Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biomagnification Profiles of Trace Elements through the Food Web of an Integrated Shrimp Mangrove Farm in Ba Ria Vung Tau, South Vietnam

Problem statement: Ba Ria Vung Tau (BRVT), a Vietnamese province with one of the fastest growing economies in the country, faces significant environmental challenges, including increased contamination of rivers and estuaries with urban and industrial wastes. Approach: Concentrations of 23 trace elements and stable isotope ratios (δ13C and δ15N) were analyzed in suspended particulate matter, one species of peanut worm, one species of octopus, six species of crustaceans and 13 species of fish collected from an integrated shrimp mangrove farm in the BRVT. Results: Concentrations of Cu, Zn, Se, Mo, Ag, Cd, Sb and Bi in octopus, Mn, Sr and Ba in crustaceans and Hg in fish were the highest among organisms analyzed. Using δ15N values to identify trophic positions, we found that Zn, Se and Hg biomagnified through the food web. The slope for Hg (0.048) was remarkably lower than those reported for other aquatic food webs. In contrast, the concentrations of most trace elements followed reverse trends (i.e., decreasing concentrations with increasing trophic level). Trace element concentrations we measured in organisms were within safe levels for human consumption according to criteria established by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) in the UK. However, concentrations of Cu in black tiger shrimps and octopus and Zn in Commerson's glassy fish were higher than the MAFF guidelines. Conclusion: The results of this study highlight the usefulness of δ13C and δ15N as a tool not only for elucidating the trophic position of biota, but also for tracing contaminants within food webs.
Learned Behavior: Enabling Believable Virtual Characters through Reinforcement

A key challenge in programming virtual environments is to produce virtual characters that are autonomous and capable of action selections that appear believable. In this chapter, motivations are used as a basis for learning using reinforcements. With motives driving the decisions of characters, their actions will appear less structured and repetitious, and more human in nature. This will also allow developers to easily create virtual characters with specific motivations, based mostly on their narrative purposes or roles in the virtual world. With minimum and maximum desirable motive values, the characters use reinforcement learning to drive action selection to maximize their rewards across all motives. Experimental results show that a character can learn to satisfy as many as four motives, even with significantly delayed rewards, and motive changes that are caused by other characters in the world. While the actions tested are simple in nature, they show the potential of a more complicated motivation driven reinforcement learning system. The developer need only define a character’s motivations, and the character will learn to act realistically over time in the virtual environment. Jacquelyne Forgette Western University, Canada Michael Katchabaw Western University, Canada
A plausible atmospheric trigger for the 2017 coastal El Niño

The far eastern tropical Pacific experienced a rapid, marked warming in early 2017, causing torrential rains along the west coast of South America with a significant societal toll in Peru and Ecuador. This strong coastal El Niño was largely unpredicted, even a few weeks before its onset, and it developed differently from either central or eastern events. Here we provide an overview of the event, its impacts and concomitant atmospheric circulation. It is proposed that a remotely forced, sustained weakening of the free tropospheric westerly flow impinging the subtropical Andes leads to a relaxation of the southeasterly (SE) trades off the coast, which in turn may have warmed the eastern Pacific throughout the weakening of upwelling in a near‐coastal band and the lessening of the evaporative cooling farther offshore.
The impact of genetic variants on kinesin motor proteins and the link to neurological disorders

