Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Endogenous and exogenous factors affecting parasitism of gypsy moth egg masses by Ooencyrtus kuvanae

Factors affecting the orientation, reproduction, and sex ratio of the egg parasitoid Ooencyrtus kuvanae Howard were examined. Adult females were attracted to airborne volatiles from the egg mass and accessory gland of the primary host, the gypsy moth Lymantria dispar L. Visual cues also affected host selection. Background colors against which egg masses were placed affected oviposition preference. In the absence of egg masses, color variation did not affect wasp behavior. Light is required for parasitism by O. kuvanae. The age and density of both the host and parasitoid affected wasp reproduction and sex ratios. Older egg masses issued relatively fewer wasps and higher proportions of males than did young egg masses. Likewise, wasp reproduction and the proportion of females declined with wasp age. Larger egg masses produced more wasps and lower proportions of males than did smaller egg masses. The number of offspring per female, and the proportion of female offspring, were inversely related to wasp density. Implications to biological control of the gypsy moth and parasitoid ecology are discussed.
Climate models without preindustrial volcanic forcing underestimate historical ocean thermal expansion

Episodic explosive volcanic eruptions are a natural part of the climate system but are often omitted from atmosphere‐ocean general circulation model (AOGCM) preindustrial spin‐up and control experiments. This omission imposes a negative bias on ocean heat uptake in simulations of the historical period. In models of a range of complexity, we find that global‐mean sea level rise due to thermal expansion during the last ∼ 150 years is consequently underestimated by 5–30 mm, which is a substantial proportion of the model mean of 50 mm in Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 3 AOGCMs with anthropogenic forcing only, and is therefore important in accounting for 20th century sea level rise. We test and recommend a procedure for removing the bias.
Infrared spectroscopic signatures of (NH4)2SO4 aerosols

Ammonium sulfate particles in air with average diameters ranging from 0.1 to 0.5‐μm have been generated by atomizing aqueous solutions of (NH4)2SO4 of various concentrations at ambient temperatures and pressures. The infrared spectra from 4000 to 600 cm−1 of the resulting aerosols have been investigated. This spectral region has allowed us to study the four infrared‐active vibrational modes of this salt: ν3(NH4+), ν4(NH4+), ν3(SO42−), and ν4(SO42−). The frequencies of these modes are similar to published results obtained from infrared studies of the single crystal but are displaced to higher wavenumbers. Depending on relative humidity, the aerosol particles are crystalline or supersaturated aqueous droplets. These phase identifications are possible because liquid water absorption features are found in the droplets but not in the crystals. Extensive Mie theory calculations have been performed for spheres of diameters ranging from 0.1‐μm to 2.0‐μm to explore frequency shifts and the relative contributions to extinction of scattering and absorption with particle size. We show that, for the smaller particles, the molecular cross section in the ν3(SO42−) region can be used to determine the number of (NH4)2SO4 molecules in an aerosol sample. The (small) frequency shifts in this region provide information on the aerosol particle size. A Mie theory calculation of extinction for a model polydisperse aerosol, believed to approximate that of an experimental aerosol, gives reasonable agreement with the observed spectrum. While calculated band centers of the four modes are within 1% of those observed, values of extinction can differ by as much as 50%. We discuss possible reasons for the discrepancies. Spectroscopic changes observed for an aerosol as the particles settle are discussed in terms of kinetic models and Mie theory. We discuss the potential of spectroscopic signatures of tropospheric (NH4)2SO4 aerosols for the characterization of their size, morphology, phase, and composition. Finally, we propose a field experiment to measure sulfate aerosol in the arctic troposphere.
The spatial scale of variability in small-mammal populations

