Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Late Oligocene leaf and pollen flora of Southwestern Siberia: taxonomy, biogeography and palaeoenvironments

ABSTRACT Late Oligocene leaf assemblages from four sites in Southwestern Siberia (Kurgan, Tyumen, Omsk oblasts) are described. Twenty-three leaf taxa and 3 reproductive structures represent local vegetation of a lake (Salvinia, Typha, Phragmites, Nelumbo, Hemitrapa, Liquidambar, Pterocarya, Alnus, Populus, Salix, Nyssa). Additionally, 57 spore and pollen taxa were recorded from one site (Shish River). Gymnosperms dominate the assemblage with ~30% Pinaceae and ~25% taxodiaceous (papillate) Cupressaceae pollen. Ferns and peat mosses (Sphagnaceae) comprised ~6%. Angiosperms were dominated by Fagaceae, Betulaceae, Juglandaceae and Ulmus and comprised a few exotic elements (Liquidambar, Eucommia, Nyssa, Symplocos); scarce herbaceous plants reflect lakeshore vegetation. The flora of the Turgay type comprised old elements (Nelumbo protospeciosa, Liquidambar europaea, taxodiaceous/papillate Cupressaceae, Quercus sect. Protobalanus) and taxa present in Siberia/Kazakhstan during the Paleogene with later arrivals in Europe (Ulmus pyramidalis, Quercus pseudocastanea, Alnus julianiformis, Byttneriophyllum tiliifolium). A few taxa were endemic in the late Oligocene of western Siberia (Trapa praeconocarpa, Platycrater iljinskajae sp. nov.). Combined macrofossil and palynological evidence places the Shish River site flora into the late Oligocene Zhuravka (Turtas) Formation. Floras of similar composition from western Eurasia are commonly middle Miocene or younger in age highlighting the dynamic spatiotemporal evolution of temperate Eurasian floras during the Cenozoic.
Quality of Life: Changes in Self Perception in People with DS who Participate in Laliga Genuine Santander. Self Reports and External Reports

The hypothesis posed was whether participation in LaLiga Genuine Santander (competitive football) influenced the quality of life (QL) of the people who participated in it, since their perception of themselves is enhanced by all the aformentioned factors (self-determination, social inclusion, emotional well-being, physical well-being, material well-being, rights, personal development, interpersonal relationships). The objective was to evaluate the QL of people with Down's Syndrome (DS) using their self-perception (n=39) and the perception of the informants (family members, teachers) (n=39). The KidsLife-Down Scale, with a few modifications was used. In general, differences of opinion between the subgroups of participants with DS and informants showed that results were higher in terms of perception for participants in the DS subgroup. Scores for all variables were higher for those participants with DS who said they did engage in practicing competitive football. Despite the perception of informants provides a great deal of information regarding the QL of participants with DS, the latter should be involved in the evaluation process and their self perceptions taken into account. Our research shows that participation in the league modifies the perceptions of the participants with Down's Syndrome regarding their quality of life. However, these perceptions are not shared by the informants.
Students’ learning behaviours and their perception about quality of learning experience: the mediating role of psychological safety

ABSTRACT Experiential learning is considered important to develop managerial skills. Several archetypes are developed to facilitate learning, and various outcomes of experiential learning have been studied by organizational scholars. In an effort to contribute to the literature about learning, this research pursues (1) to examine the effect of students’ learning behaviours on their perception about the quality of learning experience in business education, (2) to examine the mediating role of psychological safety between learning behaviours and students’ perception about quality of their learning experience. Based on Kolb’s experiential-learning theory and Mezirow’s transformational learning theory this research used a cross-sectional design. Data were collected from 208 students studying in the final semester of their master degree program. Initially, the use of confirmatory factor analysis helped in assessing the validity of the scales in this research context. Later on, hypothesized relationships were tested through structural equation modelling (SEM). Results revealed significant positive impact of critical reflection, student-to-student interactions, and instructor-to-student interactions on students’ perceptions about the quality of learning experience. Moreover, psychological safety was found to mediate the relationship between learning behaviours and students’ perceptions about quality of learning experience. Practical implications for management educators have also been discussed in this paper.
ABO / Rh-D Blood types and susceptibility to Corona Virus Disease-19 in Peshawar, Pakistan