Axonal transport driven by kinesin motor proteins is essential for the function of neurons and the transport of vesicles and organelles toward the synaptic cleft. Kinesins hydrolyze ATP as they move in a stepping motion along microtubules, and defects in their function can result in neuron malfunction and neurological disorders. Non-conservative missense mutations in the motor domain of a specific axonal kinesin, KIF1A/UNC-104, have been shown to have adverse effects on the motor speed and the distance moved by the motor prior to dissociation from the microtubule. The goal of this study is to characterize the potential pathogenicity of missense variants of KIF1A/UNC-104. Several key variants have been identified in the literature as mutations that may have a direct causal relationship with neurodegenerative, neuromuscular, and other nervous system disorders. Three missense mutations, S69L, T99M, and A255V that have shown disease association were functionally examined through gliding and single molecule motility assays to assess the impact of the mutations. In single-molecule assays, wild type UNC104 travelled an average of 2.40 μm at a velocity of 2.32 μm/s before dissociation, providing a baseline to assess mutants. The mutant kinesins were unable to achieve this rapid, processive motility and were shown to have defective tight-binding states while retaining their unique weakbinding functionality. To add to the number of mutants in the literature and to determine a larger set of variants that are associated with disease, the MyCode database of Geisinger Health System was employed. The database was queried to determine patients in the population who have mutations in the motor domain of several axonal kinesins beyond KIF1A/UNC104 that also have been linked to neurological disorders. Using the arguments of the disease association and the decrease in functionality, it is hoped that this study will identify novel pathogenic variants.
The Market Survival of Publicly Traded Traditional and Market-Based Financial Intermediaries

The financial crisis highlighted the pivotal role that financial intermediaries play in the economy. Recent research has analyzed the differences between traditional and market-based financial intermediaries, noting the greater balance sheet volatility of the former category. Using these volatility differences as a basis, this paper compares the stock market delisting behavior of market-based and traditional financial intermediaries. Using survival analysis, I find that market-based intermediaries carry greater cumulative incidence of stock market delisting due to firm failure and M&A activity relative to traditional intermediaries. Additionally, idiosyncratic risk plays an important role in the survival behavior across these institutional structures.
A Functional Central Limit Theorem for an ARMA(p, q) Process with Markov Switching

Abstract In this paper, we give a tractable suﬃcient condition for functional central limit theorem to hold in Markovswitching ARMA ( p , q ) model.Keywords: Functional central limit theorem, Markov switching ARMA ( p , q ) process, φ -mixing. 1. Introduction SincetheseminalworkofHamilton(1989),nonlineartimeseriesmodelssubjecttoMarkovswitchingarewidelyusedformodellingdynamicsindiﬀerentﬁelds, especiallyineconometricstudies(Krolzig,1997; Hamilton and Raj, 2002). Markov switching autoregressive moving average(MSARMA)( p , q )model, in which a hidden Markov process governs the behavior of an observable time series, exhibitsstructural breaks and local linearity. When we consider a time series model as a data generating pro-cess, one of the important properties to show is the (functional) central limit theorem. Functionalcentral limit theorem(FCLT) is applied for statistical inference in time series to establish the asymp-totics of various statistics concerning, for example a test for stability such as CUCUM or MOSUMand unit root testing. Probabilistic properties of MSARMA(
Chemical and Source Characterization of Submicron Particles at Residential and Traffic Sites in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, Finland

ABSTRACTChemical characterization of non-refractory submicron particles (NR-PM1) and source apportionment of organic aerosols (OA) were carried out at four different sites in the Helsinki metropolitan area, Finland, using an Aerodyne Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor (ACSM). Two of the sites represented suburban residential areas, whereas the other two were traffic sites, one in a curbside in downtown and the other one in a suburban highway edge. The residential and the curbside measurements were conducted during the winter, but the highway campaign was carried out in the autumn. NR-PM1 were composed mainly of organics (40–68% in the different sites), followed by sulphate (11–34%), nitrate (12–16%), ammonium (7.8–8.5%) and chloride (0.24–1.3%). The mean concentrations of NR-PM1 were quite similar during the winter campaigns (10.1–12.5 µg/m3), but NR-PM1 was clearly lower during the autumn campaign at the highway site (6.0 µg/m3) due to the meteorology (favourable mixing conditions), small concentrations of long-range transported particles and non-intensive heating period locally and regionally. Using a multilinear engine algorithm (ME-2) and the custom software tool Source Finder (SoFI), the organic fraction was divided into two or three types of OA representing hydrocarbon-like organic aerosol (HOA), oxygenated organic aerosol (OOA), and in three sites, biomass burning organic aerosol (BBOA). At the downtown traffic site (Curbside), BBOA could not be found, probably because most of the local wood burning occurs in the suburban areas of the Helsinki region. OOA had the largest contribution to OA at all the sites (50–67%). The contribution of HOA was higher at the traffic sites (25–32%) than at the residential sites (15–18%). At the suburban residential and highway sites, the contribution of BBOA was high (25–30%). Especially during cold periods, very high BBOA contributions (~50%) were observed at the residential sites.
The Brain Cells on the Carbon Nanotubes: Morphological and Functional Changes in Neurons and Glia

