Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Closed Chamber and Eddy Covariance Methods to Improve the Understanding of Methane Fluxes from Rice Paddy Fields in Japan

Greenhouse gas flux monitoring in ecosystems is mostly conducted by closed chamber and eddy covariance techniques. To determine the relevance of the two methods in rice paddy fields at different growing stages, closed chamber (CC) and eddy covariance (EC) methods were used to measure the methane (CH4) fluxes in a flooded rice paddy field. Intensive monitoring using the CC method was conducted at 30, 60 and 90 days after transplanting (DAT) and after harvest (AHV). An EC tower was installed at the centre of the experimental site to provide continuous measurements during the rice cropping season. The CC method resulted in CH4 flux averages that were 58%, 81%, 94% and 57% higher than those measured by the EC method at 30, 60 and 90 DAT and after harvest (AHV), respectively. A footprint analysis showed that the area covered by the EC method in this study included non-homogeneous land use types. The different strengths and weaknesses of the CC and EC methods can complement each other, and the use of both methods together leads to a better understanding of CH4 emissions from paddy fields.
PRE‐LOGGING LIANA CUTTING REDUCES LIANA REGENERATION IN LOGGING GAPS IN THE EASTERN BRAZILIAN AMAZON

The cutting of all lianas prior to logging is a reduced-impact logging technique that is predicted to reduce liana proliferation in logging gaps. This study compares liana abundance and species composition in gaps created during conventional and reduced-impact logging in a forest of the eastern Brazilian Amazon. Logging treatments were conducted in side-by-side plots. Shortly following logging, 50-m2 plots were located in the approximate centers of four single treefall and four multiple treefall gaps in each logging area. Six years following logging, there were ∼40% fewer climbing lianas in reduced-impact gaps than in conventional logging gaps. In both logging areas multiple-tree gaps had higher liana densities and a higher proportion of lianas recruiting from seed than single tree gaps, where sprouts from cut or fallen lianas were more common. The mean number of liana species encountered per plot did not differ among treatments nor was there any significant difference in species diversity (Fisher's α) be.
Enset (Ensete Ventricosum) Production in Ethiopia: Its Nutritional and Socio-Cultural Values

Enset is a perennial root crop indigenous to Ethiopia cultivated dominantly in the south and southwestern highlands. There are several enset varieties or clones mainly produced for their starch from the pseudostem while some are exclusively cultivated for their corm. Kocho, bulla, and corm (amicho) are the main food products of enset. We studied the nutritional, socio-economic, and cultural values of this crop. The corm (Neqaqa) was found to be more nutritious than bulla (Gena) except in starch and zinc contents. Enset is rich in starch but low in protein composition hence, dietary protein source is mandatory. It plays great role in the food security of the country and a staple food for significant Ethiopian population. It has several environmental, nutritional, and socio-cultural importance however its cultivation is under disease challenges. Continuous research effort is required to improve the production of enset and its food products and fiber processing.
Diatoms, protein and carbohydrate sediment content as proxies for coastal eutrophication in Montevideo, Rio de la Plata Estuary, Uruguay

A study on sediment surface diatom composition in relation to both protein/carbohydrate content and salinity was carried out in Montevideo Bay and the adjacent coastal zone. Samples were seasonally taken during one year along a human impact gradient, and the trophic conditions were assessed from the biochemical composition of the surface sediment organic matter. The co-occurrence of the marine-brackish (Actinocyclus curvatulus, Actinocyclus gallicus, Coscinodiscus excentricus, Coscinodiscus radiatus, Hyalodiscus subtilis, Paralia sulcata) and freshwater diatom flora (Aulacoseira granulata, Aulacoseira italica, Aulacoseira muzzanensis, Actinocyclus normanii, Amphora copulata, Cyclotella meneghiniana, Nitzschia linearis), suggests myxohaline estuarine conditions in the study area. The sampling stations located within the bay, close to several contamination sources, exhibited hypertrophic conditions as indicated by the highest levels of protein content, but also by the high relative abundances of Actinocyclus normanii and Cyclotella meneghiniana, as both diatom species are very well established cosmopolitan proxies of aquatic degradation. The levels of both protein and carbohydrate content, but also photosynthetic pigments, recorded in the adjacent coastal zone suggest meso-eutrophic conditions as contamination levels from the inner bay might become diluted off shore. Multivariate diatom species-environmental data relationships, indicate that the trophic gradient is hierarchically more important than salinity in explaining the diatom distribution. The present data imply an improvement in our ability of assessing organic contamination in the study area, since both biological and biopolymer variables were introduced for the first time as a tool for assessing the benthic health/degradation in one of the most populated regions of the Rio de la Plata.
Perceived Inhibitors of Innovative E-Learning Teaching Practice at a South African University of Technology

