Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lighting up stars in chemical evolution models: the CMD of Sculptor

We present a novel approach to draw the synthetic color-magnitude diagram of galaxies, which can provide - in principle - a deeper insight in the interpretation and understanding of current observations. In particular, we `light up' the stars of chemical evolution models, according to their initial mass, metallicity and age, to eventually understand how the assumed underlying galaxy formation and evolution scenario affects the final configuration of the synthetic CMD. In this way, we obtain a new set of observational constraints for chemical evolution models beyond the usual photospheric chemical abundances. The strength of our method resides in the very fine grid of metallicities and ages of the assumed database of stellar isochrones. In this work, we apply our photo-chemical model to reproduce the observed CMD of the Sculptor dSph and find that we can reproduce the main features of the observed CMD. The main discrepancies are found at fainter magnitudes in the main sequence turn-off and sub-giant branch, where the observed CMD extends towards bluer colors than the synthetic one; we suggest that this is a signature of metal-poor stellar populations in the data, which cannot be captured by our assumed one-zone chemical evolution model.
PUBLIC SECTOR AUSTERITY CUTS IN THE UK AND THE CHANGING DISCOURSE OF WORK–LIFE BALANCE

The relative importance of economic and other motives for employers to provide support for worklife balance (WLB) is debated within different literatures. However, discourses of WLB can be sensitive to changing economic contexts. This article draws on in-depth interviews with senior HR professionals in British public sector organisations to examine shifting discourses of WLB in an austerity context. Three main discourses were identified: WLB practices as organisationally embedded amid financial pressures, WLB practices as a strategy for managing financial pressures and WLB as a personal responsibility. Despite a discourse of mutual benefits to employee and employer underpinning all three discourses, there is a distinct shift towards greater emphasis on economic rather than institutional interests of employers during austerity, accompanied by discursive processes of fixing, stretching, shrinking and bending understandings of WLB. The reconstructed meaning of WLB raises concerns about its continued relevance to its original espoused purpose.
Association of ACE DD Genotype with Hypertension among the Tribal Populations of South India

The Renin-Angiotensin System (RAS) is an important regulator of the blood pressure (BP). The level of the vasoactive peptide Angiotensin-II, is mainly determined by the RAS enzyme, angiotensin converting enzyme-1 (ACE-1). Polymorphisms in ACE gene is reported to be associated with hypertension in various populations worldwide. We investigated the association of ACE I/D polymorphisms with hypertension among the tribal populations of South India. Samples were collected from hypertensive patients (n = 33) and healthy controls (n = 37). Genotyping was performed using Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with allele specific primers. The DD genotype is significantly observed among the cases (OR = 1.0). Specifically, the DD genotype is more evident among the females (OR = 0 .705) than males (OR = 1.22) and is analysed to be associated with hypertension among the tribal populations of South India.
Applying IFRS Mandatory: Evidence from Greek Listed Companies

The aim of the present study is to record the attitude of Greek listed companies towards the mandatory adoption of IFRS, in Greece. In this context, a questionnaire was send to the listed companies of the Athens Stock Exchange (ASE) in 2008. The 135 responses revealed the advantages of the mandatory adoption of IFRS for firms, the problems and the obstacles that they face for their implementation and their perceptions regarding how IFRS affect investors. In addition, it is examined whether the firms specific characteristics (size, profitability and the level of fixed assets) affect their attitude to IFRS.
Determinants of Bank Profitability in Ghana: New Evidence

This study examines the determinants of profitability in the Ghanaian Banking Industry for an eight (8) year period of 2007 to 2014. Using a sample from 9 local banks and 12 foreign banks in Ghana, the study combines bank-specific determinants and macroeconomic variables to access bank profitability with Return on Assets (ROA) as the dependent variable. The Hausman specification test was performed on a panel regression to determine the appropriate model for this study. The estimation results shows that, bank SIZE and DEPOSITS are not significant and does not impact profitability. However, LOANS, CAPITAL and OVERHEADS were found to be significant and impacts on profitability. The study concludes that banks in Ghana should be technological in their operations to reduce staff cost since the OVERHEAD was highly significant and impacts negatively on ROA.
NATIVE AND TARGET LANGUAGE INFLUENCE ON THE STUDENTS’ INTERLANGUAGE PRODUCTION: A CASE OF INDONESIAN EFL COMPOSITIONS

