Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rare leaf fossils of Monimiaceae and Atherospermataceae (Laurales) from Eocene Patagonian rainforests and their biogeographic significance

Two Eocene fossil sites in Patagonia, Argentina, Laguna del Hunco (ca. 52.2 Ma) and Río Pichileufú (ca. 47.7 Ma), produce some of the most diverse fossil floras known, representing angiosperm-dominated, Gondwanan rainforests. We focus on rare, toothed fossil leaves representing the families Atherospermataceae and Monimiaceae (Laurales), which currently exhibit broad, often disjunct southern distributions and hold much interest for Gondwanan biogeography. For Laurelia guinazui Berry 1935 (Atherospermataceae), we report 24 new specimens and propose reassignment to Atherospermophyllum gen. nov. and A. guinazui (Berry) comb. nov. The species was thought to be a South American element of the Eocene floras, but we find that it shows greater similarity to the extant, closely related Australian genera Daphnandra and Doryphora than to Laureliopsis (South America) and Laurelia (South America and New Zealand). Monimiaceae are represented by a single fossil specimen from Laguna del Hunco, here assigned to Monimiophyllum callidentatum sp. nov. This fossil shows greatest similarity to Wilkiea, a derived genus extant in Australia, in apparent contrast with molecular analyses placing the divergence of the Wilkiea clade in Australasia at 16-38 Ma. Thus, the Wilkiea lineage may be older and have a broader biogeographic history across Gondwana. Our findings significantly improve the scarce fossil records for Atherospermataceae and Monimiaceae. The fossils were found at great modern distance from their apparent closest living relatives and, remarkably, with similar associated genera, increasing the links of Eocene Patagonian floras to Australasia and further weakening their surviving signal in extant South American forests. Cassandra L. Knight. Department of Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802 USA knight.cassi@gmail.com Peter Wilf. Department of Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802 USA pwilf@psu.edu
We present a study of latitudinal variations in Saturn ’ s ionosphere using Cassini Radio

[1] We present a study of latitudinal variations in Saturn’s ionosphere using Cassini Radio Science Subsystem (RSS) measurements and Saturn‐Thermosphere‐Ionosphere‐Model (STIM) simulations. On the basis of Cassini RSS observations, the peak electron density (NMAX) and the total electron content (TEC) both exhibit a clear increase with latitude, with a minimum at Saturn’s equator. When compared with these RSS trends, current model simulations overestimate NMAX and TEC at low latitudes and underestimate those parameters at middle and high latitudes. STIM is able to reproduce the RSS values for NMAX and TEC at low latitude when an additional low‐latitude loss process, such as a water influx, is introduced near Saturn’s equator. The lack of auroral precipitation processes in the model likely explains some model/data discrepancies at high latitude; however, most of the high‐latitude RSS data are from latitudes outside of Saturn’s typical main auroral oval. Using Cassini RSS electron density altitude profiles combined with ion density fractions and neutral background parameters calculated in STIM, we also present estimates of the latitudinal variations of Saturn’s Pedersen conductance, SP. We find SP to be driven by ion densities in Saturn’s lower ionosphere and to exhibit a latitudinal trend with a peak at mid‐latitude. Model calculations are able to reproduce low‐latitude conductances when an additional loss process is introduced, as before, but consistently underestimate most of the mid‐ and high‐latitude conductances derived from Cassini observations, perhaps indicating a missing ionization source within the model.
Digestible protein requirement for Nile tilapia fed with rations based on soybean meal and corn

The objective was to determine the requirement of digestible protein (DP) for Nile tilapia fed with diets based on soybean meal and corn. Two hundred Nile tilapia juveniles, sexually reversed, were used for a trial period of 100 days. The animals were distributed in 20 boxes of 1000 L -1 in a random design with five treatments and four replications, the boxes were connected to a water recirculation system. Five isoenergetic diets were tested with different levels of digestible protein (DP): 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40%. At the end of the experimental period were evaluated the zootechnical performance data. A quadratic effect (p < 0.05) was shown to parameters of final weight, weight gain, final length, fillet yield and visceral fat with the best points that ranged from 28.3 to 29.9% of DP. The largest area of hepatocytes was found to the lowest levels of DP in the diet (20 and 25%) compared to the other levels, which were similar. Thus, Nile tilapia has adequate performance for the consumption of diets based on soybean and corn meal and the recommended level is 28.3% of PD in these conditions.
Is Agricultural Productivity Growth Good for Industrialization? Infrastructures and the Welfare Maximizing Tax Rate

