Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
INTERACTIVE EFFECT OF SALINITY AND NITROGEN FERTILIZERS ON GROWTH AND COMPOSITION OF SORGHUM

The objective of this study was to investigate the interactive effects of salinity and different sources of applied N on growth, yield and nutrient composition of sorghum. The salinity treatments C 0 , C 1 , C 2 , C 3 and C 4 corresponded to 0.6, 6, 8, 10 and 12 dS/m, respectively. Eight fertilization treatments combined urea and ammonium nitrate sources. The height, fresh weight, dry weight, leaf area, N, K, Ca, Mg, Na and Cl contents of treated plants were measured after harvesting. Results indicate that both emergence and growth were significantly decreased by increasing salinity. The plant response to N fertilizers appeared to be different at each salinity level. The maximum production of C 0 treatment was obtained for N-3, while at C 1 and C 2 treatments the maximum yield was obtained for N-2 and N-1 treatments, respectively. In the saline treatments, there was no significant difference between the two applied N-sources. The N, Ca, Mg, Na and Cl concentrations in plant tissues increased with increasing salinity; K concen tration and the uptake of N, K, Ca and Mg were however decreased.
Improving assessment processes in Higher Education: Student and teacher perceptions of the effectiveness of a rubric embedded in a LMS

Students and teachers play different roles and thus have different perceptions about the effectiveness of assessment including structure, feedback, consistency, fairness and efficiency. In an undergraduate Business Information Systems course, a rubric was designed and semi-automated through a learning management system (LMS) to provide formative feedback. Action research with a qualitative approach was undertaken by the teacher. A questionnaire was administered to the 55 students to gather their perceptions of the effectiveness of the process. Students reported benefits of clearly being able to see what they needed to do, what they had achieved, and what they needed to do to improve. The majority (95%) recommended further use of the rubric process. From the teacher's perspective, a key benefit was an estimated 40% reduction in marking time and improved student satisfaction with feedback. An insight from the student feedback and teacher reflection was that there is a balance between providing clear detailed structure versus challenging students with freedom to deal with the ambiguity of open ended issues. The study provides practical insights for further roll-out of assurance of learning initiatives based on rubrics embedded in LMSs, and contributes a model for further research into student and teacher perceptions of assessment effectiveness.
ANALYSIS OF DIRECT AND INDIRECT EFFECTS OF FISCAL DECENTRALIZATION ON REGIONAL DISPARITY (CASE STUDY OF PROVINCES IN EASTERN AND WESTERN OF INDONESIA, 2006-2015)

This study aimed to examine the direct and indirect effects of fiscal decentralization on regional disparity through economic growth in eastern and western Indonesia. The method used in this study is Path Analysis. The variables used in this study include the General Allocation Fund (DAU/Dana Alokasi Umum), Special Allocation Fund (DAK/Dana Alokasi Khusus), Revenue Sharing Fund (DBH/Dana Bagi Hasil), local revenue (PAD/Pendapatan Asli Daerah), Economic Growth (G), and regional disparity (IW). Comparing the analysis between eastern and western of Indonesia, the results show that there is no direct effect of fiscal decentralization on regional disparity and economic growth through direct fiscal decentralization on regional disparity in both eastern and western of Indonesia. However, using some measures of fiscal decentralization, in the case of eastern of Indonesia, DAU variable has significant effect whereas in the case of western Indonesia, DBH is the only one variable that has significant effect. This is consistent with the fact that composition of the balance funds disbursed by the central government to local governments, where the greatest composition of funds in eastern Indonesia come from the General Allocation Fund which reflects the dependence of local governments to the central government and for the western region of Indonesia, DBH is the greatest reflecting the independence of the local governments. As a result, to create fiscal decentralization working it is required a greater allocation of the fund balance.
Applications of Low-Frequency SAR Executive Summary November 2004

This report details the work performed within the ALFS (Applications of Low-Frequency SAR) project. The project investigated the needs for forest biomass and soil moisture mapping, and the potential of a spaceborne P-band (435MHz) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) to meet those needs. Through a detailed study of published results, investigation of archived data from test-sites, backscatter modelling, and simulation of SAR system performance (including the important effects of ionospheric propagation), the ability of a P-band SAR satellite to meet user requirements has been evaluated. Forest applications have been investigated using AIRSAR data from the boreal forest and tropical forests in the Amazon basin and Indonesia. For boreal forests, the main application envisaged is the mapping of broad biomass classes. The results show that even a spaceborne SAR should be able to provide reliable maps of biomass classes. In some cases the biomass may be retrieved more accurately, but in general variations of tree number density preclude this, unless additional information is available to complement the P-band backscatter measurements. For tropical forests, the P-band backscatter can be used directly to differentiate between areas of high and low biomass. Moreover, the P-band data shows variations in high biomass forest that are related to the structure and flooding condition, some of which are not visible in L-band SAR images. A P-band SAR satellite is therefore expected to be the only method for mapping these variations, which can be related to forest structural types and give an indication of biomass. For soil moisture mapping, the test-sites studied show some correlation between the copolarized backscatter ratio (HH/VV) and the soil moisture content. However, the low backscatter levels is easily disturbed by interference from strong scatterers, and while airborne SAR data is difficult to interpret, spaceborne SAR will be even harder. The possibility to map temporal changes of moisture is one possible application of P-band data, that has not studied in this project. The studies of the technical challenges involved in P-band SAR indicate that they can be overcome sufficiently well to provide data useful for forestry applications. The studies indicate that full polarimetric measurements should be provided to meet the needs for the applications.
Interactive effects of temperature and nutritional condition on the energy budgets of the sea urchins Arbacia punctulata and Lytechinus variegatus (Echinodermata: Echinoidea)