Bowman, J., Forbes, G. and Dilworth, T. 2000. The spatial scale of variablitity insmall-mammal populations. – Ecography 23: 328–334.We studied small-mammal populations across a range of spatial scales to determinewhich scales were relevant to demographic variability. We predicted that a scale ofvariability in population structure would occur at the scale of dispersal, which haspreviously been described asB200 m for some small-mammal species. Systematiclive-trapping surveys were conducted on nested grids at three scales: 1) extent˚4900ha, grain˚1000 m; 2) extent˚306 ha, grain˚250 m; and 3) extent˚31 ha,grain˚125 m. Prior to the present study, small-mammal populations had not beensystematically live-trapped across a similar range of scales. From 1996 to 1998,surveys were conducted on a landscape intensively managed for timber, and on areference landscape. Spatial analysis of abundance data demonstrated that small-mammal populations (four species) exhibited positive spatial autocorrelation atdistances of between 133 and 533 m depending on the species and the landscape. Nohigher-order population structure was detected. Thus, within the range of scales wesampled, variability in small-mammal abundance occurred over short distances (i.e.,133–533 m).
The distribution of metals in hot DA white dwarfs

The importance to stellar evolution of understanding the metal abundances in hot white dwarfs is well known. Previous work has found the hot DA white dwarfs REJ 1032+532, REJ 1614−085 and GD 659 to have highly abundant, stratified photospheric nitrogen, due to the narrow absorption-line profiles of the far-ultraviolet (FUV) N v doublet and the lack of extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) continuum absorption. A preliminary analysis of the extremely narrow, deep line profiles of the photospheric metal absorption features of PG 0948+534 suggested a similar photospheric metal configuration. However, other studies have found that REJ 1032+532, REJ 1614−085 and GD 659 can be well described by homogeneous models, with nitrogen abundances more in keeping with those of white dwarfs with higher effective temperatures. Here, a re-analysis of the nitrogen absorption features seen in REJ 1032+532, REJ 1614−085 and GD 659 is presented, with the aim of better understanding the structure of these stars, to test which models better represent the observed data and apply the results to the line profiles seen in PG 0948+534. A degeneracy is seen in the modelling of the nitrogen absorption-line profiles of REJ 1032+532, REJ 1614−085 and GD 659, with low-abundance, homogeneously distributed nitrogen models most likely being a better representation of the observed data. In PG 0948+534, no such degeneracy is seen, and the enigmatically deep line profiles could not be modelled satisfactorily.
From customer value to repurchase intentions and recommendations

Purpose – The paper aims to fill a gap in the literature in relation to the determinants of customer value within the research and development (R&D) industry and word‐of‐mouth. It investigates whether context specific variables, such as organizational type and contract length, change customer value evaluations and the value – intention to repurchase – recommend system.Design/methodology/approach – A survey of Australian customers of a research and development service organization was conducted. Structural equation modelling was used to develop a model investigating factors that affect customer value, intent to re‐purchase, and word‐of‐mouth/recommendation.Findings – Relationship benefits, service benefits and sacrifice all had a significant influence on customer value. Efficient use of time is crucial for sacrifice evaluation. Relationship benefits were larger for government organizations than private organizations. Importance of value to recommend the organization to others was higher for longer contract.
Bank Lending Channel of Monetary Policy Transmission in Zambia: Evidence from Bank-Level Data

This study explores the effect of monetary policy on lending behaviour of commercial banks in Zambia. Interacting bank-specific factors with indicators of monetary policy, we find evidence of bank lending channel operating mainly through large banks. The effect of monetary policy on medium sized banks is moderate while it is virtually non-existent for smaller banks. Furthermore, price signals, rather than quantity aggregates, matter the most in the transmission of monetary policy. The results lend strong support to the central bank’s recent shift in monetary policy framework towards interest rate targeting from using monetary aggregates to strengthen effectiveness of monetary policy. Crucially, the findings suggest that the ability of monetary policy to generate large distributional effects also depends on whether or not it impacts the reserves of large sized banks. JEL Codes: C23, E52, O55
Evaluation of a Secondary School Science Program Inversion: Moving from a Traditional to a Modifified-PCB Sequence.

