Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sideways deposition rate and ionized flux fraction in dc and high power impulse magnetron sputtering

The sideways (radial) deposition rate and ionized flux fraction in a high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) discharge are studied and compared to a dc magnetron sputtering (dcMS) discharge, while the magnetic field strength | B | and degree of balancing are varied. A significant deposition of the film forming material perpendicular to the target surface is observed for both sputter techniques. This sideways deposition decreases with increasing axial distance from the target surface. The sideways deposition rate is always the highest in dc operation, while it is lower for HiPIMS operation. The magnetic field strength has a strong influence on the sideways deposition rate in HiPIMS but not in dcMS. Furthermore, in HiPIMS operation, the radial ion deposition rate is always at least as large as the axial ion deposition rate and often around two times higher. Thus, there are a significantly higher number of ions traveling radially in the HiPIMS discharge. A comparison of the total radial as well as axial fluxes across the entire investigated plasma volume between the target and the substrate position allows for revised estimates of radial over axial flux fractions for different magnetic field configurations. It is here found that the relative radial flux of the film forming material is greater in dcMS compared to HiPIMS for almost all cases investigated. It is therefore concluded that the commonly reported reduction of the (axial) deposition rate in HiPIMS compared to dcMS does not seem to be linked with an increase in sideways material transport in HiPIMS.
Determination of Amino Acids in Corn Seed by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry

A gas chromatography–mass spectrometry method was developed for the determination of free amino acids from corn inbred lines flour. Amino acids were extracted using 6% trichloroacetic acid. The extracts were purified using an ion-exchange solid phase, derivatized as trifluoroacetic butyl esters, and analyzed. The 15N-methionine was used as the internal standard. The method was repeatable for most of the amino acids (coefficient of variation was in the order of 20%), and good accuracy and limits of detection were obtained. Among the free amino acids determined, the highest concentrations were obtained for aspartic acid, proline, gamma-aminobutyric acid, lysine, alanine, glutamic acid, and histidine. The study established the variation of the free amino acids within the inbred lines.
New tertiary sebecosuchians (Crocodylomorpha) from South America: Phylogenetic implications

A new family, genus and species of a sebecosuchian crocodile from the late Paleocene of northwestern Argentina is described. This new taxon shows several apomorphic conditions such as the bent premaxillae, very high posterior part of the jugal, bent pterygoids, 3 pairs of procumbent teeth and a broad retroarticular process. The cladistic analysis carried out places this taxon as the sister group of Sebecus. The sebecosuchians are defined as a natural group restricted to South America. The baurusuchids come from several upper Cretaceous localities of southeastern Brazil, and northwest of Patagonia. The bretesuchids were found in the middle Paleocene of Brazil, late Paleocene and late Eocene of Argentina. The wider geographical and chronological distribution corresponds to the sebecids. They are registered from the early Paleocene in Patagonia and Bolivia to the middle Miocene in Colombia. The sebecosuchians were strong predators and probably more terrestrial in habits than other crocodilians. The lateral c.
Nowhere to hide: impact of a temperature‐sensitive amphibian pathogen along an elevation gradient in the temperate zone

