Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Proceedings of the Institute of Acoustics ECHOLOCATION ACTIVITY OF HARBOUR PORPOISES ( PHOCOENA PHOCOENA ) AROUND AN OFFSHORE GAS-PRODUCTION PLATFORM-DRILLING-RIG COMPLEX

VLG Todd Ocean Science Consulting (OSC) Ltd/Appin Scientific Ltd, Ocean House, 4 IB Todd Brewery Lane, Belhaven, Dunbar, East Lothian EH42 1PD, UK. School of Life Sciences, John Muir Building, Heriot-Watt University, Riccarton, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, UK. WD Pearse PA Lepper Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, LE11 3TU, UK. NC Tregenza Chelonia Ltd, 5 Beach Terrace, Long Rock, Penzance, Cornwall TR20 8JE, UK.
Thermochemical Properties of Glass Wool/Maerogel Composites

Aerogel blankets are composites of silica aerogel particles dispersed in a reinforcing fiber matrix that turns the brittle aerogel into durable and flexible insulating materials. In this study, silica aerogel was loaded on glass wool with different concentrations (0–18.6%) and morphological and thermal characteristics of the aerogel blankets were studied. Rate of modified blanket decomposition was slower at temperatures between 250°C and 650°C due to the retardant effect of the silica aerogel. The average diameter of the fiber for either original glass wool or modified glass wool materials was approximately 20 μm and samples had porous, interconnected particles with dendritic-like structure.
Oxygen defect engineering for silicon solar cell applications : process design and modeling

One of the main remaining impurities that lowers efficiencies of silicon solar cells are oxygen ring defects that are incorporated into the material during growth. These defects decrease overall cell efficiencies by around 20% (rel.) resulting in a yield loss of about 1/4 h of each monocrystalline silicon ingot. To control the oxygen defects and put them in the least harmful form possible, a new cell processing step call tabula rasa (TR) is explored. TR is a high temperature process for a short duration. In this work, TR is found to be a kinetically-limited process through several oxygen precipitate dissolution experiments from which the activation energy of dissolution is found to be equivalent to the migration enthalpy for oxygen in silicon. With this knowledge, a predictive kinetic model is built which can be used for process optimization. A multiscale end-to-end model is also developed to determine the effect of rings on cell performance. Using oxygen defect parameter inputs, device modelling, and a spatially resolved two diode mesh, PL images are transformed into current maps and used to determine cell efficiencies for inhomogeneously distributed defects. A reduction in efficiency for cells with ring defects is simulated for several ring defect concentrations and compared to a non-defective cell. Another strategy for lowering cost and mitigating oxygen ring defects is using thinner silicon absorbers with inherent defect tolerance. Using the multiscale modeling platform described above, thin silicon wafers are compared to typical cells. It is shown that thin cells with ring defects perform with higher efficiencies, with less than half the material used. The thin silicon strategy is compared with the TR process addition, and future work is outlined to further explore these oxygen mitigation options. Thesis Supervisor: Tonio Buonassisi Title: Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Age-dependent health status and song characteristics in the barn swallow

Bird song has been hypothesized to evolve, partly, to signal health status of males, and song features should therefore correlate with parasite load. Immune function, parasitism, and secondary sexual characters can, however, differ between age classes, and any apparent relationship between song and parasite loads can be the result of systematic age effects. We tested for an age-dependent relationship between sexually selected characters and measures of parasitism in a Spanish population of the barn swallow Hirundo rustica. A comparison across age classes revealed that chewing lice load, song duration, mean peak amplitude frequency of songs, and tail length differed significantly between yearlings and adults. In a longitudinal analysis, we found significant evidence for mean peak amplitude frequency of songs, tail length and chewing louse parasitism, and a nonsignificant tendency for song duration to change with age of an individual. We found a significant association between song duration and chewing louse load and between hematocrit and peak amplitude frequency of the rattle, the typical harsh terminal syllable. In tests for associations between song traits and health status, while controlling for age, age and chewing louse load were independently related to song duration. We found a significant relationship between pairing success and song duration, implying that females may use this song trait in their choice of parasite-free males. Although the song of the barn swallow may provide information about both male age and parasite resistance, signaling of health status appears to be independent of age effects, in accordance with the theory of parasite-mediated sexual selection, suggesting that male signals can be used as reliable indicators of parasitism. Copyright 2005.
Potential Impact of Mediterranean Aquaculture on the Wild Predatory Bluefish

