Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Thermoelectric transport properties of silicon: Toward an ab initio approach

We have combined the Boltzmann transport equation with an ab initio approach to compute the thermoelectric coefficients of semiconductors. Electron-phonon, ionized impurity, and electron-plasmon scattering mechanisms have been taken into account. The electronic band structure and average intervalley deformation potentials for the electron-phonon coupling were obtained from the density functional theory. The linearized Boltzmann equation has then been solved numerically beyond the relaxation-time approximation. Our approach has been applied to crystalline silicon. We present results for the mobility, Seebeck coefficient, and electronic contribution to thermal conductivity as functions of the carrier concentration and temperature. The calculated coefficients are in good quantitative agreement with experimental results.
Competition for Pollinators between Invasive and Native Plants: Effects of Spatial Scale of Investigation (Note)

Abstract: In this study we show that spatial scale of investigation affects the estimated strength of competition for pollinators between an invasive and a native plant species. The effect of the invasive herb Oxalis pes-caprae on pollinator visits to the native herb Diplotaxis erucoides was studied when the invader was (1) totally present, (2) present on a large scale (of hectares) but absent on a small scale (of square metres), and (3) totally absent. No difference in number of pollinator visits to D. erucoides was found between treatment 1 and 3, i.e., between total presence and total absence of the invader. However, when the invader was removed in the small scale while still remaining in the large scale, a higher number of visits to the native was recorded. Our study thus shows the importance of incorporating multiple spatial scales to allow for investigation of hierarchical effects on competition for pollinators, and it suggests that small-scale studies of effects of invasive plants on pollinator visitation might risk overstating negative effects of the invader. Nomenclature: Fauna Europaea, 2004; Tutin et al., 2001.
Hormonal correlates of parental and helping behavior in cooperatively breeding Harris' hawks (Parabuteo unicinctus)

We measured plasma levels of progesterone and prolactin in free-living adult breeders, adult-plumaged helpers, and juvenal-plumaged helpers of the cooperatively breed- ing Harris' Hawk, Parabuteo unicinctus, at different stages of the nesting cycle. Overall, pro- gesterone levels did not vary significantly with sex, nest stage, or behavioral role, but they increased significantly with handling time. Progesterone levels were highest (2-4 ng/ml) in breeding females just before egg laying. Prolactin levels did not vary with handling time but were significantly elevated in breeding females during the nest-building stage (14.1 ng/ ml) and in both breeding males (8.4 ng/ml) and females (25.5 ng/ml) during incubation. Both sexes of breeders incubate the eggs, but the females do the bulk of incubation and only they develop a brood patch. Prolactin levels in the breeders declined immediately after the eggs hatched, in contrast to the pattern seen in many other altricial species. Prolactin levels in the adult-plumaged male helpers rose significantly after the eggs hatched (9.1 ng/ml). At this time these birds bring more food items from group kills to the nestlings than any other group members. The elevated prolactin levels in the adult-plumaged helpers may facilitate the helping behavior that they exhibit toward the nestlings and fledglings. Received 8 August
Plasma levels of nesfatin-1 in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome

Introduction. Polycycstic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an important disorder in women of reproductive age which is characterised with menstrual dysfunction, anovulation and hyperandrogenism. 5-10% of the female population affected by this syndrome. Nesfatin-1 is a new anorexigenic hormone which is expressed from several regions of hypothalamus and peripheral tissues. Nesfatin1 is related with obesity, insulin resistance and appetite. We aimed to evaluated the nesfatin-1 levels in patients with PCOS. Material and methods: Sixty-five patients (37 patients with PCOS and 28 healthy control subjects) were enrolled in the study. We included newly diagnosed patients with PCOS in our study. Diagnosis of PCOS was based on the 2003 ESHRE/ASRM diagnostic criteria. Results: The patients with PCOS and controls were similar in terms of mean age body mass index (BMI), waist/hip (W/H) ratio and homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index. Plasma Nesfatin-1 levels were similar between groups. There was no correlation between plasma Nesfatin-1 levels and other parameters. Conclusion: In conclusion nesfatin-1 may be play important role in glucose metabolism and insulin resistance. In this study due to the absence of insulin resistance in PCOS patients, levels of Nesfatin -1 were similar with control group. Nesfatin levels were associated with glucose metabolism, but further studies are needed in this regard.
The origin of UV-optical variability in AGN and test of disc models: XMM-Newton and ground-based observations of NGC 4395

