Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Regeneration Process from Seed Crop to Saplings - a Case Study in Uneven- Aged Norway Spruce-Dominated Stands in Southern Finland

The dynamics of spruce regeneration, from seed crop to saplings, was studied based on five permanent plots in uneven-aged, spruce-dominated, boreal forest stands, cut with single-tree selection in the beginning of the 1990’s. The annual fluctuation of the spruce seed crop was very similar in uneven-aged and even-aged stands. The correlation between seed crop and number of germinants was significant; but stem number, basal area or volume of the stand did not influence on seedling emergence. The effects of good seed crops were seen as peaks or an increase in the number of germinants and smallest seedlings. The mean number of ‘stabilised’ spruce seedlings (height 11 cm to 130 cm) varied from 6000 ha –1 to over 25 000 spruce seedlings ha –1 from one monitoring plot to another. On a monitoring plot the number of ‘stabilised’ spruce seedlings was stable over time. Neither stand basal area nor stand volume influenced the number of ‘stabilised’ spruce seedlings, but the height of these seedlings was higher on subplots with lower stand volume and smaller basal area. In this study the monitoring period, 5–10 years, was too short to obtain reliable figures for ingrowth, i.e. the transition of seedlings to the sapling stage (h > 130 cm). The adjusted mean ingrowth was 26 stems ha –1 year –1 .
Measurement of zooplankton grazing using particles labeled in light and dark with [methyl-3H] methylamine hydrochloride

Zooplankton grazing rates were estimated by measuring ingestion of [methyl-3~]methylamine hydrochloride ( 3 ~ ~ e ~ ) lab lled particles. Experiments were carried out in laboratory culture and in diverse natural plankton assemblages (Chesapeake Bay and Sargasso Sea). Uptake of MeA by particulate matter was linear in both Light and dark conditions over the first hour of incubation and was highest In bacteria-sized particles compared to phytoplankton. In situ grazing rates estimated for zooplankton > 200 pm using particles labelled during daylight with both 3 ~ ~ e ~ and NaI4CO3 were similar. The technique was used to measure zooplankton grazing above and below the euphotic zone, day and night in the Chesapeake Bay during May 3 to 5, 1989. Filtration rates showed no die1 pattern but were 2to 10-fold higher in the deep chlorophyllmaximum compared with surface waters. From these data, we conclude that the 3 ~ ~ e ~ technique is useful for measuring grazing on natural particles at night and at depth where NaI4CO3 incorporation by phytoplankton is not sufficient for in situ grazing experiments.
Heavy and light minerals as a tool for reconstructing depositional environments: an example from the Jałówka site (northern Podlasie region, NE Poland)

Abstract Part of northern Podlasie (NE Poland), shaped during the Wartanian stadial of the Odranian glaciation (Saalian), was situated in the periglacial zone during the Vistulian (Weichselian) glaciation. Both landforms and sediments were affected by the periglacial conditions. This is recorded at the Jałówka site, at the floor of a dry valley, where mineral deposits of 4.13 m thick, overlying organic deposits from the Eemian interglacial, were examined. These mineral deposits form four units, from bottom to top: a fluvial unit (I), a loess-like unit (II), a solifluction unit (III), and an aeolian unit with ice wedges (IV) on top of unit III. The heavy and light minerals were analysed, as well as the geochemistry, in order to find out about the parent material and to reconstruct the climatic conditions during deposition. The mineral analysis indicates that the Saalian till was predominantly derived from shallow-marine deposits; erosion accompanied by sorting of the heavy minerals took place on the basis of their mass and grain size. The original material of the till seems therefore to be sedimentary rocks from the eastern Central Baltic Basin. This material became strongly weathered under the periglacial conditions, resulting in the destruction of the quartz grains, as well as in leaching, leading to complete decalcification of the deposits. Aeolian activity resulted in infilling of ice wedges and the creation of thin layers. The intensity and the duration of these processes was limited, so that the effects of the aeolian abrasion are insignificant. Neither resulted the aeolian activity in significant reshaping of the landscape.
Relays and Marathons: The Effects of Succession Choice Surrounding CEO Turnover Announcements

