behaviors of transformational leaders result in higher levels of follower commitment and engagement. Work engagement refers to followers’ feelings regarding their work in terms of what their work means to them and to what extent they want to show full concentration. The present study examines the effect of transformational leadership on work engagement by focusing on the mediator roles of job autonomy and organizational identification. The study data was collected using questionnaires from 252 participants working in higher education. The data was analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results supported study hypotheses, demonstrating that transformational leadership had a positive effect on work engagement, and job autonomy and organizational identification fully mediated the relationship between transformational leadership and work engagement. The findings from this research specifically highlight the significant impact of job autonomy and organizational identification on work engagement within the context of leadership.
Expansion and internationalization of business companies in Brazil: theoretical/methodological contributions

This paper presents the special issue of the Journal of Evolutionary Studies in Business about the internationalization of Brazilian companies. The text aims to shed light on both traditional and new theories of internationalization in order to analyze the trajectories of Brazilian multinationals in light of the world economic scenario of recent decades. This special issue presents five cases of internationalization of Brazilian companies: Embraer, in the aviation sector; WEG, a producer of electric motors; Expocaccer, a coffee cooperative; Gerdau, a company in the steel sector; and Romi, a producer of lathes, machines, and equipment. This introductory article intends to recover theoretical elements about the internationalization of firms and underline the role of the State in the development of Brazilian companies.
Testing the recovery of stellar rotation signals from Kepler light curves using a blind hare-and-hounds exercise

SA’s contribution to this work was supported by the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council through Consolidated Grant ST/K00106X/1. JL acknowledges support through NASA/GALEX grant program under Cooperative Agreement No. NNX12AC19G issued through the Office of Space Science. MLdC acknowledges a CAPES/PNPD fellowship. JRdM and MLdC acknowledge financial support of the INCT INEspac¸o. TC and RAG want to acknowledge the funding of the CNES grant at the CEA, as well as the ANR (Agence Nationale de la Recherche, France) program IDEE (n ANR-12-BS05-0008) ‘Interaction Des Etoiles et des Exoplanetes’.
The Role of Curriculum Coordinators in Managing Teachers’ Continuing Professional Development

Abstract This paper reports selected findings from a larger qualitative case study of purposively sampled Area Offices and secondary schools in the North West Province, South Africa. The study examined the role of curriculum coordinators and school management teams in managing teachers’ continuing professional development for curriculum change implementation. The paper is restricted to findings regarding the role of curriculum coordinators. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured individual interviews. Data analysis followed Teschs’ open coding steps. Findings point to curriculum coordinators being central to the ineffective management of professional development initiatives that relate to curriculum reforms. The paper identifies a myriad of systemic limitations and barriers that account for management ineffectiveness and makes some recommendations.
Non-blackbody Disks Can Help Explain Inferred AGN Accretion Disk Sizes

If the atmospheric density in the accretion disk of an active galactic nucleus (AGN) is sufficiently low, scattering in the atmosphere can produce a non-blackbody emergent spectrum. For a given bolometric luminosity, at ultraviolet and optical wavelengths such disks have lower fluxes and apparently larger sizes as compared to disks that emit as blackbodies. We show that models in which is a sufficiently low fixed fraction of the interior density ρ can match the AGN STORM observations of NGC 5548 but produce disk spectral energy distributions that peak at shorter wavelengths than observed in luminous AGN in general. Thus, scattering atmospheres can contribute to the explanation for large inferred AGN accretion disk sizes but are unlikely to be the only contributor. In the appendix section, we present unified equations for the interior ρ and T in gas pressure-dominated regions of a thin accretion disk.
Costunolide—A Bioactive Sesquiterpene Lactone with Diverse Therapeutic Potential

Sesquiterpene lactones constitute a major class of bioactive natural products. One of the naturally occurring sesquiterpene lactones is costunolide, which has been extensively investigated for a wide range of biological activities. Multiple lines of preclinical studies have reported that the compound possesses antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, antiallergic, bone remodeling, neuroprotective, hair growth promoting, anticancer, and antidiabetic properties. Many of these bioactivities are supported by mechanistic details, such as the modulation of various intracellular signaling pathways involved in precipitating tissue inflammation, tumor growth and progression, bone loss, and neurodegeneration. The key molecular targets of costunolide include, but are not limited to, intracellular kinases, such as mitogen-activated protein kinases, Akt kinase, telomerase, cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases, and redox-regulated transcription factors, such as nuclear factor-kappaB, signal transducer and activator of transcription, activator protein-1. The compound also diminished the production and/expression of proinflammatory mediators, such as cyclooxygenase-2, inducible nitric oxide synthase, nitric oxide, prostaglandins, and cytokines. This review provides an overview of the therapeutic potential of costunolide in the management of various diseases and their underlying mechanisms.
Association between family history of diabetes and clusters of adherence to healthy behaviors: cross-sectional results from the Health Examinees-Gem (HEXA-G) study