Arbacia punctulata and Lytechinus variegatus are widely distributed echinoid species in shallow water in the western Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico that seem to have different life history strategies. We evaluated the effect of two types of stress (high temperature and starvation) on gonad production and scope for growth. We hypothesized that A. punctulata has a stress tolerant life strategy and would be more tolerant to stress and L. variegatus has a competitive–ruderal strategy and would be less tolerant to stress. Gonad production by A. punctulata was not as greatly affected by temperature as L. variegatus, suggesting the hypothesis was correct. Arbacia punctulata had a significantly higher excretion rate indicating greater energy allocation to maintenance than production. Lytechinus variegatus had a significantly greater consumption rate but did not absorb significantly more energy. Arbacia punctulata compensated for its lower food consumption by a higher absorption efficiency. Measured energy expenditure and calculated scope for growth did not differ. However, the percentage change in energy absorbed and energy expenditure was greater for L. variegatus than for A. punctulata with a change in temperature. Feeding had a greater effect on production than temperature suggesting that the biotic stress of low food availability is more important than an abiotic stress such as temperature on energy budgets.
Sediment heavy metals of a Mediterranean coastal lagoon: Agiasma, Nestos Delta, Eastern Macedonia (Greece)

1 - Sediment cores of Agiasma, Nestos Delta lagoon, characterized by the perennial angiosperm Ruppia cirrhosa and by the opportunistic macroalga Ulva sp. were analyzed for six heavy metals. The aim was to contribute (a) in quantifying origin and degree of heavy metal pollution, (b) in developing sediment pollutants base line data for eastern Mediterranean, and (c) in exploring the role of heavy metals in habitat type shifts. 2 - The maxima of total concentrations (in ppm dry weight) were the following: Cu (up to 37), Pb (up to 158.2), Ni (up to 59.2), Zn (up to 70.4), Cr (up to 112.3), and Hg (up to 0.1). These values are lower compared to the maxima measured in polluted lagoons and coastal ecosystems of the Mediterranean Sea. Mean total concentrations in Ulva habitat type were only for lead two times higher than in Ruppia habitat type. This result along with the Euclidean distance cluster analysis based on total metal concentrations suggested heavy metal pollution not to be a determinant factor of the habitat type shift in the Agiasma lagoon. 3 - Of two enrichment factors (ref, R), calculated only the “ref” indicated that habitat type of Ulva is slightly polluted by lead. The overall detected heavy metal surcharge could be attributed to local, e.g. fisherman, as well as to watershed, e.g. fresh waters, urban sewages, anthropogenic activities.
A data-model synthesis to explain variability in calcification observed during a CO2 perturbation mesocosm experiment

The effect of ocean acidification on growth and calcification of the marine algae Emiliania huxleyi was investigated in a series of mesocosm experiments where enclosed water volumes that comprised a natural plankton community were exposed to different carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations. Calcification rates observed during those experiments were found to be highly variable, even among replicate mesocosms that were subject to similar CO2 perturbations. Here, data from an ocean acidification mesocosm experiment are reanalysed with an optimality-based dynamical plankton model. According to our model approach, cellular calcite formation is sensitive to variations in CO2 at the organism level. We investigate the temporal changes and variability in observations, with a focus on resolving observed differences in total alkalinity and particulate inorganic carbon (PIC). We explore how much of the variability in the data can be explained by variations of the initial conditions and by the level of CO2 perturbation. Nine mesocosms of one experiment were sorted into three groups of high, medium, and low calcification rates and analysed separately. The spread of the three optimised ensemble model solutions captures most of the observed variability. Our results show that small variations in initial abundance of coccolithophores and the prevailing physiological acclimation states generate differences in calcification that are larger than those induced by ocean acidification. Accordingly, large deviations between optimal mass flux estimates of carbon and of nitrogen are identified even between mesocosms that were subject to similar ocean acidification conditions. With our model-based data analysis we document how an ocean acidification response signal in calcification can be disentangled from the observed variability in PIC.
Sustainability issues in the military: genesis and prospects

