Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biogeographic Patterns of Benthic Invertebrate Megafauna on Shelf Areas within the Southern Ocean Atlantic Sector

Bioregionalisation of Antarctic and Southern Ocean shelf communities ideally incorporates a range of data on physical, environmental and biological properties. Analysis of the benthic invertebrate megafaunal assemblages of shelf habitats within the Atlantic sector, from scientific survey trawl catches, reveals distributional patterns. For the northern Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands, the data indicate a two-layered pattern based on standardised total biomass data and the composition of phyla that contribute to that biomass. An examination of physical oceanographic data reveals a pattern of shelf faunal zonation: the benthic invertebrate communities on the northern shelves of the South Shetland Islands and the northern Antarctic Peninsula can apparently be separated into zones based on the physical properties of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and the Weddell water masses that meet and mix in this region. Evident at smaller spatial scales are the effects of disturbance regimes, whether by iceberg scouring or historical commercial bottom trawling. Patterns of benthic invertebrate biomass are also described for the South Orkney Islands, as well as general patterns of phylum-level composition for South Georgia, the South Sandwich and Bouvet Islands. These regions are generally echinoderm-dominated, compared to the hexactinellid sponge-dominated northern Antarctic Peninsula region.
Sexual Dimorphism in Mandibular Ramus of South Indian Population

Background: The determination of sex and estimation of stature are among the important aspect of forensic anthropology and vital in medico-legal investigations. Aim: The purpose of the present study is to analysis of sexual dimorphism in the mandible of South Indian origin. Materials and Methods: A total of 60 male and 60 female adult dry mandibles were evaluated . Six parameters were taken into considerations, the values were measured and data recorded. Statistical Analysis was done using SPSS software. Results: The present study showed that one of the parameter analyzed, superior-inferior height (right side) was found to be significantly different among males and females. Conclusion: We conclude that the mandible can be a very useful tool for sex determination in this population after a comprehensive study has been undertaken.
A Comparative Analysis of Financial Performance of Banking Industry in Indonesia: Conventional Versus Islamic Banks

This study aims to compare and analyze the financial performances of conventional and Islamic banks in Indonesia. It also attempts to measure and analyze the effect of capital, financing risk, operational efficiency, liquidity, and regulatory compliance on banking financial performances. The sample in this study is the balanced panel data, comprising a cross-section of 87 conventional banks and 11 Islamic banks and a time series from 2011 to 2020 periods, which were selected using a purposive sampling technique. The secondary data are gathered from the annual reports of the banking samples. The comparative analysis and determination of factors affecting banking financial performances are examined using a different independent sample t-test and multiple panel regression, respectively. The study documented that the financial performance of conventional banks was better than that of Islamic banks. Furthermore, the study found that capital, financing risk, and operational efficiency negatively affected performance of the conventional banks, while liquidity and regulatory compliance positively influenced conventional banking performance. Comparatively, capital, liquidity, and regulatory compliance positively affected Islamic banking performance, while financing risk and operational efficiency negatively affected Islamic banking performance. These findings suggest the importance of banking management to impose different financial management policies to enhance their performances by referring to the directional effects of the determinants of the banking financial performances.
Breeding Preference Ratio of Dengue and Chikungunya Vectors in Certain Rural Villages of Virudhunagar District, Tamil Nadu, South India

Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus (Diptera; Culicidae) are the principal vector of dengue and chikungunya. In last few years, in many villages of Virudhunagar district, cases of dengue and chikungunya have been reported and hence in the present study an attempt has been made to find out the breeding places of dengue vectors in the affected villages of Virudhunagar district. A door-to-door survey was carried out in houses to detect Aedes breeding habitats. An intensive larval survey was carried out and various indices have been analyzed as per the WHO procedure. Breeding preference ratio (BPR) was also calculated and discussed. A total of 1823 houses from ten rural villages were searched and the immature forms of mosquitoes have been detected in 490 houses. About 1687 water containers were observed, out of which 538 found positive for vectors. The overall house index (HI), container index (CI), breteau index (BI) and pupal index (PI) were 26.34, 29.80, 30.88 and 11.93, respectively. BPR was observed to be highest in unused stone grinders (0.56) followed by cement tanks/tubs (0.45) and plastic overhead tank (0.36). All the villages in the study areas of Virudhunagar District were found to positive for the dengue and chikungunya vectors.
A Compact Circuit Model for Frequency-Selective Limiters With Strong Field Nonuniformity