This qualitative study explored the perceived inhibitors of e-learning teaching practice through the experiences of ten academics identified at a university of technology (UoT). Data were collected through in-depth interviews with participants traced through the snowball sampling technique. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim for content analysis through iterative and reflexive procedures. Five inhibitors to e-learning were identified in the study: technical problems, logistical issues, staff resistance to change, absence of e-policy and lack of staff motivation and training. This paper advances the notion that a clear exploration of the significant dimensions that inhibit the successful adoption of e-learning will contribute greatly towards the establishment of mitigating strategies to off-set this undesirable trajectory. The study adds to the body of knowledge in that it elaborates on the implementation of e-learning by identifying the structural and contextual variables that determine its rejection. This will provide management and academics with the impetus to establish policies and structures that minimise these inhibitors. It is also hoped that the study will provide guidance on the management of e-learning-based initiatives among higher education institutions (HEIs) in South Africa. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014. v5n4p390
Imaging‐in‐Flow: Digital holographic microscopy as a novel tool to detect and classify nanoplanktonic organisms

Traditional taxonomic identification of planktonic organisms is based on light microscopy, which is both time‐ consuming and tedious. In response, novel ways of automated (machine) identification, such as flow cytometry, have been investigated over the last two decades. To improve the taxonomic resolution of particle analysis, recent developments have focused on “imaging‐ in‐ flow,” i.e., the ability to acquire microscopic images of planktonic cells in a flow‐ through mode. Imaging‐ in‐ flow systems are traditionally based on classical brightfield microscopy and are faced with a number of issues that decrease the classification performance and accuracy (e.g., projection variance of cells, migration of cells out of the focus plane). Here, we demonstrate that a combination of digital holographic microscopy (DHM) with imaging‐ in‐ flow can improve the detection and classification of planktonic organisms. In addition to light intensity information, DHM provides quantitative phase information, which generates an additional and independent set of features that can be used in classification algorithms. Moreover, the capability of digitally refocusing greatly increases the depth of field, enables a more accurate focusing of cells, and reduces the effects of position variance. Nanoplanktonic organisms similar in shape were successfully classified from images captured with an off‐ axis DHM with partial coherence. Textural features based on DHM phase information proved more efficient in separating the three tested phytoplankton species compared with shape‐ based features or textural features based on light intensity. An overall classification score of 92.4% demonstrates the potential of holographic‐ based imaging‐ in‐ flow for similar looking organisms in the nanoplankton range.
Effect of glycosides extract of the medicinal plant Glycyrrhiza glabra L. from the region of Mlilli (southeast of Algeria) on the growth of some human pathogenic bacteria

Licorice is a perennial plant of the family Fabaceae, species Glycyrrhiza, and genre "Glycyrrhiza glabra L. "Takes from the region of Mlilli (southeast of Algeria,). The objective of this work is to study the effect of the glycoside extracted from the medicinal plant Glycyrrhiza glabra L. on three bacterial strains: Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. Preliminary phytochemical study of the crude glycoside extract is based on the antibacterial test. This extract was tested in vitro by the method of agar diffusion (GN) and the diffusion in liquid medium (MH) on three bacterial species. The results show that our extract has an inhibitory effect on the Gram positive strain (Staphylococcus aureus ATCC23) and the Gram negative strain (Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC53), but no effect on Escherichia coli ATCC22 strain. From the results obtained, we suggest the use of licorice in daily live to treat from certain infectious diseases.
Intergroup Distinctiveness and Discriminatory Immigration Attitudes: The Role of National Identification

We examined the moderating role of national identification in understanding when a focus on intergroup similarity versus difference on ingroup stereotypical traits—manipulated with scale anchors—leads to support for discriminatory immigration policies. In line with intergroup distinctiveness research, national identification moderated the similarity–difference manipulation effect. Low national identifiers supported discriminatory immigration policies more when intergroup difference rather than similarity was made salient, whereas the opposite pattern was found for high national identifiers: They trended toward being more discriminatory when similarity was made salient. The impact of assimilation expectations and national identity content on the findings is discussed.
Coherent structures in uniformly sheared turbulent flow

Abstract Uniformly sheared turbulent flow has been generated in a water tunnel and its instantaneous structure has been examined using flow visualization and particle image velocimetry. The shear-rate parameter was approximately equal to 13 and the streamwise turbulence Reynolds number was approximately 150. The flow was found to consist of regions with nearly uniform velocity, which were separated by regions of high shear containing large vortices. The concentration of vortices and the distributions of their directions of rotation, strengths, sizes and shapes have been determined. These results demonstrate that horseshoe/hairpin-shaped vortices were prevalent, even though wall effects were negligible in this flow. Both ‘upright’ and ‘inverted’ vortices have been observed, in contrast to turbulent boundary layers, in which only ‘upright’ vortices can be found, suggesting that the presence of the wall may suppress the development of ‘inverted’ structures. Our observations demonstrate that the dominant coherent structures of fully developed uniformly sheared flow are very different from the structures observed in the flow exiting the shear-generating apparatus, which points to an insensitivity of the former to initial effects.
Movement and nutrition in health and disease