Amphibians are rapidly disappearing from habitats around the world and a major cause of these declines is the amphibian chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (“Bd”). The growth rate of Bd is strongly temperature-dependent, and in areas where temperatures are well outside the envelope in which Bd has high growth rates, amphibians may be afforded a refuge from the effects of Bd. This possibility has received considerable empirical support in hot climates, but remains largely untested in cold climates. We conducted a five-year study of the impact of Bd on the declining Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog (Rana sierrae) across an elevation/temperature gradient in Yosemite National Park using three approaches: (1) resurveys of all 285 R. sierrae populations to describe the landscape-scale patterns of Bd infection intensity, frog population size, and frog population persistence; (2) detailed description of seasonal patterns in temperatures and corresponding Bd infection intensities on R. sierrae; and (3) a frog translocation experiment in which infected R. sierrae from a single source lake were introduced into each of five lakes along an elevation gradient. We predicted that infection intensity should decrease with increasing elevation (i.e., decreasing temperature), and consequently frog survival, population size, and population persistence should increase with elevation. Results from resurveys indicated that frog population size increased with elevation but Bd infection intensity and frog population persistence were unrelated to elevation. Seasonal temperatures varied widely but had no significant effect on Bd infection intensity. Results from the translocation experiment indicated that Bd infection intensity and frog survival following translocation were also unrelated to water temperature. Therefore, contrary to the widely-accepted paradigm that cold environments should strongly limit effects of Bd on amphibians, we found little or no evidence of such limitation at even the highest elevations. Therefore, in temperate montane ecosystems it is unlikely that high elevations will provide amphibians with a refuge from Bd.
Response to fertilization by various plant growth forms in an Alaskan tundra: nutrient accumulation and growth

The fertilization responses of six tundra species belonging to three plant growth forms were compared to test the hypothesis that species of the same plant growth form are more similar to one another than to other growth forms in their response to a controlled perturbation. The controlled perturbation was a complete factorial NPK fertilization experiment in tussock tundra at Eagle Creek, Alaska, USA. We compared deciduous shrubs, evergreen shrubs, and functionally deciduous gra- minoids in terms of mineral and total nonstructural carbohydrate (TNC) concentrations, and annual production per stem or tiller. Species differed in the extent to which nutrient and TNC concentrations were altered by fertil- ization, although concentrations were usually changed in the same direction in all species in response to a given nutrient addition. Growth forms were not consistently different from each other in the responses of nutrient and TNC concentration, and frequently the two species from the same growth form responded differently. Growth per stem or tiller was stimulated most strongly by N and/or N + P fertilization in five of six species, with small and usually insignificant differences in magnitude but not direction of the response among species. Nutrient concentrations generally responded without interaction between fertilization treatments but the growth response was usually characterized by the N*P interaction, indicating that individual nutrient concentrations may vary widely and independently but that growth at Eagle Creek requires a balanced plant nutrition with first N and then P as the principal limiting factors. Decreases in TNC with fertilization suggested that carbon supply was not strongly limiting to plant growth. We conclude that species respond individually to fertilization in terms of nutrient and TNC ac- cumulation, but that the species or growth forms studied are not distinctive from each other on the basis of limiting nutritional factors for growth.
WATER STRESS AND GENOTYPIC EFFECTS ON EPICUTICULAR WAX PRODUCTION OF ALFALFA AND CRESTED WHEATGRASS IN RELATION TO YIELD AND EXCISED LEAF WATER LOSS RATE

Epicuticular wax production has been found to be associated with higher seed yield of drought-stressed crops. The present study was conducted to determine the relationship between epicuticular wax and forage yield in two range plant species. A line-source sprinkler system under an automated rainout shelter imposed an irrigation water gradient on 30 clones of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) from two source populations and 30 clones of crested wheatgrass (Agropyron desertorum [Fisch. ex Link] Schult.). Leaf epicuticular wax was determined gravimetrically at three contrasting water levels. Epicuticular wax production increased for all clones as water application declined in all three harvests for alfalfa and in the first harvest for crested wheatgrass. At the low water level, clones of creeping-rooted Spredor 2 alfalfa produced more epicuticular wax per unit leaf area than noncreeping-rooted NC-83-1 clones. Within the three water levels, epicuticular wax production and yield were not correlated in alfalfa for a.
Charge-Based Compact Drain Current Modeling of InAs-OI-Si MOSFET Including Subband Energies and Band Nonparabolicity

