Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Application of linear polarized light for the discrimination of frozen and liquid droplets in ice nucleation experiments

Abstract. We report on the development and test results of the new optical particle counter TOPS-Ice (Thermo-stabilized Optical Particle Spectrometer for the detection of Ice). The instrument uses measurements of the cross-polarized scattered light by single particles into the near-forward direction (42.5° ± 12.7°) to distinguish between spherical and non-spherical particles. This approach allows the differentiation between liquid water droplets (spherical) and ice particles (non-spherical) having similar volume-equivalent sizes and therefore can be used to determine the fraction of frozen droplets in a typical immersion freezing experiment. We show that the numerical simulation of the light scattered on non-spherical particles (spheroids in random orientation) considering the actual scattering geometry used in the instrument supports the validity of the approach, even though the cross-polarized component of the light scattered by spherical droplets does not vanish in this scattering angle. For the separation of the ice particle mode from the liquid droplet mode, we use the width of the pulse detected in the depolarization channel instead of the pulse height. Exploiting the intrinsic relationship between pulse height and pulse width for Gaussian pulses allows us to calculate the fraction of frozen droplets even if the liquid droplet mode dominates the particle ensemble. We present test results obtained with TOPS-Ice in the immersion freezing experiments at the laminar diffusion chamber LACIS (Leipzig Aerosol Cloud Interaction Simulator) and demonstrate the excellent agreement with the data obtained in similar experiments with a different optical instrument. Finally, the advantages of using the cross-polarized light measurements for the differentiation of liquid and frozen droplets in the realistic immersion freezing experiments are discussed.
Identification of organic matter sources in sulfidic late Holocene Antarctic fjord sediments from fossil rDNA sequence analysis

The 18S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) isolated from sulfidic Holocene sediments and particulate organic matter in the water column of the stratified Small Meromictic Basin (SMB) in Ellis Fjord (eastern Antarctica) was analyzed to identify possible biological sources of organic matter. Previous work had shown that the sediments contained numerous diatom frustules and high contents of a highly branched isoprenoid (HBI) C25:2 alkene (which is a specific biomarker of certain species of the diatom genera Navicula, Haslea, Pleurosigma, or Rhizosolenia), so we focused our search on preserved fossil 18S rDNA of diatoms using sensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) approaches. We did not find diatom-derived fossil 18S rDNA using general eukaryotic primers, and even when we used primers selective for diatom 18S rDNA, we only identified a Chaetoceros phylotype, which is known to form cysts in the SMB but is not a likely source of the C25:2 HBI. When we used PCR/denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis methods specific to phylotypes within the HBI-biosynthesizing genera, we were able to identify three phylotypes in the sediments related to HBI-producing strains of the genera Haslea and Navicula. The ancient DNA data thus provided a limited, but valuable, view of the diversity of late Holocene primary producers with a particular bias to specific components of the biota that were better preserved such as the Chaetoceros cysts. This use of paleogenetics also revealed unexpected possible sources of organic matter such as novel stramenopiles for which no specific lipid biomarkers are known and thus would not have been identified based on traditional lipid stratigraphy alone.
COMMUNICATION OPENNESS IN PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL SYSTEMS ENHANCING JOB SATISFACTION

The aim of this paper is to investigate the relationship between communication openness in performance appraisal systems and job satisfaction. A survey method was employed to gather data from employees who have worked in a privatized postal company in Sarawak, Malaysia. SmartPLS version 2.0 was used to determine the validity and reliability of instrument and test the research hypotheses. The outcomes of SmartPLS path model showed that explanation and feedback were positively and significantly related to job satisfaction. This result confirms that the ability of appraisers to clearly explain the performance appraisal practices and adequately provide feedback in determining performance scores have been important predictors of appraisesi? ½ job satisfaction in the studied organization. Further, this study provides discussion, implications and conclusion.
The Role of High Frequency Intra-Daily Data, Daily Range and Implied Volatility in Multi-Period Value-at-Risk Forecasting

