Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Molecular and physical characteristics of aerosol at a remote free troposphere site: implications for atmospheric aging

Abstract. Aerosol properties are transformed by atmospheric processes during long-range transport and play a key role in the Earth's radiative balance. To understand the molecular and physical characteristics of free tropospheric aerosol, we studied samples collected at the Pico Mountain Observatory in the North Atlantic. The observatory is located in the marine free troposphere at 2225 m above sea level, on Pico Island in the Azores archipelago. The site is ideal for the study of long-range-transported free tropospheric aerosol with minimal local influence. Three aerosol samples with elevated organic carbon concentrations were selected for detailed analysis. FLEXPART retroplumes indicated that two of the samples were influenced by North American wildfire emissions transported in the free troposphere and one by North American outflow mainly transported within the marine boundary layer. Ultrahigh-resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry was used to determine the detailed molecular composition of the samples. Thousands of molecular formulas were assigned to each of the individual samples. On average ∼60 % of the molecular formulas contained only carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms (CHO), ∼30 % contained nitrogen (CHNO), and ∼10 % contained sulfur (CHOS). The molecular formula compositions of the two wildfire-influenced aerosol samples transported mainly in the free troposphere had relatively low average O∕C ratios (0.48±0.13 and 0.45±0.11) despite the 7–10 days of transport time according to FLEXPART. In contrast, the molecular composition of the North American outflow transported mainly in the boundary layer had a higher average O∕C ratio (0.57±0.17) with 3 days of transport time. To better understand the difference between free tropospheric transport and boundary layer transport, the meteorological conditions along the FLEXPART simulated transport pathways were extracted from the Global Forecast System analysis for the model grids. We used the extracted meteorological conditions and the observed molecular chemistry to predict the relative-humidity-dependent glass transition temperatures (Tg) of the aerosol components. Comparisons of the Tg to the ambient temperature indicated that a majority of the organic aerosol components transported in the free troposphere were more viscous and therefore less susceptible to oxidation than the organic aerosol components transported in the boundary layer. Although the number of observations is limited, the results suggest that biomass burning organic aerosol injected into the free troposphere is more persistent than organic aerosol in the boundary layer having broader implications for aerosol aging.
Rebalancing Frequency and the Welfare Cost of Inflation

Cash-in-advance models usually require agents to reallocate money and bonds in fixed periods, every month or quarter, for example. I show that fixed periods underestimate the welfare cost of inflation. I use a model in which agents choose how often they exchange bonds for money. In the benchmark specification, the welfare cost of ten percent instead of zero inflation increases from 0.1 percent of income with fixed periods to one percent with optimal periods. The results are robust to different preferences, to different compositions of income in bonds or money, and to the introduction of capital and labor.
DETECTING EARNINGS MANAGEMENT

This paper evaluates alternative models for detecting earnings management. The paper restricts itself to models that assume the construct being managed is discretionary accruals, since such models are commonly used in the extant accounting literature. Existing models range from simple models in which discretionary accruals are measured as total accruals, to more sophisticated models that separate total accruals into a discretionary and a non-discretionary component. Prior to this paper, there had been no systematic evidence bearing on the relative performance of these alternative models at detecting earnings management. This paper evaluates the relative performance of the competing models by comparing the specification and power of commonly used test statistics across the measures of discretionary accruals generated by each model. The specification of the test statistics is evaluated by examining the frequency with which they generate type I errors for a random sample of firm-years and for samples of firm-years with extreme financial performance. We focus on samples with extreme financial performance because the stimuli investigated in previous research are frequently correlated with financial performance. The first sample of firms are targeted by the Securities and Exchange Commission for allegedly overstating annual earnings and the second sample is created by artificially introducing earnings management into a random sample of firms.
Multiple Imputation Methods for Disclosure Limitation in Longitudinal Data

Disclosure limitation is an important consideration in the release of public use data sets. It is particularly challenging for longitudinal data sets, since information about an individual accumulates over time. We consider problems created by high ages in cohort studies. Because of the risk of disclosure, ages of very old respondents can often not be released, as stipulated by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Top-coding of individuals beyond a certain age is a standard way of dealing with this issue, but it has severe limitations in longitudinal studies. We propose and evaluate an alternative to top-coding for this situation based on multiple imputation (MI). This MI method is applied to a survival analysis of simulated data and data from the Charleston Heart Study, and is shown to work well in preserving the relationship between hazard and covariates.
Appropriateness of Proportional Reasoning: Teachers' Knowledge Used to Identify Proportional Situations.