Carbon Nanotubes (CNT) are promising material for research and medical application. Because of the electrochemical nature of CNT, it is considered as a potentially effective nanomaterial in neuroscience. By the way, properties of these CNT are dependent on how they are synthesized or which functional groups they have. As the nature of CNT varies, the effect on brain cells can have different features from cell to cell. Also, the diversity should be concerned to not only neurons also glia in the brain. Therefore, we focus on studies for understanding the functional and morphological changes of neurons and glia in the effects of CNT.
Product Variety and Vertical Integration

In vertical relationships the potential for scale economy in manufacturing often calls for specialization and outsourcing. Specialization, however, depends critically on the stability of the task and contractual environment. In a highly uncertain environment the need for frequent mutual adjustments favors integration instead of outsourcing. To evaluate vertical relationships in value chains where one stage competes on product variety under great uncertainty and the other stage competes on scale, we compare operations data at about 300 distribution centers within a major soft-drink bottler before and after it was integrated into an upstream firm. We find that vertical integration improved coordination for the integrated firm by aligning incentives and reducing strategic information asymmetry, but it worsened coordination for upstream rivals who shared the same downstream facilities.
Never, Never, Never Give in? Understanding the Entrepreneur's Decision to Persist in the Face of Adversity

Entrepreneurial persistence is the decision to remain steadfast in the new venture regardless of counter influences, adversity, or enticing alternatives. An entrepreneur chooses to persist by considering the appeal of the perceived outcomes of continuing with the venture (valences) and by determining a relative probability of actually achieving those outcomes (expectancy). These judgments are influenced by personal characteristics and environmental feedback. Using a conjoint experiment, I explore how adversity and values impact the weight placed on expectancy and valences in the persistence decision policies of 105 entrepreneurs. The findings suggest that the persistence decision policies are heterogeneous depending on the level of adversity experienced and the individual values held by the entrepreneurs. The results provide interesting insights into why and how entrepreneurs choose to persist.
Initialization of Handover Procedure in WiMAX Networks

This paper introduces a new approach in the triggering of handover procedure in WiMAX networks. Mobile WiMAX, based on the IEEE 802.16e standard, supports a several types of handovers and allows full mobility of users. The originating IEEE 802.16j standard introduces new network entities called relay stations. A relay station enables either throughput enhancement in the selected area or enlargement of a coverage area of base station. Both IEEE 802.16e and IEEE 802.16j standards utilize downlink channel parameters to set up the initialization of a handover procedure. To increase the overall network throughput, the proposed method initializes a handover procedure based on evaluation of maximal network throughput in uplink or downlink direction. The evaluation and comparison of conventional and proposed approach are presented.
HYBRID EVOLUTIONARY – HEURISTIC ALGORITHM FOR CAPACITOR BANKS

The issue of optimal allocation of capacitor banks concerning power losses minimization in distribution networks are considered in this paper. This optimization problem has been recently tackled by application of contemporary soft computing methods such as: genetic algorithms, neural networks, fuzzy logic, simulated annealing, ant colony methods, and hybrid methods. An evolutionaryheuristic method has been proposed for optimal capacitor allocation in radial distribution networks. An evolutionary method based on genetic algorithm is developed. The proposed method has a reduced number of parameters compared to the usual genetic algorithm. A heuristic stage is used for improving the optimal solution given by the evolutionary stage. A new cost-voltage node index is used in the heuristic stage in order to improve the quality of solution. The efficiency of the proposed two-stage method has been tested on different test networks. The quality of solution has been verified by comparison tests with other methods on the same test networks. The proposed method has given significantly better solutions for time dependent load in the 69-bus network than found in references.
Rivals’ reactions to mergers and acquisitions