Abstract Aquaculture impacts on wild populations of fish have been considered principally due to farm escapes. The Bluefish Pomatomus saltatrix, which exhibits two distinct genetic units in the Mediterranean Sea, is a voracious predator and is attracted to aquaculture cages to prey on farmed fish, particularly Gilthead Seabream Sparus aurata and European Sea Bass Dicentrarchus labrax. We compared the genetic diversity of adult Bluefish caught inside one aquaculture farm located in Spanish waters of the western Mediterranean Sea with reference individuals of East and West Mediterranean stocks from the open sea. Bluefish were genetically assigned to their putative origin using seven microsatellite loci and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I as molecular markers. As expected, most of the individuals caught from inside the fish farm cages were assigned to the local genetic population. However, between 7.14% and 11.9% of individuals were assigned to the distant and different genetic unit inhabiting Turkish waters, the East Mediterranean stock. The genetic membership of those individuals revealed some degree of interbreeding between the East and West Mediterranean Bluefish stocks. All results suggest that aquaculture acts as an attractor for Bluefish and could affect genetic diversity as well as phylogeography of this fish and maybe other similar species that aggregate around marine fish farms.
MEDIATION EFFECT OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CONSCIOUSNESS AND JOB SATISFACTION AMONG ACADEMIC STAFF OF MALAYSIAN UNIVERSITIES

Consciousness as one of the main factor of personality influences on job satisfaction of academic staff and both of these factors assumed as important factors in university. Indeed, level of job satisfaction depends on personality characteristic of academic staff at work. The central purpose of current study was to investigating role of emotional intelligence as mediator factor between consciousness and job satisfaction among 440 academic staff in public research universities. Instruments used to collect data were Job Descriptive Index, Big Five Inventory and Emotional Intelligence Inventory. Descriptive and inferential statistic was used to analyze the data and also SEM applied for illustrated role of mediator factor between consciousness and job satisfaction. The results of present study shown that among factors of emotional intelligence, utilization mediates relationship between consciousness and job satisfaction. Certainly, these results have significant implication on the policies universities specially universities in Malaysia.Consciousness as one of the main factor of personality influences on job satisfaction of academic staff and both of these factors assumed as important factors in university. Indeed, level of job satisfaction depends on personality characteristic of academic staff at work. The central purpose of current study was to investigating role of emotional intelligence as mediator factor between consciousness and job satisfaction among 440 academic staff in public research universities. Instruments used to collect data were Job Descriptive Index, Big Five Inventory and Emotional Intelligence Inventory. Descriptive and inferential statistic was used to analyze the data and also SEM applied for illustrated role of mediator factor between consciousness and job satisfaction. The results of present study shown that among factors of emotional intelligence, utilization mediates relationship between consciousness and job satisfaction. Certainly, these results have significant implication on the policies universities specially universities in Malaysia.
refinement and validation of the Monash Canine Personality uestionnaire ( MCPQ ) acqui