In this study we explored to what extent middle school teachers were able to appropriately identify proportional situations when presented with various mathematical structures and if there were relationships between attributes of the teachers and their ability to identify proportional situations. Interestingly, there were no strong relationships aside from teachers’ perception of their knowledge of mathematics and their ability to identify proportional situations. Teachers were also found to correctly identify proportional situations significantly more often than non-proportional situations. Nearly one third of the teachers misidentified non-proportional linear situations as proportional. Thirteen participants’ responses to such a situation were analyzed qualitatively resulting in some common knowledge resources that they appeared to use when attempting to identify whether a situation was proportional or not.
Landlockedness, Infrastructure and Trade: New Estimates for Central Asian Countries

This paper assesses the impact of internal infrastructure and landlockedness on Central Asian trade. The impact of landlockedness on Central Asian's trade costs is split into several components, using a panel gravity equation estimated on a large sample of countries (167 countries over 1992-2004). Our findings highlight that an improvement in the own infrastructure of Central Asian countries from the level of the median Central Asian country to that of other landlocked countries would raise exports (imports) by a modest 2.4% (3.1%). By contrast, an improvement in Central Asian transit-country infrastructure to the level of the other landlocked countries would raise the representative CAC's exports by a whopping 49%. Other dimensions of landlockedness considered in this study are also great impediments to trade. Either diminishing the extra overland costs or enhancing the ability to negotiate sea access would significantly increase Central Asian trade, ‘'transit monopolies'' (single transit corridors) reducing trade significantly.
Generalized Formulation of Multilevel Selective Harmonic Elimination PWM: Case I -Non-Equal DC Sources

The paper presents optimal solutions for eliminating harmonics from the output waveform of a multilevel staircase pulse-width modulation (PWM) method with non-equal dc sources. Therefore, the degrees of freedom for specifying the cost function increased without physical changes as compared to the conventional stepped waveform. The paper discusses an efficient hybrid real coded genetic algorithm (HRCGA) that reduces significantly the computational burden resulting in fast convergence. An objective function describing a measure of effectiveness of eliminating selected order of harmonics while controlling the fundamental for any number of levels and for any number of switching angels is derived. It is confirmed that multiple independent sets of solutions exist and the ones that offer better harmonic performance are identified. Different operating points including five- and seven-level inverters are investigated and simulated. Selected experimental results are reported to verify and validate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
A Variety of Lipophilic Amines Incorporated in Liquid Membranes Exhibit Potentiometric Responses to Neutral Phenols

A variety of lipophilic amines incorporated in PVC matrix liquid membranes exhibited anionic potentiometric responses to phenolic compounds at the pH conditions under which the phenols exist mainly or exclusively in their undissociated, neutral forms. The examined lipophilic amines include a macrocyclic pentaamine, tri(decyl)amine, 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (bathophenanthroline), 4-octadecylpyridine, and sapphyrin. The potentiometric selectivities of the membranes based on lipophilic aliphatic amines (B) reflected the acidity (hydrogen bond donor activity) and lipophilicity (extractability) of the phenols (ArOH), similarly as membranes based on lipophilic quaternary ammonium salts (Q^+X^-). The anionic responses were explained on the basis of a decrease in the charge separation of protonated amines (BH^+) and their counteranions (X^-) across the membrane interface. Possible processes leading to a decrease in the charge separation between BH^+ and X^- are (i) complexation between ArOH and BH^+X^-, followed by proton dissociation and ejection of HX into the aqueous phase, as well as (ii) complexation between ArOH and B. The membrane based on sapphyrin showed a high potentiometric selectivity to catechol, possibly due to geometrical discrimination of the ortho dihydroxy structure of catechol by the nitrogen(s) on the rigid macrocyclic structure of sapphyrin.
Impact of Parametrized Nonorographic Gravity Wave Drag on Stratosphere‐Troposphere Coupling in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres

The impact of parametrized nonorographic gravity wave drag (NOGWD) on the stratosphere‐troposphere dynamical coupling in atmospheric models is relatively unexplored. Using the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts Integrated Forecast System, we find that changes in NOGWD strength have a substantial impact on the tropospheric eddy‐driven jet (EDJ) in both hemispheres, but the sense of the impact is opposite in the two hemispheres. In the Northern Hemisphere the impact occurs via changes in the amplitude and persistence of stratospheric anomalies. In the Southern Hemisphere it occurs instead via differences in the sensitivity of the EDJ to a given stratospheric anomaly, arising from changes in the seasonal cycle leading up to the polar vortex breakdown. Increasing NOGWD eliminates the springtime phase of the Southern Hemisphere tropospheric semiannual oscillation, resulting in a more equatorward annual‐mean EDJ and showing that the semiannual oscillation cannot be explained entirely from tropospheric mechanisms.
Seasonal influence and heavy metal analysis in marine shrimp (Penaeus spp.) sold in Trinidad, West Indies.