English compositions written by Indonesian EFL students contain erroneous sentences which portray learner language. The errors are neither of their native language nor the target language, but containing linguistic system from both. This is called an interlanguage. This study focuses on one of interlanguage features, that is, permeability, meaning the susceptibility of interlanguages to infiltration by first language and target language rules or forms. It aims to provide empirical evidence of the permeability of the students’ interlanguage production by describing the types and degree of the native and target language influence and explaining the possible causes of the influences. The data were 264 ill-formed sentences elicited from their English free compositions. Error analysis and interlanguage analysis were used as framework for collecting, identifying, describing, and explaining the data. The results indicate that their interlanguage production was influenced by their native language and the target language at both lexical and syntactical level. The dominant native language influence was on vocabulary (i.e. Indonesian borrowings) and the target language influence was on grammar (i.e. verb tenses). The native language influence had a little lower frequency compared with that of the target language. The main source of the influence was their possession of two language systems in their mind was activated regardless of their intention to use one language only. The native language influence was due to the good mastery of the native language and the limited knowledge of the target language. The target language influence was due to the learning strategy used.
Preferences for Landscape Choice in a Southwestern Desert City

Through outdoor water consumption, residential landscaping behavior affects public policy and the environment in the American Southwest. We propose a decision framework based on cost, ecological constraints, laws, and individual preferences. Controlling for cost, ecological constraints, and laws, we surveyed residents in metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona, using computer-generated landscape images to examine the effects of environmental attitudes (measured using Dunlap's New Ecological Paradigm), socialization, aesthetic affect, and demographic variables on landscape preferences. Landscape images varied from low-water xeriscapes to lush designs. Residents preferred high-water-use landscapes over dry landscapes for their own yards, even though they considered desert landscapes to be aesthetically pleasing. Women and long-term residents of the area were significantly more averse to dry landscapes. Stronger environmental attitudes did not lead to preference for xeriscapes but did lead to compromises on the amount of turf grass preferred in lush landscapes. This may contribute to the “oasis” mentality commonly found among area residents.
The Potential Roles of Superoxide Dismutase, Matrix-Metalloprotinase-9 and Interlukine -18 with the Prevalence and Progression of Type II Diabetes Mellitus

Background and Objectives: Type II diabetes mellitus is becoming the most important health problems. It is important to find new pathogenic pathways to provide opportunities for early diagnosis and targets for novel treatments. Aims: to investigate the effect of type II diabetes mellitus on serum levels super oxide dismutase as a potential biomarkers of oxidant /antioxidant imbalance, matrix-metaloprotinase-9, and interlukine -18 as an inflammatory biomarkers and estimated their relationships with prevalence and progression of disease, to find out the effects of other confounding factors severity of disease, gender, and age on the serum interested parameters levels, finally detected the correlation coefficient between the studied parameters. Methods: This study was designed to examine the associations between the parameters with the prevalence and progression of disease in 50 patients, and an equal number of matched age –gender healthy adults were also enrolled in this study as a control group. The hypothesis of the study stated that oxidant /antioxidant imbalance and inflammatory process influence the risk of adverse clinical outcomes are worthy for investigating. To elucidate this hypothesis, the parameters were investigated using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Statistical Analyses: All analyses were performed with SPSS version 18. Results: Patients showed a significant variations in the serum focused parameters levels. The level of superoxide dismutase in patient and control groups were (301.684 ±97.041), (501.447 ±162.781) (ng/ml) respectively. The level of matrix–metalloprotinase-9 in patient and control groups were (2.632 ± 1.745), (1.506± 0.945) ng/ml respectively. The level of interlukine -18 in patients and control groups were (93.996 ±21.297), (48.400 ±26.375) (pg/ml) respectively. Conclusions: The prevalence of type II diabetes mellitus in the Erbil population constitutes a major health problem. Oxidative stress is increased in type II diabetes mellitus and this finding may explain the role of oxidant /antioxidants status imbalance leading to significant reduction in the serum superoxide dismutase level concomitant with increased inflammatory process leading to significant elevation of matrix- metaloptotinase-9 and interlukine -18, and these findings added a prognostic information to type II diabetes mellitus. Data demonstrated a highly significant association between the variation in the serum parameters levels with prevalence and progression of the disease. Accordingly, these parameters have been evaluated as potential tools for type II diabetes mellitus risk prediction. It can therefore be concluded that hyperglycemia influences the etiopathogenesis of type II diabetes mellitus.
Milk yield and chemical composition of sheep milk in Srednostaroplaninska and Tetevenska breeds.