This paper develops a dynamic Ricardian trade model that incorporates productive infrastructures into the manufacturing sector financed by tax. We investigate the relationship between the timing of opening trade and total welfare. We also compare the two kinds of total welfare: the total welfare that a country obtains by closing international trade until it has a comparative advantage in manufacturing and then engaging in free trade and the total welfare that the country obtains by specializing in agriculture according to the law of comparative advantage from the beginning. The main results are as follows: (1) there is the optimal tax rate maximizing the total welfare; (2) an increase in agricultural productivity can accelerate the timing of opening trade, which, however, does not necessarily improve the total welfare; and (3) the total welfare under specialization in manufacturing can be higher than that under specialization in agriculture depending on conditions.
The Magnitude and Extent of Malfeasance on Unproctored Internet–Based Tests of Cognitive Ability and Personality

The Magnitude and Extent of Malfeasance on Unproctored Internet–Based Tests of Cognitive Ability and Personality. (August 2009) Ryan Matthew Glaze, B.A., The University of Oklahoma Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Winfred Arthur, Jr. The use of unproctored internet–based testing for employee selection is widespread. Although this mode of testing has advantages over onsite testing, researchers and practitioners continue to be concerned about potential malfeasance (e.g., cheating and response distortion) under high–stakes conditions. Therefore, the primary objective of the present study was to investigate potential malfeasance effects on the scores of an unproctored internet–based cognitive ability, and a personality test. This was accomplished by implementing a within–subjects design in which test takers first completed the tests as job applicants (high–stakes) or incumbents (low–stakes) then as research participants (low–stakes). The pattern of cognitive ability test score differences was more consonant with a psychometric practice effect than a malfeasance explanation. Thus, the results suggest that, if present, there was no evidence to indicate that wide– scale or systematic malfeasance unduly affected the test scores. This may have been due to the speeded nature of the test, which was used to preempt the potential for widespread cheating. Additionally, the unproctored personality administration resulted in similar mean shifts and similar proportions of test takers being suspected of distorting their
EFFECT OF PHOSPHORUS, MOLYBDENUM AND Rhizobium INOCULATION ON GROWTH AND NODULATION OF MUNGBEAN

Bhuiyan M.M. H. , Rahman M.M. , Afroze F. , Sutradhar G.N. C. , and Bhuiyan M.S.I. 2008. Effect of Phosphorus, Molybdenum and Rhizobium Inoculation on Growth and Nodulation of Mungbean. J . Soil . Nature. 2(2): 25-30 A pot experiment was conducted during Kharif, 2005 at the Soil Science Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Joydebpur, Gazipur. There were four levels of phosphorus (P) (0, 20, 40, 60 kg/ha) and 2 levels of molybdenum (Mo) (1.0 and 1.5 kg/ha) having a common Rhizobium inoculant, one control with no Rhizobium or fertilization and a Rhizobium inoculation only were applied. The performance of Rhizobium inoculant alone was superior to control in almost all parameters of the crop studied. Rhizobium inoculation along with P and Mo significantly increased the growth of plants, number of nodules, dry matter production as well as grain yield of mungbean significantly compared to uninoculated control. Nodulation (nodule number/plant) was the highest with 20 kg P/ha and 1.0 kg Mo/ha. However, P and Mo application at the rate of 40 kg P/ha and 1.0 kg Mo/ha progressively and significantly increased dry matter content of shoot and root of mungbean. Seed yield/plant was positively correlated with the number of nodules/plant. From this point of view, nodule number/plant with 20 kg P/ha and 1.0 kg Mo/ha, and yield and attributes of mungbean combined application of Rhizobium inoculant with 40 kg P/ha and 1.0 kg Mo/ha was considered to be the balanced and suitable combination of fertilizer nutrients for achieving the maximum output through cultivation of mungbean.
THE KNOWLEDGE GAP-CWILI TOWNSHIP DIGITAL DOORWAY PROJECT : A CASE STUDY