Studies of high-school science course sequences have been limited primarily to a small number of site-specifi c investiga- tions comparing tradi tional science se- quences (e.g., Biology-Chemistry-Physics: BCP) to various Physics First-infl uenced sequences (Physics-Chemistry-Biology: PCB). The present study summarizes a fi ve-year program evaluation focused on the implementation of a modifi ed-PCB sequence within a moderately large sub- urban high school, the fi ndings of which highlight the importance of considering context-dependent support of PCB se- quence implementations. This modifi ed- PCB program transition was associated with increases in students' honors and Ad vanced Placement (AP) course enroll- ments, AP examination scores, under- standing of the Nature of Science and experimentation, and self-reported affect toward themselves as learners and toward science in general. By contrast, no dif- ferential gains were observed in students' growth as measured by standardized tests (e.g., EXPLORE and ACT science scores). In addition to the program evaluation re- sults associated with this course-sequence change, considerations are outlined re- lated to the complexity of leading large- scale changes in secondary school science programs.
ASSESSING THE IMPACTS OF RIVER REGULATION ON NATIVE BULL TROUT (SALVELINUS CONFLUENTUS) AND WESTSLOPE CUTTHROAT TROUT (ONCORHYNCHUS CLARKII LEWISI) HABITATS IN THE UPPER FLATHEAD RIVER, MONTANA, USA

Hungry Horse Dam on the South Fork Flathead River, Montana, USA, has modified the natural flow regimen for power generation, flood risk management and flow augmentation for anadromous fish recovery in the Columbia River. Concern over the detrimental effects of dam operations on native resident fishes prompted research to quantify the impacts of alternative flow management strategies on threatened bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) and westslope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi) habitats. Seasonal and life‐stage specific habitat suitability criteria were combined with a two‐dimensional hydrodynamic habitat model to assess discharge effects on usable habitats. Telemetry data used to construct seasonal habitat suitability curves revealed that subadult (fish that emigrated from natal streams to the river system) bull trout move to shallow, low‐velocity shoreline areas at night, which are most sensitive to flow fluctuations. Habitat time series analyses comparing the natural flow regimen (predam, 1929–1952) with five postdam flow management strategies (1953–2008) show that the natural flow conditions optimize the critical bull trout habitats and that the current strategy best resembles the natural flow conditions of all postdam periods. Late summer flow augmentation for anadromous fish recovery, however, produces higher discharges than predam conditions, which reduces the availability of usable habitat during this critical growing season. Our results suggest that past flow management policies that created sporadic streamflow fluctuations were likely detrimental to resident salmonids and that natural flow management strategies will likely improve the chances of protecting key ecosystem processes and help to maintain and restore threatened bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout populations in the upper Columbia River Basin. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Optimization of ingredients for a herbal beverage with medicinal attributes

Health oriented individuals are turning to medicinal or herbal preparations as alternative to caffeinated beverages. An organoleptically acceptable arjuna-ginger medicinal mix blended with natural colour (safflower florets) and sweetener (stevia leaves) was developed. Medicinal mix was optimized at 14.64% stevia leaves, 27.45% ginger shreds, 45.73% arjuna bark and 12.18% safflower petals. About 1.64 g of this formulation is appropriate to make 100 ml of hot beverage. The mix contained 9.99-10.54% protein, 20.04-20.53% ash, 42.30-45.39% carbohydrates, 54.0-71.5 mg P, 147-242 mg S, 167-208 mg Ca, 75.7-77.8 mg Mg,17.9-21.9 mg Fe, 0.7-1.1 mg Cu, 0.48-0.7 mg Zn, 5.7-7.9 mg Mn, 0.1 to 1.0 0Brix TSS, 0.006 to 0.011% titrable acidity and 35.6-37.6 mg ascorbic acid per 100g of herbal mix. Bright, sparkling and clear infusion of orangish brown colour with pleasant strong aroma and taste was obtained from optimized medicinal formulation. Microbial quality of the product packed in aluminum foil bag was well up to 3 months storage at ambient temperature.
Ammonia volatilization from nitrogen fertilizers applied to sugarcane straw