Movement and nutrition play a pivotal role in the promotion of long-term health and the prevention of chronic disease. Obesity and physical inactivity are among the leading causes of premature death, while lifestyle factors such as exercise and healthy eating can reduce the risk of becoming obese and developing related diseases. Movement and nutrition may therefore be able to assist in the prevention and therapy of chronic diseases. Regular physical activity and better dietary choices are effective means of extending not only lifespan but also healthspan. Healthy nutrition is important throughout life, and diet is the most important risk factor of illness worldwide. Moreover, childhood obesity has become a global health crisis. While high body-mass index and high fasting plasma glucose contribute substantially to the rising burden of disease, they also provide promising opportunities for intervention. In addition, mounting evidence suggests vital relationships between nutritional quality and mental health. Approaches tackling dietary improvements include community-based health promotion, school-based interventions, mass media campaigns, open online platforms and policies sanctioning unhealthy food choices. The high prevalence of sedentary behavior and physical inactivity is a major health risk and a leading cause of death worldwide. The extensive health benefits of a physically active lifestyle are well established. Exercise is a viable way to help prevent and combat many chronic diseases, and an increase in physical activity could markedly improve health worldwide. A challenge in this context is the promotion of an active lifestyle, including the initiation of and adherence to effective exercise and sport programs.
Characterizing the Organization within Alternative Lengthening of Telomere Associated-promyelocytic Leukemia Nuclear Bodies

In the absence of telomerase activity, a subset of cancerous and immortalized cells maintain telomere length by means of a poorly understood mechanism, termed alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT). Many details of telomere maintenance in ALT positive cells remain unclear, but significant evidence implicates a homologous recombination mechanism. ALT specific nuclear structures, known as ALT-associated promyelocytic leukemia nuclear bodies (APBs), are thought to serve as the site of telomere extension. Using electron spectroscopic imaging we have demonstrated that APBs contain substantial amounts of nucleic acid sequestered within the bodies. In contrast, promyelocytic leukemia nuclear bodies in non-ALT cell lines contain no significant nucleic acid. We show that the nucleic acid found in APBs is not RNA and provide evidence that it is in fact telomeric repeat DNA. This evidence supports a role for APBs to sequester extrachromosomal telomeric DNA in order to suppress the activation of DNA repair.
Energy estimates and Liouville theorems for harmonic maps

© Gauthier-Villars (Éditions scientifiques et médicales Elsevier), 1990, tous droits réservés. L’accès aux archives de la revue « Annales scientifiques de l’É. N.S. » (http://www. elsevier.com/locate/ansens) implique l’accord avec les conditions générales d’utilisation (http://www.numdam.org/conditions). Toute utilisation commerciale ou impression systématique est constitutive d’une infraction pénale. Toute copie ou impression de ce fichier doit contenir la présente mention de copyright.
Real Effects of Frequent Financial Reporting

Using the transition of US firms from annual reporting to quarterly reporting over the period 1950-1970 as a natural experiment, we provide causal evidence on the effects of increased reporting frequency on firms’ investment decisions. Estimates from difference-in-differences specifications show that increased reporting frequency is associated with an economically large decline in investments. Additional analyses reveal that these findings are most consistent with managers behaving myopically following increases in reporting frequency. We provide some of the first archival evidence on the potential costs of increasing financial reporting frequency. We thank Qi Chen, Christian Leuz, and workshop participants at Duke University, ESADE-IESE-UPF Joint Seminar, Barcelona, George Mason University and Nazarbayev University for helpful comments and suggestions. We acknowledge financial support from the Fuqua School of Business, Duke University and the Cass Business School, City University London.
Implementing POGIL in Allied Health Chemistry Courses : Insights from Process Education

This paper traces the development of POGIL (Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning) as an innovative teaching philosophy and strategy which increases student success in college level chemistry courses. POGIL philosophy and practice draws heavily from Process EducationTM in its emphasis on conceptual understanding and the development of process skills. This paper examines the benefi ts and drawbacks of POGIL implementation in allied health courses (General, Organic, & Biochemistry or GOB) at Gaston College. With POGIL instruction in CHM 131, the fi rst semester of a two-semester GOB sequence, fi nal exam performance and retention results were encouraging. In CHM 130, a one-semester GOB course, POGIL was less successful, due to lack of student readiness for a more challenging learning environment. Models predict that students must have suffi cient cognitive, affective, and team skills to succeed in team based learning at a higher cognitive level. The majority of CHM 130 students function at Piaget’s concrete operational stage, as measured by the Group Assessment of Logical Thinking (GALT) survey, and have diffi culty thinking abstractly, a key skill for chemistry (Bunce & Hutchinson, 1993). Gradually increasing cognitive challenge and the amount of student self-direction is more likely to lead to student growth and effective learning in allied health chemistry at Gaston College.
Quasi-and Pseudo-pyramidal Tours for Generalized Traveling Salesman Problem

