Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
203-212_WST 50.10 J08

An experimental study was conducted to describe mass transfer impacts within nitrifying aggregates sourced from sequencing batch reactor (SBR) activated sludge systems. Flocculent and granular sludge with high nitrification activity was obtained in two laboratory SBR systems, supplied with a synthetic, ammonium-based feed. The flocculent biomass was fractionated using a sieving procedure, in order to obtain biomass fractions with different particle size distributions. The oxygen uptake rate (OUR) response to changes in dissolved oxygen concentration was measured under highly controlled conditions in a titrimetric and off-gas analysis (TOGA) sensor, and the results used to assess mass transfer effects. As the average particle size of the biomass increased, mass transfer limitations were found to increase significantly. Empirically fitted, apparent KS,O2 values were demonstrated to be highly dependent on particle size, and reflect the mass transfer limitations occurring in the aggregates within a given system. Such parameters thus have little to do with the actual biokinetic parameter from which they are derived. The results obtained from the TOGA sensor study were consistent with those obtained from a microelectrode study on the same nitrifying granules. Together, these studies add considerable weight to the conclusion that consideration of external and internal mass transfer limitations is vital to the accurate description of activated sludge treatment processes, particularly those with a high oxygen uptake rate.
Phytoplasma strains detected in ornamental plants in Lithuania

During recent years, increasing attention has been devoted to the development of field floriculture in Lithuania. Since the quality of ornamental plants is adversely affected by diseases attributed to phytoplasmas, we surveyed plant collections in botanical gardens and floriculture farms in Lithuania for phytoplasmal diseases. 37 ornamental species belonging to 18 plant families exhibiting disease symptoms including general yellowing and stunting, proliferation of shoots, phyllody, virescence and reduced size of flowers, and reddening of leaves were collected in commercial floriculture farms and botanical gardens. Analysis of phytoplasmal 16S rRNA gene sequences amplified in the polymerase chain reaction revealed that the plants were infected by phytoplasmas belonging to five distinct subgroups (16SrI-A, 16SrI-B, 16SrI-C, 16SrI-L, and 16SrI-M) of group 16SrI (aster yellows phytoplasma group) and two subgroups (16SrIII-B, 16SrIII-F) of group 16SrIII (X-disease phytoplasma group).
Monetary Policy, Market Excesses and Financial Turmoil

This paper addresses the question of whether and how monetary policy ease may lead to excesses in financial and real asset markets and ultimately result in financial dislocation. It presents evidence suggesting that periods when short-term interest rates have been persistently and significantly below what Taylor rules would prescribe are correlated with increases in asset prices, especially as regards housing, though no systematic effects are identified on equity markets. Significant asset price increases, however, can also occur when interest rates are in line with Taylor rules, associated with periods of financial deregulation and/or innovation. The paper argues that accommodating monetary policy over the period 2002-2005, in combination with rapid financial market innovation, would seem in retrospect to have been among the factors behind the run-up in asset prices and consequent financial imbalances -- the (partial) unwinding of which helped trigger the 2007 financial market turmoil. Moreover, the paper points out that in certain situations policy rates may be a rather blunt tool for dealing with both the build-up and aftermath of financial imbalances, raising the question whether "macro-prudential" regulation could be useful.
Use of Carbohydrate-De fi cient Transferrin ( CDT ) and a Combination of GGT and CDT ( GGT – CDT ) to Assess Heavy Alcohol Consumption in Tra ffi c Medicine