In this article, we report a physics-based compact model of drain current for InAs-on-insulator MOSFETs. The quantum confinement effect has been incorporated in the proposed model by solving the 1-D Schrödinger–Poisson equations without using any empirical model parameter. The model accurately captures the variation of surface potential, charge density in the inversion layer, and subband energy levels with gate bias inside the quantum well. The conduction-band nonparabolicity effect on modification in eigenenergy, effective mass, and density of states is derived and incorporated into the proposed model. The velocity overshoot effect that originates from the quasi-ballistic nature of carrier transport is also considered in the model. The proposed drain current model has been implemented in Verilog-A to use in the SPICE environment. The model predicted results are in good agreement with the commercial device simulator results and experimental data.
Business Cycles, Bilateral Trade and Financial Integration: Evidence From Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

Abstract This paper identifies the determinants of synchronization of business cycles in ECOWAS, which is a key issue from the perspective of creating a single currency in 2020. Indeed, conducting actions in the direction of synchronization of business cycles is important because the asymmetries of cycles observed within a monetary union determine its sustainability. We go further than previous studies in this area, as we (i) take into account financial linkages, (ii) propose new measures to improve the quality of results, and (iii) pay attention to the structure of trade by analyzing inter-regional links. Moreover, to highlight the role of adopting a single currency in ECOWAS, we compare the West African Economic and Monetary Union and the non-monetary zone within the ECOWAS zone. We find that bilateral trade and financial integration are determinants of the synchronization of business cycles in the region, with the regional financial integration channel dominating the international one. Finally, we show that the weakness of intracommunity trade does not constitute a barrier to the monetary union, and that the launch of the single currency is a means to increase business cycles synchronization through bilateral trade.
Seedbank persistence and seedling emergence of seven weed species in autumn-sown crops following a single year's seeding

Summary Seedbanks and seedling emergence, resulting from seeds shed in wheat crops and ploughed in, were monitored in two experiments for 3–4 years in successive autumn sown crops, in which herbicides were used to prevent re-seeding. Populations of Galium aparine, Papaver rhoeas, Lamium purpureum, Myosotis arvensis, Veronica persica, Viola arvensis and Veronica hederifolia were studied in separate plots. The numbers of viable seeds in the soil declined exponentially; G. aparine and V. hederifolia declined most, and P. rhoeas and V. arvensis least rapidly. Total weeds (all species) over the 3–4 years, (obtained by adding successive numbers of seedlings recorded in each autumn or winter), represented 3–4% of the first year seedbank for the combined species. Few seedlings emerged in the first year after seeding due to effective burial by the initial ploughing. The species showing the greatest emergence in the first year, relative to seedbank size, were G. aparine and V. hederifolia. Other, smaller seeded, species produced their main seedling flushes in the second and third years after seeding. It is concluded that poor weed control in one year is likely to result in large weed infestations for up to four years and probably longer for some species.
A comparison of self-organizing feature map clustering with TWINSPAN and fuzzy C-means clustering in the analysis of woodland communities in the Guancen Mts, China

SOFM (self-organizing feature map) clustering is powerful in analyzing and solving complicated and non-linear problems. This method was used and compared with fuzzy C-means clustering and TWINSPAN, the most common classification methods, in analysis of plant communities in the Guancen Mts. , China. The dataset consisted of importance values of 112 species in 53 quadrats of 10 m × 20 m. All the three methods classified the 53 quadrats into eight groups, representing eight associations of vegetation. They were all effective in the analysis of ecological data. The consistency of SOFM clustering with fuzzy C-means clustering (FCM) and TWINSPAN classification was 81.1% and 94.3%, respectively. SOFM clustering has some advantages and more potentiality in application to studies of ecology.
Impact of Implementing Blended Learning on Students' Interest and Motivation

The advent of technology has brought changes to the Malaysian education system. One of the aspects which draws many attention is the integration of technology in Teaching and Learning. This includes the implementation of blended learning, which is given emphasis in the Malaysian Education Blueprint (Higher Education) 2015-2025. Blended learning is a combination of face-to-face learning and e-learning. As such, this research aims to investigate the impacts of implementing blended learning on students' interest and motivation. A total of 87 students underwent a blended-learning class for ten weeks. At the end of the class, they were asked to answer a survey on their interest and motivation in relation to the attended class. They were also requested to write a reflection in the last class where five students were later interviewed for further clarification. Findings show that students have higher level of interest and motivation when participating in a blended learning classes. Hence, the implementation of blended learning has its advantages and ought to be further enhanced for its ability to draw students' interest and motivation in their learning.
Classification of the eastern alpine vegetation of Lesotho

