Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reflection seismology over azimuthally anisotropic media

Recent surveys have shown that azimuthal anisotropy (due most plausibly to aligned fractures) has an important effect on seismic shear waves. Previous work had discussed these effects on VSP data; the same effects are seen in surface recording of reflections at small to moderate angles of incidence. The anisotropic effects one different polarization components of vertically traveling shear waves permit the recognition and estimation of very small degrees of azimuthal anisotropy (of order 2 1 percent), as in an interferometer. Anisotropic effects on traveltime yield estimates of anisotropy which are averages over large depth intervals. Often, raw field data must be corrected for these effects before the reflectors may be imaged; two variations of a rotational algorithm to determine the “principal time series” are derived. Anisotropic effects on moveout lead to abnormal moveout unless the survey line is parallel to the fractures. Anisotropic effects on reflection amplitude permit the recognition and estimation of anisotropy (hence fracture intensity) differences at the reflecting horizon, i.e., with high vertical resolution,
Scale of Attitudes Towards ICT (SATICT): Factor Structure and Factorial Invariance in Distance University Students

Attitudes towards Information and Communication Technology (ICT) are preconceived beliefs about influence of the ICT tools in the process of learning. Studies carried out in this area shows that attitudes may influence cognitive and learning processes and also motivation of students. Despite its importance, very few instruments have been proposed to measure student attitudes, and none analyzes the factor structure or the factorial invariance of the scores, for that reason, the aim of the present study is to analyze the factor structure of SATICT, a new instrument proposed to measure the attitudes towards ICT on distance university students. A second aim is to test the factorial invariance across gender and educational level in a sample of 1080 university students of Madrid Open University using multi-group CFA. The results provide high support of the proposed factor structure with significant loadings and adequate model fit, however, the results also showed that factor structure couldn't be considered invariant across groups.
Transformation Research and the Longue Durée of 1989: Combining Qualitative and Quantitative Data

In recent years, historians have increasingly looked at social science data in their search for sources to study the transformation period. Researchers hope that a secondary analysis of this data will expand the existing sources. This expansion promises new perspectives, while simultaneously bringing new methodological challenges to the discipline. This article deals with both: 1. It uses a history of knowledge approach to evaluate the topics and tools of transformation research. It also argues that social scientists were not only producers of knowledge but historical actors in the restructuring of the institutions of social sciences in East Germany after 1989/90. 2. With the German Socio-Economic Panel and especially the Saxonian Longitudinal Study as an example, the article refers to the content of the studies itself – in this case, the East German school as a site of life-worlds in upheaval. It concludes that the encounter of social scientists and historians is very fruitful for historians interested in the interaction of system change and everyday life. That is, the secondary analysis of qualitative and quantitative social science data compliments ‘classical’ sources of historical research by providing insights into memories and experiences at different times in the historical process.
Is the GCC Islamic Banks' Financial Performance Affected by the 2007 / 2008 Financial Crisis ?

The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of the 2007/2008 financial crisis into financial performance of Islamic banks in the GCC and determine factors that significantly influence financial performance of the Islamic banks during 2005-2010. Data of 23 Islamic banks that completely reported their financial statements during 2005-2010 was extracted from Bankscope database. The relationship between dependent and independent variables was tested using panel data regression analysis. The study found that the financial crisis significantly affected financial performance of Islamic banks in the GCC. The impacts of the crisis were even worse in the two years after the crisis. The study also found equity, short term funding, overhead expenses and GDP per capita as the factors which significantly influenced financial performance of Islamic banks in the GCC during 2005-2010. The study is expected to benefit stakeholders of Islamic banks in the GCC in order to understand the factors that influence Islamic banking financial performance and minimize the impacts of any future financial crises.
Insecurities about crime in Germany, Austria and Switzerland: A review of research findings

This paper reviews the research literature on insecurities about crime in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Making criminological studies written in German accessible to the wider European community, we first document how insecurities about crime have been conceptualized and measured in these three countries, and second review the various theoretical positions that have been empirically assessed.We highlight commonalities and differences in the German- and English-language literatures on the topic, making the review relevant to criminologists from all European countries. Our overall goal is to help stimulate a comparative research agenda on insecurities about crime across the European continent.
Photocatalytic Activity of Nanostructured Titanium Dioxide Thin Films