This study examines marathon successions, which I define as instances where a permanent successor is not chosen at the time of a CEO departure. Marathons have become increasingly prevalent over the last ten years and represent the majority of succession decisions surrounding forced turnovers from 1995-2005. Firms implementing marathon successions around forced turnovers have strong internal governance structures, as measured by board size, director ownership, percentage of outside directors, and dual Chairman/CEO appointments. In addition, I find little evidence supporting the argument that extending the succession process through the use of a marathon leads to increases in uncertainty and/or agency costs in the form of horizon problems. Lastly, I find positive and significant announcement returns for forced marathon successions. These results provide insight into the succession process and the role of strong internal corporate governance in evaluating and implementing succession decisions.
Shared-Aperture Dual-Band Dual-Polarization Array Using Sandwiched Stacked Patch

An L/C dual-band dual-polarized (DBDP) shared aperture microstrip array is proposed in the paper. In the array, the novel sandwiched stacked patch structure is proposed and employed to improve lower band bandwidth for given antenna thickness. Several key issues regarding the proposed structure are discussed, including: 1) merits of proposed sandwiched stacked patch structure; 2) C-band feeding method; 3) radiation performance in both bands. A prototype array of L/C DBDP sandwiched stacked patch is designed and fabricated to verify the feasibility of the proposed structure, where the measured data are presented in the paper.
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE IN INDIA

Abstract This paper examines the impact of Corporate Governance (CG) on Financial Performance considering the endogeneity between Corporate Governance and Firm Characteristics using a sample of large listed Indian firms over the period 2008 to 2011. We construct a "CG Index" using six important governance mechanisms covering a total of 44 parameters affecting the state of governance of Indian companies. The analysis of Corporate Governance Index for a period of four years found a rising trend in the level of the corporate governance practices of Indian companies. We then examine the relation of CG Index on firm characteristics using simultaneous equation modeling. Results show that there is a strong association between CG Index and the market performance of companies. Keywords: Corporate Governance, Financial Performance, Corporate Governance Index, Simultaneous Equation Model and Endogeneity *School of Business Management, Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Vile Parle (W), Mumbai-400 056, India Tel: +91-9769921182 Email: Arunima.Haldar@nmims.edu **SJMSOM,IIT Bombay
Body composition assessment by bioelectrical impedance analysis and body mass index in individuals with chronic spinal cord injury

Abstract Purpose: To assess body composition and obesity in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) who practice and do not practice physical activity using body mass index (BMI) and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Methods: 39 patients with SCI went through BIA evaluation and BMI was assessed. Patients were divided into four groups according to injury level (paraplegia or tetraplegia) and physical activity achievement (active or inactive). Results: 22 individuals with paraplegia (7 active and 15 inactive) and 17 with tetraplegia (5 active and 12 inactive) were evaluated. BMI, fat percentage, fat mass, lean tissue mass, total body water (TBW), and TBW percentage were assessed in groups. Tetraplegic inactive groups showed higher fat percentage featuring obesity. For paraplegic active group mean fat percentage was 19.61% (±9.27) and mean fat mass was 16.66 kg (±9.71) and for paraplegic inactive group fat percentage was 23.27% (±5.94) and fat mass 18.59 kg (±7.58). For tetraplegic groups in active group the fat percentage was 17.14% (±6.32) and fat mass was 11.22 kg (±5.16) and for inactive group mean fat percentage was 33.68% (±4.74) and fat mass was 25.59 kg (±2.91). When paraplegic and tetraplegic inactive groups were compared differences were observed in fat percentage (p = 0.0003) and fat mass (p = 0.0084). Also, when tetraplegic groups (activeXinactive) were compared differences in percentage (p = 0.0019) and fat mass (p = 0.034) were observed. Only for the paraplegic inactive group BMI result was higher than 25 kg/m2. Conclusion: BMI does not discriminate between obesity levels in individuals with SCI and physical activity can improve body composition and prevent obesity in SCI patients.
Compton scattering effects on the duration of terrestrial gamma‐ray flashes