The investigation of canine personality has failed to find strong agreement between studies as to its structure. The area has been hampered by a reliance on human personality models and by a tendency to limit the types of dogs used as subjects. These problems were recently addressed during the development of the Monash Canine Personality Questionnaire (MCPQ). In this follow-up study, over 450 participants provided demographic information about themselves and their dog and completed the MCPQ for their dog. Structural Equation Modelling results necessitated reassessing the original data and reanalysis suggested a more succinct questionnaire, the MCPQ-R, to measure five dimensions of canine personality very similar to those revealed in earlier work (extraversion, motivation, training focus, amicability and neuroticism). Owner reports of personality were generally consistent across demographic variables for all five canine personality subscales. There was no association between any subscale score and owner gender or education level, or dog sex or sexual status (desexed or not desexed). Significant, but generally weak associations were found for owner age and Extraversion (r = 0.17, P < 0.001), owner knowledge of their dog and Training Focus (r = 0.22, P < 0.001), time spent inside and Extraversion (r = 0.13, P = 0.007), dog age and Extraversion (r = 0.14, P = 0.004), Training Focus and Extraversion (r = 0.13, P = 0.007), dog height and Neuroticism (r = 0.20, P < 0.001) and dog height and Amicability (r = 0.2, P < 0.001), dog weight and Neuroticism (r = 0.17, P < 0.01) and dog weight and Amicability (r = 0.19, P < 0.01). There were also few differences in personality ratings across recognised purebred dog breed groups, although Working Dogs and Terriers scored significantly more highly on the Extraverted subscale than other groups (P < 0.001) and Working Dogs and Gundogs scored more highly on the Training Focus subscale (P < 0.001). These results are consistent with the view that the MCPQ-R assesses a construct, canine personality, which is relatively stable and comprised of five dimensions. 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Evaluating the 1996 EU food aid reform: Did it really lead to better targeting?

The paper analyses the 1996 EU food aid reform and addresses the question of its impact on improving EU food aid allocation in terms of reaching those countries which are most vulnerable to food insecurity. Using a two-stage regression model the analysis finds that EU food aid in kind is increasingly targeted towards developing countries affected by food insecurity. Most importantly, characteristics such as low calorie supply and balance-of-payments difficulties gained in importance in EU food aid allocation during the recent years. However, even though progress is noticeable, the results suggest a lack of coordination between the EU and other food aid donors which exacerbates food aid variability and may lower aid effectiveness.
The Mandatory Introduction of IFRS as a Single Accounting Standard in the European Union and the Effect on Earnings Management

textabstractExecutive summary In this study, it was investigated whether the mandatory adoption of IFRS from 1 January 2005 by all listed companies in the European Union led to significantly lower levels of earnings management. I found that, despite the stricter character of IFRS compared to national GAAP, accruals-based earnings management has strictly increased as a consequence of the adoption of IFRS. I further found that real earnings management has strictly increased, and that, despite the fact that both manifestations of earnings management strictly increased, due to the introduction of IFRS, they are increasingly used as substitutes of one another. This indicates that management looks for alternatives to manipulate earnings when accruals-based earnings management becomes more difficult, instead of lowering their earnings management activities. I was therefore unable to establish that IFRS has been successful in restricting earnings management
Dislocation engineering for a Si-based light emitter at 1 . 5 μm

A new concept for Si-based light emitting diodes (LED) capable of emitting at 1.5 μm is proposed. It utilizes D-band radiation from dislocations in Si. Whether a dislocation network created in a reproducible manner by Si wafer direct bonding or dislocation loops produced by Si ion implantation are employed. It is also stated that dislocation loops do not lead to the strong band-to-band electroluminescence at 1.1 μm of p-n diodes, as it was predicted in the literature. A MOS-LED and p-n LEDs emitting at 1.5 μm are demonstrated by the authors. Levels in the bandgap which are probably involved in the formation of the D1-line at 1.5 μm are revealed. Moreover, the observation of the Stark effect for the D1-line is reported. Namely, a red/blue-shift of peak position was observed in electroand photo-luminescence when the electric field in the p-n LED was increased/lowered. This effect may allow realization of a novel Si-based emitter and modulator combined in a single device.
INFLUENCE OF NITROGEN AND CUTTING MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON YIELD, ECONOMICS AND UPTAKE OF NUTRIENTS IN SWEET POTATO CULTIVARS

