Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of the tropical cyclonic storm ‘Aila’ on the water quality characteristics and mesozooplankton community structure of Sundarban mangrove wetland, India

th May, 2009. The Aila incident not only caused stupendous changes in the physicochemical characteristics of the water but also left direct impact on the mesozooplankton biomass. A sharp increment in water turbidity, chemical oxygen demand (COD), phytopigment chlorophyll b (chl b) and micronutrients (nitrate, phosphate and silicate) were noticed during post-Aila period with a corresponding decrease of water transparency and phytopigments chl a and chl c. Reduction of zooplankton biomass, density and species diversity was also pronounced during post-Aila period. An absolute dominance of two copepod species of diverse feeding guilds, namely, Bestiolina similis (herbivore) and Oithona brevicornis (carnivore) was the most interesting feature observed during post-Aila period. The meroplanktons such as nauplius, zoea and ichthyoplanktons which constituted the most dominant forms (~31 % of total mesozooplankton) during pre-Aila period, were completely absent in post-Aila stage.
Petrology and Geochemistry of Basalts from Site 396, Legs 45 and 46 of the Deep Sea Drilling Project

Legs 45 and 46 of the Deep Sea Drilling Project sampled a total of 351 meters of basaltic basement at Site 396. Several compositionally distinct eruptive units are found at this site, each having the characteristics of evolved mid-ocean ridge tholeiite. The minor and trace element abundances of the Site 396 basalts are also typical of LREE-depleted mid-ocean ridge tholeiite. Basalts sampled include aphyric and phyric basalts, the latter containing abundant Plagioclase and olivine phenocrysts. Microprobe analyses of olivine microphenocrysts and coexisting glass in both basalt types yield a KD = 0 . 2 7 for Fe-Mg partitioning between olivine and liquid. Application of this KD to phenocryst-bulk rock pairs indicates that many of the phenocrysts are more magnesian than the presumed equilibrium composition and must have been derived from a more primitive magma. One-atmosphere melting studies confirm this discrepancy. The diversity of zoning patterns in the Plagioclase phenocrysts in the phyric basalts similarly indicates a mixed parentage for this phase. In addition, both the olivine and Plagioclase phenocrysts contain Mg-rich, Ca-rich, Ti-poor melt inclusions which have compositional characteristics of more "primitive" magmas. Integration of these observations with major and trace element chemical data indicates that mixing of magmas and their attendant phenocrysts played an important role in the generation of these basalts. We suggest that mixing occurs as "primitive" picritic magmas are injected into zoned, fractionating magma chambers. The basalts recovered from Site 395 are very similar to the Site 396 lavas in mineralogy, mineral chemistry, and bulk composition. The nearly identical trace element systematics of basalts from the two sites indicate derivation of these LIL-depleted magmas from a similar, compositionally homogeneous mantle source.
Parametric Identification of Linear Systems Followed by Non-Invertible Piecewise Nonlinearities

The aim of the given paper is the development of an approach for parametric identification of Wiener systems with static non-invertible function, i.e., when the linear part with unknown parameters is followed by piecewise linear nonlinearity with negative slopes. It is shown here that the problem of identification of a nonlinear Wiener system could be reduced to a linear parametric estimation problem by a simple input-output data reordering and by a following data partition into three data sets. A technique based on ordinary least squares ( LS ) is proposed here for the separate estimation of parameters of linear and nonlinear parts of the Wiener system, including the unknown threshold of piecewise nonlinearity, by processing respective particles of input-output observations. The simulation results are given.
Pollination Biology of Astragalus phoenix (Fabaceae) with Notes on the Natural History of its Pollinator, Anthophora porterae (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

