Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The importance of sesquiterpene oxidation products for secondary
organic aerosol formation in a spring-time hemi-boreal forest

Abstract. Secondary organic aerosols (SOA) formed from biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) constitute a significant fraction of atmospheric particulate matter and have been recognized to affect significantly the climate and air quality. Many laboratory and field experiments have studied SOA particle formation and growth in the recent years. Most of them have focused on a few monoterpenes and isoprene. However, atmospheric SOA particulate mass yields and chemical composition result from a much more complex mixture of oxidation products originating from many BVOCs, including terpenes other than isoprene and monoterpenes. Thus, a large uncertainty still remains regarding the contribution of BVOCs to SOA. In particular, organic compounds formed from sesquiterpenes have not been thoroughly investigated, and their contribution to SOA remains poorly characterized. In this study, a Filter Inlet for Gases and Aerosols (FIGAERO) combined with a high-resolution time-of-ﬂight chemical ionization mass spectrometer (CIMS), with iodide ionization, was used for the simultaneous measurement of gas and particle phase atmospheric SOA. The aim of the study was to evaluate the relative contribution of sesquiterpene oxidation products to SOA in a spring-time hemi-boreal forest environment. Our results revealed that monoterpene and sesquiterpene oxidation products were the main contributors to SOA particles. The chemical composition of SOA particles was compared for times when either monoterpene or sesquiterpene oxidation products were dominant and possible key oxidation products for SOA particle formation were identified. Surprisingly, sesquiterpene oxidation products were the predominant fraction in the particle phase at some periods, while their gas phase concentrations remained much lower than those of monoterpene products. This can be explained by quick and effective partitioning of sesquiterpene products into the particle phase or their efficient removal by dry deposition. The SOA particle volatility determined from measured thermograms increased when the concentration of sesquiterpene oxidation products in SOA particles was higher than that of monoterpenes. Overall, this study demonstrates the important role of sesquiterpenes in atmospheric chemistry and suggests that the contribution of their products to SOA particles is being underestimated in comparison to the most studied terpenes.
Disparities of Factors Affecting the Duration of Construction Projects Among Countries

Delay is one of the most prevalent challenges that hamper the completion of construction projects. Previous studies have presented a substantial number of factors that cause delays. This research aims to identify the causes of construction project delays in many countries and highlights the discrepancy in these studies in terms of identifying the factors and ranking them according to their importance. Data have been derived from secondary sources through a detailed review of the related literature. The studies have been filtered to identify the top five factors that cause project delays. The collected data have been analyzed using different statistical tools. The analysis highlights the significant factors causing delays and the relationship of each factor with the country wherein a project is located. The results of this study provide a clear vision of the significant factors that cause delays in construction projects, thereby allowing the authorities to devise strategies to avoid these problems.
Microplastics in freshwater fishes: Occurrence, impacts and future perspectives

Microplastics (MPs) are small, plastic particles of various shapes, sizes and polymers. Although well studied in marine systems, their roles and importance in freshwater environments remain uncertain. Nevertheless, the restricted ranges and variable traits of freshwater fishes result in their communities being important receptors and strong bioindicators of MP pollution. Here, the current knowledge on MPs in freshwater fishes is synthesised, along with the development of recommendations for future research and sample processing. MPs are commonly ingested and passively taken up by numerous freshwater fishes, with ingestion patterns often related to individual traits (e.g. body size, trophic level) and environmental factors (e.g. local urbanisation, habitat features). Controlled exposure studies highlight a range of MP effects on fish physiology, biochemistry and behaviour that are often complex, unpredictable, species-specific, and non-linear in respect of dose-response relationships. Egestion is typically rapid and effective, although particles of a particular shape and/ or size may remain, or translocate across the intestinal wall to other organs via the blood. Regarding future studies, there is a need to understand the interactions of MP pollution with other anthropogenic stressors (e.g. warming, nutrient enrichment), with a concomitant requirement to increase the complexity of studies to enable impact assessment at population, community and ecosystem levels, and to determine whether there are consequences for processes, such as parasite transmission, where microplastics could vector parasites or increase infection susceptibility. This knowledge will determine the extent to which MP pollution can be considered a major anthropogenic stressor of freshwaters in this era of global environmental change.
‘To LED or Not to LED?’: Using Color Priming for Influencing Consumers’ Preferences of Light Bulbs