Terrestrial gamma‐ray flashes (TGFs) are gamma‐ray bursts detected from space that are associated with lightning activity. In the present paper, we show that the shorter TGF durations (∼50μs) recently discovered by the gamma‐ray burst monitor (GBM) aboard the Fermi Gamma‐Ray Space Telescope are consistent with the temporal dispersion associated with the Compton scattering of photons produced by an instantaneous TGF source. This new result suggests that short TGF pulses observed from satellites correspond to very short TGF sources with durations less than ∼10μs and that the observed long TGF pulses (≳100 μs) may be due to overlapping of emissions produced by a sequence of elementary processes with much shorter temporal durations.
Effect of fenugreek seeds on hens’ egg yolk color and sensory quality

Correspending author : abdoulihedi@gmail.com Abstract A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of ground fenugreek seed given to laying hens at 0 (FS0), 2 (FS2), 4(FS4) or 6(FS6) g/hen/d on egg color and sensory quality. Forty, 52-wkold, Lohmann White laying hens (10 hens per treatment) were fed for 45 days 100 g/d of a basal diet containing in addition the specified ground fenugreek seed amounts. There were no differences (P>0.05) in egg yolk color scores (RYCF), nor in yellowness (b*) whereas lightness (L*) was increased (P<0.05) and redness (a*) was reduced (P<0.05) by both FS4 and FS6 diets. Egg yolk off-flavor and over all acceptability scores were not affected (P>0.05) by ground fenugreek seed. Offflavor scores varied from ‘very weak’ to ‘weak’ and acceptability appreciation ranged from ‘not like or dislike’ to ‘like slightly’. It can be concluded that ground fenugreek seeds given to Lohmann Whilte laying hens at up to 2 g/hen/d had no effect on egg color and sensory quality. More than 2 g fenugreek seed/d had an adverse effect on egg yolk redness.
Title Differential response of alpine steppe and alpine meadow to climate warming in the central Qinghai – Tibetan Plateau Permalink

Recently, the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau has experienced significant warming. Climate warming is expected to have profound effects on plant community productivity and composition, which can drive ecosystem structure and function. To explore effects of warming on plant community productivity and composition, we conducted a warming experiment using open top chambers (OTCs) from 2012 to 2014 in alpine meadow and alpine steppe habitat on the central Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau. We measured aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP), community composition and species diversity under ambient and two levels of artificially warmed conditions across three years. Our results showed that warming significantly stimulated plant growth in the alpine meadow, but reduced growth on the alpine steppe. The increase of ANPP in alpine meadow was a result of an increase of plant height under warming. Warming-induced drought conditions were primarily responsible for the observed decrease of ANPP in an alpine steppe. Plant community composition and species diversity were not influenced by warming in alpine meadow. Alternatively, in alpine steppe, cover of graminoids and forbs significantly declined while legumes substantially increased under warming, subsequently resulting in rapid species losses. Changes in soil moisture were responsible for observed changes in graminoids and legumes in the alpine steppe. Overall, experimental results demonstrated that warming had a positive impact on plant community structure and function in alpine meadow and had a negative impact on these characteristics in an alpine steppe. This work highlights the important role of soil moisture for regulating plant productivity and community composition response to warming in the alpine steppe. In particular, the deep-rooted, drought resistant plants may increase in a warmer future in the central Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau. These changes may reduce habitat quality for the local community of grazers because many of the species that increased are also unpalatable to grazers.
Employment decisions of new mothers in Italy: the role of employment protection

In this paper we use newly available individual-level data from the Longitudinal Survey of Italian Households to investigate the factors aecting women’s employment after the birth of the first child. We find that a higher degree of job stability and employment protection favour a stronger labour market attachment on the part of new mothers. Even after accounting for dierences in average weekly hours, we find that women working in the public sector have a probability to be employed after chilbirth which is more than 20 percent higher than that of women with similar characteristics working in small private firms. Overall, the analysis conveys the picture of a ‘dual’ labour market where women with highly protected and stable jobs find it easier to combine career and family, while those who are less sheltered by the legislation are more likely to withdraw from the labour market.
Evaluating FIDO: Developing and pilot testing the Field Instantaneous Dog Observation tool