Objectives: To determine the association between ABO/Rh-D blood types and susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection in Pakistan. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 1935 confirmed cases of COVID-19 were included using consecutive sampling. Age and gender-matched sample of 1935 blood donors was used as a comparison group. Chi-square test and binary logistic regression were used for inferential statistics. Results: Significantly higher proportion of blood type-B was observed in COVID-19 group (35.9% vs 31.9%, p=0.009). Blood type-AB was found more frequently (14.2% vs 11.8%, p=0.03) in the comparison group. The Rh-D Positive blood types were 93.3% in COVID-19 group and 94.9% in comparison group (p=0.03). The odds of blood type-B, AB and Rh-D positive to test positive for SARS-CoV-2 were 1.195 (95% CI 1.04 – 1.36, p=0.009), 0.80 (95% CI 0.66 – 0.97, p=0.03) and 0.75 (95% CI 0.57- 0.98, p = 0.03), respectively. Blood types A and O did not have significant association with SARS-CoV-2 PCR result (p = 0.22 and 0.88, respectively). Conclusions: There is significant association between blood types B & AB and susceptibility to COVID-19. There is no association between blood types A and O with COVID-19. Rh- D positive blood types are less susceptible to COVID-19.
Coarsening kinetics of Ni3Sn4 scallops during interfacial reaction between liquid eutectic solders and Cu/Ni/Pd metallization

The thickening and radial growth kinetics of Ni3Sn4 scallops formed during interfacial reaction between liquid eutectic solders and electroplated Ni/Pd metallization scheme on Cu substrate is studied. Selective etching of solder revealed three-dimensional morphology, and the dynamical phenomena, such as faceting, competitive growth, and coalescence of Ni3Sn4 scallops during interfacial reaction. The growth kinetics of the Ni3Sn4 scallops in the submicron length scale was analyzed using an Arrhenius-type of equation. Both kinetics exhibited nonparabolic behavior with the time exponent greater than three. The thickening of the Ni3Sn4 layer during interfacial reaction was accompanied by the concomitant coarsening of the scallops. The coarsening kinetics during early stages of interfacial reaction was characterized by (i) a temporal law with the time exponent greater than three, (ii) a decrease in the average number of scallops per unit volume with reaction time, and (iii) an increase in the standard deviatio.
An Evaluation of the Utility of a Decision-Maker-Driven Climate Hazard Assessment Tool

Decision-makers who have little to no formal training in atmospheric science are increasingly accessing and interpreting climate data and information within planning contexts. Many climate decision support tools (DSTs) have been developed to support decision-making across a variety of sectors and scales, but evaluation of such tools has only recently begun to take place. This study conducted a summative evaluation of the utility of a decision-maker-driven climate hazard assessment tool, the Simple Planning Tool (SPT), a climate DST. The SPT was inspired by and codeveloped with emergency managers, planners, and a boundary organization in two south-central U.S. states. The SPT’s target audience was surveyed to assess the tool’s utility, including its saliency, credibility, trustworthiness, and reasons for and impact of information use on decision-making. A high utility was found despite a relatively limited user base at the time of the study. In addition, SPT users represented a range of jurisdictional sizes, geographical scales, and years of experience. Although the small user sample limits generalizability of the study, it is likely a realistic reflection of the number of emergency managers and planners in the two states who are actively and regularly incorporating climate hazards into planning. The data also indicate that climate boundary organizations and climate service providers should work toward utilizing trusted information sources, channels, and procedures within the sectors to which their tool applies to help increase decision-maker awareness and use of their tool.
Assessing 4th Grade Students' Computational Thinking through Scratch Programming Projects

