Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Experimental study of average overtopping performance on steep low-crested structures for shallow water conditions

Wave overtopping is a key design parameter of the s ea defence structures. A good knowledge of the over t pping process is required to assess the safety of coastal structu res and to improve the design guidelines. The scien tific literature available about wave overtopping is extensive, although there are still knowledge gaps to be filled. Wave overto pping data available for steep low-crested structures are limited and th e recent research carried out at Ghent University ( Belgium) has been focused on these type of structures in deep water condition s. Wave overtopping for steep low-crested structure s in shallow water conditions remains however a knowledge gap. Therefo re we performed 2D physical model tests for steep l ow-crested structures in shallow water conditions, obtaining t he new dataset ‘UG15’. This paper summarizes the re c nt developments of wave overtopping with a focus on shallow water cond itions, describes the physical model tests, discuss es the average overtopping results and compares these new results with the existing prediction formulae, drawing conc lusions about the behavior of wave overtopping in depth-limited condi tions. The most recent overtopping formulae predict accurately the overtopping rates although presenting some inaccura ies. The shallow water effects increase the overto pping rates for very steep slopes and for vertical walls with large valu es of the relative crest freeboard. KEWORDS: coastal structures, wave overtopping, steep low-cre sted structures, shallow water, experimental modell ing
Media Endorsements of New Product Announcements: A New Marketing Strategy

This paper examines whether investors' decisions are influenced by the word content of newspaper reports of new product announcements. Using textual analysis we find that announcements of new products covered by financial newspapers with positive word content earn significant abnormal returns. These returns are 270 basis points higher than new products without positive word coverage, and such announcements bring negative impact to their rival firms' value. Our results suggest that the market reacts to the linguistic content of the new product announcement rather than to the announcement itself.
Measurement of nitrate and ammonium uptake at ambient concentrations in oligotrophic waters of the North-East Atlantic Ocean

Nitrate and ammonium measurements at low (4 to 650 nmol N dm -3 ) nanomolar concentrations have been combined with 15 N-nitrogen tracer experiments to determine uptake rates in oligotrophic regions of the NE Atlantic during the summer of 1996 between 50° and 36° N along the 20° W meridian. The highest nutrient and chlorophyll concentrations were measured at the north of the transect, where the nitrate concentration was 650 nmol dm -3 ; at the southern, oligotrophic stations, nitrate concentration was ca 4 nmol dm -3 . Nitrate uptake has been determined at concentrations of nitrate (ambient plus added 15 N tracer) as low as 7 nmol N dm -3 . Nitrate uptake rate versus concentration along the transect can be described by a hyperbolic curve with parameter values ρ max = 2.77 nmol N dm -3 h -1 and K NO3 = 20 nmol N dm -3 . Along the transect, there was a decrease in the f-ratio from 0.39 to 0.02 and in the relative preference index for nitrate from 0.7 to 0.1. There was no direct indication of ammonium inhibition of nitrate uptake. The observed range in nitrate concentration of 2 orders of magnitude had the greatest influence over the interaction between ammonium concentration and nitrate uptake. There was an exponential decrease in nitrate uptake rate with increases in the ratio of ammonium:nitrate concentration.
Strengthening capacity for sustainable livelihoods and food security through urban agriculture among HIV and AIDS affected households in Nakuru, Kenya

The promotion and support of urban agriculture (UA) has the potential to contribute to efforts to address pressing challenges of poverty, under nutrition and sustainability among vulnerable populations in the growing cities of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This may be especially relevant for HIV/AIDS-affected individuals in SSA whose agricultural livelihoods are severely disrupted by the devastating effects of the disease on physical productivity and nutritional well-being. This paper outlines the process involved in the conception, design and implementation of a project to strengthen technical, environmental, financial and social capacity for UA among HIV-affected households in Nakuru, Kenya. Key lessons learned are also discussed. The first has been the value of multi-stakeholder partnerships, representing a broad range of relevant experience, knowledge and perspectives in order to address the complex set of issues facing agriculture for social purposes in urban settings. A second is the key role of self-help group organizations, and the securing of institutional commitments to support farming by vulnerable persons affected by HIV-AIDS is also apparent. Finally, the usefulness of evaluative tools using mixed methods to monitor progress towards goals and identify supports and barriers to success are highlighted.
Reliability assessment techniques for medical procedures