A compact nonlinear circuit model is developed for frequency-selective limiters (FSLs) based on thin film magnetic materials. The model contains a three-port coupled inductor circuit called a spin unit that represents the dynamic spin precession behaviors of a single spin, which is derived rigorously from the Landau-Lifshitz–Gilbert (LLG) equation. The spin units are then combined with external circuitry to represent the coupling between the RF signal in the form of electromagnetic (EM) waves and the spin waves. Specifically, two types of coupling are considered, parallel pumping and perpendicular pumping. The former contributes to the power-limiting effects of FSLs, while the latter accounts for the small signal insertion loss. In addition, the RF magnetic fields provided by coplanar waveguide (CPW)-FSLs are spatially nonuniform. Such nonuniformity can be modeled by creating an array of inductors based on the field distribution in both the width and the thickness directions. The circuit model is implemented in the advanced design system (ADS) and is capable of predicting the small signal $S$ -parameters, large signal insertion loss, power threshold, time delay, intermodulation (IM) spectrum, and frequency selectivity for CPW-FSLs. The model may also be used for modeling other RF magnetic devices based on similar physics.
Later Bronze Age Downland Economy and Excavations at Black Patch, East Sussex

The Later Bronze Age site at Black Patch consisted of hut platforms and enclosures set in a system of rectangular fields. The settlement area is overlooked by round barrows. Area and sample excavations of the settlement revealed circular huts and activity areas within a C-14 date range of 1070 ± 70 bc–830 ± 80 bc. Extensive economic data in the form of seeds, animal bones, foreign stones and artefacts were recovered. These formed the basis of an economic resource-area analysis undertaken around Black Patch and other contemporary occupation sites on the South Downs. From this an economic activity model is proposed.
Barriers to the Utilization of Low-Vision Rehabilitation Services among Over-50-Year-Old People in East and Southeast Asian Regions: A Scoping Review

East and Southeast Asia (ESEA) are facing age-related eye health issues. Low-vision rehabilitation (LVR), which is a special rehabilitation service for individuals with vision impairment, is a promising solution for these health issues; however, poor accessibility to LVR services has been reported globally, including ESEA. Therefore, this scoping review aimed to summarize and understand the barriers to accessing LVR services in ESEA. In total, 20 articles were ultimately considered eligible for this scoping review after an electronic database search using MEDLINE (PubMed), Web of Science, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), and Ichushi-Web (Japanese medical literature database), and an independent review by two reviewers. Twenty-one potential barrier factors were identified in the full-text review. Notably, age, education, economic status, “previous experience using eye care service”, and “knowledge, information, and awareness” were the possible barrier factors that were examined for their association with LVR utilization, with supportive evidence in many eligible studies. We also identified research gaps relating to geographical and ethnic diversity, the scope of LVR services, and barriers among eligible articles. Therefore, by conducting further studies addressing the research gaps identified in this scoping review, these findings can be used to make LVR services more accessible to people in ESEA.
Special Section on Drug Delivery Technologies — Minireview Translating Nanomedicine to Comparative Oncology — the Case for Combining Zinc Oxide Nanomaterials with Nucleic Acid Therapeutic and Protein Delivery for Treating Metastatic Cancer

The unique anticancer, biochemical, and immunologic proper- ties of nanomaterials are becoming a new tool in biomedical research. Their translation into the clinic promises a new wave of targeted therapies. One nanomaterial of particular interest are zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs), which has distinct mechanisms of anticancer activity including unique surface, induction of reactive oxygen species, lipid oxidation, pH, and also ionic gradients within cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment. It is recognized that ZnO NPs can serve as a direct enzyme inhibitor. Significantly, ZnO NPs inhibit extracellular signal – regulated kinase (ERK) and protein kinase B (AKT) associated with melanoma progression, drug resistance, and metastasis. Indeed, direct intratumoral injection of ZnO NPs or a complex of ZnO with RNA significantly suppresses ERK and AKT phosphorylation. These data suggest ZnO NPs and their complexes or conjugates with nucleic acid therapeutic or anticancer protein may represent a potential new strategy for the treatment of metastatic melanoma, and potentially other cancers. This review focuses on the anticancer mechanisms of ZnO NPs and what is currently known about its biochemical effects on melanoma, biologic activity, and pharmacokinetics in rodents and its potential for translation into large animal, spontaneously developing models of melanoma and other cancers, which repre- sent models of comparative oncology.
PREDETERMINING THE POLISH RESISTANCE OF LIMESTONE AGGREGATES