The aim of this paper is to investigate the properties and photocatalytic activity of nanostructured TiO2 layers. The glancing angle deposition method with DC sputtering at low temperature was applied for deposition of the layers with various columnar structures. The thin-film structure and surface morphology were analyzed by XRD, SEM, and AFM analyses. The photocatalytic activity of the films was determined by the rate constant of the decomposition of the Acid Orange 7. In dependence on the glancing angle deposition parameters, three types of columnar structures were obtained. The films feature anatase/rutile and/or amorphous structures depending on the film architecture and deposition method. All the films give the evidence of the photocatalytic activity, even those without proved anatase or rutile structure presence. The impact of columnar boundary in perspective of the photocatalytic activity of nanostructured TiO2 layers was discussed as the possible factor supporting the photocatalytic activity.
PERENCANAAN PENILAIAN OTENTIK KURIKULUM 2013: JENIS JENIS PENILAIAN OTENTIK

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menggambarkan bagaimana perencanaan penilaian otentik berbasis kurikulum 2013 khususnya dalam penentuan jenis-jenis penilaian yang dilakukan di lembaga pendidikan TK-KB LS. Penelitian ini dilakukan menggunakan metode studi kasus. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian ditemukan bahwa perencanaan penilaian otentik membutuhkan pengetahuan konsep terlebih dahulu dan proses perancangan jenis-jenis penilaian yang baik. Hasil tersebut dapat membangun kembali pemahaman mengenai urgensi penilaian otentik di lembaga pendidikan anak usia dini.
Rigorous Basis of the Frenkel-Band Theory of Association Equilibrium

By means of the general theory of the classical grand ensemble, the complete formal relations for pressure and number of molecules in an open system, as a function of activity, are derived without approximation within the scheme of the Frenkel‐Band equilibrium cluster theory of association. The physical clusters, defined geometrically by overlap of spheres drawn about each molecule, are not regarded as statistically independent, but their mutual exclusion property gives rise to free energies of formation work for cavities necessary to contain those clusters. A connection is established between these free energies and a suitable generalization of the Mayer irreducible cluster sum. The appropriate modification of the theory to include external forces (such as the gravitational field) is displayed. A rigorous expansion of molecular distribution functions in terms of physical (rather than Ursell‐Mayer) cluster integrals is also presented.
BEHAVIORAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL STRESS RESPONSES OF Java barb (Barbonymus gonionotus) TO ENVIRONMENTAL SALINITY CHALLENGE

Salinity impose stress on the physiology of the ex-posed freshwater fish population can modify their structure. In this study some indicators of behavioral and physiological stress responses were examined dur-ing exposure of Java barb (Barbonymus gonionotus) to different saline concentrations. Based on the result of median lethal salinity level (LC50) (12.9ppt), one sub-lethal (12ppt) and two lethal salinity levels (14ppt and 16ppt) were selected to study the acute stress respons-es of fish for a period of 72h. A number of physiologi-cal responses, such as disturbance in body fluid, alter-ations of blood biochemical and hematological param-eters and behavioral responses were detected with in-creasing ambient salinity. Fish exposed to different sub-lethal and lethal salinities exhibited clinical signs agitated behavior, respiratory distress, abnormal nerv-ous behavior and death were recorded. From the pre-sent investigation, it was observed that higher salinity may affect the physiological and behavioral stress re-sponses in freshwater fish.
Factors Associated with Body Weight Attainment in Calves on Smallholder Dairy Farms in Tanzania

In order to investigate associations between individual calf parameters and/or herd management practices and dairy calf body weight (BW) attainment in smallholder farms in Tanzania, a prospective study was carried out at 121 farms in Mvomero and Njombe districts and included 156 crossbred dairy calves. Information on management factors and sources of calf drinking water were collected by personal observation and interview during four visits. At each visit, BW assessments were conducted by the same veterinarian and blood samples collected. The blood samples were analyzed for hematological parameters, total blood protein, glucose, and serum phosphorus and urea. Low BW was associated with smaller amount of milk fed to calves, early weaning, birth during the wet season, and well/tap water as the main water source (P < 0.05). Low blood total protein, high urea, low phosphorus and low hemoglobin concentrations were also associated with retarded growth. These findings identified and quantified some critical factors that can guide farmers in improving calf performance on smallholder dairy farms in Tanzania. To improve calf BW, the protein and mineral fraction of the roughage should be increased and water supply should be improved. In conclusion, appropriate changes in milk feeding routines and breeding management would also be expected to improve productivity.
Role of Transformational Leadership in Creating a Healthy Work Environment in Business Setting