Maintenance of crop residues over soil surface under conservational systems limits incorporation of nitrogen fertilizers into the soil. Application of urea over crop residues enhance N-NH3 volatilization losses, justifying the usage of urease inhibitors or N sources less susceptible to volatilization under such conditions. This study aimed to evaluate volatilization losses from N sources applied over sugarcane straw. A field trial was carried out in a sugarcane field in Iracemapolis, Sao Paulo on a Typic Kandiudox in June 2014. We used a complete block experimental design, with seven treatments and four replications. Treatments included Control [CO], ammonium nitrate [AN], NS30TM (ammonium nitrate-75% and ammonium sulfate-25% fused mixture) [NS30TM], ammonium nitrate plus ammonium sulfate (ammonium nitrate-75% and ammonium sulfate-25% physical mixture) [AN-AS], urea [UR], urea treated with 0.4% Cu and 0.15% B [UR-CuB], urea treated with 530 mg kg-1 of NBPT [UR-NBPT]. Treatments were applied at rate of 100 kg ha-1 N (except CO). Volatilization losses were quantified up to 30 days after fertilization (DAF). Maximum N-NH3 occurred 16 DAF for UR and UR-CuB and 20 DAF for UR-NBPT. Accumulated N-NH3 losses ranged from 20% (UR), 17% (UR-CuB), and 14% (UR-NBPT) of applied N; non-amidic sources showed losses lower than 1%. Adding urease inhibitor to urea shows potential in reducing volatilization losses even under application over large amounts of straw.
Does rising income inequality affect mortality rates in advanced economies?

Abstract What effect does rising income inequality have on longevity in advanced developed economies? This paper focuses on the effect of income inequality on mortality rates for men and women in a subset of OECD countries over nearly six decades from 1950–2008. Using adult mortality rates at aged sixty-five as the outcome measure of mortality, the latest available data on inverted Pareto-Lorenz coefficient as a measure of income inequality, the authors conduct a range of analysis to investigate the relationship. The findings show that income inequality has a negative effect on mortality rates for both men and women, that is, an increase in income inequality at the top of the distribution does not appear to have a detrimental effect on adult mortality rates in the population of advanced developed countries. For every one unit increase in income inequality, female mortality rates decreased by 0.024 percentage points (p<=0.001) and male mortality rates decreased by 0.052 percentage points (p<=0.001). Dynamic OLS results show that for every one unit increase in income inequality, female mortality rates decreased by 0.032 percentage points (p<=0.01) and male mortality rates decreased by 0.067 percentage points (p<=0.001). The findings remain robust to changes in methodology and the inclusion of control variables including GDP, population and the health capital index.
Innovation in the digital economy: The impact of high-speed broadband on innovating SMEs

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have been recognised as engines for innovation, which is critical for economic growth. Limited studies have examined the impact of information and communication technologies (ICTs) on innovation in SMEs despite the critical importance of making sound ICT investment decisions to transform innovation in the digital economy. This paper examines how technological capabilities can be shaped to achieve organisational innovation outcomes. It uncovers important drivers including innovation orientation, applications that can enhance a firm’s capability to be flexible in its innovation endeavours which in turn can influence innovation impact though innovation process performance and service innovation quality.
Symbiotic diversity among acid-tolerant bradyrhizobial isolates with cowpea

A total of eight acid tolerant strains of bradyrhizobia isolates from indigenous cowpea plants grown in acid soil in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India, were examined for their ability to survive in soil and yeast extract mannitol broth at low pH levels. All these isolates survived in acidic (pH 3.5-6.5) conditions. Survival capacity of rhizobia was higher in soil than in nutrient medium at low pH 3.5-6.5 levels. Symbiotic effectiveness of these strains under polyhouse conditions in sterilized soil of pH 4.5 recorded the highest and lowest symbiotic characters for dry matter production and nitrogen improvement per plant in CR09 and CR20 inoculated plants, respectively. All the examined isolates showed variability in their symbiotic performances. The strain found to be more tolerant to stress were more effective N2 fixers in symbiosis with cowpea cv. Paiyur1 under acid-soil conditions. Symbiotic variation among different strains showed that there is potential to improve strain performance under stress conditions. Key words: Acid tolerant; bradyrhizobia; cowpea; symbiotic effectiveness. DOI: 10.4038/jas.v4i3. 1651 The Journal of Agricultural Sciences , 2009, vol. 4, no. 3 pp.126-131
Microfluidic Flow-Focusing Device for the Electrospinning of Hollow Polymer Nanofibers