RESEARCH DATA SHOW THAT AGGREGATE TYPE IS A VITAL FACTOR IN PAVEMENT FRICTION AND LIMESTONE AGGREGATES TEND TO POLISH MORE READILY THAN OTHER AGGREGATES. SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN POLISH SUSCEPTIBILITY EXIST AMONG LIMESTONES AND THESE DIFFERENCES ARE RELATED PRIMARILY TO THE NON-CARBONATE OR ACID INSOLUBLE CONSTITUENTS IN THE ROCK. SINCE 1946, THE VIRGINIA HIGHWAY RESEARCH COUNCIL HAS ACCUMULATED A LARGE NUMBER OF PAVEMENT FRICTION MEASUREMENTS AND INFORMATION ON AGGREGATE CHARACTERISTICS. BASED ON THESE DATA, IT APPEARS THAT A SIMPLE RELATIONSHIP EXISTS BETWEEN THE TOTAL ACID INSOLUBLE CONTENT OF VIRGINIA LIMESTONES AND THEIR POLISH RESISTANCE AS EVALUATED BY STOPPING DISTANCE NUMBERS. FROM THIS RELATIONSHIP AND OBSERVATIONS ON TRAFFIC VOLUMES, TENTATIVE GUIDELINES FOR USING LIMESTONES IN PAVEMENT SURFACES ARE PROPOSED. THIS INVOLVES USING LIMESTONES WITH INCREASINGLY HIGHER INSOLUBLE FRACTIONS IN PAVEMENT SURFACES CARRYING PROGRESSIVELY GREATER TRAFFIC VOLUMES. IT IS THOUGHT THAT CERTAIN RELATIVELY IMPURE LIMESTONES MAY BE USED IN PAVEMENTS CARRYING UP TO 10,000 VEHICLES PER DAY. IF SELECTED LIMESTONES CAN BE USED IN PAVEMENT SURFACES, CONSIDERABLE ECONOMIES WILL RESULT, BECAUSE MANY STATES ARE EITHER EXCLUDING OR CONSIDERING EXCLUSION OF ALL LIMESTONES FROM PAVEMENT SURFACES. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT OTHER STATES CARRY OUT SIMILAR STUDIES RELATING PAVEMENT FRICTION TO LIMESTONE AGGREGATE CHARACTERISTICS, PARTICULARLY THE INSOLUBLE CONTENT. THUS THE TENTATIVE GUIDELINES SUGGESTED HERE MAY BE REFINED AND FOUND USEFUL OUTSIDE VIRGINIA. /AUTHOR/
Adaptive Fuzzy Fault-Tolerant Control of Uncertain Fractional-Order Nonlinear Systems with Sensor and Actuator Faults

In this work, an adaptive fuzzy backstepping fault-tolerant control (FTC) issue is tackled for uncertain fractional-order (FO) nonlinear systems with sensor and actuator faults. A fuzzy logic system is exploited to manage unknown nonlinearity. In addition, a novel FO nonlinear filter-based dynamic surface control (DSC) method is constructed, effectively avoiding the inherent complexity explosion problem in the backstepping recursive process, and in the light of the construction of auxiliary functions, compensating the coupling term introduced by faults. On account of certain assumptions, the stability criterion of the FO Lyapunov function is applied to guarantee the stability of the closed-loop system. Finally, the simulation example verifies the validity of the presented control strategy.
Ferriallanite-(La), a new member of the epidote supergroup from the Eifel, Germany

