Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Understanding the aqueous phase ozonolysis of isoprene: distinct product distribution and mechanism from the gas phase reaction

Abstract. The aqueous phase reaction of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) has not been considered in most analyses of atmospheric chemical processes. However, some experimental evidence has shown that, compared to the corresponding gas phase reaction, the aqueous chemical processes of VOCs in the bulk solutions and surfaces of ambient wet particles (cloud, fog, and wet aerosols) may potentially contribute to the products and formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA). In the present study, we performed a laboratory experiment of the aqueous ozonolysis of isoprene at different pHs (3–7) and temperatures (4–25 °C). We detected three important kinds of products, including carbonyl compounds, peroxide compounds, and organic acids. Our results showed that the molar yields of these products were nearly independent of the investigated pHs and temperatures, those were (1) carbonyls: 56.7 ± 3.7 % formaldehyde, 42.8 ± 2.5 % methacrolein (MAC), and 57.7 ± 3.4 % methyl vinyl ketone (MVK); (2) peroxides: 53.4 ± 4.1 % hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) and 15.1 ± 3.1 % hydroxylmethyl hydroperoxide (HMHP); and (3) organic acids: undetectable ( 2 O 2 + HMHP in the aqueous isoprene ozonolysis were much higher than those observed in the corresponding gas phase reaction. We suggest that these unexpected high yields of carbonyls and peroxides are related to the greater capability of condensed water, compared to water vapor, to stabilize energy-rich Criegee radicals. This aqueous ozonolysis of isoprene (and possibly other biogenic VOCs) could potentially occur on the surfaces of ambient wet particles and plants. Moreover, the high-yield carbonyl and peroxide products might provide a considerable source of aqueous phase oxidants and SOA precursors.
BIOACOUSTICS OF SOUTHERN ELEPHANT SEALS. I. ACOUSTIC STRUCTURE OF MALE AGGRESSIVE VOCALISATIONS

ABSTRACT Southern elephant seal Mirounga leonina males have a complex and stereotyped system of access to breeding females. The single most important component of male behaviour is vocal signalling, which is used to settle agonistic encounters in most cases. Most aspects of the breeding biology of the species have been studied in depth, but detailed information about the structure of vocalisations is not readily available. Here, we present data about the acoustic structure of aggressive male vocalisations collected in the Falkland Islands and we compare these data to published data on the northern elephant seals. Our main goal is to describe the structure of sounds as a preliminary and indispensable step towards analysis of their functional significance. Male vocalisations are low-pitched sounds, made up of pulse trains, with little frequency modulation. Low frequency and high sound pressure level are typical of male vocalisations in Pinnipedia, but they were particularly evident in southern elephant seals, probably due to the unusually large body size. The comparison with published data on northern elephant seals was not very easy, due to differences in acoustic terminology and methodology, but it revealed many similarities between the species. We also carried out a detailed analysis of variability of different acoustic variables. We discovered that frequency and intensity measures have lower variability than temporal ones and should hence be the most effective way to convey information about the individual who emits the vocalisation.
Demographics factors and awareness on Shariah-based Private Retirement Scheme among higher learning institution students in Malaysia

This study is conducted to identify the demographic factors that influencing the awareness of Shariah-based Private Retirement Scheme (PRS) among undergraduate and postgraduate business students in higher learning institution in Malaysia. The purpose of this study is to identify the significant differences between determinant factors namely gender, age, religion, student’s level of education and background of education on the awareness of Shariah-based PRS. A total number 380 respondents among public university students are selected as respondents of a survey which are randomly distributed. The data is analysed using T-test and One-way ANOVA. The finding shows that demographic factors consist of gender, age, religion, education level, and background of study are significantly different towards awareness of Shariah-based PRS. This study will create more awareness not only for fresh graduates but also employees to start having a retirement plan if they do not have any yet.
Gheorghe Asachi ” Technical University of Iasi , Romania MULTIDISCIPLINARY AND INNOVATIVE METHODOLOGIES FOR SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT IN AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS

Sustainability issues have driven academic researchers towards the definition of methodological tools to assess the impacts derived from products and services and to make them more ecologically friendly, economically profitable and socially suitable, and whose results have to be clear and understandable to a broad public. In the evaluation of complex socio-environmental systems, like agricultural ones, uncertainty often arises and the quality of decision processes can be a high concern. This paper presents the conceptual and methodological framework of an Italian research project entitled “MIMeSMAS”, i.e. Multidisciplinary and Innovative Methodologies for Sustainable Management in Agricultural Systems. Through a multidisciplinary, multi-methodological, systemic and participatory approach, the project attempts to define an integrated approach for the assessment of environmental, economic and social sustainability of innovative agricultural practices in Mediterranean areas. The project activities are carried out by four Italian research institutions in order to bring together agronomic, hydraulic and mechanical expertise and to conduct a combined implementation of Life Cycle methodologies (LCA, LCC and s-LCA) and multi-criteria analysis tools. The approach is applied to assess and rank alternative cropping systems scenarios; results are expected to help optimising the management of soil, water and energy macro-systems of perennial crops (olive), horticultural crops (artichoke) and dedicated energy crops (giant reed). In this paper the theoretical concept of the project, the preliminary results of project’s activities linked to the identification of experimental trials scenarios and to the definition of specific indicators are presented.
Valorization of Mediterranean sediments in a treatment plant Study of the geotechnical characterization and permeability

The marine sediments find their re-employment with or without treatment in the construction of harbour and road works. These applications impose a complete methodology for the hydraulic and mechanical characterization of sediments. This methodology is proposed for project SEDIMARD 83 and is applied to marine sediments of the Mediterranean coast. After having defined the basic properties of these sediments, column decantation and oedometric tests were carried out on 6 different sediments. The relations between permeability and void index are then deduced. These tests of decantation correspond to a self-weight settlement of the sediment. In order to simulate the consolidation of these same sediments under loading, some oedometric tests were carried out in parallel. First, the physical and chemical properties of these sediments are given and it is shown that certain among them for the same area (the Mediterranean), remain nearly constant. So, dehydration and sieving treatments (raw sediment/desanded sediment/dehydrated sediment) modify them. The analysis led to obtaining the usual settlement parameters of consolidation but also to defining a relation between permeability and void index. Continuity has been well observed between the results issued from these two tests.
Carbon Stock in Teak Stands of Selected Forest Reserves in Southwestern Nigeria

The ability to accurately and precisely measure the carbon stored and sequestered in forests is increasingly gaining global attention in recognition of the role forests have in the global carbon cycle, particularly with respect to mitigating carbondioxide emissions. Carbon stock was therefore estimated in Gambari, Osho and Shasha forest reserves in Southwestern Nigeria using forest inventory-based approach. Five 20 x 20 m sample plots each were laid in the Tectona grandis stands in the study locations making a total of fifteen plots. All the trees within a plot were measured for diameter at breast height (dbh), total height and merchantable height. The tree that had its dbh closest to the mean dbh was selected for destructive sampling to estimate its biomass. Four regression equations were developed out of which the one that had the best technical performance was selected to estimate biomass for all the trees measured. The mean plot biomass in each location was calculated and used to obtain biomass per hectare. Half of this value gave carbon per hectare value for each location. Carbon stocks per hectare were 14.84t, 29.36 t and 24.36 t in Gambari, Osho and Shasha respectively. Assuming the total areas of the reserves were covered by trees, it would mean large amount of Carbon would be stored and this would have great implications on carbon that would be sequestered from the environment. This would in turn mitigate the effect of CO 2 being released from other sources especially expansion of agricultural lands and fossil fuel burning.
Phenylpropanoid and Phenylethanoid Glycosides from Scrophularia Xanthoglossa and Their Antioxidative and Antiinflammatory Activities