In this paper, we assess the informational content of daily range, realized variance, realized bipower variation, two time scale realized variance, realized range and implied volatility in daily, weekly, biweekly and monthly out-of-sample Value-at-Risk (VaR) predictions. We use the recently proposed Realized GARCH model combined with the skewed student distribution for the innovations process and a Monte Carlo simulation approach in order to produce the multi-period VaR estimates. The VaR forecasts are evaluated in terms of statistical and regulatory accuracy as well as capital efficiency. Our empirical findings, based on the S&P 500 stock index, indicate that almost all realized and implied volatility measures can produce statistically and regulatory precise VaR forecasts across forecasting horizons, with the implied volatility being especially accurate in monthly VaR forecasts. The daily range produces inferior forecasting results in terms of regulatory accuracy and Basel II compliance. However, robust realized volatility measures such as the adjusted realized range and the realized bipower variation, which are immune against microstructure noise bias and price jumps respectively, generate superior VaR estimates in terms of capital efficiency, as they minimize the opportunity cost of capital and the Basel II regulatory capital. Our results highlight the importance of robust high frequency intra-daily data based volatility estimators in a multi-step VaR forecasting context as they balance between statistical or regulatory accuracy and capital efficiency.
Diurnal Precipitation Regimes in the Global Tropics

Abstract Diurnal variations of the global tropical precipitation are documented by using two complementary Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) datasets (3B42 and 3G68) for 1998–2006 in an attempt to provide a unified view of the diurnal cycle and a metric for evaluating numerical model performance. The 3B42 data have better spatial coverage; the 3G68 data offer more accurate diurnal phase information. The first and second empirical orthogonal function (EOF) modes represent the diurnal cycle and account for 89% of the total variance in 3B42. The third and fourth EOF modes, which account for 10% of the total variance, represent the semidiurnal cycle. Both datasets yield consistent spatial structures and temporal evolution, but they have different advantages: the patterns derived from 3B42 exhibit less noise, while 3G68 yields an arguably more accurate diurnal phase. The diurnal phase derived from 3G68 systematically leads 3B42 by about 3 h. Three tropical diurnal cycle regimes (oceanic, continental, .
Polymer dynamics: from synthetic polymers to proteins

In polymeric materials, the structures, the macroscopic mechanical and rheological properties, and the phase changes are determined to a high degree by thermal motion of the atoms and molecules. Most of the relevant dynamics take place on mesoscopic lengths and timescales in between the picosecond atomic scale and the macroscopic frame. Offering the proper space–time observation window, neutron spin echo spectroscopy uniquely addresses these motions. We briefly present some key experimental results on the mesoscopic dynamics of polymer systems. We address briefly the standard model of polymer motion, the Rouse model, the role of topological confinement as expressed in the reptation model and, finally, processes limiting the confinement – we discuss contour length fluctuations and constraint release of entangled chains. Very recently it also became possible to directly identify large-scale internal dynamics of proteins by neutron spin echo. We report the results of these pioneering studies, which are most likely to initiate further experiments on the large-scale motions of proteins and their relation to protein function.
review pneumonia in adults in Europe : a literature Risk factors for community-acquired

These include: Data Supplement http://thorax.bmj. com/content/suppl/2013/10/15/thoraxjnl-2013-204282.DC1. html "Supplementary Data" References http://thorax.bmj. com/content/68/11/1057.full. html#ref-list-1 This article cites 89 articles, 28 of which can be accessed free at: Open Access non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 3.0) This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the
SP ] 1 2 O ct 2 01 8 EIGENFUNCTIONS AND RANDOM WAVES IN THE BENJAMINI

We investigate the asymptotic behavior of eigenfunctions of the Laplacian on Riemannian manifolds. We show that Benjamini-Schramm convergence provides a unified language for the level and eigenvalue aspects of the theory. As a result, we present a mathematically precise formulation of Berry’s conjecture for a compact negatively curved manifold and formulate a Berry-type conjecture for sequences of locally symmetric spaces. We prove some weak versions of these conjectures. Using ergodic theory, we also analyze the connections of these conjectures to Quantum Unique Ergodicity.
Light-atom coupling with 4 Pi Microscopy