Mergers and acquisitions research has principally focused on attributes of the acquiring firm and post-acquisition outcomes. To extend our knowledge, we focus on external factors, in particular rival responses, and explore when and how rivals respond to their competitor’s acquisitions. Leveraging the awareness–motivation–capability framework, we predict and find evidence that a rival’s dependence on markets in common with the acquirer, resource similarity between rival and acquirer, and a rival’s organizational slack increase the volume and, in some cases, also the complexity of a rival’s competitive actions following an acquisition. Furthermore, the type of acquisition positively moderates some of these relationships. The results extend our understanding of the influence of mergers and acquisitions on competitive dynamics in the marketplace.
An exploratory study on the aerosol height retrieval from OMI measurements of the 477 nmO 2 O 2 spectral band using a neural network approach

This paper presents an exploratory study on the aerosol layer height (ALH) retrieval from the OMI 477nm O2 O2 spectral band. We have developed algorithms based on the multilayer perceptron (MLP) neural network (NN) approach and applied them to 3-year (2005-2007) OMI cloud-free scenes over north-east Asia, collocated with MODIS Aqua aerosol product. In addition to the importance of aerosol altitude for climate and air quality objectives, our long-term motivation is to evaluate the possibility of retrieving ALH for potential future improvements of trace gas retrievals (e.g. NO2, HCHO, SO2) from UV-visible air quality satellite measurements over scenes including high aerosol concentrations. This study presents a first step of this long-term objective and evaluates, from a statistic point of view, an ensemble of OMI ALH retrievals over a long time period of 3 years covering a large industrialized continental region. This ALH retrieval relies on the analysis of the O2 O2 slant column density (SCD) and requires an accurate knowledge of the aerosol optical thickness,. Using MODIS Aqua(550nm) as a prior information, absolute seasonal differences between the LIdar climatology of vertical Aerosol Structure for space-based lidar simulation (LIVAS) and average OMI ALH, over scenes with MODIS(550nm) ≥ 1. 0, are in the range of 260-800m (assuming single scattering albedo 0 Combining double low line 0. 95) and 180-310m (assuming 0 Combining double low line 0. 9). OMI ALH retrievals depend on the assumed aerosol single scattering albedo (sensitivity up to 660 m) and the chosen surface albedo (variation less than 200 m between OMLER and MODIS black-sky albedo). Scenes with ≤ 0. 5 are expected to show too large biases due to the little impact of particles on the O2 O2 SCD changes. In addition, NN algorithms also enable aerosol optical thickness retrieval by exploring the OMI reflectance in the continuum. Comparisons with collocated MODIS Aqua show agreements between 0. 02 ± 0. 45 and 0. 18 ± g 0. 24, depending on the season. Improvements may be obtained from a better knowledge of the surface albedo and higher accuracy of the aerosol model. Following the previous work over ocean of Park et al.(2016), our study shows the first encouraging aerosol layer height retrieval results over land from satellite observations of the 477 nm O2 gO2 absorption spectral band.
The facilitation of well-being through direct contact with family-of-origin for securely attached children in residential out-of-home placement

THE FACILITATION OF WELL-BEING THROUGH DIRECT CONTACT WITH FAMILY-OF-ORIGIN FOR SECURELY ATTACHED CHILDREN IN RESIDENTIAL OUT-OF-HOME PLACEMENT by Katie Lynn LaRoche University of New Hampshire, May, 2007 The current thesis project sought to answer the following two questions: (1) What is the relationship between emotional well-being of children in residential, out-of-home placement and the frequency of contact with their familyof-origin? and (2) What is the relationship between the attachment style of children in residential, out-of-home placement and the frequency of contact with their family-of-origin? Participants were recruited from a residential group home for abused and neglected children in New England. Limitations: Due to the nature of the population, obtaining inform ed consent proved difficult and the small sample size is the main limitation of this study. Results: (1) There are trends in the data to suggest a difference between well-being scores and frequency of contact with
Evaluating outcomes from stakeholders’ perception: Evidence from an irrigation project in Nigeria