ABSTRACT. Astragalus (Fabaceae) is a broadly distributed, diverse, and economically important group of plants. Given the number of species and its distribution, it is not surprising that there are many species that are highly restricted and endangered. Among these is the Ash Meadows milkvetch, Astragalus phoenix. Here we investigate the breeding biology of As. phoenix. Our data show that As. phoenix is xenogamous and that Anthophora porterae (Hymenoptera: Apidae) is the most likely pollinator. We also noticed Apis mellifera visiting As. phoenix, though it appears unlikely that Ap. rnellifera contributes significantly to the reproductive success of As. phoenix. We located a nesting aggregation of An. porterae and offer a description of its nest architecture.
Wired warfare: Computer network attack and jus in bello

La guerre de l'information s'annonce comme le nouvel outil révolutionnaire qui sera utilisé pour se battre dans les conflits armés. Une attaque contre les réseaux informatiques (Computer Network Attack, CNA) désigne toute opération visant à perturber, refuser, dégrader ou détruire l'information résidente dans les ordinateurs ou les réseaux informatiques. Dans les conflits armés internationaux, les ramifications de ce genre d'attaque peuvent se révéler considérables. Cet article examine le recours aux attaques contre les réseaux informatiques dans les conflits armés internationaux. Il analyse d'abord l'applicabilité du droit international humanitaire à ces attaques, puis les effets juridiques de cette branche du droit sur le recours à telles attaques comme moyens de combat. Certains estiment que, bien qu'il n'y ait pas en droit international humanitaire de règles explicites relatives aux attaques contre les réseaux informatiques et que ces attaques n'aient pas un caractère cinétique (en d'autres termes, ces attaques ne sont pas des attaques «armées»), le droit humanitaire s'applique néanmoins si l'on tient compte de ses objectifs sous-jacents, à savoir protéger les personnes qui ne participent pas directement aux hostilités et leurs biens. Quand les attaques contre les réseaux informatiques ont pour but ou risquent de mettre en danger des personnes ou des biens protégés, le droit humanitaire devient applicable, et ces attaques relèvent du jus in bello. En analysant la licéité du recours aux attaques contre les réseaux informatiques sous l'angle du droit international humanitaire, l'auteur met non seulement en lumière les questions juridiques fondamentales (et non résolues) relatives à ce type de guerre, mais il soulève aussi des questions essentielles telles que la définition d'un conflit armé et la capacité du droit international humanitaire de réglementer des méthodes et moyens de guerre nouveaux et intéressants d'un point de vue conceptuel.
The Shadows of Reading: Reasons for the Bad Results of Bulgarians in PISA Studies

The subject of this article are the factors and reasons for the bad results in reading of the Bulgarian 15-year-old students in PISA’s international studies. The reference points of the analysis are the critical results from the last four studies – 2000, 2006, 2009 and 2012. The aim of this analysis is to bring up for discussion unformulated topics and reading angles which have not been covered, which may explain the reason for the critical results in reading, including in the European Union as a whole. The goals of the report are to look for arguments and evidence in communication theory, in the conclusions of sociological studies and to summarize the factors which may lessen the ongoing preoccupation with “mass non-reading” or the “drop in reader’s literacy”. Eight reasons for the critical state of reading literacy have been drawn: 1) basic illiteracies which stem from the incorrect attitude towards reading as a cultural technology; 2) the stereotype “book = literature”; 3) the stereotype “book = paper”; 4) helplessness of sociological tools; 5) the manipulative side of reading; 6) the harmful side of reading; 7) reading mutations; 8) the erroneous statement “Young people do not read”. The scientists are presented with proposals to concentrate on two academic points: “Theory and practice of reading” classes on each educational level and focusing research efforts to improve readership culture of adults, including development of the so called “Acmeology of reading”.
Product Upgrading Decisions under Uncertainty in a Durable Goods Market

This paper studies investment behavior of firms deciding when to introduce an upgrade in a durable goods monopoly. The firm chooses both the investment timing and the price of the upgrade while facing the risk of the upgrade experiencing a serious malfunction and requiring a complete recall. More specifically, the paper aims to show what incentives a firm may have to introduce an upgrade early and accept the higher malfunction risk. The firm can reduce this risk by performing product tests of uncertain duration. We show that the willingness to introduce an upgrade early with significant malfunction risk is larger when (i) the demand for the existing version has weakened, (ii) the quality and stock of potential customers for the upgrade is high or (iii) the testing process is slow. ∗We would like to thank Kuno Huisman and Peter Kort for their useful insights.
Evidence of an elevated source of nucleation based on model simulations and data from the NIFTy experiment