Shrimp is a popular seafood in Trinidad and Tobago which is mainly caught in the coastal environs and sold mostly for domestic consumption. The objectives of the research were to determine if chemical contaminants copper, zinc, cadmium, chromium, nickel and mercury in the marine shrimp (Penaeus spp.) met international and local food safety standards and; to investigate any location by season interactions. Determination of all heavy metals was by flame atomic absorption spectroscopy except for mercury. Validation of methods was done using Certified Reference Materials namely dogfish liver and fish protein. The heavy metal findings in the marine shrimp were well below the United States Food and Drug Administration, Canada’s Food Inspection Agency and, Trinidad and Tobago’s admissible limits for human consumption. Significant differences were observed only for copper by location and season interaction and; zinc by location and season respectively.
Dietary grape pomace affects lipid peroxidation and antioxidative status in rabbit semen.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of dietary grape pomace (GP) on certain characteristics, mainly lipid peroxidation and the antioxidative status of rabbit buck semen. Twenty seven adult New Zealand White rabbit bucks (6 months of age) were divided into three homogeneous groups (n=9) and randomly submitted to one of the three investigated dietary treatments. Animals in the fi rst treatment (control) group were given the basal diet. The diets of the second (GP-10) and third (GP-20) treatment groups contained 10 and 20% of GP, respectively. Bucks received the experimental diets for 10 continuous weeks. GP did not appear to have any signifi cant effect on body weight gain. Bucks receiving 10 or 20% dietary GP had a higher semen volume, 32% above that of rabbits in the control group (P
Mechanical Extraction and Physical Characterization of Pandanus Odorifer Lignocellulosic Fibre

Lignocellulosic fibres have been investigated to understand its influence on properties of textile fibres. Pandanus Odorifer (PO) is a leaf fibre which was mechanically extracted from the leaves of the plant using water retting extraction method. The chemical composition of the extracted fibres was determined using TAPPI method. The composition mainly consisted of cellulose 44±1%, hemicelluloses 30±1%, lignin21±1%, ash content 2.5±0.5%, and extractives around 2.5±0.5%, Structural analysis was carried out by FTIR, SEM, TGA, X-ray diffraction. Tensile and moisture content properties were also studied.
Molecular Characterization of Human and Bovine Rotaviruses in Marathwada Province of Maharashtra State

Rotavirus is the major etiologic agent associated with diarrhoeal diseases of young ones of many farm animals and human infants. Due to segmented nature of the RNA genome and wide host range, vast genetic and antigenic diversity exist amongst different isolates of rotavirus, keeping this point in view, the present study was undertaken to characterize bovine and human rotavirus circulating in Marathwada province of Maharashtra state. Total 211 faecal samples from bovines calves and 55 stool samples from children were collected from various regions of Marathwada. 21 (9.95%) and 6 (10.90%) samples were positive for rotavirus in bovine calves and children respectively. The characteristic RNA migration pattern of group ‘A’ rotavirus was observed in all bovine and human samples through RNA PAGE showing long electropherotype. All the PAGE positive samples tested by RT-PCR for VP7 and VP4 genes of bovine and human were amplified as evidenced by an expected PCR product of 1062bp of VP7 gene, 856bp of bovine VP4 gene and 876bp of human VP4. Nucleotide sequences retrieved after sequencing of PCR products were subjected to sequence analysis of VP7 and VP4 genes for further confirmation which showed 85% to 99% homology with other group ‘A’ rotaviruses after examined by nucleotide BLAST revealing the interspecies transmission.
Similarities and Differences between Public and Private Sector Leadership Strategies in the Caribbean: Empirical Findings on the Link between Leadership, Culture, and Performance

Conventional theory, which holds that there is a significant difference between leadership in the public and private sectors as leaders manage organizational culture to achieve strategic performance, has begun to be disputed by recent scholars in organizational behavior. The purpose of this study was to validate the views of organizational practitioners that private sector leaders are best suited to facilitate organizational efficiency by examining the link between leaders, culture, and employee performance. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) was distributed to middle managers (N=200) who worked in public and private sector organizations across the United States Virgin Islands to examine how the leaders used organizational culture to improve their organizationsi¯ performances. The study found that leadership practices in both sectors have significant effects on performance. While the hierarchy culture was dominant in government agencies dictating effectiveness is the adherence to strict rules and regulations, the criteria of effectiveness most prominent in the private sector was market culture evident in the achieving of goals, outpacing the competition, increasing market share, and acquiring premium levels of financial returns. These findings suggest that, contrary to conventional theory, those leaders with the greatest organizational success are not restricted only to the private sector; but they are also evident in the public sector. This study concluded that leadership in both the public and the private sectors can induce a significant level of performance when strategies are aligned with organizationi¯s culture and objectives as these organizations developed, grow, and mature.
Poster : Towards Quantifying Metrics for Resilient and Survivable Networks