Recently, we have seen energy-efficient light-emitting diode (LED) light bulbs rapidly replace incandescent ones. However, results of new research are indicative of adverse health impacts of LED lighting, which is characterized by enriched blue light. Our study aims to reveal whether using color priming by attaching red/green traffic-light icons on light bulbs influences consumers’ preferences of light bulbs. We conducted a field study simulating the buying process, in which participants (N = 572) were presented with LED and carbon incandescent bulbs. We alternately displayed two pairs of bulbs: (1) in their original packaging and (2) in packages marked with traffic light icons (red = LED). Our results confirm that traffic light icons significantly (p < 0.01) increase the odds of choosing the healthier carbon bulb. The results highlight the benefits of attaching traffic light icons to light bulb packaging, helping consumers to make more health-conscientious purchasing decisions. Nowadays, this study’s contribution is more significant due to COVID-19 restrictions and stay-at-home policies, since people work or study remotely, which increases their exposure to household lighting. These results may incentivize policymakers to enforce adding traffic light icons to light bulb packaging, thus encouraging LED light bulb manufacturers to reduce the blue light component in order to improve the health aspect of their bulbs.
Analysis of the Impact of Managerial Ownership, Institutional Ownership, Firm Size, Leverage, Profitability and Sales Growth Toward Earnings Management in Manufacturing Companies Listed on IDX in the 2015-2019 Period

The phenomenon of earnings management is very interesting to research because it can provide an overview of the behavior of managers in reporting their business activities in a certain period, namely the emergence of earnings management caused by managers by manipulating company profits to be higher, lower, or always the same for several periods. Certain motivations encourage them to manage or manage financial data, especially reported earnings. This study aims to analyze a model regarding the effect of Managerial Ownership, Institutional Ownership, Firm Size, Profitability (ROA), Leverage (DER), and Sales Growth toward Earnings Management in Manufacturing Companies listed on the IDX in the 2015-2019 period. The type of non-probability sampling used in this study is purposive sampling because the sampling technique is based on certain considerations. Certain considerations in determining the sample or respondent in this study are manufacturing companies that are consistently listed on the IDX website during the 2015-2019 period and companies that have managerial and institutional share ownership data respectively during the observation period. The number of samples (N) used was 285 data obtained from 57 manufacturing companies with a 5year study period. The result of the study concludes that Managerial Ownership, Institutional Ownership, Company Size, and Leverage (DER) do not affect Earnings Management. Meanwhile, Profitability (ROE) and Sales Growth have a significant positive effect on Earning Management.
Digital platforms for development: Foundations and research agenda

Digital platforms hold a central position in today's world economy and are said to offer a great potential for the economies and societies in the global South. Yet, to date, the scholarly literature on digital platforms has largely concentrated on business while their developmental implications remain understudied. In part, this is because digital platforms are a challenging research object due to their lack of conceptual definition, their spread across different regions and industries, and their intertwined nature with institutions, actors and digital technologies. The purpose of this article is to contribute to the ongoing debate in information systems and ICT4D research to understand what digital platforms mean for development. To do so, we first define what digital platforms are and differentiate between transaction and innovation platforms, and explain their key characteristics in terms of purpose, research foundations, material properties and business models. We add the socio‐technical context digital platforms operate and the linkages to developmental outcomes. We then conduct an extensive review to explore what current areas, developmental goals, tensions and issues emerge in the literature on platforms and development and identify relevant gaps in our knowledge. We later elaborate on six research questions to advance the studies on digital platforms for development: on indigenous innovation, digital platforms and institutions, on exacerbation of inequalities, on alternative forms of value, on the dark side of platforms and on the applicability of the platform typology for development.
Physico-chemical and mechanical characterization of bambusa vulgaris fibers from Cameroon

In this study on characterization of bambusa vulgaris fibers from Cameroon (BV), we evaluated the linear density as well as the moisture uptake. With the help of SEM, the cross-sections were observed to be circular shapes; they increase from outside to inside in any transverse position along the stem. Also, the degradation temperature of BV was investigated with the aid of TGA and the result showed that the degradation temperature of BV fibers is between 366 °C and 380 °C. In addition, their Young's moduli in dynamic tensile test was determined and it was noticed that the Young moduli increase from inside to outside. The bending tests of BV fibers were carried out and enable the various parameters in zone 3/3. Finally, the creep behavior of BV fibers was studied and it was revealed that the 4-element Burger model describes very well this phenomenon and could help in well predicting fatigue behaviour of BV fibers reinforced composites.
Digital financial inclusion and fiscal solvency in Uganda’s local governments: A review of regulation mediation

Fiscal solvency has become a popular phenomenon in numerous decentralizing countries in recent years. The ability to mobilize adequate revenue to fund expenditure in a given budget period, and provide public goods and services, makes fiscal solvency very pertinent, especially in local government. However, policy, practice, and research, claim that most local entities, both in the developed and developing world, rarely achieve required fiscal solvency standards. While no clear explanation of the problem abounds, digital financial inclusion dominates the ongoing debate. Besides, regulation is also considered a very crucial factor for fiscal solvency. This study examines the probable mediation effect regulation has on the digital financial inclusion-fiscal solvency relationship in local governments in Uganda, East Africa. Based on a cross-sectional research design, data were collected from 21 districts, nine municipalities, and many sub-counties in the country’s post-conflict northern regions. The data were then subjected to structural equation modeling analysis. Its findings reveal that digital financial inclusion explains changes in fiscal solvency in surveyed local governments. Moreover, regulation has an indirect influence on the digital financial inclusion-fiscal solvency formation. Findings implications to practice and theory are discussed, and future research direction is provided
Effects of peat fires on soil chemical and physical properties: a case study in South Sumatra