Polymer nanofibers hold much promise as advanced composite materials, and can be customized into matrices with special electrical, optical and biological properties. Electrospinning, which utilizes the destabilization of a fluid's surface in a strong electric field, has gained the most favor as a top-down approach to producing polymer nanofibers. In this work, a microfluidic device was designed and assembled for the twodimensional focusing of immiscible fluids and integrated into a system for electrospinning. Hollow fibers were produced with diameters on the order of 100-240 nm, at steady-state flow rates around 50 pL/min. TEM images show hollow interiors with diameters approximately one third of the total fiber diameter. These results are important for future efforts at multiplexing the electrospinning process, and prove that the creation of hollow fibers is feasible using a microfabricated device. Furthermore, the focusing of immiscible streams in two dimensions may be used for sample transport and reaction control in microfluidics. Suggestions are made for further evaluation of flow focusing behavior, and improvements that may increase the viability of electrospinning as an industrial process. Thesis supervisor: Todd Thorsen Title: Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering
THE NUCLEAR INFRARED EMISSION OF LOW-LUMINOSITY ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI

We present high-resolution mid-infrared (MIR) imaging, nuclear spectral energy distributions (SEDs), and archival Spitzer spectra for 22 low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (LLAGNs; Lbol ≲ 1042 erg s−1). Infrared (IR) observations may advance our understanding of the accretion flows in LLAGNs, the fate of the obscuring torus at low accretion rates, and, perhaps, the star formation histories of these objects. However, while comprehensively studied in higher-luminosity Seyferts and quasars, the nuclear IR properties of LLAGNs have not yet been well determined. We separate the present LLAGN sample into three categories depending on their Eddington ratio and radio emission, finding different IR characteristics for each class. (1) At the low-luminosity, low-Eddington-ratio (log Lbol/LEdd < −4.6) end of the sample, we identify “host-dominated” galaxies with strong polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon bands that may indicate active (circum-)nuclear star formation. (2) Some very radio-loud objects are also present at these low Eddington ratios. The IR emission in these nuclei is dominated by synchrotron radiation, and some are likely to be unobscured type 2 AGNs that genuinely lack a broad-line region. (3) At higher Eddington ratios, strong, compact nuclear sources are visible in the MIR images. The nuclear SEDs of these galaxies are diverse; some resemble typical Seyfert nuclei, while others lack a well-defined MIR “dust bump. ” Strong silicate emission is present in many of these objects. We speculate that this, together with high ratios of silicate strength to hydrogen column density, could suggest optically thin dust and low dust-to-gas ratios, in accordance with model predictions that LLAGNs do not host a Seyfert-like obscuring torus. We anticipate that detailed modeling of the new data and SEDs in terms of accretion disk, jet, radiatively inefficient accretion flow, and torus components will provide further insights into the nuclear structures and processes of LLAGNs.
Diet in hyperuricemia and gout - myths and facts Dieta w hiperurykemii i dnie moczanowej - mity i fakty

Summary The influence of dietary habits on the gout development has been described for over a hundred years, but at present many opinions are being verified, which have not been so far supported by epide-miological or clinical studies. The promotion of healthy dietary be-haviours, keeping proper body mass and adequate dietary pattern are the factors, which support lowering of serum uric acid. Diet in gout should be well-balanced and contain the proper amount of selected nutrients, not only low-purine but also alkalizing products, rich in antioxidants, and provide an adequate amount of fluids. The following manuscript presents the recent data of dietary recom-mendations in gout, which are supported by clinical or epidemio-logical studies. Introduction Despite continual progress in diagnostic and thera-peutic techniques for gout, novel and effective preven-tion and treatment methods are still needed. High uric acid levels (hyperuricemia) are not only a risk factor for developing gout but also predispose those affected, including patients with rheumatoid arthritis, to cardio-vascular disease – the primary cause of morbidity and mortality in the world [1, 2]. Hyperuricemia, which is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular complications, may occur even in young people, including populations with a low incidence of cardiovascular disease [3, 4]. Gout, with an incidence of 1–2% in the general popu-lation, constitutes the most common form of arthritis in men aged between 40 and 60 years [5]. The disease has been associated with purine-rich foods, which are com-mon in a normal diet (Fig. 1). At the same time, given the known side effects of drugs inhibiting uric acid synthesis or excretion, novel and alternative methods to ensure safe treatment of hyperuricemia are sought [6].