Abstract Five vegetation communities in the alpine catchments of Lesotho were identified by hierarchical classification of the botanical composition data. Discriminant analysis indicated that these communities occupy particular topographic positions. The community‐environment relationships identified in this study were similar to those reported from other alpine areas of Lesotho. Grasslands at high altitudes are temperate in nature, with a high proportion of C3 grass species. Below 2 950 m on the warmer aspects and below 2 750 m on south‐facing slopes, subtropical grass species (C4) dominate the sward. Within the temperate and subtropical vegetation belts, slope orientation dictates the proportion of C3 species present in the sward. It is proposed that topography acts to modify the factors that directly influence plant growth by modifying solar radiation patterns.
Invasion Patterns along Elevation and Urbanization Gradients in Hawaiian Streams

Abstract Hawaii's extreme isolation has resulted in a native stream fauna characterized by high endemism and unusual life history characteristics. With the rapid increase in the human population, the viability of Hawaiian stream ecosystems is threatened by development and the associated habitat alteration. Thirty-eight sites on three islands (Oahu, Kauai, and Hawaii) were sampled to determine how habitat alteration resulting from urbanization and development was associated with the establishment of introduced species. Undeveloped sites had higher streamflow velocities, more riffles, lower embeddedness, deeper water, larger substrate, and lower water temperature than developed sites. Developed sites additionally had more pools and greater sparseness of riparian canopy cover. Overall, 23 fish species from 11 families and 5 crustacean species from 3 families were collected. Of these, 16 fish species and 3 crustacean species were introduced. Developed sites had on average almost twice as many species as undev.
Miconia cineana (Melastomataceae: Miconieae), a New Species from the Massif de la Hotte, Haiti, Based on Morphological and Molecular Evidence

Abstract We describe a new species, Miconia cineana (Melastomataceae: Miconieae), from the Massif de la Hotte, Haiti. Although this species has been known from sterile collections since the early 1980s, its phylogenetic position was unknown, although it was presumed to be closely related to species of Pachyanthus s. l. The phylogenetic reconstruction presented here, based on a recent collection of the species, clearly places M. cineana in a clade comprised of Cuban species of the polyphyletic genera Tetrazygia s. l. and Pachyanthus s. l. Thus, M. cineana represents the sole Hispaniolan member of an otherwise Cuban clade, and an uncommon biogeographic pattern in melastomes. Miconia cineana, although described here from sterile specimens, is easily distinguished from the other species of this clade using vegetative morphology, as well as phylogenetic placement. This study highlights the utility of molecular data when coupled with morphology, allowing for the discovery of an unrecognized species in a region of high diversity and endemism, i.e. the Massif de la Hotte.
The widespread declines of songbirds in rural Britain do not correlate with the spread of their avian predators

During the last 30 years, there have been marked declines in the populations of many British songbirds breeding on farmland, while two of their main predators, sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) and magpie (Pica pica), have spread back into areas from which they had disappeared. The causes of the songbird declines remain unclear but given the coincidence in timing, it might appear that increased predation could be responsible. Although many studies have failed to find links between changes in the populations of breeding songbirds and mortality from avian predators, previous work has, with few exceptions, involved only short–term studies on small spatial scales. Here we use large–scale, long–term data from a national bird census scheme to examine whether magpies and sparrowhawks could have depressed the rates of year–to–year population change in 23 songbird species. Our results indicate that magpies and sparrowhawks are unlikely to have caused the songbird declines because patterns of year–to–year population change did not differ between sites with and without these predators.
Estimating secondary production and benthic consumption in monitoring studies: A case study of the impacts of dredged material disposal in Galveston Bay, Texas

