Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
First records of Tarentola mauritanica (Linnaeus, 1758) (Reptilia; Gekkonidae) in the Azores

João Pedro Barreiros (e-mail: joaopedro@uac.pt),Departamento de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade dos Açores, PT-9701-851 Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal; IMAR, Centro do Imar da Universidade dos Açores, PT-9901-962 Horta, Portugal; Rui B. Elias, Joana Lourenço & Eduardo Dias, Centro do Clima Meteorologia e Mudanças Globais (C-CMMG; CITA-A), Departamento de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade dos Açores, Terra-Chã, PT-9701-851 Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal; Paulo Borges, Azorean Biodiversity Group (CITA-A), Departamento de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade dos Açores, Terra-Chã, PT-9701-851 Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal
Design and Testing of Braided Composite Fan Case Materials and Components

Triaxial braid composite materials are beginning to be used in fan cases for commercial gas turbine engines. The primary benefit for the use of composite materials is reduced weight and the associated reduction in fuel consumption. However, there are also cost benefits in some applications. This paper presents a description of the braided composite materials and discusses aspects of the braiding process that can be utilized for efficient fabrication of composite cases. The paper also presents an approach that was developed for evaluating the braided composite materials and composite fan cases in a ballistic impact laboratory. Impact of composite panels with a soft projectile is used for materials evaluation. Impact of composite fan cases with fan blades or blade-like projectiles is used to evaluate containment capability. A post-impact structural load test is used to evaluate the capability of the impacted fan case to survive dynamic loads during engine spool down. Validation of these new test methods is demonstrated by comparison with results of engine blade-out tests.
Motivation and willingness to learn: Factors influencing non–participation in Adult Education Degree Programme at Zimbabwe Staff College

This study sought to determine the extent to which various barriers deter adults from participating in progrmmes designed by different institutions offering adult education in Zimbabwe, but focusing only on the Adult Education Degree offered at the Zimbabwe Staff College (ZSC) specifically for uniformed forces. The study used the qualitative case study research design. Seven students and two administrators were selected to participate in individual and focus group interviews, using purposeful sampling, for it is informed by the Non-Probability Theory. Data was generated and critically analysed. Data was also generated from documentary analysis. The study found that institutional barriers were found to be more restricting for the officers, in terms of the full time nature of the programme, which limits the officers in time and space, who have competing and conflicting interests. Secondly, the initial selection criterion, which is high to ensure quality control, expected of associate colleges limited the enrolment. Thirdly, the subsidiary status assigned to academic adult education programmes compared to military mainstream programmes did not only demotivate the prospective candidates but also created negative image of the discipline. Finally, tying promotion to the military mainstream programmes discouraged the prospective candidates in trepidation of losing out on promotion while undertaking a degree programme, which is voluntary and not mandatory. Although there were other dispositional and situational barriers, institutional barriers affected participation more than all the other barriers. Recommendations focus on revision of the policy framework and the way the policies are implemented at national and local levels. A review of the implementation of policy is imperative if the restrictions responsible for the invisibility of adult education in the country and adult education programmes at ZCS are to be removed.
Syllabic patterns in the early vocalizations of Quichua children

ABSTRACT To understand the interactions between production patterns common to children regardless of language environment and the early appearance of production effects based on perceptual learning from the ambient language requires the study of languages with diverse phonological properties. Few studies have evaluated early phonological acquisition patterns of children in non-Indo-European language environments. In the current study, across- and within-syllable consonant–vowel co-occurrence patterns in babbling were analyzed for a 6-month period for seven Ecuadorean Quichua learning children who were between 9 and 17 months of age at study onset. Their babbling utterances were compared to the babbling of six English-learning children between 9 and 22 months of age. Child patterns for both languages were compared with Quichua and English ambient language patterns. Babbling output was highly similar for the child groups: Quichua and English children's babbling demonstrated similar predicted within-syllable (coronal-front vowel, labial-central vowel, dorsal-back vowel) patterns, and across-syllable manner variegation patterns for consonants. These patterns were observed at significantly greater rates in the child groups than in the respective adult language input patterns, suggesting production system influences common to children across languages rather than ambient language perceptual learning effects during these children's babbling period.
Robust surface matching by integrating edge segments