Aims: Carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) has become widely used in traffic medicine to detect chronic alcohol abuse among subjects applying for driving-license renewal or regranting. By defining cut-off values in a large population of abstainers and moderate drinkers, we report on CDT, GGT–CDT (a combination of gamma-glutamylaminotransferase (GGT) and CDT) and the association between blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and CDT among Italian drivers. Methods: CDT was evaluated by a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-based commercial kit in 652 abstainers or moderate drinkers, 603 drivers applying for driving-license regranting after a rehabilitation programme and 105 drivers involved in car accidents with blood alcohol concentration higher than the legal limit used in Italy (BAC >0.5g/l). GGT–CDT was calculated according to Sillanaukee and Olsson and Niemelä. BAC has been assessed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Results: A common CDT cut-off (1.8%) and gender-specific GGT–CDT cut-off (4.15% for males, 3.56% for females) were calculated as 99.9th percentiles of the control population. Also, 3% and 27% of subjects were classified as CDT positive respectively among drivers applying for license regranting and drivers involved in car accidents. A significant association between BAC and both CDT values and CDT positivity was found, with a frequency up to 49% of CDT+ samples, suggesting chronic alcohol abuse, among drivers with BAC >2.5g/l. Concordance between CDT and GGT–CDT was only moderate (kappa = 0.44), with CDT performing better than GGT–CDT. Conclusions: A relevant proportion of drivers with high BAC are chronic abusers. GGT–CDT, previously validated with CDT immunoassays, should not be applied to traffic medicine in its current form and its performances re-evaluated with CDT measured by HPLC.
The garnet–clinopyroxene Fe2+–Mg geothermometer: an updated calibration

Multiple regression analysis on an extended dataset has been performed to refine the relationship between temperature, pressure, composition and the Fe-Mg distribution between garnet and clinopyroxene. In addition to a significant dependence between the distribution coeYcient K D and XGrt and XGrt , as shown by the experimental data, the eVect of XGrt has also been incorporated using data from natural Mn-rich garnet-clinopyroxene pairs. Multiple regression of data (n=360) covering a large span in pressure, tem- perature and composition from 27 experimental datasets, combined with 49 natural high-Mn granulites from Ruby Range, Montana, USA, and Karnataka, India, yields the P-T -compositional relationship (r2=0.98):
Wear Properties of Hybrid Epoxy Composites Reinforced with Carbon/Kevlar/Glass Fabrics

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of hybridization of fabrics on wear properties of epoxy composites and to relate them to impact properties. With this aim carbon/glass/Kevlar fabrics were hybridized to reinforce epoxy composites. Epoxy composites reinforced with only carbon, glass or Kevlar fabrics were also prepared as reference composites. The wear tests were carried out using a pin-on-disk device. The wear surfaces of composite specimens were examined by scanning electron microscopy to investigate the different behavior of three distinct fabrics in the hybrid composites. The results have shown that carbon fabric reinforced epoxy composite exhibited the highest wear resistance, whereas the wear resistance of Kevlar fabric reinforced epoxy composite was the lowest. As expected, the wear resistance of hybrid composites was lower than that of only carbon fabric reinforced composites.
Aalborg Universitet Classification of sports types from tracklets

Automatic analysis of video is important in order to process and exploit large amounts of data, e.g. for sports analysis. Classification of sports types is one of the first steps towards a fully automatic analysis of the activities performed at sports arenas. In this work we test the idea that sports types can be classified from features extracted from short trajectories of the players. From tracklets created by a Kalman filter tracker we extract four robust features; Total distance, lifespan, distance span and mean speed. For classification we use a quadratic discriminant analysis. In our experiments we use 30 2-minutes thermal video sequences from each of five different sports types. By applying a 10fold cross validation we obtain a correct classification rate of 94.5 %.
Induced Carbon-Saving Technical Change: Effects of Restricting the Trade in Carbon Rights

This paper examines the implications of restricting the tradability of carbon rights in the presence of induced technical change. Unlike earlier approaches aiming at exploring the tradability-technology linkage we focus on climate-relevant 'carbon-saving' technical change. This is achieved by incorporating endogenous investment in carbon productivity into the RICE-99 integrated assessment model of Nordhaus and Boyer (2000). Simulation analysis of various emission reduction scenarios with several restrictions on emissions trading reveals a pronounced dichotomy of effects across regions: Restrictions to trading raise the investments in carbon productivity in permit demanding regions while reducing them in permit supplying regions. In terms of per capita consumption, permit demanding regions lose and permit supplying regions gain from restrictions. In scenarios that involve 'hot air', restrictions to trade lower overall emissions which results in reduced climate damage for most regions. Reduced damage, in turn, reduces the incentive to invest in carbon productivity.
Serie documentos de trabajo TEENAGE PREGNANCY IN MEXICO : EVOLUTION AND CONSEQUENCES