The main objective of the existing study was to extend the work environmental research to the domain of transformational leadership style from a sweeping review of relevant literature. In this line, creating a healthy work environment is crucial to make optimal contribution of satisfied employees, positive outcomes for individuals and organizations, improve lifestyle and employees wellbeing and create a great place to work. According to the path goal theory leader's style or behavior should be compatible with the work environment, to the successfully goals achievement. Although the literature on the healthy work environment is growing, the existence of research, particularly in relation to the appropriate leadership style has not been established. In doing this and to clarify the role of the prominent leadership style, we aim to demonstrate the important role of transformational leadership in creating the healthy work environment and its influences on quality of employees work conditions in business setting. Implementation of transformational leadership can affect not only the employees but also the organizations, business and society as a whole. The result of this literature review sheds light on the psychological processes by which showed whether and how transformational leadership is related to the healthy work places, from the perspective of the interaction between leaders and employees work environment. Since few guidelines are available for creating and sustaining the critical elements of a healthy work environment by leaders, we contribute to the literature by elaborating on the implications of our research findings for the development of leadership and its attributes in shaping the healthy work environment. Keywords: Healthy Work Environment, Transformational Leadership, Business setting
On the use of genomics to assess environmental risks of pharmaceuticals

Many drugs are found in the aquatic environment and are therefore a cause for concern. Low concentrations of active ingredients from human pharmaceuticals reach the environment via sewage treatment plants, mainly as a result of excretion. However, other routes, such as incorrect disposal and direct releases from manufacture, could also be of importance. The effects of residual drugs in the environment are not well understood. This thesis addresses the issue by using different genomic techniques. The evolutionary conservation of 1,318 human drug targets were predicted in 16 species from different taxonomic groups. We show that the majority of the drug targets are conserved in aquatic vertebrates, while invertebrates and plants lack orthologs to many of the targets. The presented predictions can serve as a basis for identifying potentially sensitive (and insensitive) species that are used for the environmental risk assessment of pharmaceuticals. The effects on fish of exposure to a single pharmaceutical (ethinylestradiol) as well as a complex industrial effluent that contains high levels of many drugs were explored using microarray analysis. We identified two sensitive and potentially robust biomarkers of estrogen exposure by performing a meta-analysis that combined our results with data from the literature. The identified biomarkers were also used to evaluate the ability of different sewage treatment technologies to remove estrogenic substances. Several treatment technologies reduced the levels of estrogenic substances, but ozonation was required to remove all measured biological effects. The fish that were exposed to a high dilution of the industrial effluent showed increased hepatic Cyp1a enzyme activity and altered expression of several genes that are involved in the detoxification of chemicals and drugs. Although the gene expression pattern did not clearly point to any specific group of substances, it could serve as a basis for hypothesizing mechanisms of toxicity and possible causative agents in the effluent. More research is needed to understand the risks of residual drugs in the environment, and the presented results show that genomic approaches are useful for this purpose.
Changes in cloud cover associated with Forbush decreases of galactic cosmic rays

The results of a study to quantify the relationship between cloud cover and short-term Forbush decreases (FD) of galactic cosmic ray flux are presented. Using an extensive record of global satellite-derived cloud products from the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) D1 data series, epoch superposition analysis of a sample of FD events is conducted. This analysis is conducted at a range of spatial scales from global, through 5° geomagnetic latitude bands to a global grid with 2.5° resolution. Resulting cloud anomalies are tested for significance using a randomized Monte Carlo experiment. The results indicate a small but significant (at 0.001 probability level) decline in the global proportion of cloud cover (of up to 1.4%) immediately prior to and following FD events. Analysis of data averaged over geomagnetic latitude (φ) bands reveals that significant cloud anomalies are concentrated in the high latitudes. A substantial (small) decline in cloud cover occurs at Southern (Northern) Hemisphere polar latitudes and is accompanied by a small but significant increase near φ = 30°N. The high-latitude anomalies occur largely in the high-level cloud and are particularly pronounced (up to −30%) in the uppermost cloud (occurring at 10–180 mbar) over Antarctica. In contrast, analysis using a sample of FD events associated with solar proton events shows no statistically significant cloud anomalies. A discussion of possible explanations of the results is provided.
New Delay-Dependent Stability Conditions for Time-Varying Delay Systems