This paper describes a novel area-based stereo-matching method which aims at reconstructing the shape of objects robustly, correctly, with high precision and with high density. Our goal is to reconstruct correctly the shape of the object by comprising also edges as part of the resulting surface. For this purpose, we need to overcome the problem of how to reconstruct and describe shapes with steep and sharp edges. Area-based matching methods set an image area as a template and search the corresponding match. As a direct consequence of this approach, it becomes not possible to correctly reconstruct the shape around steep edges. Moreover, in the same regions, discontinuities and discrepancies of the shape between the left and right stereo-images increase the difficulties for the matching process. In order to overcome these problems, we propose in this paper the approach of reconstructing the shape of objects by embedding reliable edge line segments into the area-based matching process with parallax estimation. We propose a robust stereo-matching (the extended Edge TIN-LSM) method which integrates edges and which is able to cope with differences in right and left image shape, brightness changes and occlusions. The method consists of the following three steps: (1) parallax estimation, (2) edge-matching, (3) edge-surface matching. In this paper, we describe and explain in detail the process of parallax estimation and the area-based surface-matching with integrated edges; the performance of the proposed method is also validated. The main advantage of this new method is its ability to reconstruct with high precision a 3D model of an object from only two images (for ex. measurement of a tire with 0.14 mm accuracy), thus without the need of a large number of images. For this reason, this approach is intrinsically simple and high-speed.
CHARACTERIZING THE RIGIDLY ROTATING MAGNETOSPHERE STARS HD 345439 AND HD 23478

The SDSS III APOGEE survey recently identified two new σ Ori E type candidates, HD 345439 and HD 23478, which are a rare subset of rapidly rotating massive stars whose large (kGauss) magnetic fields confine circumstellar material around these systems. Our analysis of multi-epoch photometric observations of HD 345439 from the Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope, Wide Angle Search for Planets, and ASAS surveys reveals the presence of a ∼0.7701 day period in each data set, suggesting the system is among the faster known σ Ori E analogs. We also see clear evidence that the strength of Hα, H i Brackett series lines, and He i lines also vary on a ∼0.7701 day period from our analysis of multi-epoch, multi-wavelength spectroscopic monitoring of the system from the APO 3.5 m telescope. We trace the evolution of select emission line profiles in the system, and observe coherent line profile variability in both optical and infrared H i lines, as expected for rigidly rotating magnetosphere stars. We also analyze the evolution of the H i Br-11 line strength and line profile in multi-epoch observations of HD 23478 from the SDSS-III APOGEE instrument. The observed periodic behavior is consistent with that recently reported by Sikora and collaborators in optical spectra.
Functional selectivity – chance for better and safer drugs?

Purpose: The article reviews the current state of knowledge about functional selectivity (biased agonism) at G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), with a particular focus on serotonin 5-HT 1A receptors. Views: Recently, functional selectivity has been one of the fastest growing topics in GPCRs pharmacology. Research on this phenomenon allowed identification of signal transduction pathways which can be preferentially targeted to achieve improved therapeu- tic effects or, conversely, which are associated with adverse effects. Oliceridine, a phase III clinical candidate for treatment of pain, is an example of a functionally selective ligand of µ-opioid receptors that preferentially activates signal transduction via G proteins rather than β-arrestin. Biased agonism, or the ability to preferentially activate specific signalling pathways, has been identified for many therapeutically important GPCRs, such as µ-opioid receptors, α 1 - and β 2 -adrenoceptors, dopamine D 2L and D 1 receptors, angiotensin 1A receptor, as well as 5-HT 2 and 5-HT 1A serotonin receptors. The recently discovered compounds F15599 and F13714 have been identified as functionally and regionally selective ligands of 5-HT 1A receptors. These compounds constitute a new generation of pharmacological tools with high therapeutic potential, which is currently being investigated for the treatment of disorders including Parkinson’s disease, depression and Rett syndrome. Conclusions: Functional selectivity (biased agonism) enables separation of the therapeutic effect from the adverse effects, so far considered to be intrinsically linked to the mechanism of action, by preferentially targeting signal transduction pathways associated with beneficial effects. It may therefore offer new opportunities for improved development of more effective and safer drugs. neurons (reduction of breathing regularity). Activation of 5-HT 1A receptors in the hippocampus and hypothalamus can lead to cognitive impairment, and a disruption of thermoregulation and neuroendocrine control. F15599, a biased agonist at the postsynaptic 5-HT 1A receptors located in the cerebral cortex and brain stem, may have a wider margin between the therapeutic activity and side effects associated with activation of other subpopulations of 5-HT 1A receptors
Population dynamics, growth and energetics of jellyfish Aurelia aurita in a shallow fjord