We analyze the consequences of a teenage pregnancy event in the shortand longrun in Mexico. Using longitudinal and cross-section data, we match females who got pregnant and those that did not based on a propensity score. Several balancing tests and speci cations indicate that the main assumptions to estimate the average treatment e¤ect on the treated using a propensity score are satis ed. In the short-run, we nd that a teenage pregnancy causes a decrease of 0.6-0.8 years of schooling, lower attendance to school, less hours of work and a higher marriage rate. At the household level, we do not nd any e¤ect in parental hours of work or income per capita. In the long-run, we nd a loss in years of education of 1-1.2 and a higher probability of being married, but also higher probability of being separated or divorced. We also nd that household income per capita is lower at least in the long-run. JEL: I00; J10; J11; O54. Keywords: Teenage; Pregnancy; Labor outcomes; Propensity score; Matching. This paper is written for the World Bank Report "Teenage Pregnancy in Latin America". We thank nancing of the World Bank. We thank comments of Luis F. López-Calva. All remaining errors are our own. yEmail: eva.arceo@cide.edu. , Address: Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas, Carretera Mexico-Toluca 3655, Col. Lomas de Santa Fe, 01210, Mexico DF. Phone: +52-55-57279800, ext. 2759. zE-mail: rmcampos@colmex.mx, http://raycampos.googlepages. com. Address: El Colegio de México, Centro de Estudios Económicos, Camino al Ajusco 20, Pedregal de Santa Teresa, 10740, Mexico DF. Phone: +52-55-54493000, ext. 4153. Fax: +52-55-56450464.
K–Ca–Mg binary cation exchange in saline soils from the north of Chile

The selectivities of the K–Ca and K–Mg cation exchange reactions were studied in batch experiments carried out with 7 Chilean saline sandy soils with low organic matter (OM) content, and rich in quartz and halite, by using the experimental Gaines and Thomas procedure and the semi-empirical Rothmund–Kornfeld approach. The soils present high reactivity to the exchange process in terms of CEC and a preference order from the surface for the cation of K > Ca > Mg. In addition, the existence of different types of exchange sites was determined; some were specific for determined cations and others presented free competition. The proposed exchange reaction for both equilibria was thermodynamically possible and the studied cations presented a decreasing mobility order K > Ca > Mg, which follows the increasing order of hydrated ionic radii. As for the Rothmund–Kornfeld semi-empirical approach, it can be employed on soils classified as Aridisol due to good fit with the experimental data. On the other hand, the Gaines and Thomas approach is only experimentally applicable since poses some restrictions concerning to salinity and carbonate contents in the studied soils.
ASSOCIATION FOR CONSUMER RESEARCH

This paper explores the clothing purchasing behavior characteristics occurring in gay professional consumers according to their different identity management--1) disclosure to gay others, 2) disclosure to heterosexual others, and 3) resistance rituals (i.e., not identifying with gay men) (Kates 1998) in downtown Toronto. The study further explores the impact of marketing mix factors on clothing consumption. Ten in-depth interviews were conducted with gay professionals. The results of our exploratory study revealed that all informants belong to the category of disclosure to heterosexuals and they seemed to be more selfcentered and brand loyal toward product selection. Finally, marketing implications and limitations are also presented.
Organizational Justice and Affective Organizational Commitment: Mediated by Organizational Trust and Perceived Organizational Support