The origin of short timescale (weeks/months) variability of AGN, whether due to intrinsic disc variations or reprocessing of X-ray emission by a surrounding accretion disc, has been a puzzle for many years. However recently a number of observational programmes, particularly of NGC 5548 with Swift, have shown that the UV/optical variations lag behind the X-ray variations in a manner strongly supportive of X-ray reprocessing. Somewhat surprisingly, the implied size of the accretion disc is ? 3 times greater than expected from a standard, smooth, Shakura-Sunyaev thin disc model. Although the difference may be explained by a clumpy accretion disc, it is not clear whether the difference will occur in all AGN or whether it may change as, eg, a function of black hole mass, accretion rate, or disc temperature. Measurements of interband lags for most AGN require long timescale monitoring, which is hard to arrange. However for low mass (<106 M? ) AGN, the combination of XMM-Newton EPIC (X-rays) with the optical monitor in fast readout mode allows an X-ray/UV-optical lag to be measured within a single long observation. Here we summarise previous related observations and report on XMM-Newton observations of NGC 4395 (mass 100 times lower, accretion rate ? 20 times lower than for NGC 5548). We find that the UVW1 lags the X-rays by ? 470 s. Simultaneous observations at 6 different ground based observatories also allowed the g-band lag (? 800 s) to be measured. These observations are in agreement with X-ray reprocessing but initial analysis suggests that, for NGC 4395, they do not differ markedly from the predictions of the standard thin disc model
Determination of Optimum Weaning Time of Shirbot ( Barbus grypus Heckel , 1843) Larvae

The present study was conducted to determine the optimum weaning time of shirbot, Barbus grypus larvae with formulated diet. In this regard, shirbot larvae (8.98±0.06 mg) were fed with 8 experimental diet including A: (3 days rotifer+18 days formulated diet), B: (6 days rotifer+15 days formulated diet), C: (9 days rotifer+12 days formulated diet), D: (12 days rotifer+9 days formulated diet), E: (15 days rotifer+6 days formulated diet), F: (18 days rotifer+3 days formulated diet), G: (21 days rotifer), H: (21 days formulated diet). All experiments were carried as random pattern with three replicates. According to the obtained results, there were no significant differences between treatments, A and B and also F and G in terms of weight gain (WG) values (P>0.05). The values of specific growth rate (SGR) were not significant between treatments, A and C and Also E, F and G (P>0.05). Also, there were no significant differences between treatments, A and B; D and E; E and G; F and G in terms of length increment (LI) values (P>0.05). The treatment F showed more WG (33.51±0.17 mg), SGR (7.4±0.01 %) and LI (6.4±0.05 mm) compared to other experimental groups after 21 days experiment (P<0.05). the lowest values of WG (13.35±0.14 mg), SGR (4.33±0.03 %) and LI (2.56±0.27 mm) was found in treatment H after 21 days experiment. Also, the maximum SR was observed in treatment E (98.5±0.3 %). the fish of treatment H (87.5±2.36 %) showed the lowest survival rate (SR) compared to other experimental treatments. Results suggest that a 18 days use of live food is essential for larviculture of shirbot to obtain larvae with highly growth and survival.
Phenomenological approaches of inflation and their equivalence

In this work, we analyze two possible alternative and model-independent approaches to describe the inflationary period. The first one assumes a general equation of state during inflation due to Mukhanov, while the second one is based on the slow-roll hierarchy suggested by Hoffman and Turner. We find that, remarkably, the two approaches are equivalent from the observational viewpoint, as they single out the same areas in the parameter space, and agree with the inflationary attractors where successful inflation occurs. Rephrased in terms of the familiar picture of a slowly rolling, canonically normalized scalar field, the resulting inflaton excursions in these two approaches are almost identical. Furthermore, once the Galactic dust polarization data from Planck are included in the numerical fits, inflaton excursions can safely take sub-Planckian values.
Road roughness characteristics in car and truck wheel tracks

Road longitudinal profile data were collected on both car and truck wheel tracks for a number of road sections to study the differences in their surface roughness characteristics. Roughness was measured in terms of the heavy articulated truck index (HATI), a measure of pavement ride quality as perceived by heavy truck occupants. Roughness variation between the outer and inner wheel tracks was also investigated. The results showed that lane average values of HATI in truck wheel tracks were higher than in car wheel tracks for about 60% of the studied network. These differences are relatively small but are statistically significant. The results also revealed that subgrade soil type and shoulder seal width influenced roughness variations between the truck and car wheel tracks. Overall, HATI values determined from profile data collected on car wheel tracks resulted in ride perception ratings that matched those determined from measurement in truck tracks for 90% of the studied network.
The Effect of Proctodeal Gland Foam, and Depth and Frequency of Artificial Insemination on Fertility and Hatchability of Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica)