Field experiment was conducted during rabi seasons of 2000-01 and 2001-02. Maximum tuber yield of 16.53 t ha -1 was obtained with Sree Bhadra and the minimum of 2.66 t ha -1 with IB- 90-12-29. The tuber yield increased with increase in levels of nitrogen and decreased with increase in number of cuttings. No cut treatment recorded higher tuber yield (14.07 t ha -1 ) and the reduction in tuber yields were 17.77 % due to 1 st and 43.78 % due to second cut, respectively. On the contrary the total green herbage yield was maximum (21.24 t ha -1 ) in IB-90-12-29 and the minimum (18.14 t ha -1 ) in Sree Bhadra. It followed an increasing trend with increase in levels of nitrogen and number of cuttings being the highest in two cut treatment. The highest return per rupee invested of Rs.3. 68 was obtained from cultivar Sree Bhadra when applied with higher doses of nitrogen i.e. 100 kg ha -1 under no cut management system. The cultivar Sree Bhadra accounted for the maximum total nitrogen uptake (235.3 kg ha -1 ), total phosphorus uptake (19.5 kg ha -1 ) and total potassium uptake (281.6 kg ha -1 ) at harvest. Higher level of nitrogen accounted for the maximum uptake of nutrients than lower level. Similarly maximum uptake (both total nitrogen, total phosphorus and total potassium) was recorded in no cut treatment.
Climate, Comfort & Natural Ventilation: A new adaptive comfort standard for ASHRAE Standard 55

Recently proposed revisions to ASHRAE Standard 55, Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy, include a new adaptive comfort standard (ACS) that allows warmer indoor temperatures for naturally ventilated buildings during summer. The ACS is based on the analysis of 21,000 sets of raw data compiled from field studies in 160 buildings, both airconditioned and naturally ventilated, located on four continents in varied climatic zones. This paper summarizes this earlier research, presents some of its findings for naturally ventilated buildings, and discusses the process of getting the ACS incorporated into Std. 55. We suggest ways the ACS could be used for the design, operation, or evaluation of buildings, and for research applications. We also use GIS mapping technology to examine the energy-savings potential of the ACS on a regional scale. Finally, we discuss related new directions for researchers and practitioners involved in the design of buildings and their environmental control systems.
Fertilizer Demand Functions for Five Crops in the United States

Fertilizer consumption by the U.S. agricultural sector has increased dramatically for several decades. Nitrogen fertilizer use increased 632 percent between 1952 and 1976. Phosphate and potash fertilizer use increased 138 and 229 percent, respectively, in the same period (USDA 1978). However, the upward trend in fertilizer use was temporarily interrupted during the early and mid-1970s as the real fertilizer price began to increase after many years of decline. Higher levels of aggregate fertilizer consumption over the 1952–1976 period outweighed the decline in the real price of fertilizer as real dollar expenditures for fertilizer continued to rise. Our study includes an attempt to relate fertilizer use for different crops to relevant economic variables.
Small scale biomass incinerator with a bubbling fluidised Bed. II. Combustion of feathers and MBM

The paper presents the results from a study of the combustion of wastes of animal origin feathers and meat and bone meal in a 1.5 MW bubbling fluidised bed reactor. The process of thermal utilisation is stable and short term fluctuations on the composition of the wastes are not a problem, since the operational parameters of the combustor are constantly monitored and controlled. The process does not require conventional supporting fuel and the level of CO in the flue gases is comparable to that observed with some low quality coals, but NOx and SO2 emissions are present, because of relatively high content of combined N and S in animal wastes. With proper selection of the operational parameters, to take into account the character of the wastes to be treated, the use of fluidised bed reactors for the thermal utilisation of such wastes should be the preferred practical proposition.
Isotherm studies for determination of removal capacity of bi-metal (Ni and Cr) ions by Aspergillus niger.