This poster, discusses methods to characterize the network space of challenged networks with the goal of developing quantifiable metrics to determine the resilience and survivability of the network. We propose that various challenged networks can be represented by the same set of concise metrics that based on the fundamental properties of the network. By formulating failures and attacks on the network as variations in network characteristics, it is possible to develop meaningful resilience metrics. Further, we show that network taxonomy helps in the performance evaluation of network protocols and comparison of two different protocols over a common platform.
Similarity of particle-associated and free-living bacterial communities in northern San Francisco Bay, California

We used denatunng gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of 16s rDNA PCR amphcons to analyze the composition of Bacterla communities in samples collected during the summer, low flow season from northern San Francisco Bay, California. There were clear compositional differences in communities sampled at different locations in the Bay and at different times of the year. Particle-associated (attached) and free-living (free) bacteria in a given sample were generally more sun~ la r than communities in different samples. At times, the attached and free communities in a sample appeared ~dent ica l , suggesting a fairly rapid exchange between them. The free-living community tended to be richer (more operational taxonomic units [OTU] per sample) than the attached comn~unity; however, the difference was not statistically significant. Richness declined through the summer. The richest samples were collected on the June cruise (51 OTU sample-') while the least rich samples were collected on the September crulse (21 OTU sample-'). The number of distinct OTUs encountered in all samples from a cruise ranged from 61 (April) to 45 (October). The greatest number of unique OTUs (26) was found in April samples while the fewest (3) was found in September There was no consistent hierarchy of richness between samples. Sample groups representing location and size fractions contained from 55 to 61 d~fferent OTUs and from 8 to 18 unique (found only once) OTUs. An average of 23% of the OTUs from a given station and size fraction were unlque whlle an average of 5 . 5% were found on all cruises. Ubiquitous OTUs (found at all stations) ranged from 34 % (free-living, June ) to 7 % (free-living, August) of the distlnct OTUs encountered on a given crulse. Our results suggest little difference in the biogeochemical role played by attached versus free bacteria in San Francisco Bay, particularly in the estuarine turb~di ty maximum These results are generally consistent with our analyses of the metabolic potential of these communities.
Social models of creativity: Integrating the DIFI and FBS frameworks to study creative design

This paper presents a framework for experimentation about design as a social activity. It accounts for the complementarity of generative and evaluative processes by individuals and groups and is used to inspect phenomena associated with creativity in the interaction between designers and their societies. The results illustrate ways in which the role of designers as change agents of their societies can be largely determined by how evaluating groups self-organise over time. An implication is that the isolated characteristics of designers may be insufficient to formulate conclusions about the nature and effects of their behaviour. Instead, causality could be attributed to situational factors that define the relationship between designers and their evaluators.
Negotiating the emotions of change: Research, restructuring and the doctoral student

This article is a reflective account of the emotions generated by the research journey, and the challenges these pose for doctoral students, particularly when researching organisations and topics close to their interests and background. By reflecting on my experience, and engaging with the literature to explore other novice researchers’ reflective accounts of their research journey, I identify a host of emotions that are generated by the ideological, political and methodological facets of the research. I argue that doctoral students are ill-prepared to deal with the emotions of their research and are often attempted to ignore or control these emotions. This reduces the researchers’ ability to engage fully with the process, it limits the data that could be collected, and results in unresolved emotional dilemmas. The article proposes that doctoral students may be better prepared to manage their emotions if they would be exposed to researchers’ accounts (such as this one) on the role of emotions in research.
Chemical attributes of a savannah Typic Hapludox soil under management systems

This study was conducted at the Experimental Station belonging to UNESP Engineering University, Ilha Solteira Campus, based in Selviria, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil, with the aim of evaluating chemical alterations in an Oxisol after being managed for two years with organic and/or chemical fertilization and different tillage systems during the agricultural years of 2004/2005 and 2005/2006. The treatments were: conventional-tillage; chisel tillage and no-tillage; the fertilization treatments were: control (no fertilization); chemical fertilization (300 kg ha -1 from the 20-00-20); organic fertilization (cattle manure - 20 Mg ha -1 ); organic + ½ the recommended chemical fertilization for the used crop; 20 and 30 Mg ha -1 of sewage sludge. Soybean was used in the first year and sorghum in the next year, evaluating the soil chemical attributes in four layers. The soil chemical attributes were changed in the first year; the organic fertilization, sewage sludge and organic+chemical fertilization were efficient to change the chemical attributes; the sewage sludge was more efficient in soil P recuperation and, the no-tillage system contributed to soil K increase.