Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Does the Indian Act Influence the Income and Education Outcomes of Manitoban Urban Indian People?

This article answers the question, 'is the influence of the Indian Act associated with worse economic income and education outcomes in Manitoba? This investigation focuses on the category of Aboriginal persons who self-reported as First Nations and compared the economic outcome of Status Indians (those affected by the Indian Act) with those of non-Status Indians. This paper's principal contribution to the field is that it assesses empirically the effect of the Indian Act on the economic outcomes of the Indian population in Manitoba using the 2011 NHS individual data. The results indicate that being a Status Indian is associated with a lower probability of higher economic outcomes in terms of income and education.
Ethical Implications of Security Vulnerability Research for Critical Infrastructure Protection

Security vulnerability research (SVR) involves searching for security flaws in a system. Such activity is likely to raise ethical concerns which need to be considered. For example, if a security researcher discovers a vulnerability in a critical infrastructure that can be exploited by an attacker; what is the right thing to do? Based on ‘duty of care’ principle and the fact that a public disclosure would force the critical infrastructure operator to quickly address the issue; going public with the discovery seems to be the right course of action. However, based on ‘do not cause harm to others’ principle, a public disclosure could badly affect the reputation of the critical infrastructure operator. Also, there is the possibility that the disclosed vulnerability could be exploited by an attacker before the operator is able to resolve the problem. The question would then be: is public disclosure still the right thing to do? This type of situation raises an ethical dilemma because a critical infrastructure is a system that is essential for the maintenance of vital societal functions and any attack against such an infrastructure would have a devastating effect. In this paper, we examine the ethical implications of SVR for critical infrastructure protection using the three normative ethical theories. First, we review the state-of-the-art of ethics in SVR. Then, we investigate how the three different normative ethical frameworks would respond to a hypothetical scenario relating to security vulnerability in a critical infrastructure in order to provide guidance for security researchers involved in SVR. Finally, we present a discussion on how a security researcher would make an ethical decision when confronted with an ethical dilemma. We observe from this study that a security researcher could rely on the three different normative ethical frameworks to reason about the best course of action during SVR for critical infrastructure protection.
The Biology and Life Cycle of a New Zealand Population of Heterorhabditis Heliothidis (Heterorhabditidae)

The life cycle of a Heterorhabditis population reared in Galleria mellonella (L) (Lepidoptera: Galleriidae) closely resembling H. heliothidis (Khan et al., 1976) was studied. Two cycles can be recognised, one with a complete set of four larval stages and one with only a first and a fourth larval stage. L1 hatches from the egg. L2 is the resistant infective stage with longitudinal lines in the cuticle. L3 possesses sclerotised structures in the lip region. L4 in the complete life cycle are always female. L4 in the short cycle are female or male. The male is short lived and probably does not feed. The female of the complete cycle is usually larger than those developing through the short cycle but in all other characters they are the same. All stages are described and illustrated.
NEW DATA ON THE CRANIAL ANATOMY OF LYCAENOPS (SYNAPSIDA, GORGONOPSIDAE), AND REFLECTIONS ON THE POSSIBLE PRESENCE OF STREPTOSTYLY IN GORGONOPSIANS

ABSTRACT Study of a skull attributed to Lycaenops angusticeps reveals the presence of a ventral flange of the jugal that supports the transverse flange of the pterygoid. The quadrate was apparently not streptostylic, contrary to previous reports because its articulation with the epipterygoid and the pterygoid would only allow slight bending and because extensive movement of the quadrate would have been accompanied by similar movements of the stapes. Several characters previously used to argue for streptostyly of the gorgonopsian quadrate are primitive characters that were present in Permo-Carboniferous synapsids. The reduction of the contact between quadrate and pterygoid may have been selected for improved hearing of air-borne sounds. The reflected lamina was possibly involved in the reception of air-borne sounds (if gorgonopsians could detect them), along with the tympanum.
The Characteristics, Valuation Methods, and Information Use of Valuation Specialists