The study was conducted from April to July on pastures located at different altitudes and of different sward composition during the milking period of Srednostaroplaninska and Tetevenska sheep. Morning bulk milk was sampled for analysis monthly between April and end of July. The purpose of the study was to establish the milk yield and to investigate the chemical composition of sheep milk obtained from Srednostaroplaninska and Tetevenska breeds reared on pastures at a different altitude and with different sward composition. The Tetevenska breed had a higher daily milk yield and exhibited a high percentage of casein in milk, while the milk from Srednostaroplaninska sheep had a higher content of macro elements - calcium, potassium, magnesium and some trace elements (iron and manganese). The milk fat content, including the percentages of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids in milk obtained from studied breeds, was similar. There was a tendency towards higher percentage of polyunsaturated and long-chain fatty acids in the milk of Srednostaroplaninska sheep, reared on mat grass pastures. Milk casein content was higher in the milk of Tetevenska sheep, as well as the content of non-essential amino acids as compared to Srednostaroplaninska sheep.
Kinetics of chemical leaching of chalcocite from low-grade copper ore: size-distribution behavior

Kinetics of the chemical leaching of chalcocite from a low-grade copper ore in a ferric sulfate medium was investigated using the constrained least square optimization technique. The experiments were carried out for different particle sizes in both the reactor and column at constant Eh, pH, and temperature. The leaching rate increased with increase in the temperature. About 50% of the Cu recovery was obtained after 2 hours of reactor leaching at 75 o C using the -0.5 mm size fraction. Also about 50% of the Cu recovery was obtained after 60 days of column leaching for the +4-8 mm size fraction. For the fine-particle leaching, the first leaching step was fast, and the rate controlling step was diffusion through the liquid film. The results obtained show that as the leaching proceeds, the chemical reaction control appears. Finally, accumulation of the elemental sulfur layer in the solid product together with the jarosite precipitate causes change in the controlling mechanism to solid diffusion. For the coarse-particle leaching, diffusion through the solid product appeared from the initial days of leaching.
Efficacy of different fungicides against Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid causing castor root rot

Different systemic and non-systemic fungicides at three different concentration were evaluated in vitro against castor root rot pathogen Macrophomina phaseolina. Among the different contact (non-systemic) fungicides evaluated, maximum mean mycelial growth inhibition was observed in propineb and mancozeb (99.97%) followed by captan (85.63 %). Sclerotial formation was also absent in all this three treatments. Out of six systemic fungicides tested, carbendazim found best with 95.23 % mycelial growth inhibition followed by difenoconazole (75.47%) and thiophanate methyl (69.49%). Carbendazim showed maximum inhibition of mycelial growth (99.97%) of the test fungus at 250 ppm and 500 ppm concentration. Sclerotial formation was totally absent in all systemic fungicides treatments at 300 ppm concentration except hexaconazole which was also found poor in growth inhibition.
Silicon isotopes of deep sea sponges: new insights into biomineralisation and skeletal structure