The effect of the depth of semen deposition in the female reproductive tract, the addition of proctodeal gland foam to the net semen, and insemination frequency on fertility and hatchability of Japanese quails was investigated. In 2 experiments semen was collected from 30-32 males using the method of male stimulation by female. A group of 30-32 females was used in the fertility trials. In the first experiment semen obtained from group 1 was collected in empty glass tubes, while from group 2 it was collected in tubes containing Lake's extender kept at 20 °C. Semen obtained from each group was deposited intravaginally or intrauterinely (4 groups of females were created, each comprising 8 specimens). In the second experiment, freshly collected semen was mixed with proctodeal gland foam and used for intravaginal insemination; semen from group 1 was inseminated 2× /week, while semen from group 2 was inseminated 3× /week. Keeping net (undiluted) semen or semen diluted with Lake's extender for 15 min at room temperature reduced the number of live normal spermatozoa in relation to freshly collected semen. Egg fertility was higher after intravaginal insemination in comparison to intrauterine insemination (49.3% vs. 23.0% when undiluted semen was used, and 49.8% vs. 32.4 for semen diluted with Lake's extender). Intravaginal insemination 3× /week with 20 µl of semen mixed 1:1 with proctodeal gland foam resulted in significantly higher (P < 0.01) egg fertility compared to insemination 2× /week (82.7% vs. 44.1%); the former was similar to that obtained in the naturally mated group (86.1%).
Constructional Volcanic Edifices on Mercury: Candidates and Hypotheses of Formation

Mercury, a planet with a predominantly volcanic crust, has perplexingly few, if any, constructional volcanic edifices, despite their common occurrence on other solar system bodies with volcanic histories. Using image and topographical data from the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft, we describe two small (<15‐km diameter) prominences with shallow summit depressions associated with volcanically flooded impact features. We offer both volcanic and impact‐related interpretations for their formation, and then compare these landforms with volcanic features on Earth and the Moon. Though we cannot definitively conclude that these landforms are volcanic, the paucity of constructional volcanic edifices on Mercury is intriguing in itself. We suggest that this lack is because volcanic eruptions with sufficiently low eruption volumes, rates, and flow lengths, suitable for edifice construction, were highly spatiotemporally restricted during Mercury's geological history. We suggest that volcanic edifices may preferentially occur in association with late‐stage, postimpact effusive volcanic deposits. The European Space Agency/Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency BepiColombo mission to Mercury will be able to investigate further our candidate volcanic edifices; search for other, as‐yet unrecognized edifices beneath the detection limits of MESSENGER data; and test our hypothesis that edifice construction is favored by late‐stage, low‐volume effusive eruptions.
Long-Term Constitutive Androstane Receptor Activation By 2,4,6-Triphenyldioxane-1,3 Improves Glucose Metabolism in High-Fat Diet Rats

Copyright: © 2012 Kachaylo EM, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Long-Term Constitutive Androstane Receptor Activation By 2,4,6-Triphenyldioxane-1,3 Improves Glucose Metabolism in High-Fat Diet Rats
Potential immunohaematological effects of persistent organic pollutants on chinstrap penguin

Abstract It has been demonstrated that persistent organic pollutants (POPs) can affect the immune system of mammals and birds. In this study, the concentration of different POPs and leukocytes in blood samples from three chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica) populations was analysed in order to assess the impact on haematological parameters. Using blood sample smears, basophils, eosinophils, heterophils, lymphocytes and monocytes were quantified. Mature and immature red blood cells were counted and cell alterations in both white and red blood cells were analysed. At the same time, whole blood was analysed for POPs. The results showed that contaminants, such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites (ΣDDT), as well as polychlorinated biphenyls (ΣPCB), had significant correlations to eosinophils, lymphocytes and heterophils. This indicates possible immunohaematological alterations derived from exposure to such contaminants. Cytological alterations were also observed, such as cytotoxic granules, toxic heterophils, and atypical and granulated lymphocytes, which would demonstrate that these seabirds are being exposed to stress agents that could be producing some alterations at a leukocytary cellular level.
Are Risk Index Models Useful for Firm Failure Prediction

Firm failure modeling again becomes relevant particularly since GFC (2007-2008) has led to a global recession (2008-2012) and increased number of failed firms in many countries. Good indicator of highly increased risk of Croatian firms’ failure during the recent recession is ratio of corporate nonperforming and total loans. According to the Croatian National Bank (2014), this ratio in Croatia has risen from 8% (2008) up to 28% (2014), i.e. it has increased 3.5 times due to prolonged recession. Increased ratios of corporate non-performing loans are also observable in other post-socialist SEE economies like Slovenia (25% in 2012), Serbia (20% in 2012) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (15.3% in 2012).
Deep Embedded Clustering with Data Augmentation