Healthcare aims to deliver good patient outcomes. However deviations in the application of medical procedures can result in failure to deliver reliable care, variation in patient results, waste of hospital resources and increase of risk to staff and patients. Venepuncture – the act of taking blood samples for laboratory tests – has been practised for centuries and is still one of the most common invasive procedures in healthcare. Each step of the procedure can affect the quality of the sample and is thus important for preventing rejection of blood specimens, patient and staff injury and even death. There is evidence that, despite published guidelines, there is wide variability in terms of the procedure, its duration and success rates. This variability can depend on numerous factors: material factors, such as equipment and tubes used during the drawing of blood, and staff factors, such as tourniquet technique and skill of the individual. If the variability effects on outcomes can be evaluated in terms of process reliability and efficiency, potential changes to the current medical practice can be tested before they are proposed and implemented. In this paper a reliability assessment technique based on engineering reliability modelling methods is proposed. A technique based on Petri nets and simulation is presented which can be used to mimic and analyse the performance of a medical procedure through graphical and probabilistic modelling features. The technique can be used to demonstrate variations in the venepuncture procedure affect the outcomes, such as reliability and the duration of the procedure. Different scenarios of resource allocation can be analysed and the most critical steps of the procedure identified. The proposed technique is illustrated using the information gained from interview and questionnaire responses from doctors and phlebotomists working in UK hospitals.
Cirrifera genitoductus sp.n. (Platyhelminthes, Proseriata, Coelogynoporidae) from the Belgian coast, with observations on its ultrastructure and its significance for the taxonomy of the Coelogynoporidae

Cirrifera genitoductus sp.n. (Platyhelminthes, Proseriata, Coelogynoporidae) is described from sandy beaches at the Belgian and Northern French coasts. The species is characterised by a cirrus with small spines, all of the same size, a prostate vesi- cle far behind the copulatory bulb, a long genito-intestinal duct and a pair of large gland complexes behind the genital pore. An identification key for the Cirrifera-species is given as are some data on the ultrastructure. A brief discussion on the character distri- bution within the Coelogynoporidae shows that the discovery of a species of Cirrifera with a genito-intestinal duct makes the demarcation of the genera even more blurred than it already is.
Changes in toxin content , biomass and pigments of the dinoflagellate Alexandrium minutum during nitrogen refeeding and growth into nitrogen or phosphorus stress

Two stralns of the paralytic shellfish tox~n (PST) producing dinoflagellate Alexandrium lninutum Halim (highly toxic ALlV and weakly toxic AL2V) were grown in batch culture with either nitrate or phosphate as the limiting nutrient. In comparison with cells of the strain ALlV, cells of AL2V grew at a similar C-specific rate, had a higher C/N ratio, and lower ratios of chl a/chl c2 and chl a/peridinin. Neither chlorophylls nor carotenoids could be used to estimate C-biomass, N-biomass or toxin content for this organism. The toxin profile for both strains was dominated (up to 95 %) by the gonyautoxin GTX4, with smaller proportions of GTX1. GTX2 and GTX3. The rate of toxin synthesis for both strains was greatest 1 to 2 d after the N-refeeding of N-deprived cells, with the net rate of toxin synthesis exceeding that of C-biomass and cell division by a factor of up to 4. Toxin synthesis was not enhanced by short-term P-stress. N-stress alone led to a decrease in toxin cell-', but P-stress followed by N-stress did not result in such a decline, implicating phosphorus in the regulation of toxin metabolism. Although arginine is a major precursor for PST synthesis, taurine, glycine, glutamine, and cell N showed similar relations to that observed for arginine with respect to toxin content. Furthermore, the mole ratio of arginine/toxin could vary by a factor of up to 5 between ALlV and AL2V at peak values of toxin cell-', and by more than 5 within a strain when growing under different conditions. These observations suggest that the relationship between free arginine content and toxin content is complex. No explanation for the higher toxin content of A L l V IS apparent, except that ALlV has a higher N-content per cell and this may be conducive to a higher rate of synthesis of the N-rich toxins.
Neotectonics and inferred movements in Canada

HASEGAWA, HENRY S. , 1988: Neotectonics and inferred movements in Canada. Bull. Geo! Soc. Finland 60, Part 1, 3—25. Neotectonic movements in Canada are due to a variety of causes. Within the Canadian Shield (craton) postglacial rebound appears to be the main contributor. Along the tectonically active western continental margin, plate subduction and transcurrent plate motion are taking place. Further inland there is a region where mantle upwelling is probably the dominant neotectonic process. Along many parts of the passive continental slopes, unconsolidated sediments are being deposited at a rate faster than isostatic adjustments can take place. Postglacial rebound has a strong influence on seismicity in northeastern Canada (Baffin Island-Baffin Bay region). Seismicity along the southeast (St. Lawrence Valley) appears to be due to a reactivation of ancient zones of weakness by the neotectonic stress field; postglacial rebound stress can, at the most, act as a trigger mechanism for seismicity in this region. Long wavelength phenomena that are related to glacial loading-unloading and postglacial rebound can be represented by an elastic-viscoelastic lithosphere and asthenosphere. However, the spatio-temporal behaviour of the pattern of shortwavelength, nonlinear phenomena to postglacial rebound stress and strain depends on the characteristics of these heterogeneities (e.g. faults, blocks and intrusions). Consequently, in structurally heterogeneous regions in Canada and Fennoscandia with similar types of fault patterns and block geometry, a similar spatiotemporal history of postglacial fault offsets and block movements should occur. In other regions where the structural heterogeneities are different, different types and degrees of postglacial movement can be expected.
Improving Decision Making Through Mindfulness