An efficient light-matter interface is foundational to the development of a distributed quantum network. In this thesis, we explore the possibility of an efficient light-atom interface in free space. Our approach utilises a pair of high numerical aperture (NA=0.75) lenses to tightly focus light onto single 87Rb atoms. Operating near the diffraction limit, the length scale of the light field approaches that of the thermal motion of trapped atoms. Therefore, we focus on our studies not only on the localisation of the light field but also of the atoms. First, we investigate polarization gradient cooling of single atoms in optical dipole traps to reduce the thermal motion. We then quantify the effect of residual thermal motion on our light-atom interface with a transmission spectroscopy experiment. Comparing the results to a simple model, we deduce that the residual thermal motion reduces the interaction by less than 10%. The findings from these experiments lay down the foundations for this thesis. In the main experiment, we adapt a super-resolution imaging technique, 4Pi microscopy, to elevate the focusing limit of our system. In this configuration, the light field is split and coherently focused onto the atom by two opposing lenses. We demonstrate 36.6(3)% extinction of the incident field, which is the largest value reported for an atomic emitter in free space. Such a large extinction leads to significant nonlinear light-atom interaction observed as modified photon statistics of the transmitted field. Our results pave the way towards deterministic photon absorption by the atom with a free-space approach.
Leaching and recovery of platinum group metals from UG-2 concentrates

Existing processes for the recovery of platinum group metals (PGM) from UG-2 ores place stringent requirements with regard to chromite content upon feed material to the plant. An alternative hydrometallurgical process for which this is not an issue is proposed that involves reductive roasting of the ore followed by leaching with HCl/chlorine, ion exchange, and recovery of PGM from the ion exchange eluate by reduction. Problems associated with leaching of PGM are discussed and results of laboratory testwork for each of the process steps are given.
Cooling of many-body systems via selective interactions

We propose a model describing $N$ spin-1/2 systems coupled through $N$-order homogeneous interaction terms, in the presence of local time-dependent magnetic fields. This model can be experimentally implemented with current technologies in trapped ions and superconducting circuits. By introducing a chain of unitary transformations, we succeed in exactly converting the quantum dynamics of this system into that of ${2}^{N\ensuremath{-}1}$ fictitious spin-1/2 dynamical problems. We bring to light the possibility of controlling the unitary evolution of the $N$ spins generating Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger states under specific time-dependent scenarios. Moreover, we show that by appropriately engineering the time dependence of the coupling parameters, one may choose a specific subspace in which the $N$-spin system dynamics takes place. This dynamical feature, which we call time-dependent selective interaction, can generate a cooling effect of all spins in the system.
Hermans The Dialogical Self : Toward a Theory of Personal and Cultural Positioning

The dialogical self proposes a far-reaching decentralization of both the concept of self and the concept of culture. At the intersection between the psychology of the self in the tradition of William James and the dialogical school in the tradition of Mikhail Bakhtin, the proposed view challenges both the idea of a core, essential self and the idea of a core, essential culture. In apparent contradiction with such a view, the present viewpoint proposes to conceive self and culture as a multiplicity of positions among which dialogical relationships can be established. Particular attention is paid to collective voices, domination and asymmetry of social relations, and embodied forms of dialogue. Cultures and selves are seen as moving and mixing and as increasingly sensitive to travel and translocality. Three perspectives for future research of self and culture are briefly discussed: the shifting attention from core to contact zones; increasing complexity; and the experience of uncertainty.
An empirical evaluation of computational and perceptual multi-label genre classification on music / Christopher Sanden