This paper addresses the delay-dependent stability for systems with time-varying delay. First, by taking multi-integral terms into consideration, new Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional is defined. Second, in order to reduce the computational complexity of the main results, reciprocally convex approach and some special transformations are introduced, and new delay-dependent stability criteria are proposed, which are less conservative and have less decision variables than some previous results. Finally, two well-known examples are given to illustrate the correctness and advantage of our theoretical results.
Integration of yam in cover crop-based cropping system : constraints and potential [Preprint]

Yam is a demanding crop in terms of organic matter and soil fertility, especially the most appreciated and market-valued cultivars (early maturing Dioscorea rotundata) used to prepare the popular dish futu (pounded yam). Traditionally cultivated in slash and burn cropping systems after a long fallow period in West Africa, yam cultivation is now confronted with a scarcity of fertile soil available for clearing. Hence there is an urgent need to develop improved cropping systems for yam that allow sustainable cultivation and reduce land pressure on the remaining forest area. Conservation agriculture using direct seeding mulch-based cropping systems is a promising way to develop sustainable agriculture in the tropics. Nevertheless such techniques have been generally grain-oriented (cereals, legumes) and very little has been done on root and tuber crop based systems. This paper presents the results of experiments carried out in the Republic of Benin over 2 years in order to assess the capability and the potential of a direct planting yam cropping system in Pueraria mulch under the conditions of smallholder farms. Three yam types - D. rotundata (1) early and (2) late maturing, and (3) D. alata - were cultivated in three cropping systems: (i) after long duration natural fallow on mounds, as a traditional control; (ii) direct planting in live and (iii) dead Pueraria mulch. Planting in mulch had a positive impact on yield for all yam cultivars, the best results having been achieved with live mulch. (Resume d'auteur)
Bat richness (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in an area of montane Atlantic Forest in the Serra da Mantiqueira, state of Minas Gerais, southeast Brazil

In recent years there has been an increase in research interest in remnants of Atlantic Forest above 500 m a.s. l. , such as in the Serra da Mantiqueira, which is considered a priority area for conservation. The chiropterofauna of the Serra da Mantiqueira remains relatively under-studied, and here we present a list of bat species from the “Reserva Particular do Patrimonio Natural (RPPN) Cachoeira do Tombo”, a private conservation unit located in an area of montane Atlantic Forest in the Serra da Mantiqueira. Bats were captured with mist nets along trails and near a diurnal roost. A total of 498 individuals of 19 bat species belonging to the families Phyllostomidae, Vespertilionidae and Molossidae were captured. Phyllostomidae were captured only along the trails, Molossidae were captured only in the diurnal roost and Vespertilionidae were captured in both. The species accumulation curves did not show stabilizing trends. However, 80% of the expected richness was sampled and the species richness of bats found is similar to other studies previously carried out in the region. In contrast to other inventories carried out in the Atlantic Forest, Desmodus rotundus was the species most frequently captured along the trails. A large number of individuals of Molossus aztecus sheltering in man-made structures were caught, constituting an unusual event. Additionally, here we report cohabitation of this species with Molossus molossus for the first time. Our results show that this area, which appears on the map of environmental conflicts for the state of Minas Gerais, has a rich chiropterofauna and also further corroborate the importance of using mist-nets at roosts to increase the probability of capturing the richness and abundance of insectivorous bats present in the area.
Estimating the monthly pCO2 distribution in the North Atlantic using a self-organizing neural network

Abstract. Here we present monthly, basin-wide maps of the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) for the North Atlantic on a 1° latitude by 1° longitude grid for years 2004 through 2006 inclusive. The maps have been computed using a neural network technique which reconstructs the non-linear relationships between three biogeochemical parameters and marine pCO2. A self organizing map (SOM) neural network has been trained using 389 000 triplets of the SeaWiFS-MODIS chlorophyll-a concentration, the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis sea surface temperature, and the FOAM mixed layer depth. The trained SOM was labelled with 137 000 underway pCO2 measurements collected in situ during 2004, 2005 and 2006 in the North Atlantic, spanning the range of 208 to 437 μatm. The root mean square error (RMSE) of the neural network fit to the data is 11.6 μatm, which equals to just above 3 per cent of an average pCO2 value in the in situ dataset. The seasonal pCO2 cycle as well as estimates of the interannual variability in the major biogeochemical provinces are presented and discussed. High resolution combined with basin-wide coverage makes the maps a useful tool for several applications such as the monitoring of basin-wide air-sea CO2 fluxes or improvement of seasonal and interannual marine CO2 cycles in future model predictions. The method itself is a valuable alternative to traditional statistical modelling techniques used in geosciences.