Harnessing ICT for development is hampered by the lack of end-user capacity, technology illiteracy and lack of confidence to use the technology. The Digital Doorway suggests a unique approach to promoting functional computer literacy, overcoming the hurdles of technology use and unfamiliarity. We report on the initial results and learning of a Digital Doorway installation in a rural community in South Africa, and discus the way forward. It appears that children and young adults can teach themselves to use computers fluently. Language, formal education and lack of formal supervision and instruction do not seem to have a significant influence.
The Unemployment Impact of the 2008 Extension of Unemployment Insurance: As High as Robert Barro Suggested?

The Emergency Unemployment Compensation program created in the summer of 2008 provided for unprecedented extensions in the duration of unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. Combined with persistent high unemployment and historically long durations of unemployment during the 2008 and 2009 recession, this extension of UI has prompted renewed interest in the impact of UI benefits on job search, the duration of unemployment, and the unemployment rate. In a recent op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, Robert Barro contributed to this discussion by comparing the duration of unemployment observed in the current recession with that of 1982 and estimating how much lower the unemployment rate would have been in the summer of 2010 if it had not been for the extension of the duration of UI benefits. His conclusion, that the unemployment rate would have been 2.7 points lower in the absence of UI extensions, is based on a questionable assumption—that the severity of the 2008-09 recession could not be responsible. This paper uses multiple regression analysis to estimate the impact of extended UI benefits on the unemployment rate after controlling for the severity of the recent recession. The extension of UI is found to have a positive and significant impact on the national unemployment rate, but the impact is not as large as Barro suggests. The UI benefit extensions that have occurred between the summer of 2008 and the end of 2010 are estimated to have had a cumulative effect of raising the unemployment rate by . 77 to 1.54 percentage points.
Effect of Cassava Leaf ( Manihot esculenta ) Level in Guinea-Pigs ( Cavia porcellus ) Meal on the Physico-Chemical and Techno-logical Properties of Its Meat

The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of different rates of dried cassava leafs in diet as replacement of protein sources on the weight gain and carcass yield of guinea-pigs, as well as on the physico-chemical and technological properties of guinea-pigs’ meat. A total of forty-eight (48) eight-week-old guinea-pigs were divided in a completely randomized experimental design, in four groups and fed with the experimental foods. These experimental foods were formulated as follows: cassava-leaf (Manihot esculenta) powder was incorporated at concentrations of 0%, 8%, 10% and 12% respectively in replacement of protein sources for R0, R1, R2 and R3. Each treatment consisted of a group of 12 guinea pigs per paddock (6 males and 6 females). The initial weight (IW), final weight (FW), daily weight gain (DWG) and total gain (TG) were evaluated. At the 22nd week, animals of each group were sacrificed by bleeding, then skinned and eviscerated. Carcasses were cut, and some parts (loin, thigh and shoulder) were collected, deboned and analysed. The highest FW and carcass yield (CY) were obtained with the use of 10% cassava leafs (R2): 556 g (FW), 42.65% (CY) for males and 529.17 g (FW), 37.39% (CY) for females. The incorporation of 8% (R1) and 12% (R3) cassava leafs led to a significant increase (P < 0.05) in protein levels in the loins (22.89%) and shoulders (22.43%) of females and the thighs (21.68%) and shoulders (21.09%) of males. However, protein levels of male fed with R3 in the various parts studied were higher than females fed with the same diet. The study of the technological parameters of guinea-pig’s meat showed that the incorporation of 8% and 12% cassava leafs in the diet resulted in a significant decrease in the water holding capacity and technological yield in the different parts studied. These results show that, the incorporation of cassava leafs in guinea-pigs’ diet made it possible to obtain good growth (R2) and meat of good technological quality.
Analysis of the Payment by Results Policy for Mental Health in England