Deep Embedded Clustering (DEC) surpasses traditional clustering algorithms by jointly performing feature learning and cluster assignment. Although a lot of variants have emerged, they all ignore a crucial ingredient, data augmentation, which has been widely employed in supervised deep learning models to improve the generalization. To fill this gap, in this paper, we propose the framework of Deep Embedded Clustering with Data Augmentation (DEC-DA). Specifically, we first train an autoencoder with the augmented data to construct the initial feature space. Then we constrain the embedded features with a clustering loss to further learn clustering-oriented features. The clustering loss is composed of the target (pseudo label) and the actual output of the feature learning model, where the target is computed by using clean (non-augmented) data, and the output by augmented data. This is analogous to supervised training with data augmentation and expected to facilitate unsupervised clustering too. Finally, we instantiate five DEC-DA based algorithms. Extensive experiments validate that incorporating data augmentation can improve the clustering performance by a large margin. Our DEC-DA algorithms become the new state of the art on various datasets.
Particulate Matter Sampling Techniques and Data Modelling Methods

Particulate matter with 10 μm or less in diameter (PM 10 ) is known to have adverse effects on human health and the environment. For countries committed to reducing PM 10 emissions, it is essential to have models that accurately estimate and predict PM 10 concentrations for reporting and monitoring purposes. In this chapter, a broad overview of recent empirical statistical and machine learning techniques for modelling PM 10 is presented. This includes the instrumentation used to measure particulate matter, data preprocessing, the selection of explanatory variables and modelling methods. Key features of some PM 10 prediction models developed in the last 10 years are described, and current work modelling and predicting PM 10 trends in New Zealand—a remote country of islands in the South Pacific Ocean—are examined. In conclusion, the issues and challenges faced when modelling PM 10 are discussed and suggestions for future avenues of investigation, which could improve the precision of PM 10 prediction and estimation models are presented.
How Companies Learn to Collaborate: Emergence of Improved Inter-Organizational Processes in R&D Alliances

Previous research has maintained that the capacity to manage alliances is a distinct capability, defined as the ability to identify, negotiate, manage, monitor and terminate collaborations. This paper focuses on an important but hitherto neglected aspect of alliance capability by investigating how partnering firms may learn how to better manage their dyadic R&D collaborations. In particular, we seek to test the Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) model of dynamic knowledge creation by establishing a link between the facilitation of four knowledge conversion processes – socialization, externalization, combination and internalization – and an improved capability to manage inter-organizational R&D processes. We specify and extend the model by identifying and testing several critical interactions between these knowledge conversion processes. Relying on data from 105 R&D partnerships in the global telecommunications industry, we suggest that the failure to support one of these knowledge conversion processes has the potential to hamper the proper functioning of the other knowledge conversion processes and thus the emergence of capability to manage dyadic R&D collaborations.
Microbiological and clinical assessment of Candida carriage in different clinical samples from HIV-infected and non infected patients

The aim of this study was to evaluate Candida carriage in different clinical samples from HIV-infected and non infected patients. A total of 574 individuals comprised of 180 HIV-infected patients and 394 HIV seronegative individuals with symptoms of candidiasis were included in this study. The samples were collected from the oral lesions, blood, vaginal fluid, urine, nail scrapings, male genital and cerebrospinal fluid of patients. Clinical samples were aseptically inoculated onto Sabouraud’s dextrose agar (SDA) for pure culture. Yeast recovered were speciated by standard techniques. Prevalence of OC was 83.3% in HIV-infected patients, while 68.3% in HIV seronegative individuals. Candida albicans was the dominant species in both groups, while non-albicans Candida (NAC) isolates were 39.9% and 39.4% in HIV-infected patients and HIV seronegative individuals respectively. C. albicans was dominant among oral cavity samples of both HIV-infected (65.8%) and HIV negative (67.8%) patients. In contrast, among bloodstream samples NAC species responded for almost 54.8% to 77.4% of both HIV-infected and HIV negative group respectively. The increased in prevalence of non-albicans Candida species in HIV seronegative patients could be due to previous use of antibiotic and azole. Although C. albicans was frequently isolated species but non-albicans Candida species are not uncommon in India and there incidence is rising in patients with suppressed immune status. Therefore systematic oral examination for HIV-infected patients should be recommended together with the analysis of their immune status for better management of opportunistic infections in these patients.
Social Media Influencer and Cyberbullying: A Lesson Learned from Preliminary Findings

Social media influencers generate large followers that include the enthusiastic engaged people who value their views, as well as haters. While enjoying the opportunities to become the endorser of certain brands as a result of being famous, they are also bound by cyberbullying issues. Cyberbullying is not new, it has happened even before the social networking era. Nonetheless, the focus of cyberbullying related studies is usually school children or young adults. This study fills the gap by exploring the categories of cyberbullying faced by the social media influencers and the best practices to deal with the problem. We collected the data by using content analysis and interview techniques. The findings show that social media influencers face (i) harassment, (ii) flaming, (iii) outing, (iv) masquerading, (v) dissing, (vi) trolling and (vii) catfishing as part of the cyberbullying by their haters. We also found that the influencers’ best practices to handle the situation differs based on the form of cyberbullying. The findings contribute to the existing literature on cyberbullying studies, particularly the lesson learned from the cyberbullying towards social media influencers.