Field assessments of the health and welfare of kenneled dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) must be both accurate and rapid. In order to facilitate such evaluations, especially by individuals with limited training in canine behavior and welfare, a non-invasive tool was developed and pilot-tested utilizing dogs housed in commercial breeding facilities. Behavioral responses to approach were organized into three categories: red, indicating a fearful response to approach, green, indicating an affiliative or neutral response to approach, and yellow, indicating an ambivalent response to approach. The inter-rater reliability (IRR) of the tool when used by both behavioral experts and novice raters was evaluated with and without the presence of the dog’s familiar caretaker. Utilizing Cohen’s kappa, the experts had almost perfect levels of agreement (kappa=0.87). The novice raters had substantial levels of agreement (kappa=0.74). Overall, the dogs assessed by the novice raters had high proportions of green responses to approach and there was no statistically significant effect of caretaker presence on the proportion of green responses to approach. The assessment tool evaluated herein appears to have a high degree of IRR whether used by experts in canine behavior or by novice raters and may be a useful screening tool to determine the need for more in-depth welfare assessments.
Transformative Multiculturalism and the Supervision of Social Studies Student Teachers: A Critical Look at One University Supervisor’s Approach

This collaborative study, conducted by two social studies teacher educators, examines how one university supervisor translates his theoretical commitment to transformative multiculturalism into his practice with student teachers. The value of this study is that it (1) illustrates the subtle nuances and applications of the transformative multicultural approach to social studies; (2) provides concrete examples of how a university supervisor, cooperating teacher, or mentor can coach a novice teacher to incorporate dimensions of transformative multiculturalism into his or her practice; and (3) explores some potential barriers to implementing a transformative multicultural perspective with pre-service and novice teachers through an honest reflection of where the university supervisor has fallen short of his professed commitment to transformative multiculturalism.
Gene Therapy and Modification as a Therapeutic Strategy for Cancer

Gene therapy is an exciting new field of personalized medicine, allowing for medical procedures that can target diseases such as cancer in novel ways. Technologies that involve gene transfer treatments allow for the insertion of foreign DNA into tumour cells, resulting in restored protein expression or altered function. Gene therapy can also be used as a form of immunotherapy, either by modifying cancer cells to make them better targeted by the immune system, or by modifying the body’s immune cells to make them more ag­gressive towards tumours. Additionally, oncolytic virotherapy uses classes of genetically modified viruses that can specifically target and interfere with tumour cells. The ongoing development of the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing tool may also have promise in future therapeutic applications, with the tool being capable of removing cancer-causing, latent viral infections, such as HPV, from afflicted cells. Nonetheless, there are still many questions of safety, efficacy, and commercial viability which remain to be resolved with many gene therapy procedures. There is also emerging controversy over the ethical, legal, and moral implications that modifying the genetic content of human beings will have on society. These concerns must be confronted and addressed if the benefits promised by gene therapy are to be properly realized. La therapie genetique est un nouveau domaine d’etude medicale personnalisee qui permet de cibler des maladies specifiques comme le cancer de facon innovatrice. Cette therapie utilise le transfert de genes avec une insertion d’ADN etrangere dans les cellules can­cereuses dans le but de restaurer l’expression des proteines et de retrouver la fonction cellulaire. La therapie genetique peut aussi etre utilisee comme une forme d’immunotherapie, soit en modifiant les cellules cancereuses pour qu’elles soient mieux ciblees par le systeme immunitaire ou en modifiant les cellules immunitaires du corps pour les rendre plus agressives envers les tumeurs. De plus, une virotherapie oncolytique utilise des virus genetiquement modifies qui peuvent cibler specifiquement et interferer avec des cellules cancereuses. Le developpement du systeme d’edition genetique CRISPR/Cas9 s’avere prometteur pour les applications therapeutiques futures. Cet outil est capable d’enlever les infections virales latentes dans les cellules affectees qui peuvent causer le cancer, tel que l’HPV. Malgre ces decouvertes, plusieurs questions importantes demeurent quant a la securite et a l’efficacite de leur application. Il s’agit d’un domaine controverse avec des implications ethiques, legales, et morales, car le tout implique une modification du contenu genetique humain. Ces inquietudes doivent etre adressees afin de pouvoir continuer a explorer les bienfaits de cette therapie gene­tique. En poursuivant la recherche dans ce domaine, il serait possible de valider cette therapie et optimiser ses bienfaits.
Teachers' Views of Social-Emotional Skills and Their Perspectives on Social-Emotional Learning Programs.