Purpose: To analyse the Mental Health Payment by Results policy with an emphasis placed on exploring the perceptions of Providers involved in implementation, to identify any barriers to implementing the policy and provide recommendations to improve implementation. Methods: This report follows the structure of the Walt and Gilson policy analysis framework addressing each area of context, content and processes with a focus on actors who are involved in the implementation process to inform how this policy is being implemented in practice. Results from the primary interview data were triangulated with the literature. The data collected was subsequently analysed and barriers to implementation were identified. Results: The following barriers to implementation were identified: 1) Inadequate time frame 2) Inaccurate data arising from (i) staff not being trained adequately (ii) the Mental Health Clustering Tool (reliability and variability, issues of clarity, difference in thresholds) clustering at the correct times (iii) clustering at the correct times (iii) defining care packages (iv) costing clusters 3) Lack of guidance from central government 4) Insufficient IT systems which do not support the policy 5) Lack of preparation of providers and commissioners 6) Changes in commissioning structure. Conclusion: On the basis of the barriers identified and the literature review, recommendations to policy makers were made to assist them with improving the implementation of Mental Health Payment by Results.
Transit probabilities in secularly evolving planetary systems

MJR acknowledges support of an STFC studentship, and MCW acknowledges the support from the European Union through grant number 279973. This research has also made use of the NASA Exoplanet Archive, which is operated by the California Institute of Technology, under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under the Exoplanet Exploration Program.
Methods to distinguish between the Microctonus aethiopoides strains that parasitise Sitona lepidus and Sitona discoideus

Two strains of Microctonus aethiopoides with differing host preferences have been released in New Zealand. The first was released in 1982 to suppress Sitona discoideus, a pest of lucerne, and the second was released in 2006 for biological control of Sitona lepidus. This paper describes three genetic approaches (esterase isozymes, aldehyde oxidase allozymes and nucleotide sequences in a 676 bp region of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit one gene) for distinguishing between the M. aethiopoides strains. A range of research applications for these methods is discussed.
VIBRATION ENERGY HARVESTING DEVICE BASED ON ASYMMETRIC AIR-SPACED CANTILEVERS FOR TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM

This paper reports a vibration energy harvesting device for tire pressure monitoring application based on a novel asymmetric air-spaced piezoelectric cantilever. This air-spaced cantilever structure leads to several highly desirable advantages. First, the voltage generated is increased due to the much larger distance between the piezoelectric layer and the neutral plane, and the increased voltage promises higher AC to DC conversion efficiency. Second, the overall energy conversion efficiency is further increased by enabling the majority of the mechanical energy for electricity generation. Last, the asymmetric structure makes the device more robust since the piezoelectric layer is operating in the compression mode. An analytical model was developed and the design optimization was discussed. A new prototype device was built and tested both in the lab and on the road. The experiment results show that the device has a great performance as we expected and the maximum power generated is 47 µW with a 21.6 gram proof mass and a driving speed of ~50 mph.
The perception of adolescents' inter-parental conflict and accompanied emotional security: A descriptive study

How Egyptian adolescents respond to their parents’ inter-parental conflict is relatively unexplored. This descriptive study was completed with adolescents to determine their perceptions of inter-parental conflict and the impact of this on their level of emotional security. Two hundred students from Zagazig city in Egypt aged between 13 and 17 years completed the “Children’s perception of inter-parental conflict scale” and “Security in the inter-parental system scale”. The findings showed that when adolescents witnessed inter-parental conflict they felt scared, sad, emotionally charged or unable to stop thinking about the conflict that they had witnessed. However, participants were unprepared to assist in trying to solve their parents’ conflict. Nurses need to be aware of the negative impact that inter-parental conflict may have on adolescents in their care. Interventions should focus on the preservation of the adolescent’s emotional security to prevent negative psychosocial effects occurring in the future.
The author wishes to express her sincere appreciation and gratitude to the following persons :