Objectives This study evaluated whether individuals with affected family member adhered to healthy behaviours. Design and setting This was a cross-sectional study of participants selected from health examinees who underwent the national health check-up programme of Korea in 39 centres between 2004 and 2013. Participants The baseline data of 128 520 participants enrolled in the Health Examinees-Gem study were used for analysis. Main outcomes and measures Associations of family history of diabetes with adherence to regular exercise, healthy diet and body composition, and clusters of healthy behaviours were evaluated while adjusting for potential confounders selected by a directed acyclic graph. Results Participants with a family history of diabetes were more likely to adhere to a regular exercise regimen (OR=1.12, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.18 for men and OR=1.10, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.14 for women) and healthy diet (OR=1.06, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.12 for men and OR=1.06, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.12 for women) but were less likely to have a normal body composition (OR=0.83, 95% CI 0.78 to 0.87 for men and OR=0.83, 95% CI 0.80 to 0.86 for women). These associations were strengthened when the affected family members were siblings, the number of affected members was increased or the age at diagnosis of the affected member was younger than 50 years. In men and women, having a normal body composition is important in determining the cluster of behaviours, and those with a family history of diabetes were less likely to adhere to the normal body composition cluster. Conclusions The group with high risk of diabetes showed healthy behaviors, but they did not have a normal body composition. Policies and campaigns targeting integrated health behaviors will be needed to reduce the burden of diseases and improve public health.
Oxymatrine and Cisplatin Synergistically Enhance Anti-tumor Immunity of CD8+ T Cells in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Oxymatrine (OMT) has shown broad antitumor activities for the treatment of several types of cancers. However, little is known about its effect on anti-tumor immunity. Combination therapy is a potentially promising strategy of cancer to enhance anticancer activity, overcome drug resistance, and lower treatment failure rate. In the present study, we demonstrated that the combination of OMT with cisplatin (DDP) synergistically inhibited non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells growth when co-cultured with peripheral blood mononuclear cells in vitro. Furthermore, the combination of OMT with DDP significantly inhibited the growth of Lewis lung cancer (LLC) mouse xenograft tumors. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that OMT and DDP synergistically increase the CD8+/ regulatory T cells ratio and enhanced more CD8+ T cells secreted cytokines of IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-2 in vivo. Mechanistically, upregulation of miR-155 and downregulation of suppressor of cytokine signaling-1 (SOCS1) were confirmed as a target signaling pathway to positively regulate the anti-tumor response of CD8+ T cells. Overall, OMT in combination with DDP showed outstanding synergistic anti-tumor immunity, suggesting that this beneficial combination may offer a potential immunotherapy for NSCLC patients.
Application of a 10 week coaching program designed to facilitate volitional personality change: Overall effects on personality and the impact of targeting

The current study explored the outcomes of a 10 week coaching program designed to facilitate volitional personality change. It also explored the impact of targeting specific personality facets on change. This research builds upon the burgeoning literature challenging the view that personality is fixed. The results of the study indicated that the 10 week program resulted in significant increases in participant's conscientiousness and extraversion and significant decreases in neuroticism. These changes were maintained 3 months post-intervention for neuroticism and extraversion. Targeting of associated facets significantly interacted with time during the intervention period for emotionality and conscientiousness, but not for extraversion.
Comparing Throughfall and Litterfall Nutrient Fluxes in a Rubber (Hevea brasiliensis Willd. Muell-Arg) Plantation Agro-ecosystem at Ikenne, South-west Nigeria

This study compares nutrient fluxes (throughfall and litterfall) in a rubber (Hevea brasiliensis Willd. Muell-Arg) plantation agro-ecosystem at Ikenne, SW Nigeria. Throughfall samples were collected bi-weekly under the rubber canopies (40-, 15-, and 5-year-old) using throughfall funnel collectors with 10 replicates. Litterfall was collected on a monthly basis in the three rubber stands using twenty-four 0.25 m 2 litter traps (eight replicates in each of the three rubber stands) positioned randomly to estimate total annual litter production (dry biomass) and its main fractions. Throughfall and litterfall samples were analyzed for total nitrogen, sodium, phosphorus, calcium, potassium and magnesium. The annual means of throughfall in the different stands were compared by solution type using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed by a post-hoc separation of means by the Scheffe-test (p <0.05). The litterfall data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance based on the representative of 12 months. The results revealed a clear pattern of increased levels of base cations and fluxes of throughfall compared to those occurring in precipitation. Fluxes of Ca 2+ in throughfall are typically 1.5-2 times greater than those occurring in rainfall. Among the rubber stands, fluxes of K + are also greater in throughfall, consistent with previous studies. The enrichment of elements in throughfall has been ascribed to the dissolution and washout of atmospheric materials deposited on the canopy. Comparison of total annual litterfall nutrient budgets show that the 15-year-old rubber stand was cycling more Mg 2+ , N, Na + , K + , P, and Ca 2+ in litterfall than the 40- and 5-year-old rubber stands.
Ethnic Exclusionism in European Countries. Public Opposition to Civil Rights for Legal Migrants as a Response to Perceived Ethnic Threat

In this paper we focus on opposition among European citizens to the granting of civil rights to legal migrants, a phenomenon considered to be a crucial aspect of ethnic exclusionism. We set out to establish to what extent differences in support of ethnic exclusionism can be explained in terms of effects of particular (a) individual and (b) contextual characteristics, and in terms of (c) interactions between contextual and individual characteristics. We have systematically derived hypotheses from Ethnic Competition Theory. We used cross-national comparable data from 15 European countries and performed multi-level analyses (total N = 12,728). We found that people living in individual competitive conditions perceive ethnic out-groups as a threat, and that this in turn reinforces ethnic exclusionism. Contextual competitive conditions, particularly the presence of non-EU citizens, also affect ethnic exclusionism.
Directors characteristics and stock market performance in Canada

We examine the effect of the characteristics of board of directors on the stock market performance in Canadian settings. Our sample includes fifty of the largest corporations listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange at the end of December 2013 for the period of 2009 to 2013 for the sub-groups of SP G22; G38