The need for the appreciation of values and knowledge diversity has contributed to the increasing relevance of stakeholder participation in the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of development projects. Using mixed methods research design and indicators, this paper assesses the outcomes of the participatory monitoring and evaluation (PME) process of the Tada Shonga Irrigation Project, Kwara State, Nigeria. A total of 103 respondents were randomly selected for questionnaire administration, and 5 respondents interviewed for the study. An Outcome Perception Index (OPI) was developed to assess stakeholders’ perception of the extent to which the project had met its objectives. The study found out that the project’s PME process was deficient, and the outcomes of the project and its PME process had been a mixed bag. The study further established a significant relationship between the deficient PME process of the project and project outcomes, although the relationship is indicative, rather than proof of a possible causal relationship. This was corroborated by the qualitative analysis which highlighted other critical factors affecting project outcomes. The study concluded that stringent M&E framework must be imbued in government policies to ensure success and sustainability of projects and programmes. Keywords: Participation, Monitoring, Evaluation, Programme, Development
The Use of Simple Sequence Repeats for Detecting Genetic Diversity in Egyptian and Exotic Bread Wheat

The cultivated wheat (Triticum aesti- vum L.) belongs to tribe Triticeae of the family Poaceae. It is the first impor- tant cereal crop as the main source of hu- man diet (FAO, 1985). Approximately, ninety five percent of wheat's grown today are hexaploid wheat which comprising three genomes A, B and D (Harti and Jones, 2001). Genetic diversity is consid- ered one of the most important factors for crop improvement. Modern breeding process has dramatically narrowed the variation of important traits, especially among common wheat cultivars which are widely used in breeding programmes. It is important to investigate genetic diversity of wheat to assess its usefulness for breed- ing programmes. However, there are in- herent problems with the use of data on morphological traits, the latter being lim- ited in number and greatly influenced by the environment and by genotype X envi- ronment interactions. Molecular markers are a promising tool for evaluating genetic diversity among plant materials, as the phenotype and physiological markers are not accurate enough and often depend on environmental conditions. Many different DNA marker systems were used for diversity analysis. As far as the ability of polymorphism detection is concerned, the most useful markers were random ampli- fied polymorphic (RAPDs) (Kuczynska et al., 2001; Mukhtar et al., 2002; Weber et al., 2005; Irzykowska et al., 2005) and simple sequence repeats (SSRs), also termed microsatellites, have been pro- posed as one of the most suitable markers for the assessment of genetic variation and diversity among wheat varieties, because they are multiallelic, chromosome-specific and distributed evenly throughout the plant genome (Prasad et al., 2000; Stachel et al., 2000; Huang et al., 2002; Roder et al., 2002, Landjeva et al., 2006; Chabane et al., 2007; Salem et al., 2008). Microsa- tellites were also successfully used to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) (Parker et al. 1998), to tag resistance genes (Peng et al., 1999; Borner et al., 2000) and to detect polymorphisms be- tween the accessions of diploid and tetraploid wheat (Hammer et al., 2000; Pestsova et al., 2000; Fahima et al., 2002).
Electrochemical Determination of the Herbicide Bentazone Using a Carbon Nanotube β-Cyclodextrin Modified Electrode

An electrochemical sensor has been developed for the determination of the herbicide bentazone, based on a GC electrode modified by a combination of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) with b-cyclodextrin (b-CD) incorporated in a polyaniline film. The results indicate that the b-CD/MWCNT modified GC electrode exhibits efficient electrocatalytic oxidation of bentazone with high sensitivity and stability. A cyclic voltammetric method to determine bentazone in phosphate buffer solution at pH 6.0, was developed, without any previous extraction, clean-up, or derivatization steps, in the range of 10–80 mmol L 1 , with a detection limit of 1.6 mmol L 1 in water. The results were compared with those obtained by an established HPLC technique. No statistically significant differences being found between both methods.