Automatic music genre classification is a high-level task in the field of Music Information Retrieval (MIR). It refers to the process of automatically assigning genre labels to music for various tasks, including, but not limited to categorization, organization and browsing. This is a topic which has seen an increase in interest recently as one of the cornerstones of MIR. However, due to the subjective and ambiguous nature of music, traditional single-label classification is inadequate. In this thesis, we study multi-label music genre classification from perceptual and computational perspectives. First, we design a set of perceptual experiments to investigate the genre-labelling behavior of individuals. The results from these experiments lead us to speculate that multi-label classification is more appropriate for classifying music genres. Second, we design a set of computational experiments to evaluate multi-label classification algorithms on music. These experiments not only support our speculation but also reveal which algorithms are more suitable for music genre classification. Finally, we propose and examine a group of ensemble approaches for combining multi-label classification algorithms to further improve classification performance.
Study Abroad Experience and Attitudes Towards Other Nationalities

Every year, millions of people relocate to a foreign country for school or work. This paper provides evidence of how international experience shifts preferences and stereotypes related to other nationalities. I use participation in the Erasmus study abroad program to identify the effect of international experience: students who are ready to participate in the Erasmus program are chosen as a control group for students who have returned from studies abroad. Individuals make decisions in a Trust Game and in a Triple Dictator Game. Results show that while students do not differentiate between partners from Northern and Southern Europe in the Trust Game prior to an Erasmus study abroad, students who have returned from Erasmus exhibit less trust towards partners from the South. Behavior towards other nationalities in the Triple Dictator Game is not affected by the Erasmus study experience. Over- all, the results suggest that participants learn about cross-country variation in cooperative behavior while abroad and therefore statistical discrimination increases with international experience.
The Value Added from Investment Managers: An Examination of Funds of REITs

Abstract This paper empirically analyzes REIT mutual funds. We show that, contrary to mostmutual fund studies, the average and median alphas (net of expenses) are positive. We also findthat time-varying positive alphas are much more likely to occur when the real asset market is performing poorly, suggesting that managers add more value in down markets than in up markets. We examine the cross-sectional determinants of both standard alphas and the average of time-varing alphas and find that both increase with assets and turnover. Cross-sectinally, we find that actively managed funds have higher alphas than passively managed funds.
Botanical profile of bee pollen from the southern coastal region of Bahia, Brazil

This paper aims to identify the botanical origin of pollen loads collected by Apis mellifera L. in Canavieiras municipality, Bahia state. It provides a list of polliniferous plant species from the Atlantic Forest biome that are important for the development of regional apiculture. Using the acetolysis method, 35 bee-pollen samples were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. Results showed that pollen types Elaeis (23.99%), Mimosa pudica (22.78%) and Cecropia (13.68%) were the most abundant among the samples. These also showed the highest relative frequencies of the material studied and were important pollen sources for bees in the study area.
Effects of temperature on population growth parameters of Cryptolaemus montrouzieri ( Coleoptera : Coccinellidae ) reared on Planococcus citri ( Homoptera : Pseudococcidae )

The effect of temperature on the development, survival, fecundity and population growth parameters of Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant (Col.: Coccinellidae) reared on Planococcus citri Risso (Hom.: Pseudococcidae) was determined at five constant temperatures (18, 22, 26, 30 and 32±1°C) in the laboratory conditions. Results showed a temperature – dependent development of the coccinellid. The mean total of immature period was estimated 76.6±0.9, 33.9±0.1, 25.8±0.1, 22.6±0.1 and 26.2±1.4 days at 18, 22, 26, 30 and 32°C, respectively. The highest and lowest values of R0, rm and λ were obtained 369.9±50.2 and 2.5±0.8 (female/female/generation), 0.07±0.01 and 0.02±0.01 (female/female/day) and 1.08±0.01 and 1.02±0.01 (day) at 26 and 32°C, respectively. The lowest values of generation time (T) and doubling time (Dt) were calculated 42.2±0.9 and 8.9±0.5 days at 32 and 26°C, respectively. The lower and higher developmental threshold of total of immature period were obtained 11.5 and 25.5°C, respectively. The thermal requirement for completion of total of immature period of this predator were estimated 400 DD. These results showed that 26°C and /or adjacent temperature is most suitable for mass rearing of this predator.
Nucleotide sequence determination of the partial SSU rDNA gene and ITS1 region of Hematodinium cf. perezi and Hematodinium-like dinoflagellates