Despite the rising recognition and a growing body of literature on sustainability issues in the military, no comprehensive and systematic review on the topic has been published yet. Accordingly, the aim of this paper was to deconstruct the topic of sustainability in the military context by exploring its genesis, state-of-the-art knowledge and future prospects. Furthermore, the study addressed the question of practical importance about where sustainability in the military is ad hoc or institutionalized into management processes and procedures of organizations. The paper relied on the systematic literature review and used a bibliometric data analysis: citation network and keyword network analysis techniques were employed to select, analyse and interpret the genesis and prospects in the field. The data suggest there are three dominating research streams in the field: (1) environmentally sustainable solutions, (2) economic (un) sustainability of militarization and (3) social cohesion. The recent research on sustainability in the military marks a new trend where all three fields of sustainability are being integrated. It is also apparent form the analysis that a small but significant share of publications indicates institutionalization of sustainability in the military practice. This is particularly evident in relation to environmental issues.
The Use of Music Therapy/Music to Address Sleep Quality and Sleep Disorders: A Systematic Literature Review

Approximately 40% of adult Canadians struggle with sleep impairments of some kind. As more people turn to non-medical treatments, such as music therapy and the use of music for sleep troubles, music therapists need to be prepared to help. This systematic literature review investigated, synthesized, and analyzed research concerning the impact of music therapy/music on sleep quality. In this study, 37 articles including 35 published in peer-reviewed journals and 2 Master’s theses were examined and categorized based on the type of study, the use of music therapy or music medicine, the geographic and cultural background, the population and sample size, the research design, the interventions used, the measurement tools used, the music delivery method, the intervention duration, frequency, and treatment period; the music selection rationale, and the results of the study. The analysis showed the studies: a) came from a variety of countries and fields; b) investigated a number of different populations, both clinical and non-clinical; and c) employed an array of measurement tools, music delivery methods, intervention durations, frequencies, and treatment periods, rationales for music choice for the interventions, and mixed results. Of the 37 studies, 33 (89.2%) showed a positive influence of music therapy/music on sleep quality, while 4 (10.8%) found no impact. Six articles reported that music therapy/music had more or equal impact on sleep quality compared to other treatments. These results demonstrated that further research needs to be done to find the most effective interventions for improving the sleep quality of different populations and to explore music therapists’ roles in the area of enhancing sleep quality.
What Advertisers Want: A Hedonic Analysis of Advertising Rates in South African Consumer Magazines

This article explores the role of circulation, readership and reader demographics in the determination of advertising rates in South African consumer magazines. The study uses panel data collected between 2000 and 2003 to quantify the relationships by assigning implicit prices to various magazine characteristics. Furthermore, a synopsis of the structure of the magazine industry in South Africa is developed using cluster-analytic techniques. The analysis lends some statistical credence to some widely held beliefs in the publishing industry; namely that advertisers value the young, the educated and the affluent as audiences. The role of race and gender in the determination of magazine advertising rates is also explored.
Jurnal Teknologi Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Used-Frying Oil Using Candida Rugosa Lipase in Solvent-Free System

The effects of enzymatic hydrolysis of used-frying oil were carried out using an immobilized lipase from Candida rugosa in solvent-free system. Used-frying oil was used as a substrate in this study due to abundance amount of used-frying oil present in Malaysia as its disposal problem become a very serious environmental issue. The high free fatty acids (FFA) content in used-frying oil has raised the interest for the utilization of this waste into valuable products. Even though used-frying oil is not suitable for human consumption and being extensively used for biodiesel production, FFA from used-frying oil could be utilized to produce various types of non-edible products. Effects of enzyme loading, water content, reaction temperature, buffer pH and agitation speed on the degree of hydrolysis were investigated. The experiments were conducted at constant 3 hours reaction time. It was found that the effect of variables were very significant by influencing the hydrolysis process. The hydrolysis process achieved the highest yield of fatty acids at enzyme concentration of 1.5% (w/v), buffer volume to oil volume ratio of 3:1, temperature of 40 ̊C, pH of 7 and agitation speed of 220 rpm. Under these described conditions, nearly 98.1% degree of hydrolysis was achieved. A kinetic model based on Michaelis-Menten equation was used to determine the rate constant of Vmaxand Kmand it was found that the values are20. 8333μmol/ml.min and0.0833g/ml respectively which were gained from Lineweaver-Burk plot.
Two-dimensional algorithm of the density-matrix renormalization group