In this paper, we introduce notions of l-quasi-pyramidal and l-pseudopyramidal tours extending the classic notion of pyramidal tour to the case of Generalized Traveling Salesman Problem (GTSP). We show that, for the instance of GTSP on n cities and k clusters with arbitrary weights, optimal l-quasi-pyramidal and l-pseudo-pyramidal tours can be found in time O(4n) and O(2kn), respectively. Consequently, we show, that, in the most general setting, GTSP belongs to FPT for parametrizations induced by these special kinds of tours. Also, we describe a non-trivial polynomially solvable subclass of GTSP, for which the existence of optimal l-quasi-pyramidal tour (for some fixed value of l) is proved.
Mathematical modelling to assess the carrying capacity for multi-species culture within coastal waters

In the context of aquaculture, carrying capacity is generally understood as the standing stock of a particular species at which production is maximised without negatively affecting growth rates. The estimation of carrying capacity for aquaculture is a complex issue. That complexity stems from the many interactions between and among cultivated and non-cultivated species, as well as between those species and their physical and chemical environments. Mathematical models may help to resolve these interactions, by analysing them in a dynamic manner. Previous carrying capacity models have considered the biogeochemical processes that influence growth of cultivated species in great detail. However, physical processes tend to have been addressed very simplistically. Further, most modelling has been for monocultures, despite the increasing importance of multi-species (=polyculture) systems. We present here a two-dimensional coupled physical–biogeochemical model implemented for Sungo Bay, Shandong Province, People’s Republic of China. Sungo Bay is used for extensive polyculture, where bivalve shellfish and kelp are the most important cultivated species. Data collected over 13 years (1983–2000) was available for modelling. Our main objectives were to implement the model, achieving reasonable calibration and validation with independent data sets, for use in estimating the environmental carrying capacity for polyculture of scallops and oysters. Findings indicate that the model successfully reproduces some of the main features of the simulated system. Although requiring some further work to improve predictive capability in parts, predictions clearly indicate that Sungo Bay is being exploited close to the environmental carrying capacity for suspension-feeding shellfish. Comparison of different culture scenarios also indicates that any significant increase in yield will depend largely on a more optimal spatial distribution of the different cultivated species. © 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
The Impact of Corporate Governance on the Performance of Manufacturing Firms in Nigeria

This paper examined the impact of corporate governance on performance of manufacturing firms in Nigeria. The study employed a cross-sectional data from a sample of thirty (30) manufacturing firms drawn from the quoted manufacturing companies in Nigeria that audited their annual financial statement from the period of 2010 to 2014. We conducted descriptive statistics, correlation and White Heteroskedasticity regression analysis for the empirical testing. The empirical findings revealed that Chief Executive Officer Shareholding has a positive and a significant impact on organizational performance at 5% level of significance. Director’s shareholding has a negative and a significant impact on organizational performance at 1% level of significance. Board size has a positive and a significant impact on organizational performance at 1% level of significance. Board gender has a negative and an insignificant impact on organizational performance at more than 10% level of significance. On the basis of these findings, the study recommended excerpts that increase in Chief Executive Officer Shareholding would significantly improve organizational performance. It is also recommended that increase in Director’s Shareholding would significantly lead to a decrease in organizational performance.
Women's Race-and Sex-Based Social Attitudes: An Individual Differences Perspective

How do individual differences in personality and sexuality relate to social attitudes? We contend that personality traits and sexual orientation are descriptions of underlying biases (e.g., perceptual) that exert top-down influences into all of life's domains including social attitudes. The present study (N=200 women) examined individual differences in sex-based and race-based social attitudes as a function of the Big Five traits, the Dark Triad traits, and sexual orientation. We found that affiliative-based motivations in the form of agreeableness, openness, and narcissism predicted the desire and tendency to affiliate with other women. We also found fear-based (i.e., neuroticism) and entitlement-based (i.e., narcissism) traits were associated with efforts towards political action for gender equality. We found a "go-along" disposition (i.e., agreeableness and openness) was associated with greater endorsement of traditional gender roles. We replicated associations between the Big Five traits (i.e., openness and agreeableness) and race-based social attitudes. Uniquely, Machiavellianism was associated with more race-based social attitudes but with diminished endorsement of traditional gender roles. And last, we suggest that experienced discrimination among bisexual women may lead them to be less likely to hold both undesirable race-based and sex-based social attitudes.