Abstract. The silicon isotopic composition (δ30Si) of deep sea sponges' skeletal element – spicules – reflects the silicic acid (DSi) concentration of their surrounding water and can be used as natural archives of bottom water nutrients. In order to reconstruct the past silica cycle robustly, it is essential to better constrain the mechanisms of biosilicification, which are not yet well understood. Here, we show that the apparent isotopic fractionation (δ30Si) during spicule formation in deep sea sponges from the equatorial Atlantic ranges from −6.74 ‰ to −1.50 ‰ in relatively low DSi concentrations (15 to 35 µM). The wide range in isotopic composition highlights the potential difference in silicification mechanism between the two major classes, Demospongiae and Hexactinellida. We find the anomalies in the isotopic fractionation correlate with skeletal morphology, whereby fused framework structures, characterised by secondary silicification, exhibit extremely light δ30Si signatures compared with previous studies. Our results provide insight into the processes involved during silica deposition and indicate that reliable reconstructions of past DSi can only be obtained using silicon isotope ratios derived from sponges with certain spicule types.
Performance of broilers vaccinated for coccidiosis and fed low or high non-starch-polysaccharides diets with or without enzyme addition.

One experiment was conducted to study the effects of low or high soluble non-starch-polysaccharide (NSP) diets (maize or wheat-barley) and enzyme addition on the performance and coccidial and necrotic enteritis (NE) lesion scores of broiler chickens vaccinated for coccidiosis. There were 1200 male broiler chickens of the Ross 308 strain, raised in 24 floor pens during 44 days. The arrangement of treatments was a factorial design 2 x 2, with six replicates per combination of factors: T1) maize diet; T2) maize + enzyme; T3) wheat-barley diet; T4) wheat-barley + enzyme. All birds were vaccinated via spray with Paracox? 5 at the hatchery. In the overall growing period (0-44 days), weight gain of birds fed maize was higher compared to birds fed wheat-barley (P<0.05). Enzyme reduced significantly daily feed intake, by 3.1% on the average (P<0.05). There was a significant interaction between cereal and enzyme on feed to gain ratio (P<0.05). Enzyme improved feed to gain ratio of birds fed wheat-barley diet, by 4.6%, but it did not affect feed to gain ratio of birds fed maize. Oocyst counts were lower and no significant differences between treatments were observed. In general, coccidial lesions were scarce and mild and at day 22, score means were higher in birds fed maize (P<0.05). There was a significant interaction between cereal and enzyme on Clostridium perfringens counts in ileal digesta content (P<0.01). Birds fed maize presented lower counts than those fed wheatbarley, but enzyme reduced significantly these counts from 2.44 to 0.68 log CFU/ g of sample. Finally, enzyme reduced NE lesion score means with both type of diets (P<0.01). Results from the present experiment suggest that in coccidiosis vaccinated chickens fed wheat-barley diet, the use of enzyme was necessary to maintain performance and to reduce the presence of Clostridium perfringens in ileal content.
Effects of sun-curing, formic acid-treatment or microbial inoculation of timothy on urea metabolism in lactating dairy cows

Urea metabolism was estimated in dairy cows fed forage conserved as hay, formic acidtreated silage or microbial inoculated silage. Use of [15N15N]urea kinetics indicated that ureaN production was greatest (P<0.05) with inoculated silage. Gut entry rate of urea-N was not affected by treatments. Urea-N recycled to ornithine cycle tended to be greater (P<0.08) when cows received inoculated silage compared to when fed acid-treated silage. The proportion of recycled urea-N lost in faeces was greater (P<0.05) when cows were fed forage conserved as hay as opposed to when fed inoculated silage. Overall, urea metabolism was similar between cows fed formic acid-treated silage or hay. Inoculated silage, however, increases urea production and recycling to the ornithine cycle.
Tobacco Capitalism : Growers , Migrant Workers , and the Changing Face of a Global Industry