Computational thinking (CT) has been introduced in primary schools worldwide. However, rich classroom-based evidence and research on how to assess and support students’ CT through programming are particularly scarce. This empirical study investigates 4th grade students’ (N = 57) CT in a comparatively comprehensive and fine-grained manner by assessing their Scratch projects (N = 325) with a framework that was revised from previous studies to aim towards enhancing CT. The results demonstrate in detail the various coding patterns and code constructs the students programmed in assorted projects throughout a programming course and the extent to which they had conceptual encounters with CT. Notably, the projects indicated CT diversely, and the students altogether encountered dissimilar areas in CT. To target the acquisition of CT broadly, manifold programming activities are necessary to introduce in the classroom. Furthermore, we discuss the possibilities of applying the assessment framework employed herein to support CT education through Scratch in classrooms.
Predictors of Turnover Intention in U.S. Federal Government Workforce: Machine Learning Evidence That Perceived Comprehensive HR Practices Predict Turnover Intention

This study aims to identify important predictors of turnover intention and to characterize subgroups of U.S. federal employees at high risk for turnover intention. Data were drawn from the 2018 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS, unweighted N = 598,003), a nationally representative sample of U.S. federal employees. Machine learning Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analyses were conducted to predict turnover intention and accounted for sample weights. CART analyses identified six at-risk subgroups. Predictor importance scores showed job satisfaction was the strongest predictor of turnover intention, followed by satisfaction with organization, loyalty, accomplishment, involvement in decisions, likeness to job, satisfaction with promotion opportunities, skill development opportunities, organizational tenure, and pay satisfaction. Consequently, Human Resource (HR) departments should seek to implement comprehensive HR practices to enhance employees’ perceptions on job satisfaction, workplace environments and systems, and favorable organizational policies and supports and make tailored interventions for the at-risk subgroups.
Analysis of the intestinal IgA response in mice exposed to chronic stress and treated with bovine lactoferrin.

Immunoglobulin (Ig) A, an antibody with a pivotal role in gut homeostasis, can be modulated by stress and bovine lactoferrin (bLf). The aim of the present study was to analyze the impact of chronic stress on the IgA response in the small intestine during bLf treatment. Male BALB/c mice (n=6 mice/group) underwent 1 h of chronic stress by immobilization for 7 consecutive days or were left unstressed, and were untreated or treated with bLf (50, 500 or 5,000 µg). Plasma corticosterone expression levels were determined by ELISA. The distal small intestine was dissected to analyze: i) total IgA, secretory IgA and IgG, as well as and specific IgA and IgG antibody levels in the intestinal liquid by ELISA; ii) α‑chain and polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR) protein expression in epithelial cell extracts analyzed by western blotting; iii) the mRNA expression levels of α‑/J‑chains, pIgR, IL‑2, IL‑4, IL‑5 and IL‑6 in whole mucosal samples by reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR. Data were analyzed by one‑way ANOVA, and the differences were analyzed by the Holm‑Šidák post hoc test and were considered significant if P<0.05. Results from the present study revealed the upregulatory effects of chronic stress on the total antibody levels, protein (α‑chain; 78‑kDa pIgR) and mRNA (α‑ and J‑chains; pIgR; IL‑6) expression levels were restricted by bLf under stress. The effects of chronic stress on the downregulation of IL‑2 and IL‑4 mRNA expression were not changed by bLf under stress. The corticosterone response in unstressed mice treated with 5,000 µg bLf and the specific‑IgG levels in the unstressed and stressed groups treated with bLf at all doses were increased. The findings suggested an effect of bLf in maintaining homeostasis under stress.
Connectedness among regional financial markets in the context of the COVID-19

ABSTRACT In this paper, a spillover index measure is used to explore the extent of the connectedness among a set of six regional stock markets over nearly 8 years from 25 June 2012, to 11 May 2020. Results show that financial markets reacted in largely the same way to the significant economic uncertainty caused by COVID-19, and provide striking evidence of the disconnect between the American emerging market and the global financial markets.
Does Minimum Tillage Improve Smallholder Farmers’ Welfare? Evidence from Southern Tanzania