Organizational justice refers to employee perceptions of fairness of treatment by the organization, and their behavioral reactions to this justice. Based on social exchange theory, one consequence of organizational justice is organizational trust, the willingness to invest one's resources in a relationship resulting from positive expectations as a consequence of previous interaction. Another consequence of organizational justice is perceived organizational support (POS), the extent to which employees feel their contribution is valued by the organization, and the organization cares about their well-being and gives fair treatment. All three variables may contribute to affective organizational commitment. To test the mediation of organizational trust and POS, 188 valid questionnaires were analyzed in a large company of poultry industry in Indonesia. All research hypotheses were supported, where it is practically important that organization in this context to address the practice of organizational justice with the support of organization in term of trust and managerial support in creating organizational commitment.
Assessing the necessity and efficiency of the community reinvestment act

Abstract A number of researchers have recently questioned whether the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) is still needed. In addition, economic analysis has explored the efficiency of many regulations, but not the CRA. This article seeks to address both issues to shed light on the necessity and efficiency of the CRA. On the basis of data from a survey on the performance and profitability of CRA‐related lending activities, we reach three main conclusions. First, consistent with the view that the CRA is needed, we find evidence that the majority of surveyed institutions engaged in some lending activities that they would not otherwise have done in the absence of the law. Second, in terms of efficiency, the results are mixed: The vast majority of institutions increased credit flows profitably, but a significant minority incurred costs, albeit small ones. Third, quantitative evidence suggests that marginal CRA‐related lending tended to be small.
Impact of additional small-scale survey data on the geostatistical analyses of demersal fish species in the North Sea

Geostatistical tools have been used to study the impact of additional small scale catch data (star survey design) on the spatial analysis of fish, regarding different biological groups of dab, Limanda limanda and whiting, Merlangius merlangus . A standard survey carried out in January (2001-2003) in a meso-scale area in the German Bight was modified by additional small-scale sampling in 2002 and 2003. Adopting the star survey reduced the small-scale variability for medium-sized and male dab, as indicated by lower values of the nugget effect and an increased resolution of the spatial dependency. For whiting no reduction in the small scale variability could be detected; a significant difference in the spatial structuring was only found for two different size groups of whiting. Uncertainty of mean catches of dab and whiting was reduced in 2002, while in 2003 the effect of the star survey was less pronounced due to the high local density of the nearby stations. We conclude that the star survey design can be an inexpensive and effective procedure — depending on the species studied and/or the positioning of the nearby stations — when a minimised small-scale variability and a reduction of uncertainty in mean biomass of fish are the focus of interest.
Effect of phytoplankton cell size on transient-state nitrate and ammonium uptake kinetics.

SUMMARYThe uptake of nitrate or ammonium (at a concentration of 10 mol I-1) by marine phytoplankton was studied in relation to cell size. Initial specific nitrate uptake rates by small (35000 m3) and large (130000 m3) cells of the diatom Ditylum brightwellii did not differ significantly. However, the larger cells maintained a high uptake rate for a longer time. Therefore, they accumulated nitrate in a higher biomass-specific pool than the smaller cells. In the dark, this effect was even more pronounced. Two smaller diatom species, Lauderia borealis (7474 m3) and Thalassiosira pseudonana (98 (m3), had lower initial specific nitrate uptake rates and lower intracellular pools. Transient-state ammonium uptake did not result in accumulation of large intracellular pools of ammonium. Theoretically, and on the basis of the presented results, we stress the dualistic functional role of the vacuole. A large vacuole is an effective way for larger algal species to possess a minimum cell nutrient quota/cell surface ratio which is in the range of smaller species. Furthermore, by functioning as a storage reservoir it reduces inhibition of the uptake rate by cytoplasmic accumulated nutrients. The effect of the latter mechanism is that larger algal species are better at nitrate uptake under fluctuating conditions. These results imply that, in nitrogen-controlled marine systems, resource competition under fluctuating nutrient concentrations can only lead to a shift towards larger phytoplankton species if nitrate rather than ammonium is the main nitrogen source. From theoretical considerations it is argued that the maximum growth rate of algae is determined by nutrient assimilation properties rather than by photosynthetic capacity.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