Pakistan is among the developing countries where there is a need to establish new industries to meet the demands of a growing population. This has led to industrial setup in various sectors, without proper planning and consideration for treatment of contamination, leading to disposal of untreated wastewater into nearby land and water bodies. This study was planned to investigate an indigenous Aspergillus niger for development of biosorbent for the removal of metal ions. The Aspergillus isolate’s Ni and Cr removal efficiency was determined in batch mode over various pH (4.0-10.0) and temperature (25-40oC) as single as well as bimetal ions. Using a single metal ion, maximum biosorption potential was obtained at pH 5.0-6.0 and 30-35oC for both ions. On the other hand, Ni removal was reduced in the presence of Cr, while Ni removal influenced Cr removal with an increase showing maximum removal at an initial adsorbate concentration of 50mg/L, pH 6.0 and 35oC. Effect of presence of bimetal in a solution on biosorption potential of Aspergillus niger was predicted by using equilibrium modelling. Adsorption trends for both nickel (R 2 0.9916) and chromium (R 2 0.8548) followed Langmuir isotherm in single metal removal system, but under bimetal condition chromium adsorption fitted better to Freundlich model and that of nickel followed Temkin isotherm, suggesting considerable change in behaviour and interaction between biosorbent and metal ions. Therefore, we concluded that Aspergillus niger a viable strain for development of a biosorbent for removal of a mixture of metal ions.
Identifying spatial variations in glacial catchment erosion with detrital thermochronology

Understanding the spatial distribution of glacial catchment erosion during glaciation has previously proven difficult due to limited access to the glacier bed. Recent advances in detrital thermochronology provide a new technique to quantify the source elevation of sediment. This approach utilizes the tendency of thermochronometer cooling ages to increase with elevation and provides a sediment tracer for the elevation of erosion. We apply this technique to the Tiedeman Glacier in the heavily glaciated Mount Waddington region, British Columbia. A total of 106 detrital apatite (U‐Th)/He (AHe) and 100 apatite fission track (AFT) single‐grain ages was presented from the modern outwash of the Tiedemann Glacier with catchment elevations between 530 and 3960 m. These data are combined with nine AHe and nine AFT bedrock ages collected from a ~2400 m vertical transect to test the hypotheses that erosion is uniformly or nonuniformly distributed in the catchment. A Monte Carlo sampling model and Kuiper statistical test are used to quantify the elevation range where outwash sediment is sourced. Model results from the AHe data suggest nearly uniform erosion in the catchment, with a preference for sediment being sourced from ~2900 to 2700 m elevation. Ages indicated that the largest source of sediment is near the present‐day ELA. These results demonstrate the utility of AHe detrital thermochronology (and to a lesser degree AFT data) to quantify the distribution of erosion by individual geomorphic processes, as well as some of the limitations of the technique.
Numerical Study for Interaction Between Water Mist and Counterflow Diffusion Flame Over Tsuji Burner

The interaction between a water mist and a counterflow diffusion flame over a Tsuji burner is studied numerically. The governing system is comprised of two parts. The gas phase combustion model adopts the one developed by Chen and Weng (1990). For droplets, their motions are described by Newton's second law. The corresponding droplet heat and mass transfer are considered by using empirical correlations. The PSI-Cell model is used to manage the two-phase coupling. The evaporation of droplets through heat absorption from the flame can generate vapor in the flow field. The vapor dilutes both the oxidizer and fuel concentrations, and the heat absorption by phase change lowers the flame temperature. For 50 p.m droplets, the envelope flame is extinguished from the forward stagnation area and becomes a wake flame as the mist flow rate increases to 7%. The wake flame no longer exists when the mist flow rate is greater than 15%. The critical values for transition of the envelope flame to a wake flame and complete flame extinction for 80 μn droplets were 4·5% and 10% separately. Under the same mist flow rate, the smaller the droplet sizes, the stronger the flame. The effect of droplet size is studied by changing the droplet size and the corresponding mist flows with the number flow rate constant. The critical sizes for transition of the envelope flame to a wake flame and for complete flame extinction were 55 μm and 75 μm respectively. Future work is also discussed.