The new mineral ferriallanite-(La) (IMA 2010-066), ideally CaLaFe 3+ AlFe 2+ (SiO 4 )(Si 2 O 7 )O(OH), is a member of the epidote supergroup and the La analogue of ferriallanite-(Ce). It occurs as a single, thick, tabular {100} crystal (2 mm in its longest dimension) in a void of a sanidinite xenolith found in the In den Dellen pumice quarries, Niedermendig, Mendig, Laach Lake volcanic complex, Eifel Mountains, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Ferriallanite-(La) is associated with sanidine, minor “biotite”, magnetite, nosean (grey, rounded grains) and trace amounts of dark green clinopyroxene. It is black, translucent in very thin splinters, with a brown streak, vitreous lustre, no cleavage, irregular to conchoidal fracture, Mohs hardness of ca . 6, D calc. = 4.208 g cm −3 (for empirical formula) and D x = 4.099 g cm −3 . Optically, it is biaxial negative, with α = 1.791(5), β = 1.827(6), γ = 1.845(5) (white light), 2 V α (calc.) = 69°. The mineral is non-fluorescent and shows strong pleochroism, X = pale brownish, Y = greyish brown, Z = dark red-brown; absorption Z > Y >> X, orientation unknown. Dispersion is weak and the sign could not be determined. Electron microprobe analysis yielded the empirical formula (based on 12 O atoms and 1 OH group pfu): Ca 0.98 (La 0.47 Ce 0.41 Th 0.08 Nd 0.02 Pr 0.02 ) ∑1.00 (Fe 3+ 0.81 Al 0.14 ) ∑0.95 Al 1.00 (Fe 2+ 0.47 Mn 0.28 Ti 0.16 Mg 0.05 ) ∑0.96 [(Si 0.93 Al 0.05 ) ∑0.98 O 4 ](Si 2 O 7 )O(OH). Ferriallanite-(La) is monoclinic, space group P 2 1 / m , with a = 8.938(2), b = 5.789(1), c = 10.153(2) A, β = 114.54(3)°, V = 477.88(6) A 3 (single-crystal data) and Z = 2. Strongest eight lines in the X-ray powder diffraction pattern are [ d in A( I ) hkl ]: 9.22 (19) 001; 7.96 (34) 101; 3.53 (38) 211; 2.92 (100) 302, 113; 2.72 (50) 120, 013; 2.63 (36) 311; 2.16 (17) 221 and 1.639 (34) 106, 424. A single-crystal X-ray structure refinement [ R 1( F ) = 0.0150] and a derivation of the M 3 site population from the chemical-analytical data yielded the formula A 1 Ca 1.00 A 2 (La 0.49 Ce 0.42 Ca 0.09 ) M 1 (Fe 0.58 Al 0.42 ) M 2 (Al 0.94 Fe 0.06 ) M 3 (Fe 0.49 Mn 0.29 Ti 0.17 Mg 0.05 ) ∑1.00 (SiO 4 )(Si 2 O 7 )O(OH), in reasonably good agreement with the electron microprobe data. The site refinements clearly show that there is some minor Fe at the M 2 site, in contrast to the formula calculated using currently recommended methods for members of the epidote supergroup.
DIRECTORATE FOR FINANCIAL AND ENTERPRISE AFFAIRS COMPETITION COMMITTEE Global Forum on Competition COMPETITION POLICY AND GENDER

This paper by Estefania Santacreu-Vasut and Chris Pike was submitted as background material for Session II at the 17th Global Forum on Competition on 29-30 November 2018. The opinions expressed and arguments employed herein do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Organisation or of the governments of its member countries. More documentation related to this discussion can be found at: oe.cd/gnc.
STAGE BOUNDARIES OF THE PENNSYLVANIAN IN THE NASHUI SECTION,LUODIAN OF GUIZHOU,SOUTH CHINA

The Nashui section of Luodian,Guizhou is a good section for the study of the Pennsylvanian conodonts and the stage boundaries.This paper displays a new conodont succession from the mid-Carboniferous through the Carboni-ferous-Permian boundary as follows:the Gnathodus bilineatus bollandensis(Uppermost Mississippian),Declinognathodus noduliferus,Idiognathoides sulcatus sulcatus,Id.sinuatus,Id.corrugatus-Id.pacificus,Neognathodus symmetricus,Idiognathodus primulus-Neognathodus symmetricus,Idiognathodus primulus-Neognathodus bassleri,Idiognathoides sulcatus parva,Streptognathodus expansus,Idiognathoides ouachitensis,Diplognathodus coloradoensis,Di.ellesmerensis,Gondolella donbassica-Go.clarki,Idiognathodus podolskensis,Swadelina subexcelsa,Sw.makhlina-Sw.nodocarinata,Idiognathodus sagittalis,Streptognathodus cancellosus,St.gracilis,St.guizhouensis,Idiognathodus simulator,I.nashuiensis,Streptognathodus firmus,St.tenuialveus,St.wabaunsensis and St.isolatus(Permian)zones.The bases of the Declinognathodus noduliferus Zone and the Streptognathodus isolatus Zone are the bases of the Pennsylvanian and Permian,respectively.The first occurrences of Diplognathodus ellesmerensis,Idiognathodus sagittalis and I.simulator represent the bases of the Moscovian,Kasimovian and Gzhelian,respectively.In addition,the Bashkirian-Moscovian boundary and the Kasimovian-Gzhelian boundary are discussed in detail.The first occurrence of Diplognathodus ellesmerensis as the beginning of the Moscovian Stage is a good proposal among proposals for the Bashkirian-Moscovian boundary.Diplognathodus ellesmerensis is easy to be recognized,widely distributed in the world,and has the stable horizon.Its first occurrence is very close to the traditional Bashkirian-Moscovian boundary.We suggest that the Nashui section of Luodian,Guizhou to be a candidate for the global stratotype section and point for the base of the Moscovian Stage.The further study on this boundary is carrying out and more detailed proposal will be submitted later.
DIRECTORATE FOR FINANCIAL AND ENTERPRISE AFFAIRS STATISTICS AND DATA DIRECTORATE Working Party on Financial Statistics Detecting and measuring BEPS by MNEs in Italy: A micro approach