Decisions shape personal and organizational outcomes, and both researchers and practitioners look for ways to enhance decision making prowess. In this chapter, we explore whether and how mindfulness might help at various stages of decision making. We suggest that mindfulness may help notice when a decision should or could be made, increase goal awareness, enhance consistency of the decision with one’s fundamental values, facilitate option generation, reduce the sunk cost bias, and help recognize ethical challenges of decisions. We further argue that while mindfulness may diminish the scope of information search, it may also improve the quality of information used to make a decision. It may also reduce confirmation bias and overconfidence, allow decision makers to better differentiate between relevant and irrelevant information, reduce reliance on stereotypes, help appreciate uncertainty and productively deal with it, and reduce illusory pattern detection. Furthermore, mindfulness is likely to facilitate resolving trade-offs and help effectively reconcile intuition with analysis thereby reducing procrastination. Finally, mindful decision makers are more likely to learn to make better decisions over time because they are more open to feedback and less prone to misinterpret it by making self-serving attributions. The potential of mindfulness to improve judgment and decisions provides many promising opportunities for future research.
The Structure of Wages and Benefits in the U.S. Pork Industry

Pork production has evolved from relatively small, family-run operations toward large-scale operations with several employees. Important questions about the structure of compensation in this rapidly changing labor market are answered using probit and ordered probit models and data from a national survey of pork producers and their employees. The results suggest (i) the structure of wages in pork production is consistent with more developed labor markets; (ii) employees earn a wage premium for using advanced technology and working in larger operations; and (iii) employees are willing to accept lower wages in exchange for better benefits and working conditions. Key words: benefits, compensation, earnings functions, hog production, technology, wages.
Population structure and possible origin of Amylostereum areolatum in South Africa

The woodwasp, Sirex noctilio, and its symbiotic fungus, Amylostereum areolatum, cause extensive damage to pine plantations in the Southern Hemisphere. S. noctilio was first reported from South Africa in 1994. In this study, the population diversity of A. areolatum isolates from South Africa, South America, Australasia and Europe was determined by vegetative incompatibility testing. All 108 South African and 26 South American isolates belonged to the same vegetative compatibility group (VCG). This VCG showed a weak incompatibility reaction with the single Tasmanian and single New Zealand isolates tested. This VCG differed from VCGs from Europe. It also differed from isolates associated with the biocontrol nematode, Deladenus siricidicola, which is produced in Australia. It is concluded that the South African and South American populations of A. areolatum share a common origin.
Memory Priming in Elderly Individuals Diagnosed with Dementia

The purpose of the current study was to examine the efficacy of a novel memory enhancement procedure for individuals with dementia named “memory priming. ” Three elderly individuals with a diagnosis of dementia participated in the study. Baseline procedures involved identifying low-probability items that served as targets for the intervention and moderate-probability questions that served as control items. A variation of a reversal design was implemented to compare three different conditions: the memory priming intervention and two control conditions that involved reading aloud and a watching a video. The results of the study indicated that individuals with moderate-to-severe memory impairment do have the ability to increase their recall of personally-relevant information, and that an activity requiring cognitive effort (i.e., reading aloud and engaging in a preferred conversation) may produce the most benefit compared to a more passive and less cognitively stimulating activity (i.e., watching a video). Running Head: MEMORY PRIMING IN ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS 4 Table of
Profitability of the Momentum Strategies in the Tunisian Stock Market

This paper examines the profitability of the momentum strategies in the Tunisian stock market using all the listed firms for the period 1991-2015. The stock performance is measured by the returns and the cumulative abnormal returns during a formation and holding period of 3-12 months. We found evidence of momentum profitability especially for the sub-period 2003-2015. Buying the tercile or the quintile portfolio of stocks that have performed well in the past 3, 6 and 9 months and selling the tercile or quintile of the stocks that have performed poorly during the same periods, generate statistically and economically positive returns during the subsequent 3, 6, 9 and 12 months.
A practice theory framework for understanding vegan transition.