Peat fires have been an annual environmental crisis in Indonesia. In 2015, large parts of the country’s peat were burned, impacting the health, education, and livelihoods of millions of Indonesians. Communities living on peat have practiced the burning of peatlands for a long time as they are convinced that this process will improve soil fertility. However, this assumption is not justified. This study examined the effect of a peat fire in 2019 in South Sumatra by comparing samples taken on an affected and unaffected smallholder oil palm plantation. These samples were analyzed to see the impact of fires on the peat soil. Results show that the ash content increased drastically by 57%. The fires improved the soil pH by 6%. However, the severe peat fires also caused negative impacts on soil fertility by reducing total nitrogen (6%), cation exchange capacity (8%) and soil organic carbon (2%). Furthermore, this study showed that peat fires decrease water retention capacity by 1 to 12 %. Contrary to popular belief among local farmers, this study shows the negative consequences of slash and burn activities on peat chemical and physical properties.
The Analysis of Operating and Financial Performance of Listed Companies after Issuing IPOs in Chittagong Stock Exchange

This paper investigates the financial and operating performance of 70 IPOs firms from 2011 to 2015. We examine changes in the Bangladeshi listed firms’ performance around their initial public offerings. It is found that Bangladeshi IPOs exhibit a sharp decline in the post-IPO performance compared to the pre-IPO period as measured by the ROA. We also find that the performance deterioration is significantly associated with the IPO event. The performance decline is associated with the firm transition from private into public ownership due to increasing agency costs. Also, we find evidence supports the lack of opportunity theory because the firm’s growth in sales and capital expenditure is much stronger in the pre-IPO period compared to post-IPO period.
DEFINING TERRITORIES IN AQUATIC PUBLIC SPACES: A CASE STUDY OF IJO MIGRANT FISHERMEN IN NIGERIA

This paper examines the issue of territoriality in aquatic public spaces and how it affects fishing rights amongst artisanal fishermen of Ijo ethnic origin, in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria. It focuses on how these fishermen view the concept of space and define territories with or without the play of architectural materiality and elements. The study adopts a qualitative approach using interviews, focus groups and oral history as methodologies. The findings show that although architecturally defined boundaries in form of markings or spatial demarcations are not common in the estuarine and riverine zones of the Niger Delta, they however exist. Often implied or expressed by actions indicative of territoriality, or even revealed through other anthropological symptoms.
Ice nucleation by combustion products at conditions relevant to mixed-phase clouds

Quantifying the ice nucleation activity of combustion aerosols is crucial in understanding their impact on cloud properties, and consequently, on climate. This study investigates the ice nucleation abilities of soot and combustion ashes in the immersion mode at conditions relevant to mixed-phase clouds. Some physical and chemical properties of these aerosols, which aided the interpretation of their ice nucleation activities, were also explored. Soot generated from eugenol and n-decane compounds were used as proxies for atmospheric soot from biomass and hydrocarbon combustion, respectively. Combustion ashes studied were coal fly ash (CFA), wood bottom ash, domestic bottom ash, and coal bottom ash. The ice nucleation experiments were performed with droplet freezing assay instruments; the results obtained are summarised below: (1) Eugenol and n-decane soot particles in suspension were found to nucleate ice between -16.5 and -28 oC. To describe the ice nucleation efficiency of these particles, a singular model of ice nucleation that yields the ice active nucleation sites density (ns) was applied. Both soot types showed ns in the range: 1 - ~ 107 cm-2 at a temperature range of -16 to ~ -28 °C. An estimation of potential ice nuclei (IN) number based on the ice nucleation efficiency of these soot types indicated that soot substantially contributes to primary ice formation in mixed-phase clouds from temperatures below -22 oC. At ~ - 25 oC, soot showed a competition with mineral dust IN. This study suggests that soot is an important IN in mixed-phase clouds especially in regions where mineral dust is not a dominant IN. (2) The freezing temperatures for combustion ashes were between -15 to -36 °C. The fraction of droplets frozen showed that the freezing temperatures were in this order of significance: CFA>>wood ash>domestic ash>coal ash. The ns values estimated for all ashes were between 10-2 and 107 cm-2 for freezing temperatures between -15 and -36 °C. The best estimate suggests that combustion ashes can account for global primary ice nuclei number up to 1 cm-3, and this could impact on primary ice formation budget in mixed-phase clouds.
Simultaneous measurement of methylamine in size-segregated aerosols and the gas phase

