Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Uniaxial Strain Controlling Magnetic Anisotropy in (Ga,Mn)As

A theoretical study of magnetocrystalline anisotropy controlled by in-plane lattice symmetry distortions is presented. The uniaxial strain, only presumed by earlier studies in order to model the observed uniaxial magnetic anisotropy, has recently become an experimentally accessible parameter. We show that the lithographically induced strain can compete with intrinsic symmetry breaking, easy axes can take general in-plane directions, and anisotropy flelds scale linearly with strain for typical experimental strain magnitudes. Our results are in qualitative agreement with experimental results.
Mechanisms affecting the overturning response in global warming simulations

Abstract Climate models used to produce global warming scenarios exhibit widely diverging responses of the thermohaline circulation (THC). To investigate the mechanisms responsible for this variability, a regional Atlantic Ocean model driven with forcing diagnosed from two coupled greenhouse gas simulations has been employed. One of the coupled models (MPI) shows an almost constant THC, the other (GFDL) shows a declining THC in the twenty-first century. The THC evolution in the regional model corresponds rather closely to that of the respective coupled simulation, that is, it remains constant when driven with the forcing from the MPI model, and declines when driven with the GFDL forcing. These findings indicate that a detailed representation of ocean processes in the region covered by the Atlantic model may not be critical for the simulation of the overall THC changes in a global warming scenario, and specifically that the coupled model’s rather coarse representation of water mass formation processes in t.
Biomonitoring of Distribution of Nickel and Vanadium using Calotropis procera L. in Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia

The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of Calotropis procera L. , as a biomonitoring technique for airborne Vanadium (V) and Nickel (Ni) pollution distribution at four different areas in and around Jeddah city, Saudi Arabia. Concentrations of V and Ni varied significantly between sites. The maximum concentrations of V were 68.06, 40.91 and 25.04 mg kg-1 for soil samples, unwashed plant samples (UWS) and washed plant samples (WS), respectively in the industrial area. However, Ni concentrations were 42.73, 39.09 and 22.40 mg kg-1 for the same samples, respectively in the roadside area. The results indicated that V concentrations were at the order of: roadside > industrial area > residential area. This was not the case with Ni as the order industrial > roadside area > residential area. There was a significant correlation between the V and Ni concentrations in soil and plant samples. The study also showed that the concentrations of V and Ni on the unwashed leaves were higher than those on the washed leaves and this magnified the effect of airborne fall dust on the ambient air quality in Jeddah City. Based on the results of this study, it was recommended that the Calotropis procera plant can be used as a biological technique for the airborne heavy metals bio monitoring, especially in the arid land region countries.
DISTRIBUTION OF DDT, CHLORDANE, AND TOTAL PCB'S IN BED SEDIMENTS IN THE HUDSON RIVER BASIN

Data from streambed-sediment samples collected from 45 sites in the Hudson River Basin and analyzed for organochlorine compounds indicate that residues of DDT, chlordane, and PCB's can be detected even though use of these compounds has been banned for 10 or more years. Previous studies indicate that DDT and chlordane were widely used in a variety of land use settings in the basin, whereas PCB's were introduced into Hudson and Mohawk Rivers mostly as point discharges at a few locations. Detection limits for DDT and chlordane residues in this study were generally 1 μ g/kg, and that for total PCB's was 50 μ g/kg. Some form of DDT was detected in more than 60 percent of the samples, and some form of chlordane was found in about 30 percent; PCB's were found in about 33 percent of the samples. Median concentrations for p,p’DDE (the DDT residue with the highest concentration) were highest in samples from sites representing urban areas (median concentration 5.3 μ g/kg) and lower in samples from sites in large watersheds (1.25 μ g/kg) and at sites in nonurban watersheds. (Urban watershed were defined as those with a population density of more than 60/km2; nonurban watersheds as those with a population density of less than 60/km2, and large watersheds as those encompassing more than 1,300 km2. The median concentration of trans-nonachlor in samples from urban-watershed sites (2.3 μ g/kg) is significantly higher than the median for both large and nonurban-watershed sites (less than 1 μ g/kg). Median PCB concentrations in samples from large-watershed sites (80 μ g/kg) and urbanwatershed sites (56 μ g/kg) were significantly higher than those for nonurbanwatershed sites (less than 50 μ g/kg). The highest PCB concentrations (greater than 800 μ g/kg) were in samples from the upper Hudson River, near the largest documented source of PCB's in the basin, and from the Mohawk River near Utica, near a suspected source of PCB's. These results indicate that urban watersheds continue to be an important source of organochlorine residues in the Hudson River Basin, but that major sources of PCB's are few.
Financial performance explanations and institutional setting