In the years following the 2005 hurricanes and floods in New Orleans, many of the city’s residents found themselves explaining the disaster to people in the rest of the country. The destruction of New Orleans was a result of failed engineering, bad planning, cronyism, and corruption. This was true not only of the floods but also of the way in which the rescue and recovery were handled. We wandered the country warning people: this can happen to you. Your city or state may be next. The government will neither prevent this nor save you after it happens. Your insurance may not work. The people who do come may not have your best interests in mind. Those were dark times. Vincanne Adams’s Markets of Sorrow, Labors of Faith is a very readable and timely explanation of what all those wandering oracles meant. The focus is not on the events of 2005 but, rather, on the struggles that residents of New Orleans faced in their attempts to rebuild and recover. It is worth recalling that 80 percent of the city was flooded and that the floodwaters did not recede for weeks. This left a moldy, waterlogged mess behind. Every building in the flood zone had to be gutted and rebuilt. Residents had to replace nearly everything they owned. Insurance companies were often slow to provide the resources people needed. This is where government could have stepped in to help but did not. Programs with names like “Road Home” were created to make people “whole” again, enabling them to restart businesses, rebuild homes, and bring communities back to life. The programs, along with much else, were run by private contractors. The programs did not, however, work well. Stories about denied assistance were common in the years after the floods. Often, the private contractors and government agencies assigned to help were attempting to impose impossible regulations on disaster victims, demanding documentation that may never have existed, refusing to adapt to the circumstances people confronted. Yet behind this failure, as Adams shows, there were enormous profits being made by private contractors.
Optimisation of vehicle passive safety for occupants with varying anthropometry

A method has been devloped to generate models representing subjects of varying anthropometry. This method has been applied to crash-dummy models, and will in the future also be applied to human body models. The 1st step of the method is to generate a set of target anthropomethry parameters from a relevant population. The 2nd step is to scale an existing model towards the desired anthropometry. Different scaling factors are being applied for the different body parts and dimensions. These factors are used to derive body dimensions, mass and inertia properties, joint resistance and contact resistance parameters. For this study on adult subjects it has been assumed that material properties are invariant with subject size. Quasi-static simulations were performed to confirm that the resulting stiffness of complete body parts obey the scaling rules applied to the model components. The design of a vehicle has been evaluated with respect to passive safety for a wide range of occupant sizes. Starting point was a set of validated frontal impact simulations including Hybrid III dummies. These simulations were repeated with occupant models of varying size and weight. The model setup for the frontal impact simulation was similar to the model used in the study of Michaelsen, 1997. The frontal impact simulations have shown a wide range of results for the different types of occupant. Due to different seat positions and body proportions the injury parameters exceed the range of results found for standard dummies.
Sources of Capital and Debt Structure in Small Firms

In this paper we examine the relationship between ownership differences and small firmsâ€™ financial policies using a survey of U.S. companies. The study finds that financial policies differ according to the type of ownership (private versus public) and by the ownership differences (family-owned, closely-held, or widely-held) within the private firms. The differences are in the ownership concentration, relative importance of various sources of capital, debt characteristics (sources of debt financing, debt maturity, and debt cost). A multiple regression equation estimated in the paper provides evidence relating to cross-sectional variations in debt ratios of small firms. The paper offers information asymmetry, illiquidity, and agency cost explanations for the observed differences in ownership and financial policies of small firms.
OF COLD POOL PROPERTIES IN JP 5 J . 12 MESOSCALE CONVECTIVE SYSTEMS DURING BAMEX

Several numerical modeling studies have identified the surface-based cold pool as a critical factor in the organization of deep precipitating convection (e.g., Thorpe et al. 1982; Rotunno et al. 1988; Fovell and Ogura 1989; Szeto and Cho 1994; Trier et al. 1997; Parker and Johnson 2004). However, direct observations of cold pools have been limited, due to the sparsity of the operational rawinsonde network in space and time. In particular, the evaluation of theories based on numerical models requires observations near the leading edge of a mesoscale convective system (MCS), preferably within the MCS convective region; this area is rarely measured, and usually not with the operational network.