Repeated column chromatography of the butanol extract of Scrophularia xanthoglossa yielded three phenylpropanoid glycosides identified as scropheanoside-I, scropheanoside-II, scropheanosideIII together with two phenylethanoid glycosides identified as, acetoside, and martynoside. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis, chemical evidence ®as well as comparison with literature values. The biological activity was also studied where acetoside and martynoside showed significant antioxidative activity, while scropheanoside-III showed significant antiinflammatory activity.
A palaeocoastline reconstruction for the Käsmu and Pärispea peninsulas (northern Estonia) over the last 4000 years

The marine-freshwater environmental transition, i.e. basin isolation from the Limnea Sea, has been identified in two short sediment cores with respect to their diatom composition, loss-on-ignition and magnetic susceptibility content. The isolation level of the basins was dated by accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon measurements. The basins are situated on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland between altitudes 5.5 and 3.9 m above sea level. The Lohja basin became isolated from the sea around 2300 cal yr BP and Käsmu basin around 1800 cal yr BP as a result of glacio-isostatic uplift. The total land upheaval rate that has been 2.6 mm yr 1 since 2500 cal yr BP has currently decreased to 2.0 mm yr . We present a GIS-based 3D palaeogeographic reconstruction of the palaeocoastline changes in northern Estonia for two peninsulas, Pärispea and Käsmu, as well as compose a shoreline displacement curve for the study area, which is a compilation of previous and ongoing investigations.
Safe or unsafe driving maneuvers in road traffic

This article represents an area closely connected to the analysis of road accidents. When the act of accident is being considered by an expert, it often happens that one participant of the accident causes that the other participant has to change suddenly the speed or direction of his/her drive to prevent possible collision. For a proper consideration of the driving manoeuvres we need to know the limit of a sudden change of speed or a sudden change of direction of drive. The limit of suddenness can be taken as the limit between a safe and already unsafe driving manoeuvre (braking, transverse motion) of the vehicle. The author tried to settle this limit by measurements with respondents who were asked to subjectively classify particular driving manoeuvres. For classification of the sudden change of speed, the intensity of deceleration was altered (3 m/s2, 5 m/s2, 7 m/s2, and maximum attainable deceleration amax m/s2). At classifying a sudden change of direction, we changed the trajectory of the vehicle´s motion with transverse motion in one curve. As a result in the change of trajectory, the magnitude of side acceleration changed (values of side acceleration 2 m/s2, 3 m/s2, 4 m/s2 and 6 m/s2). From the results achieved it can be settled that the limit of a sudden change of vehicle´s speed went round a half of maximally achievable braking deceleration of personal vehicles, at approximately 3,8 to 4,8 m/s2. The limit of a sudden change of direction of drive went between 2,7 and 3,5 m/s2.of vehicles´ side acceleration. Achieved knowledge can be used in the sphere of road accident analysis when classifying driving manoeuvres of individual participants of the scene of accident. All measurements were taken with personal vehicles, thus it is possible to pay further attention to setting the limit of a sudden change of speed and direction of drive with utility vehicles, lorries and trucks, respectively.
Oligo‐Miocene thinning of the Beni Bousera peridotites and their Variscan crustal host rocks, Internal Rif, Morocco