Abstract The aim of this study is to investigate whether country differences in the institutional setting for financial reporting affect the attributes of managers’ explanations of performance in management commentary reports. We include 172 listed companies from five industries (building materials, food processors, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and retail) in the UK, Australia, the USA and Canada in 2003. We find significant country differences in attributional properties of performance explanations in management commentary reports. The US and Canadian companies are generally less assertive and less defensive in causal explanations offered compared to their counterparts in the UK and Australia. The North American companies are also more extensive and formal in their explanations, relying more heavily on technical‐accounting language. These tendencies are most pronounced in the USA, where the aggregate of private and public enforcement is greatest. Taken together, our evidence suggests that higher expected regulatory and litigation costs induce a more elaborative, but risk‐averse explanatory stance that may well reduce the overall incremental value of the explanations offered.
Relationship among Identity, Image and Construed External Image: A Missing Link on Acquisitions

We tested the effect of the relationship among the identity, image and construed external image of both the acquiring and the acquired companies on intergroup relations, during the post-acquisition phase. The case study of a post-acquisition insurance company showed that the identity was not consistent with the construed external image either for the acquiring or the acquired companies. Consistency between identity and image was found only for the acquiring firm. Our study evidenced that the identity, image and construed external image altogether contribute to a better understanding of intergroup relations than do any of these variables per se . Changes in this relationship should thus be taken into account to improve the organizational performance.
Taxonomy, Phylogeny, and Functional Morphology of the Foraminiferal Genus Involutina

Early Jurassic aragonitic foraminifers are outstandingly well-preserved in the Marmorea crust, a multiphased ferromanganese layer limiting the Schnöll and Adnet formations (Adnet, Northern Calcareous Alps, Austria). This remarkable preservation, related to the pervasive impregnation of aragonitic tests prior to their recrystallization, allowed observing unknown diagnostic features of the genus Involutina, which typifies the Suborder Involutinina. Thanks to a detailed examination of the Adnet specimens, this paper clarifies the taxonomy, systematic position, and phylogeny of Involutina. A new diagnosis, structural model, and lineage are introduced for the group. Involutina is the direct descendant of Aulotortus and the two taxa probably showed a parallel evolution. As Aulotortus, Involutina presents a high intraspecific variability and its diversity must be revised downward. Current phylogenetic and taxonomic frames of the Suborder Involutinina are firmly questioned as, contrary to previous schemes, the type-genus possesses more than one lamellar deposit per whorl. In Involutina, the height and distribution of papillae on the test surface is not random and probably related to a biological function. We here propose that the papillose lamellae and tube infoldings that characterize representatives of the genus were rudimentary features for light catching and symbiont positioning, respectively.
Green supply chain management – food for thought?

ABSTRACT This paper investigates the impact of green supply chain management (GSCM) practices on the performance of UK food retail small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). A quantitative approach using a non-probability sampling of 84 participants was employed. Based on the literature review, five hypotheses were developed and tested using the partial least square-structural equation modeling (SEM-Smart PLS 2.03) approach. The reviewed literature revealed that key internal drivers (ID) and external pressures (EP) stimulate organizations to initiate GSCM practices in UK food retail SMEs. Though empirical findings strongly supported the statement that ID influence GSCM practices, they did not show a significant relationship between EP and GSCM practices. Literature also suggests that practicing GSCM can help improve the efficiency, brand image (BI) and profitability, and thus improve the overall firm performance which is also empirically proved. This study helps enrich existing theories on SCM and organizational performance. As to practical impact, this study should facilitate SMEs in GSCM practices and thus help green the economy. While the findings of this study have limited generalisability as the data were collected from UK SMEs only and the sample size was comparatively small, this research establishes a foundation for further study in this domain.
Alpha [11C] Methyl-l-tryptophan positron emission tomography in epilepsy

Marco Fedi1-3, Mirko Diksic3, Frederick Andermann3 and David Reutens1-3 1Department of Medicine, Monash Medical Centre and Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia 2Department of Neurology, Austin Health, Heidelberg, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, and Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Long bone bilateral asymmetry in the nineteenth-century Stirrup Court Cemetery collection from London, Ontario