We propose an approach to implement the density-matrix renormalization group (DMRG) in two dimensions. With this approach the initial blocks of a LxL lattice are built up directly from the matrix elements of a (L-1)x(L-1) lattice and the topological characteristics of two-dimensional lattices are preserved in the iteration of DMRG. By applying it to the spin-1/2 Heisenberg model on both square and triangular lattices, we find that this approach is significantly more efficient and accurate than other two-dimensional DMRG methods currently in use.
Long-term observations of atmospheric aerosol, cloud condensation nuclei concentration and hygroscopicity in the Amazon rain forest – Part 1: Size-resolved characterization and new model parameterizations for CCN prediction

Size-resolved long-term measurements of atmospheric aerosol and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentrations as well as hygroscopicity were conducted at the remote Amazon Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO) in the central Amazon Basin over a one-year period and full seasonal cycle (March 2014 - February 2015). The presented measurements provide a climatology of CCN properties for a characteristic central Amazonian rain forest site. The CCN measurements were continuously cycled through 10 levels of supersaturation (S = 0.11 to 1.10 %) and span the aerosol particle size range from 20 to 245 nm. The observed mean critical diameters of CCN activation range from 43 nm at S = 1.10 % to 172 nm at S = 0.11 %. The particle hygroscopicity exhibits a pronounced size dependence with lower values for the Aitken mode (κAit = 0.14 ± 0.03), elevated values for the accumulation mode (κAcc = 0.22 ± 0.05), and an overall mean value of κmean = 0.17 ± 0.06, consistent with high fractions of organic aerosol. The hygroscopicity parameter κ exhibits remarkably little temporal variability: no pronounced diurnal cycles, weak seasonal trends, and few short-term variations during long-range transport events. In contrast, the CCN number concentrations exhibit a pronounced seasonal cycle, tracking the pollution-related seasonality in total aerosol concentration. We find that the variability in the CCN concentrations in the central Amazon is mostly driven by aerosol particle number concentration and size distribution, while variations in aerosol hygroscopicity and chemical composition matter only during a few episodes. For modelling purposes, we compare different approaches of predicting CCN number concentration and present a novel parameterization, which allows accurate CCN predictions based on a small set of input data.
Functional response and predatory interactions in conspecific and heterospecific combinations of two congeneric species (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

In the present study, the predatory interactions between two locally abundant large lady beetles, Coccinella septempunctata L. (C7) and Coccinella transversalis F. (Ct) provided with either an extremely scarce, scarce, sub-optimal, optimal or abundant supply of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) were investigated. For this, three 2-predator combinations (conspecific C7 + C7 and Ct + Ct, and heterospecific C7 + Ct) of 10-day-old unmated adult females were used. The relationships between the proportion of prey consumed by the predators in the conspecific and heterospecific combinations when provided with five different abundances of prey were similar in consisting of a decelerating (type II) functional response when provided with an extremely scarce to optimal supply of prey, followed by an accelerating (type III) functional response when provided with an optimal to abundant supply of prey. It is likely that the modified type II functional response recorded in the present study was a consequence of using a small experimental arena (Petri dish). The multiplicative risk model analysis revealed that the predators interacted antagonistically except in the C7 + C7 combination provided with an extremely scarce supply of prey where the predators had an additive effect. The predators in the heterospecific C7 + Ct combination consumed fewer aphids when provided with an extremely scarce, scarce, sub-optimal or optimal supply of prey prey than the predators in conspecific C7 + C7 combination but a similarly high number when provided with an abundant supply of prey. In addition, the efficiency of converting prey biomass into their own biomass was higher in the heterospecific C7 + Ct than in the conspecific C7 + C7 or Ct + Ct combinations at all prey densities. Although the conversion efficiency of the predators in the conspecific and heterospecific combinations provided with an extremely scarce supply of prey was the highest recorded, their growth rate was the lowest. In contrast, both the conversion efficiency and growth rate of the predators in the three combinations were highest when provided with an abundant supply of prey. It may, therefore, be concluded that when the predators in the combinations occupy similar ecological niches, they will probably consume less prey than they require when prey is both scarce and abundant because the predators interact antagonistically.
Visitor perspectives on commenting in museums

ABSTRACT Commenting in museums is a well-established way to give visitors a voice and encourage engagement with exhibition themes and with the institution. Despite its many benefits, we know little about the visitor perspective on commenting as current literature focuses mainly on museum and technology perspectives. This paper reports on a survey exploring visitors’ mental models, expectations and preferences when submitting comments to a museum. It briefly discusses related literature, describes the survey methodology and presents findings structured into six themes, including visitors’ (i) preferences for different commenting and feedback mechanisms, (ii) interest in personal information about comment authors, (iii) expectations on who reads submitted comments, (iv) assumptions about comment moderation, (v) views on the conservation of comments and (vi) opinions on ownership and potential reuse of comments. The paper concludes with a discussion of limitations and suggestions on how findings might inform policies and practices around commenting in museums.