We provide insights into the inputs and valuation models used by valuation specialists. We survey 172 valuation specialists and conduct several follow-up interviews covering various topics, including the valuation inputs, models, and industry information that they use, as well as how they estimate long-term growth and the cost of capital. We find that valuation specialists rely on their professional judgment to select a valuation model but prefer the discounted cash flow (DCF) model. They primarily rely on the firm's historical performance when forecasting the financial statements, but communication with management is particularly relevant for forecasting future earnings or cash flows. When estimating the cost of capital, they most commonly use the risk-free rate with subjective adjustments. The results of our study provide insights on the information use of valuation specialists that are relevant to other valuation specialists, managers, academic researchers, and regulators. JEL classification: M41; G12; G17; G32.
Intelligent and Adaptive Multi-Objective Optimization in WANET Using Bio Inspired Algorithms

A WANET is a specific type of Adhoc network with a community of specialized, self-organizing mobile devices. Because of the complex existence of mobile devices and wireless networking, the adhoc network communicating in wireless manner faces many problems related to the topological organizations , battery capacity limitations that results in energy restrictions, transmission of information, etc. The significant attributes of an adhoc network communicating in wireless manner are the quality of service and the percentage of energy used. Nowadays as the bio-inspired computing plays a major role in the research field. Specifically bio-inspired algorithms motivated by nature's actions are used immensely to accomplish optimization in issues faced in communication. Massive works have been reported in the recent years to enhance the quality of service utilizing the Bio-inspired computing due to its intelligent and adaptive nature. The paper proposes the intelligent and an adaptive routing employing the bio inspired genetic bee colony algorithm and the ant colony optimization to have optimized energy utilization maximizing the longevity of the network. The proposed method is evaluated suing the network simulator-2 on the basis of the energy utilization, longevity and the service quality (Throughput) of the network, the results observed for the method put forth were better compared to the existing methods.
Partitioning of vocal activity in a Neotropical highland-frog community

Vocal activity was studied in a Colombian highland-frog community, consisting of five frog species belonging to three families with three different reproductive modes, which reproduced simultaneously in the area. We encountered one diurnal and four nocturnal species. Each species had a distinct call structure, and the 24-hour patterns of calling activity differed significantly between all but two species. Interspecific differences in dominant call frequencies corresponded inversely to differences in male snout-vent length. Only one species called in ponds, whereas all other species used terrestrial sites. Among the terrestrial callers there seemed to be interspecific differences in plant use as calling sites. Our results indicate that despite the low number of species, interspecific vocal partitioning is pronounced, and probably important for reliable vocal communication.
Ontogenetic and fertilizer effects on stable isotopes in the green frog (Rana clamitans)

Anurans undergo dramatic morphological and physiological changes at metamorphosis, accompanied by shifts in diet and habitat. Frogs provide an ideal model organism for studying ontogenetic shifts in diet due to their biphasic life history and widespread distribution throughout their range. Analysis of stable isotopes of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in green frog tadpoles and adult frogs was used to describe ontogenetic shifts in diet and habitat. Adult and larval green frogs were collected from four wetland locations in Nova Scotia, Canada and analyzed for stable isotopes. Differences in isotopic ratios were observed among tadpoles and adults. Tadpoles from wetlands with high nitrate concentrations exhibited greater δ15N values than adults, while tadpoles from wetlands without N enrichment had lower δ15N values. These enriched nitrogen signatures were probably the result of larval exposure to nitrogenous pollution originating from fertilizers and illustrate the difficulties in using isotope analysis to quantify trophic structure in biphasic organisms occupying dramatically different habitats.
Intertidal invertebrate and algal communities on the rocky shores of the bay of morbihan kerguelen south indian ocean