Conservation agriculture continues to be promoted in developing nations as a sustainable and suitable agricultural practice to enhance smallholder productivity. A look at the literature indicates that this practice is successful in non-African countries. Thus, this research sought to test whether minimum tillage (MT), a subset of conservation agriculture, could lead to a significant impact on smallholder households’ welfare in Southern Tanzania. Using cross-sectional data from 608 randomly selected smallholder households, we applied propensity score matching to determine the effects of adopting minimum tillage on smallholder households’ per capita net crop income and labor demand. Our results indicated that minimum tillage adoption has positive impacts on smallholder households’ per capita net crop income. Further, it reduces the total household labor demands, allowing households to engage in other income-generating activities. However, the adoption rate of minimum tillage is in the early majority stage (21.38%). Thus, we propose the government to support household credit access and extension-specific information to improve the probability of adopting minimum tillage.
gWFM: A Global Catalog of Moderate-Magnitude Earthquakes Studied Using Teleseismic Body Waves

We present a compilation of 2131 high-fidelity mechanisms and centroid depths of moderate-magnitude earthquakes derived using synthetic body-waveform modeling (the Global Waveform-Modelled Earthquake Catalog v1.0—gWFM), which can be visualized and downloaded online (see Data and Resources). In this article, we describe the methods used to construct the gWFM and present a comparison between the earthquake depths and focal mechanisms in the gWFM with those derived by the International Seismological Centre, Global Centroid Moment Tensor (Global CMT) project, and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) W-phase, as well as 60 events studied using geodesy. We find that 20%–30% of the earthquakes in routine global catalogs have depths that differ by more than 10 km from those in the gWFM. Shallow-crustal earthquakes of Mw 5–6 are typically the worst located in depth by routine catalogs. Over 90% of the earthquakes in the gWFM are within ±15° in strike, ±5° in dip, and ±15° in rake of the Global CMT and USGS W-phase best double-couple moment tensor solutions. However, the mechanisms of shallow Mw 5–6 earthquakes in the routine catalogs can be inaccurate, due to the well-known insensitivity of long-period surface waves to the vertical dip-slip components of the moment tensor. The gWFM is an archive of well-constrained earthquake source parameters, though it will continue to update as new earthquake mechanisms and depths are published, thereby remaining an up-to-date research tool.
Gender asymmetries in Portuguese trade unions: The case of the CGTP-IN

Gender imbalances persist throughout the world, particularly at leadership level, and equally also visible in the case of trade unions. This article focuses on CGTP-IN, the largest Portuguese trade union confederation, and sets out analysis incorporating both figures from this organisation and accounts by female members of CGTP-IN unions. Results confirm the existence of gender asymmetries, especially at the highest leadership levels. Analysis of the discourses of these women leaders reveals some awareness of the influence of gender on professional relations, placing women at a disadvantage, especially where leadership is concerned. Furthermore, four reasons driving the persistence of these gender asymmetries in trade union leadership/decision-making roles were identified: family responsibilities, gendered professional segregation, masculine trade union cultures and traditional gender stereotypes. Nevertheless, the interviewees resist to means of affirmative action such as gender quotas, and instead prefer to prioritise education and raising awareness around gender equality.
Regional crop water use assessment using Landsat‐derived evapotranspiration

Reliable information on water use and availability at basin and field scales are important to ensure the optimized constructive uses of available water resources. This study was conducted with the specific objective to estimate Landsat‐based actual evapotranspiration (ETa) using the Operational Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEBop) model across the state of South Dakota (SD), USA for the 1986–2018 (33‐year) period. Validated ETa estimations (r2 = 0.91, PBIAS = −4%, and %RMSE = 11.8%) were further used to understand the crop water‐use characteristics and existing historic mono‐directional (increasing/decreasing) trends over the eastern (ESD) and western (WSD) regions of SD. The crop water‐use characteristics indicated that the annual cropland water uses across the ESD and WSD were more or less met by the precipitation amounts in the area. The ample water supply and distribution have led to high rainfed and low percentage of irrigated cropland (~2.5%) in the state. The WSD faced greater crop‐water use reductions than the ESD during drought periods. The landscape ETa responses across the state were found to be more sensitive than precipitation for the drought impact assessments. The Mann Kendall trend analysis revealed the absence of a significant trend (p > 0.05) in annual ETa at a regional scale due to the varying weather conditions in the state. However, about 12% and 9% cropland areas in the ESD and WSD, respectively, revealed a significant mono‐directional trend at pixel scale ETa. Most of the pixels under significant trend showed an increasing trend that can be explained by the shift in agricultural practices, increased irrigated cropland area, higher productions, moisture regime shifts, and decreased risk of farming in the dry areas. The decreasing trend pixels were clustered in mid‐eastern SD and could be the result of dynamic conversion of wetlands to croplands and decreased irrigation practices in the region. This study also demonstrates the tremendous potential and robustness of the SSEBop model, Landsat imagery, and remote sensing‐based ETa modelling approaches in estimating consistent spatially distributed evapotranspiration.
Effects of variety and maturity stage of coconut on physicochemical and sensory characteristics of powdered coconut drink