This study employs non-destructive methods to investigate patterns of long bone bilateral asymmetry in a skeletal sample from the nineteenth-century peri-urban Stirrup Court Cemetery collection from London, Ontario, Canada. The St. Thomas Cemetery skeletal sample from urban Belleville, Ontario provides additional data for comparison. While one objective of the study is to determine the etiologies of any asymmetries and to identify patterns in what measurements on which bones displayed the most asymmetry, another objective is to test the hypothesis that limbs indicating asymmetry due to pathology or trauma in one element would show bilateral asymmetries elsewhere in the same bone and limb, due to either atrophy alone or to additional compensatory hypertrophy. Overall, the Stirrup Court data shows a general pattern of crossed symmetry, and when compared with the Belleville data the pattern of high and low absolute asymmetries is consistent. The results reveal a lack of asymmetry in elements with obvious long-term damage, which may indicate that caution is required in making determinations about lived impairment/disability in such cases. The sexual dimorphism in asymmetry in both samples, with males displaying more asymmetry in humeral minimum shaft circumference in the Stirrup Court sample, likely reflects the division of labor and behavior patterns in these populations. Finally, this study suggests that the effects of osteoarthritis may mask non-age-related impairment/disability, and that the skeletal record of impairment/disability is likely affected by differential preservation, with consequences for the emerging field of the archeology of disability.
Sea-to-air and diapycnal nitrous oxide fluxes in the eastern tropical North Atlantic Ocean

Sea-to-air and diapycnal fluxes of nitrous oxide (N2O) into the mixed layer were determined during three cruises to the upwelling region off Mauritania. Sea-to-air fluxes as well as diapycnal fluxes were elevated close to the shelf break, but elevated sea-to-air fluxes reached further offshore as a result of the offshore transport of upwelled water masses. To calculate a mixed layer budget for N2O we compared the regionally averaged sea-to-air and diapycnal fluxes and estimated the potential contribution of other processes, such as vertical advection and biological N2O production in the mixed layer. Using common parameterizations for the gas transfer velocity, the comparison of the average sea-toair and diapycnal N2O fluxes indicated that the mean sea-toair flux is about three to four times larger than the diapycnal flux. Neither vertical and horizontal advection nor biological production were found sufficient to close the mixed layer budget. Instead, the sea-to-air flux, calculated using a parameterization that takes into account the attenuating effect of surfactants on gas exchange, is in the same range as the diapycnal flux. From our observations we conclude that common parameterizations for the gas transfer velocity likely overestimate the air-sea gas exchange within highly productive upwelling zones.
Experimental Investigation of a Separation Bubble on a Flat Plate with Semi-circular Leading Edge for different Reynolds Numbers

The laminar separated layer over a semi-circular leading edge, its transition, turbulent reattachment and downstream development have been investigated in a low-speed wind tunnel. Instantaneous velocity and surface pressure measurements were made along with a planar PIV to visualize flow structures for varying Reynolds number 25000 to 75000 (based on the leading edge diameter). The velocity fluctuations illustrates that the separated shear layer is laminar up to 20% of separation length and then the perturbations are amplified in the second half attributing to breakdown and reattachment. The bubble length is highly susceptible to change in Reynolds number and plays an important role in outer layer activities. It is also evident that the shear layer is inviscidly unstable and the predominant shedding frequency when normalised with respect to the momentum thickness at separation remains almost constant with change in Reynolds number.
Character Strengths and Life Satisfaction of Slovenian In-service and Pre-service Teachers

Character strengths and life satisfaction of Slovenian in-service and preservice teachers were researched. The VIA-IS self-assessment questionnaire has been translated into the Slovenian language and has been used for the first time in Slovenia. A total of 173 primary school teachers and 77 student teachers from the Faculty of Education, University of Ljubljana,completed the VIA-IS and the Satisfaction with Life Scale questionnaires. The highest reported strengths in both groups studied were fairness, kindness, integrity and love. Unexpectedly, both in-service and pre-service teachers reported low endorsements of creativity; inserviceteachers also showed low endorsement of humour. Surprisingly, the lowest endorsed strength of pre-service teachers was love of learning. Correlations between strengths and life satisfaction were consistent with related research findings. Low endorsement of creativity, teachers’ humour and students’ love of learning are discussed. From the researchfindings, it can be concluded that professional environment should stimulate, as well as provide support and opportunities for teachers to build not only upon the strengths of humanity and justice, but also on those of wisdom and knowledge. There is a need in the undergraduate level of teacher education for systematic interventions regarding students’ intellectual strengths with a special focus on cultivating their creativity.
Intra-stock diversity in egg specific gravity of Atlantic cod in Icelandic waters

The specific gravity of fish eggs affects their vertical distribution in the water column and thus their transportation routes and survival. Previous studies have shown that egg specific gravity can be adapted to the local conditions, for instance to reduce the chances of unsuitable drift routes or to avoid hostile conditions for development. The Icelandic cod stock has been shown to consist of two distinct behavioural types, usually referred to as frontal or coastal fish that occupy the same spawning grounds but exhibit either deep-water or shallow-water migration behaviour outside the spawning periods. The main objective of this study was to compare the egg specific gravity of the two behaviour types of cod found in Icelandic waters and see if it contributes to the maintenance of the two groups. Eggs were collected and fertilized in vitro from spawning grounds southwest of Iceland in April 2010 and 2011. Egg specific gravity obtained from days 2, 3 and 4 after fertilization showed no difference between the behaviour groups while there were strong indications of the eggs of frontal cod being lighter than the eggs of coastal cod during the last stages of development. Egg diameter was also found to vary between the two groups as frontal cod produced larger eggs than coastal cod. These results reveal previously unknown differences in the life-history of the two behaviour groups and might be attributed to environmental factors or genetics.
Seedbed preparation influence on morphometric characteristics of perennial grasses of a semi-arid rangeland in Kenya

