Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Soil CO2 efflux of two silver birch clones exposed to elevated CO2 and O3 levels during three growing seasons

In the present open‐top chamber experiment, two silver birch clones (Betula pendula Roth, clone 4 and clone 80) were exposed to elevated levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) and ozone (O3), singly and in combination, and soil CO2 efflux was measured 14 times during three consecutive growing seasons (1999–2001). In the beginning of the experiment, all experimental trees were 7 years old and during the experiment the trees were growing in sandy field soil and fertilized regularly. In general, elevated O3 caused soil CO2 efflux stimulation during most measurement days and this stimulation enhanced towards the end of the experiment. The overall soil respiration response to CO2 was dependent on the genotype, as the soil CO2 efflux below clone 80 trees was enhanced and below clone 4 trees was decreased under elevated CO2 treatments. Like the O3 impact, this clonal difference in soil respiration response to CO2 increased as the experiment progressed. Although the O3 impact did not differ significantly between clones, a significant time × clone × CO2× O3 interaction revealed that the O3‐induced stimulation of soil respiration was counteracted by elevated CO2 in clone 4 on most measurement days, whereas in clone 80, the effect of elevated CO2 and O3 in combination was almost constantly additive during the 3‐year experiment. Altogether, the root or above‐ground biomass results were only partly parallel with the observed soil CO2 efflux responses. In conclusion, our data show that O3 impacts may appear first in the below‐ground processes and that relatively long‐term O3 exposure had a cumulative effect on soil CO2 efflux. Although the soil respiration response to elevated CO2 depended on the tree genotype as a result of which the O3 stress response might vary considerably within a single tree species under elevated CO2, the present experiment nonetheless indicates that O3 stress is a significant factor affecting the carbon cycling in northern forest ecosystems.
Measuring the Effect of Environmental Hygiene on Child Health Outcomes in Cameroon

Aim/purpose – This study attempts to examine the correlates of environmental hygiene and the influence of environmental hygiene on child health outcomes in Cameroon while controlling for other variables. Design/methodology/approach – The study made the use of Heckman/Control function Model through the 2011 Demographic and Health Survey with a sample size of 11.732 households. Findings – Result shows that environmental hygienic strongly corroborates with child health outcomes, meaning that improve latrines is associated with increase in child health in Cameroon. Result of determinants shows that education, father’s age, father present in the house and urban residence are strongly correlating with environmental hygiene. Research implications/limitations – Highlights the need for decision-makers to be more intentional with allocating economic resources towards sanitation projects. Originality/value/contribution – Empirically, this study attempted to quantify the link between environmental hygiene and child health outcomes using the Cameroon DHS while solving for endogeneity, heterogeneity, simultaneity, and selectivity bias.
THE LONGITUDINAL EXCITATION SPECTRUM OF AN ELONGATED BOSE-EINSTEIN CONDENSATE

In this manuscript we show an efficient numerical approach for the longitudinal excitation spectrum of a quasi-one-dimensional collisionally-inhomogeneous Bose-Einstein condensate. We obtain by variational means the nonlinear ordinary differential equations of a generic longitudinal excitation and determine numerically the onset of instability, to identify which excitation is most likely to be observed experimentally. To quantify the efficiency of our approach, we study a cigar-shaped condensate with weak collisionally-inhomogeneous two-body interactions and show that the position of the resonance observed in the longitudinal excitation spectrum is higher than that observed for a condensate with homogeneous two-body interactions.
WEAR PROPERTIES OF A356/10SiC/1Gr HYBRID COMPOSITES IN LUBRICATED SLIDING CONDITIONS

This paper presents basic tribological properties of A356/10SiC/1Gr hybrid composites in conditions with lubrication. Hybrid composite specimen is obtained by compocasting procedure. A356 aluminium alloy is used as a base matrix alloy, reinforced with 10wt% of SiC and 1wt% of graphite. Tribological tests are done on advanced and computer supported tribometer with block-on-disc contact pair. By the experimental plan, test is conducted under three different values of sliding speed, three different values of normal load, different sliding distances, and also different lubricants. SEM and EDS are used for wear analysis. The analysis has shown the presence of MML, which means that there was transfer of material from steel disc to composite block.
Antioxidant Supplementation and Kidney Function Status of Wistar RatsFollowing High Fat Diet-Streptozotocin (HFT-STZ) Induced Type 2 Diabetes