Both the emergent surfaces and tide pools of the rocky intertidal shores of the Bay of Morbihan, Kerguelen are depauperate in number of macroinvertebrate and macroalgal species. Diversity (H') was high and similar for macroinvertebrates in tide pools from the high to low intertidal and on the emergent surface exposed at extreme low-tide when calculated in terms of numbers of individuals. H' was lower when calculated in terms of energy and twice as high for the tide pool in the high intertidal than the lower tide-pools and the emergent surface. H' for macroalgae was 0 in the highest tide-pool and highest in the lower tide-pools. The density/species-rank curves for the macroinvertebrates and the macroalgae are logarithmic but vary in linearity. Algal biomass was 37 % of the macroinvertebrate biomass on the emergent surface at the extreme low-tide, but 106% in the highest tide-pool. Twenty-three months after denudation of the tide pools, the ratios of total densities of the macroinvertebrates (ind m-2) to the original densities were 48 % for the pool in the high intertidal, 25 % for the middle tide-pool, and 4 % for the pool in the low intertidal. The diversity indexes for the macroinvertebrates were similar to the original ones. Recolonization at Kerguelen is slow and shows an intertidal gradient. The composition of the rocky intertidal community at Kerguelen results from the rigorous physical environment and the small number and functional types of species. In the absence of major predators on macroinvertebrates and of herbivores on macroalgae, interaction among the species present seems to be competitive in nature.
Relationship between salt stress and levels of free and bound polyamines in sunflower plants

Abstract Changes in the content and form of polyamines (PAs) were investigated in shoots of salt-tolerant (Coban) and salt-sensitive (Sanbro) cultivars of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) plants grown for 15 or 25 days under salinity stress (50, 100 and 150 mM NaCl). The salt sensitivity of the sunflower plants was associated with the highest accumulation of total PAs in the shoot tissues of the salt-sensitive cultivar under saline conditions. The amounts of free and total spermine increased in shoot tissues of sunflower plants subjected to salt stress, while the levels of other PAs decreased or showed no significant changes. This suggests that spermine plays a potential role in overcoming the adverse effects of salinity stress. The tissue content of other compounds, such as proline, and ions (Na+, K+, Cl−, K+/Na+) also changed depending on salt concentration and cultivar.
The readiness of peninsular Malaysia wood-based industries for achieving sustainability

Forests represent a substantial part of global socio-economy platforms. As the wood-based industry contributes large revenue to Malaysia's economy, the readiness of Peninsular Malaysia towards sustainable wood-based industry was measured based on the different types of wood processing industries and Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) practice. Surveys (1,447) from all operating timber mills according to their raw materials type for wood products processing in Peninsular Malaysia were analyzed using multiple correspondence analysis (MCA). Results showed that the sustainable practice in wood industry by SFM practitioners and non-practitioners were similar. All industries are using outdated technologies and consume local raw materials in producing wood products. The furniture industry is largely aware of SFM and consumes the least amount of logs to produce furniture.
Clones of Armillaria ostoyae and the pattern of infected juvenile lodgepole pine in Alberta, Canada

Small patches of dead trees were common among 7- to 15-year-old Pinns contorta var. latifolia in Alberta, Canada. The sizes of clones of Armillaria ostoyae, determined by pairing diploid isolates, was larger than these patches. Pairing diploid isolates on strips of Betula papyrifera provided a clear indication of clonal relationships.
Quality Disclosure Under Consumer Loss Aversion