Semi-arid rangelands in Kenya are an important source of forage for both domestic and wild animals. However, indigenous perennial grasses notably Cenchrus ciliaris (African foxtail grass), Eragrostis superba (Maasai love grass) and Enteropogon macrostachyus (Bush rye grass) are disappearing at an alarming rate. Efforts to re-introduce them through restoration programs have often yielded little success. This can partly be attributed to failure of topsoil to capture and store scarce water to meet germination and plant growth requirements. A study was undertaken in the semi-arid environment of eastern Kenya to determine the effects of land treatment on morphometric characteristics of E. superba, C. ciliaris and E. macrostachyus. Seed viability of the grasses was estimated by germination tests. Land treatments involved soil ripping using a tractor and hand-clearing. Thirty-five plants were randomly selected per sub-plot and tagged for sampling. Morphometric characteristics of the grass species were measured weekly. Aboveground biomass was estimated by harvesting standing biomass three months after establishment. Seed viability tests showed significant differences (p<0.05) among the three grass species. This was attributed to intrinsic properties of the grass seeds such as dormancy and tegumental hardness. Seedling survival, foliage cover, plant height, leaf and tiller numbers, and aboveground biomass were significantly higher in ripped plots than hand-cleared plots. It was concluded that soil disturbance influences plant morphometric characteristics and plays an important role in the success rate of restoration attempts in semi-arid rangelands.
Impact of mating status on egg‐laying and superparasitism behaviour in a parasitoid wasp

Most parasitoid female wasps can distinguish between unparasitized and parasitized hosts and use this information to optimize their progeny and sex allocation. In this study, we explored the impact of mating on oviposition behaviour (parasitism and self‐ and conspecific superparasitism) on both unparasitized and already parasitized hosts in the solitary parasitoid wasp Eupelmus vuilleti (Crw.) (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae). Virgin and mated females had the same oviposition behaviour and laid eggs preferentially on unparasitized hosts. The sex ratio (as the proportion of females) of eggs laid by mated females in parasitism and conspecific superparasitism was 0.67 ± 0.04 and 0.57 ± 0.09, respectively. Likewise, females laid more eggs in conspecific superparasitism than self‐superparasitism under our experimental conditions. These experiments demonstrate that E. vuilleti females can (i) discriminate between unparasitized and parasitized hosts and adapt the number of eggs they lay accordingly, and (ii) probably discriminate self from conspecific superparasitized hosts. Finally, mating does not appear to influence the host discrimination capacity, the ovarian function, or the oviposition behaviour.
SPILLOVER EFFECTS OF PENSION FUNDS ON CAPITAL MARKETS. THE EU-15 COUNTRIES CASE

The paper aims at providing new empirical evidence for the connection between pension reform and domestic stock market development, in the case of the old member states of European Union. We seek to measure the impact of private pension funds’ assets on the capital market development, using a panel data regression and after controlling for other explanatory variables. As predicted in the literature, the results show a positive connection.
Fracture Analysis of Single and Two Collinear Square hole Cracks in a plate under Tension using FEA

The use of fracture mechanics technique in the assessment of performance and reliability of structure is on increase and the prediction of crack propagation in structure play important part. The finite element method is widely used for the evaluation of SIF for various types of crack configurations. Two different geometries were used on this finite element model in order, to analyse the reliability of this program on the crack propagation in linear elastic fracture mechanics. These geometries were namely; a rectangular plate with crack emanating from square-hole and two collinear square hole cracks. Where, both geometries are in tensile loading and under mode I conditions. Therefore, a displacement Extrapolation Technique (DET) was employed particularly, to predict the crack propagations directions and to, calculate the Stress Intensity Factors (SIFs). Furthermore, the mesh for the finite elements was the unstructured type; generated using the advancing front method. While, the quarter point singular elements were uniformly generated around the crack tip in the form of a rosette. Moreover, make a comparison between this current study with other relevant and published research study. Numerical study is very effective in analysing the single square and multiple square hole cracks for finding the SIFs and their normalization. It is found that a square hole has a shielding effect on crack(s) emanating from the hole. The finding perhaps has an important meaning in Engineering.