Two trial were conducted to determine the possible effects of season, protein supplementation, age and birth status on the reproduction rate (ovulation rate and rate of twinning) of ewes. In Trial 1 the weight, age and birth status if ewes were recorded. 144 ewes were randomly allocated in two treatment groups (urea and mix protein group) synchronised, mated and the number of corpora lutea, foetuses observed, lambs born per ewe and the mass of the ewe after lambing were also recorded. Lambing status or the 1-year-old (0.993 ± 0.316) and 2-year-old (1.233 ± 0.134) ewes were lower (p < 0.05) than that of the 6year-old ewes (1.897 ± 0.248). The lambing status and the number of corpora lutea of the single born ewes (1.179 ± 0.131; 1.274 ± 0.138) were lower (p < 0.0001) than that of the twin born ewes (1.614 ± 0.139; 1.782 ± 0.147), within the urea treatment. In Trial 2, 75 ewes were randomly allocated in four treatment groups (raw lupins, cooked lupins, cottonseed oil-cake and Fescue grass), synchronised and the number of corpora lutea were recorded. The weight, age and birth status of the ewes were also recorded. The number of corpora lutea from the cooked lupin group (1.815 ± 0.184) was significantly higher than that from the cottonseed oilcake group (1.048 ± 0.209), within the twin born ewe group. It was concluded that season, protein supplementation, age and birth status influenced the reproduction rate of ewes.
Did Gender-Bias Matter in the Quantity-Quality Trade-off in 19th Century France?

Recent theoretical developments of growth models, especially on unified theories of growth, suggest that the child quantity-quality trade-off has been a central element of the transition from Malthusian stagnation to sustained growth. Using an original censusbased dataset, this paper explores the role of gender on the trade-off between education and fertility across 86 French counties during the nineteenth century, as an empirical extension of Diebolt-Perrin (2013). We first test the existence of the child quantity-quality trade-off in 1851. Second, we explore the long-run effect of education on fertility from a gendered approach. Two important results emerge: (i) significant and negative association between education and fertility is found, and (ii) such a relationship is non-unique over the distribution of education/fertility. While our results suggest the existence of a negative and significant effect of the female endowments in human capital on the fertility transition, the effects of negative endowment almost disappear at low level of fertility.
Physical and Chemical Properties of Runoff Effluent from Beef Feedlots in Iowa

Beef feedlot runoff is a potential environmental contaminant. As such, it should be managed properly to preserve water quality. Primary treatment of feedlot runoff often relies on sedimentation techniques; thus, accurate knowledge of feedlot runoff physical properties is required. This study characterized the physical and chemical properties of runoff effluent from earthen and concrete beef feedlots in Iowa with the objective of providing the necessary information to improve solid settling basin design and performance. Results, although not statistically significant (p = 0.11), indicated that solids in runoff from concrete lots tended to settle more slowly than solids from earthen lots. Particle size distribution and particle density measurements indicated that the poorer settleability of concrete lot runoff was primarily caused by lower particle densities: 1.47 ±0.17 g cm-3 (average ± SD) for concrete lots as compared to 1.89 ±0.11 g cm-3 for earthen lots. Runoff composition was analyzed before and after settling to relate nutrient reduction to solids removal. Results indicated an average of 41 g total Kjeldahl nitrogen per kg total solids and 16 g total phosphorus per kg total solids were removed during settling.
Hysteretic autoregressive time series models

This paper extends the classical two-regime threshold autoregressive model by introducing hysteresis to its regime-switching structure, which leads to a new model: the hysteretic autoregressive model. The proposed model enjoys the piecewise linear structure of a threshold model but has a more flexible regime switching mechanism. A sufficient condition is given for geometric ergodicity. Conditional least squares estimation is discussed, and the asymptotic distributions of its estimators and information criteria for model selection are derived. Simulation results and an example support the model.