Consumers experience a sense of loss when a product’s quality does not match their expectations. To alleviate consumer loss aversion (CLA), firms can disclose information to reduce consumers’ uncertainty about product quality and the resulting psychological loss. In this paper, we investigate the implications of CLA on firm profit, consumer surplus, and social welfare when firms endogenously make quality disclosure decisions. We find that CLA leads symmetric firms to disclose quality more often. Given that CLA weakly reduces consumers’ utility from buying a product and quality disclosure is costly, intuition suggests that CLA is detrimental to firms. We find that this intuition is true only in a monopoly. Surprisingly, CLA makes both firms in a competition better off. Moreover, CLA increases firms’ profit when they invest in quality disclosure instead of money-back guarantees to respond to CLA. We also find that CLA decreases consumer surplus and social welfare. Therefore, educating consumers to improve decision-making skills by deliberating on future outcomes and emotions can benefit firms at the cost of consumers and society. When firms disclose quality sequentially, CLA can discourage the follower from disclosing quality. A strong level of CLA increases the leader’s profit over the follower’s, thereby encouraging firms to be the first mover in quality disclosure. This paper was accepted by Juanjuan Zhang, marketing.
Electrofishing for crappies: Electrical settings influence immobilization efficiency, injury, and mortality

Abstract Continuous direct current (DC) and pulsed DC (PDC) of varying frequency and pulse period are commonly used to immobilize and collect crappies Pomoxis spp. in freshwater. However, little information is available about the minimum electrical-setting thresholds required for immobilization or how the settings relate to incidence of injury. We investigated the effect of increasing power densities on the immobilization and injury of black crappies P. nigromaculatus (average total length = 154 mm) treated with DC and various PDC settings. Forced swimming toward the electrodes was observed in black crappies exposed to DC, but that was less apparent for PDC. The minimum peak power densities required to immobilize black crappies ranged from 0.10 to 6.5 mW/cm3 and depended on pulse frequency and period. The incidence of hemorrhaging ranged from 0% to 50% and that of spinal damage from 9% to 45%. However, the severity of injury also depended on pulse frequency and period. No fish suffered mortality at or bel.
Diet and food selection by small mammals in an old-growth Atlantic forest of south-eastern Brazil

Here we describe the stomach contents of nine small mammal species (seven rodents and two didelphid marsupials) co-occurring in an old-growth Atlantic forest area. For four terrestrial rodents, we also compared the importance of arthropods in the diet and the selection of arthropod groups by comparing consumption with availability. Small mammals and arthropods were sampled in a 36-ha grid containing 25 sampling stations spaced every 150 m, and 47 stomach contents were analysed. While plant matter was the predominant item in the stomach contents of two rodents (Oligoryzomys nigripes and Rhipidomys mastacalis), four species presented arthropods as the main food item (the rodents Brucepattersonius soricinus and Oxymycterus dasytrichus, and the marsupials Monodelphis n. sp. and Marmosops incanus) and three consumed more plant matter than arthropods, but had significant amounts of both items (the rodents Delomys sublineatus, Euryoryzomys russatus and Thaptomys nigrita). Our results suggest that differences in diet, coupled with differences in habit and microhabitat preferences, are important factors allowing resource partition among species of the diverse group of co-occurring terrestrial small mammals in Atlantic forest areas. Moreover, arthropods were not preyed opportunistically by any of the four terrestrial rodents, since consumption was not proportional to availability. Rather, selection or rejection of arthropod groups seems to be determined by aspects other than availability, such as nutritional value, easiness of capture and handling or palatability.
The structure of the sarcopterygian Onychodus jandemarrai n. sp. from Gogo, Western Australia: with a functional interpretation of the skeleton

ABSTRACT A description of the head, mandible, pectoral girdle, humerus, medial fins and their supports, and the dissociated vertebral column has been prepared for Onychodus jandemarrai n. sp. from the Gogo Formation (Frasnian) of Western Australia. This is the most completely known species of the genus. The feature influencing most of the head morphology is the retractable parasymphysial tusk whorls. Their presence has caused a reorganisation of the braincase, palate (including the loss of the vomers), and lateral displacement of the nasal capsules. The extensive mandibular articulation is in cartilage, and the mandibular symphysis is weak. This makes for a kinetic skull. There is a single submandibular on each side. The vertebral column is poorly ossified, consisting of intercentra which have no ventral contact, and pleurocentra. The neural arches have no longitudinal ligament, have unequal sides, and asymmetrical placing of the dorsal and ventral nerve root foramina. Each arch has an anterior surface that often attaches to the next anterior arch. The caudal fin is almost diphycercal; all the medial fins have strong support structures. An attempt is made to discuss the functional morphology of many features of the skeleton.
Labor costs may be reduced . . . Research yields size-controlling rootstocks for peach production