Seasonal abundance and growth of the scyphomedusa Aurelia aunta were studied during 1991 and 1992 In the Inner part of a small shallow fiord, Kertinge Nor, Denmark Uunng both years, mass occurrence of A aunta was observed, and a maximum value of ca 300 ind m-3 was measured In Apnl 1992 Growth was poor in the fiord and the maximum mean umblella diameter of medusae was only 54 i 12 mm and 37 + 15 mm In 1991 and 1992 respectively Growth, clearance, lngestlon and resplratlon were measured at different prey concentrations in the laboratory, and an energy budget was estabhshed Ephyrae (4 mm in diameter] were offered rotiferas (Brachjonus plicatllls) in concentrations ranging from 7 to 13000 ind I ' Clearance of ephyrae decreased 30 to 50% with increasing prey concentration, and a curved relationship between prey concentration and lngestlon was found A maximum speclflc growth rate of 0 2 d ' was measured In the laboratory at 400 B plicatilis 1 ', correspondlng to 60 pg C 1. ' In Kertinge Nor, the growth rate never exceeded 0 1 d ' The average zooplankton concentration In Kertinge Nor was only 5 p g C I ' and it could therefore be concluded that A aunta was food hmited in the fiord
Compositional Effects in Nanostructured Yttria Partially Stabilized Zirconia

There is a considerable current interest in learning how to process genuinely nanostructured ceramics as they offer the potential for significantly enhanced properties; however, it is often difficult to make large enough components to allow more than the most basic of property measurements. In this work, densified components measuring up to 50 mm in size have been produced and a number of very interesting properties have been measured and demonstrated.
High-pressure / High-temperature Behavior of the Methane-Ammonia- Water System up to 3 GPa

Melting phase relations in the methane-ammonia-water system up to 3 GPa have been obtained in a series of in situ experiments in externally heated diamond anvil cells. The melting temperature of methane clathrate hydrates increases rapidly above pressures of ~ 1.5 GPa, and does not appear to be significantly affected by the presence of ammonia. The reaction of the hydrate formation at pressures 2 - 3 GPa is kinetically impeded. Our data show that the high-pressure methane hydrate has the maximum melting temperature among the clathrate hydrates studied so far.
GOVERNANCE ATTRIBUTES IN INDONESIA AND EARNINGS QUALITY

This research investigates the relationship between corporate governance structure and attributes and the quality of reported earnings in a sample of Indonesian firms. The findings of our research reveals that both concentrated and family ownership are associated with lower earnings quality. In addition we find that independent members of a board committee act as an effective monitoring mechanism to oversee the accounting and financial reports processes of a company.
A Critical Review of the Canadian Empirical Literature: Documenting Generation 1.5's K-16 Trajectories.