Partial sequences of the small subunit (SSU) rDNA gene of the parasitic dinoflagellates Hematodinium cf. perezi from the blue crab Callinectes sapidus and 3 Hematodinium-like organisms from other decapods, Nephrops norvegicus, Chionoecetes bairdi and C. opilio, were compared. The V9 variable domain of this gene showed no nucleotide differences between the 4 parasitic dinoflagellates. Comparison of this region with other protozoans suggested that the 3 Hematodinium-like organisms should be considered to be within the genus Hematodinium. Differences in nucleotide sequence in the partial ITS1 regions from these 4 parasitic dinoflagellates suggest that there are 2 new species. The Hematodinium organism ex N. norvegicus warrants the creation of a new species The Hematodinium organisms ex C. bairdi and C. opilio are probably the same species and also warrant the creation of another new species, while H. cf. perezi remains distinct from the other isolates.
Melody Processing Characterizes Functional Neuroanatomy in the Aging Brain

The functional neuroanatomical mechanisms underpinning cognition in the normal older brain remain poorly defined, but have important implications for understanding the neurobiology of aging and the impact of neurodegenerative diseases. Auditory processing is an attractive model system for addressing these issues. Here, we used fMRI of melody processing to investigate auditory pattern processing in normal older individuals. We manipulated the temporal (rhythmic) structure and familiarity of melodies in a passive listening, ‘sparse’ fMRI protocol. A distributed cortico-subcortical network was activated by auditory stimulation compared with silence; and within this network, we identified separable signatures of anisochrony processing in bilateral posterior superior temporal lobes; melodic familiarity in bilateral anterior temporal and inferior frontal cortices; and melodic novelty in bilateral temporal and left parietal cortices. Left planum temporale emerged as a ‘hub’ region functionally partitioned for processing different melody dimensions. Activation of Heschl’s gyrus by auditory stimulation correlated with the integrity of underlying cortical tissue architecture, measured using multi-parameter mapping. Our findings delineate neural substrates for analyzing perceptual and semantic properties of melodies in normal aging. Melody (auditory pattern) processing may be a useful candidate paradigm for assessing cerebral networks in the older brain and potentially, in neurodegenerative diseases of later life.
Linkage of Some Trace Elements and Cardiac Markers in Assessment of Acute Coronary Syndromes

Background: Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is accounting for any condition causing sudden reduced blood flow to the heart. Some trace elements play role in the development of ACS. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the linkage between serum zinc, copper, iron level and cardiac markers in acute coronary syndromes. Methods: Eighty patients were divided into four groups. Group I (patients with unstable angina), Group II (acute myocardial infarction early 6 h), group III (acute myocardial infarction late 6 h) and group IV (patients with reperfusion therapy). Fifteen apparently healthy individuals served as a control group. Different risk factors as age, sex, diabetes and dyslipideamia were addressed in different groups. The correlation between Fe, Zn and Cu versus cardiac enzymes were demonstrated. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was conducted. Results: Male and diabetic patients were significantly higher. The CK and Tn were significantly increased in groups I, II and III. The CK-MB levels were significantly increased in group II and group III. The AST levels were significantly increased in group III. The serum iron level was significantly lower in group I, II and III. Serum zinc show slight decrease in groups II and III. No significant correlation was obtained concerning serum Cu. In group II, there were significant positive correlation between Fe versus Tn, CK-MB and CK. The (ROC) analysis was identified the optimal Fe, Zn and Cu plasma level for potential prediction of development of ACS. Conclusion: Fe and Zn values were lower in ACS patients. Cu values did not show difference.