Production costs in peaches are highly dependent on the cost of labor to prune, thin and harvest trees—costs that would drop if growers had rootstocks that decreased tree size. Collaborating researchers from UC Davis and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Horticulture Crops Research Laboratory in Parlier screened several promising clonal, size-controlling rootstocks for California peach production. In field tests, two peach scion cultivars (‘Flavorcrest’ and ‘Loadel’) on five interspecific hybrid rootstocks yielded positive results. After 8 years in the orchard, they performed well compared with trees on ‘Nemaguard’ rootstock (the California standard for peaches), with reduced trunk circumferences (60% to 95%), reduced dormant (22% to 80%) and summer (40% to 80%) pruning weights, and acceptable fruit size and crop yields (54% to 98%), since smaller trees will be planted at higher densities. This project has identified three new dwarfing rootstocks with commercial potential for California peach production. One rootstock (‘Hiawatha’) is already available through commercial nurseries and UC and USDA have jointly licensed the two others for commercial use.
Physiological and Anatomical Features of Two Triticum dicoccoides Wheat Accessions Differing in Photosynthetic Rate

The wild tetraploid species Triticum dicoccoides (L.) Korn has many traits that may be useful to hexaploid wheat (T. aestivum L.). accessions of this species (PI 428042 and PI 428109) were found to have similar-sized leaves, but they differ by approximately equal to 30% in net CO2 assimilation per unit leaf area (A). We sought to identify physiological and anatomical factors that would explain the difference in photosynthetic rate between the two accessions, and between these accessions and the hexaploid wheat 'TAM W-101'. Photosynthetic responses to CO2 (at 20 and 210 mL O2 per liter air), light, and humidity, and also ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase (rubisco) activity and sucrose concentration, were determined on new fully expanded leaves of each genotype. Anatomical features associated with photosynthesis were determined using light and electron microscopy. PI 428109 showed consistently higher A than PI 428042 at varying levels of CO2, light, and humidity. Higher rubisco activity was observed in leaves of PI 428109 than PI 428042, as also indicated by a greater slope of the initial linear portion of the A vs. c1, (intercellular leaf CO2 concentration) curve. A higher sucrose concentration was observed in the leaves of PI 428042 than in PI 428109. No anatomical differences were detected between the two T. dicoccoides accessions. Therefore, photosynthetic differences between the two T. dicoccoides accessions were biochemically, and not anatomically, driven.
A screening study of leaf terpene emissions of 43 rainforest species in Danum Valley Conservation Area (Borneo) and their relationships with chemical and morphological leaf traits

We have conducted a screening study of leaf terpene emissions for 43 rainforest woody species of Borneo. To the best of our knowledge, this study reports for first time the terpene emission capacity of 43 species belonging to 22 genera of rainforest woody plant species. We have used a general lineal model with phylogenetic control by the phylogenetic distance matrix when necessary. The proportion of the species that emitted terpenes in this set of Borneo woody species was 95% and the species average total terpene emissions of emitting species were 0.04–11.6 μg g− 1 h− 1, which is in the range of the reported emissions in similar screening studies conducted in other biomes. Altogether, 85 terpene compounds were detected, and 11 common monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes were identified and quantified. Only two of the terpenes, ocimene and γ-terpinene, of the 11 determined compounds showed a phylogenetic signal. No significant relationships were found between the terpene emissions and the physiological, chemical and morphological foliar traits and the data also showed a lock of constant applicability of the “excess carbon” hypothesis for this set of species. This evidence suggests multiple and diverse factors and conditions driving plant chemistry in the tropical forests.