Little empirical research has ever systematically documented the academic trajectories of Generation 1.5 in Canadian schools. Indeed, this label has not even been used to define the population of interest in the studies reviewed here. Nonetheless, some earlier work, along with more current studies made possible by recent availability of data, has created a small blossoming of relevant literature that might now be critically synthesized. Therefore, this report synthesizes 17 available largescale Canadian empirical studies that examine the outcomes and trajectories of immigrant youth in Canadian K-12 schools and university. Despite differences in variables across the studies, this article finds that school outcomes vary predictably among ethnocultural groups and by English-language proficiency. It also finds that the role of socioeconomic status in explaining these differences is not yet clear. It appears that some immigrant groups are underserved and that teachers may be underprepared for classrooms of linguistic and ethnocultural diversity. Policy implications and further research directions are discussed.
Corporate Control and Non-Bank Financial Intermediaries Performance in Nigeria: Using Panel Regression Analysis

The research study considered the impact of corporate control on the performance of nonbank financial intermediaries in Nigeria using panel regression.Based on the econometric model, the result indicates that improved performance of the nonbanking financial sector is dependent on increasing the level of transparency and good governance in both financial and non-financial banking sector. The increased incidence of firm’s failure in the recent period generated the current literature on quality of firm’s assets and also emphasized good governance as means of achieving banks and non-bank institutions objectives. This study made use of cross sectional secondary data obtained from the financial reports of nonbank institutions for a period of ten (10) years (20012010). Data were analyzed using panel regression analysis. The study supported the hypothesis that corporate governance positively affects performance of firms. In conclusion, the study shows that poor asset quality and corporate control (defined as the ratio of non-performing loan to credit) and loan deposit ratios negatively affect financial performance and vice visa.
Long-Term Hydrologic Fluctuations and Dynamics of Primary Producers in a Tropical Crater Lake

Aquatic ecosystems in tropical regions remain understudied and their long-term dynamics poorly understood. In East Africa, a better understanding of how natural communities of primary producers in small freshwater ecosystems respond to climatic variability is needed to improve management and conservation of aquatic resources. This study explored the response of algae and bacteria communities to marked hydrological variation over the past 1500 years in a small western Ugandan crater lake, Lake Nkuruba. We analyzed sedimentary algal and bacterial pigments to evaluate the magnitude and direction of change in the autotrophic community in response to severe climatic perturbations in the region. The lithology of the Lake Nkuruba sediment core indicated that external forcing in the form of a major drought, associated with the Medieval Climate Anomaly, caused a heavy, short-lived detrital pulse to the basin that led to a brief but substantial disruption of the lake system in the second half of the 13th century. The system appears to have recovered rapidly, and then transitioned to a more productive state than the one preceding the drought. The considerable variation observed in the sedimentary pigment biomarkers is likely linked with climatically-induced changes in the water column structure of this small crater lake. Our results highlight the challenge of defining appropriate baselines or reference conditions in climatically-sensitive East African aquatic ecosystems and disentangling long-term anthropogenic impacts from the strong regional hydrological flux at the decadal to centennial scale.
A 26 million year gap in the central Arctic record at the greenhouse-icehouse transition: looking for clues