The kidney function status of high fat diet-streptozotocin (HFD-STZ) induced NIDDM in albino rats fed antioxidant supplementation was monitored in vitro. Appropriate and recommended dietary allowed proportions of some potent antioxidant substances including: minerals, vitamins, α-lipoic acid, phytochemicals and a D-ribose-Lcysteine conjugate were assembled together in corn oil and stored at 4°C for use. Kidney function indices were assayed using standard methods, kits and equipments. Data analysis was done with SPSS version 20.0 and significant level was set at p ≤ 0.05. There were a total of five study groups with 10 rats each. Immediately after the induction of diabetes with HFD-STZ combination, treatment commenced and lasted for a total of 12 weeks, and analysis using serum was carried out at the 4th, 8th and 12th week of the study. Results obtained from the kidney function status investigation indicates that there was significant decrease (p ≤ 0.05) in serum urea levels of the treated groups when compared to the controls (normal and diabetic) and this decrease was consistent as the treatment progressed. Serum creatinine, biocarbonate and potassium levels of both the treated and normal control groups where not statistically different (p ≥ 0.05) when compared with the diabetic control group which increased steadily for creatinine and biocarbonate, but inconsistent for potassium level within the treatment duration. However, there was a significant increase (p ≤ 0.05) in serum sodium and chloride levels of the treated and normal control groups, when compared with the diabetic control group respectively. The observed increase was consistent with treatment duration. The results therefore suggest that the antioxidant supplement might have a restorative effect on kidney function and also enhance effective electrolyte balance and control for easy movement of ions across cell membrane.
Optimizing sputum cell counts prior to bronchial thermoplasty: A preliminary report

Abstract RATIONALE: There is considerable variability in patient outcomes following bronchial thermoplasty (BT), an adjunct therapy for patients with severe asthma. It is unclear if the presence of airway inflammation is important to consider prior to BT. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the article was to ascertain if optimizing airway inflammation guided by sputum cell counts prior to BT, as compared to guideline-based-care, results in better patient outcomes and improved airway hyperresponsiveness. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated asthmatics who underwent BT at our institution (Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, Canada) and compared clinical outcomes (asthma-quality-of-life-questionnaire [AQLQ], asthma-control-questionnaire [ACQ] and provocative concentration of methacholine required to decrease the forced expiratory volume in one second by 20% [PC20]) in those patients managed using guideline-based-care (n = 7) versus a protocol that involved optimizing airway inflammation using quantitative sputum cell counts (n = 7). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Following BT, there were greater improvements in the inflammation-optimized group than in the guideline-based-care group for the asthma-quality-of-life-questionnaire (ΔAQLQ: 2.2 ± 1.2 vs 0.8 ± 0.9, p = 0.04), asthma-control-questionnaire (ΔACQ: −2.3 ± 1.3 vs −0.5 ± 1.1, p = 0.02) and airway hyperresponsiveness (ΔPC20: 3.9 ± 1.2 vs. 0.6 ± 0.8 doubling-doses, p = 0.008). CONCLUSION: This is the first study to provide preliminary evidence that BT, when performed after normalizing sputum cell counts, significantly improves patient reported outcomes and airway hyperresponsiveness, compared to current guidelines that presume airway inflammation is controlled.
Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases and Inflammation in Hypothyroid Infertile Women

Object: Day by day increasing number of evidence shows a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases in infertile women. It’s associated with conditions like thyroid dysfunction and obesity. The aim of our study was to evaluate whether there any relationship exists between CVD and hypothyroid infertile women. Material & Methods: 75 patients with 75 healthy controlled were enrolled for this study.CVD and inflammation markers like, interlukin-6, CRP, lipid profile were assessed by cobas-6000 and Elisa Methods. Results: TC, TG, LDL, Il-6 and CRP higher and HDL level were lower in patients in comparisons to control. Conclusion: our study suggested a positive relationship between hypothyroid infertile women and risk of CVD.
Making Sense Of Human Pheromones: Receptors, Physiology, and Behaviors