This research aimed to understand primary teachers’ views of primary teachers’ social-emotional learning and social-emotional learning programs in Turkey. Findings revealed that although most of the teachers had heard of the concept of social-emotional learning, they could not give a detailed explanation of it. Additionally, most of them were not aware of the Emotional and Social Development program implemented since 2012 in Turkey. The findings imply that teachers should be informed about social-emotional learning and that efforts should be made to implement the Emotional and Social Development program effectively. Through this research, primary teachers' views of social-emotional learning were identified for the first time in Turkey. Hence, findings will help researchers, teacher trainers and teachers, as well as policy makers, to develop students' social-emotional learning skills and acknowledge the social-emotional learning programs. Keywords : Social-emotional learning, social-emotional skills, primary teacher
Characteristics of small-scale sheep production systems in some communal areas of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

The objective of this study was to examine the characteristics of small-scale livestock production systems in some communal areas of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. The parameters surveyed include sex, age, educational and marital status of the farmers, types of livestock raised and production system practiced. The study revealed that mixed crop-livestock production systems were dominant in the study area. Majority of the respondents (72.4%) were male and approximately 59% of the older male farmers were more than 70 years old with the highest mean flock size of 86. A total of 62% of these farmers had basic education and a mean family size of 5.9±3.0. Most of the sheep farmers (70.9%) bought their foundation stock, but 6.5% of them obtained theirs through bride price (lobola). Generally, livestock species owned by the respondents were sheep (71.8%), poultry (12.9%), cattle (7.7%), goats (4.4%), dogs (1.3%), pigs (0.6%) and others (1.3%). Family labour is mostly used for animal management and herding, being done by men (65%) and boys (30%), respectively. The natural veld provides highest feed resource base for the animals and almost all the respondents provide night shelter for their sheep, in the kraal that is adjacent to the main family house. The prevalence of gall sickness was ranked the highest (22.1%) among the diseases and parasites affecting sheep. While 80% of the respondents treated their animals with stock remedies, a very low proportion of them (3.4%) adopts an integrated approach of using commercial drugs and local herbs or call animal health technicians to treat sick animals. Key words: Gall-sickness, herd size, characteristics, sheep farming.
Wood density as a proxy for vulnerability to cavitation: Size matters

In this study, vulnerability to cavitation, P50 (i.e. the water potential causing 50 % loss of hydraulic conductivity), of Norway spruce trunkwood at different cambial age was related to wood density. Wood density was calculated from mass in the oven dry state related either to volume at the oven-dry state (dry wood density) or to volume at full saturation (basic wood density). Dry wood density and basic wood density were strongly linearly related (r² = 0.99); there was however a shift from the 1:1 reference line with increasing dry wood density. Dry wood density as well as basic wood density had similar high predictive qualities for P50 (r² = 0.85). The quadratic regression lines took however a quite different course below -4 MPa because volume shrinkage increased with increasing dry wood density. For Norway spruce sapwood with high dry wood density, mixing up different wood density traits would thus result in a predicted overestimation or underestimation of vulnerability to cavitation. Gravimetrically wood density measurements at different moisture contents (starting at full saturation) are easily to achieve on standard size specimens and the conversion curves obtained will be of high value for future ecological studies on other species and across species.