The Cenozoic record of the Lomonosov Ridge (central Arctic Ocean) recovered during Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 302 revealed an unexpected 26 Ma hiatus, separating middle Eocene (�44.4 Ma) from lower Miocene sediments (�18.2 Ma). To elucidate the nature of this unconformity, we performed a multiproxy palynological (dinoflagellate cysts, pollen, and spores), micropaleontological (siliceous microfossils), inorganic, and organic (Tetra Ether Index of lipids with 86 carbon atoms (TEX86) and Branched and Isoprenoid Tetraether (BIT)) geochemical analysis of the sediments from �5 m below to �7 m above the hiatus. Four main paleoenvironmental phases (A–D) are recognized in the sediments encompassing the unconformity, two below (A–B) and two above (C–D): (A) Below the hiatus, proxies show relatively warm temperatures, with Sea Surface Temperatures (TEX86-derived SSTs) of about 8�C and high fresh to brackish water influence. (B) Approaching the hiatus, proxies indicate a cooling trend (TEX86-derived SSTs of �5�C), increased freshwater influence, and progressive shoaling of the Lomonosov Ridge drilling site, located close to or at sea level. (C) The interval directly above the unconformity contains sparse reworked Cretaceous to Oligocene dinoflagellate cysts. Sediments were deposited in a relatively shallow, restricted marine environment. Proxies show the simultaneous influence of both fresh and marine waters, with alternating oxic and anoxic conditions. Pollen indicates a relatively cold climate. Intriguingly, TEX86-derived SSTs are unexpectedly high, �15–19�C. Such warm surface waters may be partially explained by the ingression of warmer North Atlantic waters after the opening of the Fram Strait during the early Miocene. (D) Sediments of the uppermost interval indicate a phase of extreme oxic conditions, and a well-ventilated environment, which occurred after the complete opening of the Fram Strait. Importantly, and in contrast with classical postrifting thermal subsidence models for passive margins, our data suggest that sediment erosion and/or nondeposition that generated the hiatus was likely due to a progressive shoaling of the Lomonosov Ridge. A shallow water setting both before and after the hiatus suggests that the Lomonosov Ridge remained at or near sea level for the duration of the gap in the sedimentary record. Interacting sea level changes and/or tectonic activity (possibly uplift) must be invoked as possible causes for such a long hiatus.
ASYMPTOTIC THEORY ON THE LEAST SQUARES ESTIMATION OF THRESHOLD MOVING-AVERAGE MODELS

This paper studies the asymptotic theory of least squares estimation in a threshold moving average model. Under some mild conditions, it is shown that the estimator of the threshold is n-consistent and its limiting distribution is related to a two-sided compound Poisson process, whereas the estimators of other coefficients are strongly consistent and asymptotically normal. This paper also provides a resampling method to tabulate the limiting distribution of the estimated threshold in practice, which is the first successful effort in this direction. This resampling method contributes to threshold literature. Simultaneously, simulation studies are carried out to assess the performance of least squares estimation in finite samples.
Dissimilar Alternative Path Search Algorithm Using a Candidate Path Set

There is a growing need for navigation services providing multiple dissimilar alternative paths that reflect a variety of user preferences and a dynamic/stochastic variety of travel time and cost. Providing multiple dissimilar paths, in addition to the shortest path based on a certain attribute (travel cost, time or length), may contribute to extending the market of navigation services and attract new customers since navigation users may prefer other attributes, such as driving convenience and fewer right/left turns, to just saving some minutes of driving time. The traditional method for searching multiple paths is the K-shortest path search method, which provides paths in the order of cost (Yen, 1971; Shier, 1976; 1979; Martins, 1984; Azevedo et al., 1993). However, the multiple paths found by this method tend to be very similar to each other and cannot truly be called alternative paths. A reasonable alternative path should not only have acceptable attribute value(s) but should also be dissimilar to previously identified paths in terms of the links used (Park et al., 2002). To avoid unreasonable searches for the multiple paths, some methods were suggested in the previous literature. Barra et al. (1993) suggested a link penalty method. In this method, links of a path which was searched in the previous step have a penalty and the next path is searched using a shortest path search algorithm with consideration of the penalties of links. The link penalty method has no way of evaluating the quality of the set of the paths it generates in terms of the spatial differences and the costs of the paths while it can be easily used due to its simplicity (Akgun et al., 2000). Furthermore, this method cannot consider the cost constraint of the alternative paths while generalized cost is one of the most important to select alternative paths in navigation services. The link penalty method is, therefore, not suitable for the path search algorithm for navigation services. Meng et al. (2005) and Marti et al. (2009) formulated the multiple dissimilar path problems as a multi-objective problem and suggested several solution algorithms. These problems have multiple objectives varying with the purpose of researches such as minimizing average or total costs of the paths, minimizing total population exposed and maximizing the average of the dissimilarity between the paths. However, it takes significant time to solve the multi-objective problem while these problems can produce the paths that meet the given