The current study was conducted to investigate pollution level in Lattakia-coastline, Syria using Ulva lactuca (Chlorophyta) algae as bioindicator for sea water pollution based on Zn, Pb, Cu and Cd concentration using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS) technique. On the other hand, to investigate pollution genotoxicity on U. lactuca algae based on Genomic Template Stability (GTS%) estimations yielded by Touch-down Directed Amplification of Minisatellite DNA (Td-DAMD) marker. AAS analysis indicated that the Lattakia coastline is not polluted by the mentioned pollutants (Zn, Pb, Cu and Cd) at least regarding these metals. As for GTS%, it is not correlated with observed pollutants concentration in the mentioned sites. Further studies focused especially on determination of other elements than those studied herein and investigation their influence on DNA changes profile are needed.
What Can Be Learned from PM Research That Has Not yet Been Applied Effectively to NM Research ? The Ultrafine Hypothesis and Nanomaterials

Citation for published version: Stone, V, Miller, MR, Clift, MJD, Elder, A, Mills, NL, Møller, P, Schins, RPF, Vogel, U, Kreyling, WG, Alstrup Jensen, K, Kuhlbusch, TAJ, Schwarze, PE, Hoet, P, Pietroiusti, A, De Vizcaya-Ruiz, A, Baeza-Squiban, A, Teixeira, JP, Tran, CL & Cassee, FR 2017, 'Nanomaterials Versus Ambient Ultrafine Particles: An Opportunity to Exchange Toxicology Knowledge', Environmental Health Perspectives , vol. 125, no. 10, 106002. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP424
Debye temperature and stiffness of carbon and boron nitride polymorphs from first principles calculations

A theoretical investigation has been made on the phonon spectrum and heat capacity of polymorphs of carbon and boron nitride with special interests on the variation of Debye temperature and stiffness with temperature. A part of optical phonon branches of graphite exhibits higher frequencies than those of diamond. As a consequence, graphite shows smaller heat capacity and higher Debye temperature than diamond above a crossover temperature of 1000 K. This supports experimental reports of heat capacity although available experimental data are widely scattered. The higher Debye stiffness of graphite at above 1000 K is not contra-dictory to the fact that conventional stiffness of diamond is much larger than that of graphite, since the Debye stiffness is determined by both acoustic and optical phonons, whereas only acoustic phonons contribute to the conventional stiffness. The same trend was found between hexagonal and cubic boron nitrides with a crossover temperature of 600 K.
An Assessment of Financial Literacy and the Performance of UWEZO Funded SME’s in Kirinyaga County, Kenya

The study sought to assess the financial literacy and performance of Uwezo funded SMEs in Kirinyaga County. Lack of finance has been attributed to be the cause of poor performance of SMEs necessitating the government of Kenya to initiate programs such as UWEZO fund to provide the much needed finances for the success of these SMEs. Among the Kenya government initiatives is the financial literacy training program that is provided to the UWEZO fund beneficiaries as a prerequisite for getting the funds. Guided by financial literacy theory the study surveyed the level of financial literacy among 88 uwezo funded SMEs who were randomly selected and assessed the effect of the financial literacy on the performance of the SMEs. The findings of the study reveal that there is a significant positive relationship between financial literacy and the performance of the sampled SMEs. It was established that the SME owners had good financial literacy skills in terms of personal savings, record keeping, credit management and budgeting but had difficulties in implementing these skills in their day to today business decisions. The study therefore recommends that the providers of the financial literacy training programs should have a review program to ensure that the SMEs are able to apply the skills acquired to be able to make better business decisions. The study also recommends that a similar study can be conducted on the same SMEs to identify the cause of the knowledge gap. Key words: Financial literacy, personal savings, record keeping, credit management