Abstract In order to improve our understanding of the origin and production processes of methylamine in the atmosphere and its contribution to the particulate WSON, simultaneous measurements of methylamine in size-segregated aerosols and the gas phase were conducted at a forested site in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, over one year. The concentration of the atmospheric methylamine that is the sum of methylamine in the gas phase, coarse-mode, and fine-mode particles was 0.962 ng-N m−3 on average. About 77% of the atmospheric methylamine was detected in the fine-mode particles and about 17% was in the gas phase. Similar seasonal variations were found in the fine-mode and gaseous methylamine including higher concentrations recorded in summer. The relationship between the concentrations of the gaseous methylamine and ammonia showed a significant positive correlation, suggesting that methylamine in the gas phase has similar sources with ammonia; for instance, the volatilization from soil and/or emission from forest biological activities. The concentration of the fine-mode methylamine showed a significant positive correlation with that of the gaseous methylamine, and the concentration ratio of the fine-mode methylamine to the sum of the fine-mode and gaseous methylamine that can be an indicator of the conversion of methylamine from the gas phase to the particulate phase showed a significant positive correlation with the fine-mode non-sea salt SO4 2- (nss-SO4 2-) concentration, suggesting that the gaseous methylamine is converted into the particulate methylamine through the acid-base reaction with sulfuric acid and/or nss-SO4 2-. Significant positive correlation was not obtained in the comparison of the concentration ratio of the fine-mode methylamine to the sum of the fine-mode and gaseous methylamine with the excessive amount of sulfuric acid for complete neutralization of ammonia, which implies the possibility that the sulfuric acid more preferentially reacts with the gaseous methylamine than ammonia.
How do Norwegian second-grade teachers use guided reading? The quantity and quality of practices

This paper documents how teachers use guided reading practices in Norwegian second-grade classrooms. In a two- part study consisting of teachers’ self -reports (Study 1) and video-observations of guided reading sessions (Study 2), we analyzed the frequency and characteristics of guided reading practices. Findings from Study 1 indicate that guided reading is a common practice of Norwegian second-grade teachers and that discussing word meaning, text, and pictures are the most frequently addressed literacy components. Findings from Study 2 illustrate that the teachers regularly make optimal use of the before-reading phase, while the after-reading phase is relatively lacking. The observational data also indicate that teachers are more likely to simply check studen ts’ understanding of word meaning rather than to work in -depth with vocabulary. Likewise, teachers were more likely to supply help in the decoding process rather than scaffold students’ decoding with strategies. In sum, the data indicate that teachers may not fully use the ben- efits that guided reading instruction can afford. We discuss how to help educators use more of the potential of guided reading, arguing that the benefits of guided reading can be strengthened by (1) more in- depth planning, (2) greater use of strategies, and (3) routines for observing and assessing.
Dietary Daidzein Supplementation Improved Growth Performance and Antioxidant Properties in Weaned and Growing Pigs

Background: In previous study, we found that soybean isoflavones in soybean meal play important roles in improving growth performance and antioxidant properties in pigs. However, it is still not known whether long-term supplementation with daidzein, an active molecule deglycosylated from daidzin, in a corn-soybean meal diet can enhance growth performance in pigs. Thus, in the present study, an animal trial was carried out to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with daidzein on the growth performance and antioxidant capacity of pigs. Porcine intestinal epithelial cells (IPEC-J2) were also used as an in vitro model to explore the underlying antioxidant mechanisms of daidzein. Weanling pigs were fed a diet supplemented with 0, 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg daidzein, and IPEC-J2 cells were treated with 0.6 mM hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in the presence or absence of 40 μM daidzein. Results: Adding 50 mg/kg daidzein to the diet significantly improved body weight on day 72, average daily gain during days 0-72 and plasma superoxide dismutase activity on day 42 (P < 0.05). Treatment with 0.6 mM H2O2 for 1 h significantly decreased cell viability and catalase (CAT) activities and increased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and malondialdehyde (MDA) content (P < 0.05), while pretreatment with 40 μM daidzein prevented the decrease in cell viability and CAT activities and the increase in intracellular ROS levels and MDA content caused by H2O2 (P < 0.05). In addition, H2O2 stimulation significantly suppressed the expression of nuclear factor erythoid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), CAT, occludin and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), while pretreatment with daidzein preserved the expression of Nrf2, CAT, occludin and ZO-1 in H2O2-stimulated IPEC-J2 cells (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Long-term dietary supplementation with 50 mg/kg daidzein improved growth performance and antioxidative properties in pigs. Daidzein exerted protective effects against H2O2-induced oxidative stress in IPEC-J2 cells, and the underlying mechanism may be related to the activation of the Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1-Nrf2/antioxidant response element signaling pathway.