Pheromones are the chemosensory molecules that animals species use to communicate with each other, which produces a specific reaction in the receptive animals.There are chemicals that have been identified as potential human pheromones. These chemicals typically come from a general class of human sex-derived hormones, such as the family of 16-androstenes, including the compounds androsterol and 4,16-androstadien-3-one (AND), which are derived from testosterone (Savic & Berglund, 2010), EST is also derived from estridiol, which is a female sex hormone. Interactions from the receptor and genetic levels of human pheromone studies provide us with the smallest possible scope of how odorants such as human pheromones can affect the nervous system, and thusly effect our social behaviors. How pheromones effect our brain regions can greatly influence our psychological state, our behaviors and our emotions. How pheromones affect the different sexes and their behaviors or cognitions as a result describes most of the controversy around this topic. Pheromones are a key player in our sexual behaviors, however the full interactions of how these all work together with your nervous system is still in question.
Disentangling Two Causes of Biased Probability Judgment

This experimental study investigates the interaction of two infl uential factors of biased probability judgments. Results provide new insights on the preconditions for an application of either the gambler’s fallacy or its exact opponent, the hot hand fallacy. The fi rst factor is cognitive ability, measured in a cognitive refl ection test. The second one is the level of perceived randomness in the observed outcomes. Probability judgments are found to vary signifi cantly across salience of randomness treatments as well as across subgroups with high or low cognitive abilities. Like in previous research, subjects with higher cognitive skills are more likely to engage the gambler’s fallacy, yet only if perception of sequential randomness is low. In a setting where randomness is very salient the exact opposite can be observed. Similarly surprising insights are revealed when controlling for cognitive abilities in the analysis of salience treatments. Past results are only confi rmed for a subgroup with lower cognitive skills, while their peers’ beliefs are completely opposite. JEL Classifi cation: C91, D84, J24
Osmolaridade, ânion gap, potencial hidrogeniônico e íons plasmáticos mensuráveis de equinos puro sangue Árabe finalistas em provas de enduro de 90 km

We evaluated the behavior of osmolality, anion gap, pH and measurable plasma ions of 14 Purebred Arabian horses, 9 males and 5 females, finalists in an endurance race of 90 km. In order to achieve this, we collected venous blood samples twice, at rest and after prolonged exercise, in order to measure the interest variables. The results allowed to observe that from the rest an increase with significant difference in the values of Hct, PPT and AG, suggesting loss of fluids and slight dehydration. The pH and the H+ ion almost had no changes, indicating absence of metabolic disorders. Reductions, with significant difference, were verified for the ions Cl-, HCO3-, K+, Ca++, as well as BE. These data suggest that the type of exercise to which the animals were submitted was consistent with the athletic ability and that supplementation during the competition contributed to minimize such losses.
Epidemiological Study on Relationship of Socio- Demographic Factors and Determinants to Shift to the Old Age Home Among Elderly Women in Chittoor, District A.P

Background: Aging is an imminent phase for everyone. Population aging is progressing rapidly in developing country like India. Burden of geriatric population (60 and above) in old age home (OAH) also rapidly increasing especially among women. Social factors and socio-demographic factors compelling elderly women to shift to the old age home. The main objective is to assess the socio-demographic factors and determinants to shift a woman to the old age home, so that preventive measures can be recommended. Methods: Community based Cross sectional study was undertaken among elderly women of Chittoor Dist. A.P. Data collected by applying the semi structured and open ended, pretested questionnaire regarding socio-demographic factors and determinants. Analysis was done by SPSS. Results: Total 70 elderly women interviewed, 54 % were between 60-70 yrs. 70% of them were widows and belonging to nuclear family. 94% are Hindus and 74% were house wives. Poverty/Financial crisis, Misbehavior of daughter in law and son, life threat from their children, to have peaceful life were important determinants. Conclusion: For elderly women OAHs are becoming better alternative option during their old age. So government can make policies to enhance the facilities and provide the support and security to a woman at OAHs.
Victimization of Adolescents by Parental Abuse and School Violence: A Moderated Mediation Model of Self-esteem and Growth Mindset