Deciphering Variscan versus Alpine history in the Internal Rif system is a key to constrain the tectonic evolution of the Alboran domain and hence the geodynamics of the western Mediterranean system during the Cenozoic. This study focuses on the evolution of the metamorphic envelope of the Beni Bousera massif and its relation to the underlying peridotites. Combining structural geology, metamorphic petrology, and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry U‐Th‐Pb dating of monazite, this study contributes to the understanding of the tectonic history of the western Internal Rif. The regional foliation (S2) is characterized by low pressure–high temperature (LP‐HT) mineral assemblages and obliterates a former foliation (S1) developed along a Barrovian (medium pressure–medium temperature, MP‐MT) metamorphic gradient. The dating of some metamorphic monazite grains from a micaschist and a migmatitic gneiss demonstrates that the crustal envelope of the peridotite recorded two distinct tectonometamorphic episodes. Data from monazite inclusions in S1 garnet suggest that the first event, D1, is older than 250–170 Ma and likely related to the Variscan collision, in agreement with the Barrovian type of the metamorphic gradient. The second event, D2, is Alpine in age (at circa 21 Ma) and corresponds to a strong lithosphere thinning allowing subsequent subcontinental mantle exhumation. Such a tectonic context provides an explanation for the LP‐HT metamorphic gradient that is recorded in the regional foliation of the western Betic‐Rif system. This extension is probably related to a subduction slab rollback in the western end of the Mediterranean realm during the Oligo‐Miocene times. No evidence for a Tertiary high pressure/low temperature metamorphism has been identified in the studied area.
The Frequency of Y Alu Polymorphism (YAP) Indel in the Minangkabau Malays in Peninsular Malaysia

Background: Minangkabau Malays (Melayu Minangkabau) is one of the Malay sub ethnic groups in Peninsular Malaysia. During the late 17th and early 18th centuries, migration of the Minangs from West Sumatra to the state of Negeri Sembilan Darul Khusus in Peninsular Malaysia took place and their descendants now form the main sub ethnic group in this state. The genetic polymorphisms of Y chromosome at DYS 287 locus were analyzed in Minangkabau Malays. Methods: A total of 41 buccal cells from healthy unrelated individual’s males from Minangkabau Malays were typed for the DYS 287. The PCR products were separated on 2% (w/v) agarose gel followed by visualization under UV light. Results: Three out of 41 samples (7.32%) showed insertion (YAP+) polymorphism, while the rest of the samples (92.68%) showed deletion (YAP-) polymorphism. This is the first report concerning the YAP in Malay population at Peninsular Malysia. Conclusion: The vAluable data obtained in this study will contribute to fill in the gap in the knowledge of YAP distribution in Malaysian population and will allow continuous interpretation of the evolution of YAP.
A Study on Longevity Risk Hedging in the Presence of Population Basis Risk

Longevity risk refers to uncertainty surrounding the trend in human life expectancy. Standardized hedging instruments that are linked to broad-based mortality indexes can be used to offload longevity risk from pension plans and annuities. However, hedges that are based on such instruments are subject to population basis risk, which arises from the difference in mortality improvements between the hedger’s population and the reference population to which the hedging instruments are linked. This thesis attempts to address some issues that are related to longevity risk hedging in the presence of population basis risk. In the first chapter, a graphical risk metric is proposed to intuitively measure population basis risk, which is believed to be a major obstacle to market development. It allows market participants to not only visually evaluate the extent of population basis risk, but also determine the most appropriate reference population. Compared to existing population basis risk metrics which are mostly numerical, the proposed graphical risk metric is more informative in that it captures more aspects of population basis risk. Along with the existing numerical risk metrics, the proposed graphical risk metric may help hedgers better understand population basis risk and hence make their risk management decisions. In the second chapter, the feasibility of dynamic longevity hedging with standardized hedging instruments is studied. To this end, the dynamic hedging strategy developed by Cairns (2011) is generalized to incorporate the situation when the hedger’s population and the reference population are different. The empirical results indicate that dynamic hedging can effectively reduce the longevity risk exposures of a typical pension plan, even if population basis risk is taken into account. Further, by considering data from a large iii group of national populations, it is found that population basis risk and small sample risk can possibly be diversified across different hedgers. Hedgers may therefore be able to completely eliminate their longevity risk exposures by removing the underlying trend risk with a dynamic index-based hedge and transferring the residual risks through a reinsurance mechanism.
Development of Calliphora vicina (Robineau-Desvoid) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) under different biotic and abiotic conditions