Introduction. Coconut water is rich in nutrients and biologically-active compounds. However, it has a short shelf life that can be prolonged by freeze drying. The purpose of this study was to analyze the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of fresh and powdered coconut drinks. Study objects and methods. The experiments included eight samples, namely fresh and powdered coconut drinks obtained from coconuts of different varieties (tall and hybrid) and maturity stages (4 and 6 m.o.). The samples were analyzed for nutrient content (ash, protein, fat, total carbohydrate, and fibre), physicochemical properties (titratable acidity, pH, viscosity, total soluble solids, turbidity, water activity, and browning index), and sensory characteristics (color, aroma, taste, texture, and overall acceptance). Results and discussion. The results obtained showed that there were significant differences among the coconut drinks of different varieties and maturity stages. They differed in nutrient content, pH value, titratable acidity, viscosity, and water activity. Meanwhile, the aroma, taste, and overall acceptance scores of all the samples were not significantly different. The powdered drink from 6 m.o. hybrid coconut was selected as the optimal sample due to its good sensory and physicochemical attributes. These attributes were similar to those of the fresh coconut drink. Conclusion. The powdered drink from 6 m.o. hybrid coconut obtained by freeze drying could be considered as an alternative healthy drink with good quality characteristics.
GEO-X (GEOspace x-ray imager)

GEO-X (GEOspace X-ray imager) is a 50 kg-class small satellite to image the global Earth’s magnetosphere in X-rays via solar wind charge exchange emission. A 12U CubeSat will be injected into an elliptical orbit with an apogee distance of ∼40 Earth radii. In order to observe the diffuse soft X-ray emission in 0.3-2 keV and to verify X-ray imaging of the dayside structures of the magnetosphere such as cusps, magnetosheaths and magnetopauses which are identified statistically by in-situ satellite observations, an original light-weight X-ray imaging spectrometer (∼10 kg, ∼10 W, ∼10×10×30 cm) will be carried. The payload is composed of a ultra light-weight MEMS Wolter type-I telescope (∼4×4 deg2 FOV, <10 arcmin resolution) and a high speed CMOS sensor with a thin optical blocking filter (∼2×2 cm2 , frame rate ∼20 ms, energy resolution <80 eV FWHM at 0.6 keV). An aimed launch year is 2023-25 corresponding to the 25th solar maximum.
GALI: a gamma-ray burst localizing instrument

The detection of astrophysical Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) has always been intertwined with the challenge of identifying the direction of the source. Accurate angular localization of better than a degree has been achieved to date only with heavy instruments on large satellites, and a limited field of view. The recent discovery of the association of GRBs with neutron star mergers gives new motivation for observing the entire γ-ray sky at once with high sensitivity and accurate directional capability. We present a novel γ-ray detector concept, which utilizes the mutual occultation between many small scintillators to reconstruct the GRB direction. We built an instrument with 90 (9 mm)3 CsI(Tl) scintillator cubes attached to silicon photomultipliers. Our laboratory prototype tested with a 60 keV source demonstrates an angular accuracy of a few degrees for ∼25 ph cm−2 bursts. Simulations of realistic GRBs and background show that the achievable angular localization accuracy with a similar instrument occupying 1l volume is < 2° . The proposed concept can be easily scaled to fit into small satellites, as well as large missions.