The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating effect of self-esteem and moderating effect of growth mindset on the relationship between parental abuse and school violence victimization among 350 adolescents in Korea. For the analysis, we used SPSS Win.21. 0 and SPSS MACRO process, and carried out reliability analysis, descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, mean comparison analysis, path analysis, and bias correction bootstrap. First, all the variables had a significant correlation. Parental abuse victimization was positively correlated with school violence victimization, and was negatively correlated with self-esteem and growth mindset. Second, the growth mindset has a buffering effect that moderates indirect effects between the parental abuse and school violence victimization through self-esteem. These results can be used as a new model showing that parental abuse victimization in adolescents reduces school violence victimization through the interaction of selfesteem and growth mindset. 1 International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics Volume 118 No. 19 2018, 1439-1452 ISSN: 1311-8080 (printed version); ISSN: 1314-3395 (on-line version) url: http://www.ijpam.eu Special Issue ijpam.eu
Digital Audio Generation with Neural Networks

In this thesis I explore three different techniques for generating digital audio using neural networks. All three techniques use different network structures and architectures suitable for generating sequential data. Operating at the sample level requires each technique to model dependencies across large time lags in order to generate realistic audio. This is a hard task for even the most sophisticated techniques. To gain an understanding of how each technique works I have implemented two neural networks of different structures based on the same architecture, as well as familiarized myself with an implementation of a network using an architecture not commonly used to model sequential data. To compare each technique I have trained each model on a dataset containing a large number of classical piano pieces. Each model is evaluated in terms of the audio quality and musicality of their generated audio. Results suggest that each model could be used in applications using short amounts of digital audio. It is unclear, however, if these techniques are able to generate arbitrary music with high level structures, while containing the small details necessary to generate realistic sounds.
ACOUSTIC SIGNALS AND GEOPHONE RESPONSE INDUCED BY STONY-TYPE DEBRIS FLOWS

In this study, we examine the infrasounds and geophone response induced by a stony-type debris f low which occurred in Houyenshan, Taiwan due to a heavy rainfall event on June 10, 2006. Infrasound propagates to long distance in the atmosphere at the speed of sound for the low adsorption in the air and the high reflectivity of the ground. The infrasonic signals induced by debris flows are related to the magnitude and composition of the failure zone as well as the slope areas. The stony debris flows occurred in Houyenshan with the peak acoustic frequencies within 15-40 Hz for most surges, and the corresponding geophone responses exhibit peak frequencies within 15-50 Hz. The range of peak frequency for the stony-type debris flows is higher than that of viscous debris flows occurred in Jiangjia Gully, Yunnan, China. Non-stationary acoustic signals of the debris flows are analyzed by adopting the HHT approach.
Auditor switching for opinion shopping, and subsequnt audit quality and audit fee: Evidence from post-SOX period

Theory suggests that firms engage in opinion shopping to obtain better audit opinions. However, there is scarce evidence on the economic consequences of the opinion shopping behaviors. In this paper, we examine the effect of auditor switches for opinion shopping on audit quality and audit fees. Using 30,333 firm-year observations over the 20042012 period in the U.S., we first document evidence that firms switch their auditors in search for better audit opinions. Next, we find that the audit quality of clients that switch auditors for opinion shopping is significantly lower than that of clients that did not switch auditors or switched auditors for other purposes. Further tests reveal that these clients pay significantly higher audit fees to their successive auditors. Consequently, we provide compelling evidence that opinion shopping is detrimental to audit quality and auditor independence.
Workplace presenteeism, job substitutability and gender inequality. IFAU Working Paper 2020:9