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of the nature of the nutrient substrate on the weight and metric growth and the development time of necrophagous fly larvae Calliphora vicina (Robineau-Desvoid) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) used in forensic entomology. Eggs of the insect harvested from an animal corpse are deposited on the camel meat, goat meat and the fish for their breeding under constant temperatures of 20 and 30 °C. The weight and length as well as the longevity of the larval stages are compared by the scheffe post-hoc test. The results obtained indicate that the larvae fed on different substrates cannot complete their development until the emergence of adults at 30 °C. Larvae raised on fish are affected compared with those fed on camel and goat meats; they increase in weight and length slowly. Sometimes, they produce pupae that are significantly smaller and lighter than other types of substrates. Longevity differs a little between larval stages under the two temperatures and between the three nutrient substrates.
The international general socioeconomic factor: Factor analyzing international rankings

Many studies have examined the correlations between national IQs and various country-level indexes of well-being. The analyses have been unsystematic and not gathered in one single analysis or dataset. In this paper I gather a large sample of country-level indexes and show that there is a strong general socioeconomic factor (S factor) which is highly correlated (.86-.87) with national cognitive ability using either Lynn and Vanhanen's dataset or Altinok's. Furthermore, the method of correlated vectors shows that the correlations between variable loadings on the S factor and cognitive measurements are . 99 in both datasets using both cognitive measurements, indicating that it is the S factor that drives the relationship with national cognitive measurements, not the remaining variance.
The integration of the financial markets and growth evidence from a global cross-country analysis

The article is aimed at investigating the nexus between financial integration and growth and analyzing potential threshold effects in this relation for a sample of 69 countries during the period 1975−2007 by means of dynamic panel model estimation. The investigated thresholds are: financial depth, institutional quality and banking regulatory features. The obtained results confirm the majority of the results of related papers concerning the impact of the respective forms of financial integration on long term economic growth. The study gives also some new results on potential thresholds. The set of exercises points to a significant positive influence of restrictive banking regulation on the financial integration-growth nexus.
Bifurcations to turbulence in transitional channel flow

In wall-bounded parallel flows, sustained turbulence can occur even while laminar flow is still stable. Channel flow is one of such flows and displays spatio-temporal fluctuating patterns of localized turbulence along its way from/to featureless turbulence. By direct numerical simulation, we study the observed inconsistency between turbulence decay according to a two-dimensional directed-percolation (2D-DP) scenario and the presence of sustained oblique localized turbulent bands (LTBs) below the DP critical point. Above Reynolds number Reg \sim 700 sustained LTBs are observed; most LTBs have the same orientation so that the spanwise symmetry of the LTB pattern is broken below Re2 \sim 1000. The frequency of transversal splitting, by which an LTB generates another one with opposite obliqueness, so that turbulence spreading becomes intrinsically two dimensional, increases in the range Reg < Re < Re2. It reaches a critical rate at Re2 beyond which symmetry is restored. 2D-DP behavior is retrieved only above Re2. A mean-field model is proposed which qualitatively accounts for the above symmetry-restoring bifurcation by considering interactions between space-averaged densities of LTBs propagating in either direction.
Investigation of Change in Team Dynamics Over Time: From F2F to Facebook Setting

Abstract This study investigates how teams’ Shared Mental Models (SMMs) change in a computer supported collaborative learning environment and how their SMM scores change in such environments after being exposed to team-based learning in a face-to-face setting. A total of 57 pre-service teachers enrolled in a blended course participated, forming groups of three to five. The teams completed three in-class activities followed by three assignments provided via an asynchronous learning environment. A questionnaire was administered after each assignment. Data was analyzed using a repeated measures ANOVA. At first, the participants appreciated the group work, but their appreciation levels decreased after the first assignment. As they were able to solve issues, they placed more value on teams. Ultimately, SMM scores were higher in the online learning environment compared with the face-to-face setting. Also, with time the learners were better able to exchange information, solve problems, make decisions, openly discuss issues, and complete assignments effectively.