A shift in the social norm of meat consumption is a transition that is repeatedly called for in climate change policy discourse. Yet this rarely sets out practically how such reduction might be achieved and, surprisingly, has yet to look to vegans as a knowledge resource. In drawing upon interview data with 40 UK vegans this article outlines an initial framework toward the greater normalisation of plant-based eating via attentiveness to the elements of vegan practice. These vegan narratives illustrate how the practice is already working for a small section of the UK population. In adopting a practice theory approach the article offers greater insights into both the obstacles and potential of pro-vegan policy which could have co-benefits across several domains of public health and sustainability.
INVASIVE SHRUBS AND SONGBIRD NESTING SUCCESS: EFFECTS OF CLIMATE VARIABILITY AND PREDATOR ABUNDANCE

Previous studies have demonstrated that songbirds often use exotic plants as nesting substrates and may suffer elevated predation rates relative to nests placed in native plants. Veeries (Catharus fuscescens) frequently build nests in an exotic shrub, Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii), in forests of southeastern New York State, USA. We monitored Veery nesting success over a six-year period and supplemented these observations with experimental nests to determine whether predation rates differed between nests placed on the ground, in barberry shrubs, or in alternative native substrates. Using experimental nests, we found that nests raised above the ground in either barberry or native plants survived significantly longer than ground nests, but predation did not differ between the two former sites. Similarly, Veery nests on the ground suffered higher predation rates than nests in either raised native substrates or barberry; however, despite a substantially lower daily mortality rate in barberry, the dif.
Non-Core Banking, Performance, and Risk

This paper questions recent US and EU regulatory initiatives to ring-fence traditional interest spread generating commercial banking activities, such as deposit taking and lending, from non-interest generating activities relating to fees, trading, and investment banking. Drawing on a dataset covering over 10,000 US commercial banks and 542 bank holding companies, we find no convincing evidence that non-interest generating activities harm bank profitability and/or increase bank failure, insolvency or systematic risks across all size groups covering both crisis and non-crisis periods. Our results call into question the benefits of ring-fencing traditional from non-traditional bank activities.
Homophily and online networks: Young adult relationships in MySpace

This paper examines the characteristics of online social networks. The researcher collected the data used in the study between January 3, 2007 and January 10, 2007. 150 networks were collected from MySpace.com, an online social networking site, along with six features from the profiles of those in the networks—race/ethnicity, education, religion, reasons for joining, profile background, and music. Two regression models were used to determine the effects of homophily on network density and network embeddedness. The regression models show that homophily for race/ethnicity, religion, music, and reasons for joining did not significantly affect network embeddedness or network density. Background and education homophily were the only significant variables in the models. These results support current research that suggests individuals are becoming friends online for very different reasons than in face-to-face contexts.
Stellar science from a blue wavelength range

From stellar spectra, a variety of physical properties of stars can be derived. In particular, the chemical composition of stellar atmospheres can be inferred from absorption line analyses. These provide key information on large scales, such as the formation of our Galaxy, down to the small-scale nucleosynthesis processes that take place in stars and supernovae. By extending the observed wavelength range toward bluer wavelengths, we optimize such studies to also include critical absorption lines in metal-poor stars, and allow for studies of heavy elements (Z = 38) whose formation processes remain poorly constrained. In this context, spectrographs optimized for observing blue wavelength ranges are essential, since many absorption lines at redder wavelengths are too weak to be detected in metal-poor stars. This means that some elements cannot be studied in the visual-redder regions, and important scientific tracers and science cases are lost. The present era of large public surveys will target millions of stars. It is therefore important that the next generation of spectrographs are designed such that they cover a wide wavelength range and can observe a large number of stars simultaneously. Only then, we can gain the full information from stellar spectra, from both metal-poor to metal-rich ones, that will allow us to understand the aforementioned formation scenarios in greater detail. Here we describe the requirements driving the design of the forthcoming survey instrument 4MOST, a multi-object spectrograph commissioned for the ESO VISTA 4 m-telescope. While 4MOST is also intended for studies of active galactic nuclei, baryonic acoustic oscillations, weak lensing, cosmological constants, supernovae and other transients, we focus here on high-density, wide-area survey of stars and the science that can be achieved with high-resolution stellar spectroscopy. Scientific and technical requirements that governed the design are described along with a thorough line blending analysis. For the high-resolution spectrograph, we find that a sampling of >= 2.5 (pixels per resolving element), spectral resolution of 18 000 or higher, and a wavelength range covering 393-436 nm, is the most well-balanced solution for the instrument. A spectrograph with these characteristics will enable accurate abundance analysis (+/- 0.1 dex) in the blue and allow us to confront the outlined scientific questions. (C) 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH& Co. KGaA, Weinheim (Less)