Following the arrival of the first child, women’s absence rates soar and become less predictable due to the greater frequency of their own sickness and the need to care for sick children. In this paper, we argue that this fall in presenteeism in the workplace hurts women’s wages, not only indirectly and gradually, through a slower accumulation of human capital, but also immediately, through a direct negative effect on productivity in unique jobs (i.e., jobs with low substitutability). Although both presenteeism and uniqueness are highly rewarded, we document that women’s likelihood of holding jobs with low substitutability decreases substantially relative to men’s after the arrival of the first child. This gap persists over time, with important long-run wage implications. We highlight that the parenthood wage penalty for women could be reduced by organizing work in such a way that more employees have tasks that, at least in the short run, can be performed satisfactorily by other employees in the workplace.
Influence Factors of the Pharmacokinetics of Herbal Resourced Compounds in Clinical Practice

Herbal medicines have been used to prevent and cure diseases in eastern countries for thousands of years. In recent decades, these phytotherapies are becoming more and more popular in the West. As being nature-derived is the essential attribute of herbal medicines, people believe that taking them for diseases treatment is safe enough and has no side-effects. However, the efficacy of herbal resourced compounds (HRC) depends on the multiple constituents absorbed in the body and their pharmacokinetics. Thus, many factors will influence the clinical practice of HRC, i.e., their absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME). Among these factors, herb-drug interaction has been widely discussed, as these compounds may share the same drug-metabolizing enzymes and drug transporters. Meanwhile there are many other potential factors that can also change the ADME of HRC, including herb pretreatment, herb-herb interactions, pathological status, gender, age of patient, and chemical and physical modification of certain ingredients. With the aim of ensuring the efficacy of HRC and minimizing their clinical risks, this review provides and discusses the influence factors and artificial improvement of the pharmacokinetics of HRC.
The Effects of Different Pedagogical Interventions on EFL Learners’ Receptive and Productive Knowledge of Formulaic Sequences

This study sought to investigate the effects of Explicit ‎Instruction in combination with Input ‎Enhancement (EI+IE), Input Flood (IF), and Gap-fill (GF) tasks on receptive and productive ‎knowledge of English formulaic sequences (FS) ‎by Iranian intermediate EFL learners. Assigned ‎to three experimental groups‎, the 110 participants took the receptive and productive knowledge ‎pretests, posttests, and delayed posttests. Findings of within-group (repeated-‎measures ‎ANOVAs) and between-group (ANCOVAs) tests showed that while IF could not promote ‎learners' performance, both the EI+IE and the GF could ‎improve learners’ receptive and ‎productive knowledge of target ‎FSs from pretests to posttests and ‎retained the effects until the ‎delayed posttests. Additionally, both EI+IE and GF groups ‎significantly outperformed the IF ‎group at the immediate posttests. That is, the results from EI+IE did not differ significantly from ‎those of GF. Plausible accounts for the obtained results are provided and the implications are ‎discussed. ‎
Phytoplankton community structure of the São Francisco river estuary (Piaçabuçu-Alagoas-Brazil): a study of its diversity

Studies aimed at determining phytoplankton composition, biomass, ecology and some physical-chemical characteristics of the Sao Francisco estuary were conducted at 7 sampling stations located in Piacabucu-Alagoas (10o25’-10°30’S and 36o23’-36o27W) during the rainy and dry seasons. The samples were obtained from the subsurface layer at neap and spring tides, during high and low tides, using a plankton net with 45 um mesh size. The waters from this estuary are characterized by low salinity, high temperatures, pH between alkaline and slightly acid, transparency greater than 1 meter. The phytoplankton was composed of 205 taxa, mainly distributed between the divisions Chlorophyta and Bacillariophyta, considered the most representative. The diatom Aulacoseira ambigua was considered dominant. Most of the species identified were planktonic and of freshwater origin. Specific diversity and equitability were considered average and high, indicating conditions of environmental equilibrium in the studied area. The analysis of variance in taxonomic richness revealed higher averages for the dry season and for high tides. Chlorophyll a content ranged between 0.4ug/L and 24,4ug/L. The annual variation of phytoplankton and physical-chemical parameters was related to rainfall.