We examined the effects of dredged material disposal on benthic macroinvertebrates in Galveston Bay, Texas, USA, while investigating the utility of estimating secondary production with estimation methods that have less rigorous data requirements than most classical techniques. Production estimates were compared to estimates of benthic consumption by blue crabs, shrimp, and epibenthic fish. There was no evidence that dredged material disposal had a detrimental impact on benthic production; however, production was low throughout the entire bay the year following dredged material disposal, which may have obscured an assessment of the impact of disposal. In fact, disposal sites yielded both the highest production estimates and species richness in both the upper and lower bay areas 2 yr after disposal. Of the five estimation methods used, two that incorporated environmental parameters (temperature and depth) yielded similar and moderate results, ranging from 1.1 g ash-free dry weight m2 yr1 to 26.9 g ash-free dry weight (AFDW) m−2 yr−1 over the 4 yr studied. Daily food ration estimates applied to fishery-independent trawl-survey data yielded overall benthic consumption estimates ranging from 1.1 g AFDW m−2 to 1.7 g AFDW m−2. A second method of estimating consumption, which used transfer efficiency estimates and annual fisheries statistics produced slightly lower benthic consumption estimates (0.72–1.13 g AFDW m−2). The average consumption estimate exceeded benthic production in the upper bay in one of the 4 yr for which benthic production was estimated. In years with high benthic production, the estimated benthic food requirement of epibenthic predators was roughly 10–15% of benthic production. Variation in annual benthic production estimates was two to three times greater than the variation in consumption estimates.
Reproductive ecology and behaviour of a species of Adenomera (Anura, Leptodactylinae) with endotrophic tadpoles: Systematic implications

The species of the Leptodactylus fuscus group and those of the genus Adenomera lay their eggs in underground chambers. According to current systematic arrangement of these genera, this behaviour is convergent. Here we describe reproduction, courtship, tadpole morphology, calls, chamber structure, and populational phenology of an Adenomera species, and compare some of these features with those of other species of the genus and with species of Leptodactylus of the fuscus and pentadactylus groups. We tested the tadpoles of the Adenomera sp. and those of Leptodactylus labyrinthicus (pentadactylus group) for their foam‐making abilities. There was sexual dimorphism in size; males averaged 22.0 mm and females 24.3 mm in snout–vent length. Males called from late September to late February; calling often began about 2–3 h before sunset. Males called exclusively in open (non‐forest) areas. Egg clutches were found around male calling sites. Males excavated spherical chambers which had a direct entrance. During mating, the male led the female towards a previously excavated chamber. Territorial interactions (aggressive calls and fights) occurred when an intruder male approached a calling male. Late‐stage tadpoles and newly metamorphosed juveniles were found within underground chambers. Clutch size averaged 10.6; eggs averaged 3.7 mm in diameter and were cream coloured. Tadpoles had horny beaks, but no labial tooth; spiracle was present. All tested groups of tadpoles generated foam within 10 h. As we report for Adenomera sp. , the males of Leptodactylus species of the fuscus group lead the female to a previously excavated chamber. Tadpole foam‐making behaviour was reported in Leptodactylus of the fuscus group and was previously unknown for any species of Adenomera or for Leptodactylus of the pentadactylus group. The way in which the tadpoles of Adenomera sp. , Leptodactylus spp. (of the fuscus group) and L. labyrinthicus made foam was quite similar. The foam‐making behaviour of the studied tadpoles may act to avoid compaction of the tadpoles at the bottom of the basin or underground chamber, avoiding overcrowding and increasing respiratory and excretory efficiency. As presently recognized, the phylogenetic position of Adenomera suggests that reproductive major behavioural features are convergent with some Leptodactylus species. Alternatively, our data point to close phylogenetic relationships between Adenomera and Leptodactylus of the fuscus and pentadactylus groups, reinforcing the paraphyletic nature of the genus Leptodactylus.