Aggressive Tax Planning (ATP) is a set of practices aimed at exploiting mismatches and loopholes in the international tax framework in order to reduce the overall tax burden of multinational enterprises (MNEs). The measurement of Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) is relevant for monitoring the phenomenon and for informing policies aimed at contrasting it, but also for assessing related illicit financial flows and adjusting GDP and GNI estimates. This work proposes a bottom-up method relying on the analysis of Italian MNEs micro data. The aim is to identify tax-avoiding MNEs and to adjust their EBIT in order to determine the amount of BEPS. The PS-ROC procedure used to identify ATP and estimate BEPS is composed of two main steps: in the first one tax-avoiding MNEs are identified, in the second an adjustment of the EBIT of those tax-avoiding MNEs is introduced. Results of this pilot study show that about 60 percent of Italian MNEs are likely to use ATP strategies. On average, it is estimated that Italian MNEs under-report about 11.5 percent of their EBIT, which sum to about 32.8 billion euros. These results are also characterized by a significant sectoral pattern, which can be possibly traced back to peculiar features of their specific markets that affect the choice of possible ATP-related strategies. JEL classification: E01 H26 D22 E26
Learning With Side Information: Elastic Multi-Resource Control for the Open RAN

The open radio access network (O-RAN) architecture provides enhanced opportunities for integrating machine learning in 5G/6G resource management by decomposing RAN functionalities. Yet, generic learning mechanisms either do not fully exploit the disaggregated non-real-time and near-real-time RAN controllers or ignore the potential elasticity of application demands, another degree of freedom in managing RAN resources. We introduce a two-timescale framework aimed at optimizing users’ long-term total QoS. Rather than reactive resource allocation, our approach proactively modifies multi-resource user demands using congestion indicators, prior to enforcing any allocation rules. Addressing the issue of insufficient user feedback on individual resource utilities, we employ a bandit-feedback version of the combinatorial multi-armed bandit framework to deduce resource-specific signals. Also, to compensate for insufficient and infrequent feedback, we’ve developed an algorithm that gleans side information from live network traffic to refine predictions on user resource sensitivities. This streamlines the algorithm’s optimality convergence and leverages the two-tier O-RAN controller structure. We validate our algorithms’ efficacy through analysis and 5G usage experiments, revealing our proposed method improves application utility by 13-60%, throughput by 8-19%, and reduces latency by 10-18%.
Scaling up " learning design : impact of learning design activities on LMS behavior and performance Conference Item " Scaling up " learning design : impact of learning design activ

While substantial progress has been made in terms of predictive modeling in the Learning Analytics Knowledge (LAK) community, one element that is often ignored is the role of learning design. Learning design establishes the objectives and pedagogical plans which can be evaluated against the outcomes captured through learning analytics. However, no empirical study is available linking learning designs of a substantial number of courses with usage of Learning Management Systems (LMS) and learning performance. Using clusterand correlation analyses, in this study we compared how 87 modules were designed, and how this impacted (static and dynamic) LMS behavior and learning performance. Our findings indicate that academics seem to design modules with an “invisible” blueprint in their mind. Our cluster analyses yielded four distinctive learning design patterns: constructivist, assessment-driven, balanced-variety and social constructivist modules. More importantly, learning design activities strongly influenced how students were engaging online. Finally, learning design activities seem to have an impact on learning performance, in particular when modules rely on assimilative activities. Our findings indicate that learning analytics researchers need to be aware of the impact of learning design on LMS data over time, and subsequent academic performance.
The eyes have it: the response of European Herring Gulls Larus argentatus to human eye-gaze

ABSTRACT Using a novel method for testing the effect of gaze direction on flight initiation distances of European Herring Gulls Larus argentatus, we found that distances were significantly shorter for an averted gaze treatment than for a direct gaze. There was no difference between adult and immature gulls in their response, suggesting that from an early age Herring Gulls consider the orientation of a human’s eye in their anti-predator responses.