Abstract. New particle formation has been observed at a number of ground-based measurement sites. Prior research has provided evidence that this new particle formation, while observed in the near-surface layer, is actually occurring in atmospheric layers above the surface and appears to be focused in or close to the residual layer formed by the nocturnal inversion. Here, we present both observations and modeling for southern Indiana which support this postulate. Based on simulations with a detailed aerosol dynamics model and the Weather Research and Forecasting model, along with data from ground-based remote sensing instruments and detailed gas and particle phase measurements, we show evidence that (i) the maximum rate change of ultrafine particle concentrations as observed close to the surface is always preceded by breakdown of the nocturnal inversion and enhancement of vertical mixing and (ii) simulated particle size distributions exhibit greatest accord with surface observations during and subsequent to nucleation only when initialized with a particle size distribution representative of clear atmospheric conditions, rather than the in situ (ground-level) particle size distribution.
Assessment of antioxidant activity of carotenoid-enriched extracts from peach fruits using the new LOX/RNO method

Peach ( Prunus persica L.) fruits contain several health-promoting phytochemicals. Among these, carotenoids, in addition to being involved in determining flesh color, play a relevant role in cell protection against oxidative stress. Nevertheless, antioxidant activity (AA) of peach carotenoids so far has not been investigated in as much detail as phenols. In the present study, for the first time, AA of peach carotenoid extracts was evaluated using the innovative lipoxygenase/4-nitroso-N,N-dimethylaniline (LOX/RNO) method, able to simultaneously detect different antioxidant mechanisms and synergistic antioxidant interactions, as well as using the well-known ORAC and TEAC assays. In particular, extracts were obtained from fruits collected in S4 development stage from two yellow-fleshed (Armking and Redhaven) and three white-fleshed (Silverking, Caldesi 2000, IFF331) varieties. The LOX/RNO method gave high AA values (10-150 μmol eq. Trolox/g f.w.), about 85-1900-fold higher than ORAC and TEAC methods. Moreover, the ratio between AA values, measured by the LOX/RNO method, of yellow- and white-fleshed peaches resulted equal to 14, but only 2.6 and 3.6 for ORAC and TEAC, respectively. Results of this study indicate that the LOX/RNO method, measuring high AA values and easily discriminating among samples, is an advisable tool to assess the AA of the carotenoid component in peach.
Digestion of sweet potato foliage (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam) in pigs. Ileal and rectal digestibility of nutrients and energy

Two experiments were performed, according to Latin square 4x4, to determine the ileal and rectal digestibility of nutrients and energy in growing Yorkshire x Landrace pigs. They were fed with variable levels (0, 10, 20 and 30 % on dry basis) of sweet potato foliage meal ( Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam). In experiment 1, four castrated males, of 35 kg and prepared with an ileo-rectal anastomosis, were used. In experiment 2, eight non castrated pigs of 38 kg were used. It was confirmed that the ileal digestibility of DM, organic matter and energy decreased significantly (P < 0.05) with the inclusion of the foliage. However, there were no differences between the treatments with 0 and 10 % of the foliage, nor with 10 and 30 %. The rectal digestibility showed the same fact (P < 0.05) for the DM, organic matter and energy. The ileal and rectal digestibility, measured by difference, were 34.4 and 61.1% for the organic matter of the foliage, and 40.6 and 59.0 % for the energy. From the digestive point of view, the sweet potato foliage meal can be provided to pigs in levels not higher than 30 % of the food, as a source of proteins and minerals in diets of very low amount of fiber. Key words: pigs, digestion, ileum, nutrients, sweet potato foliage
Validity and precision of estimates in the classical newsvendor model with exponential and rayleigh demand

In this paper we consider the classical newsvendor model with profit maximization. When demand is fully observed in each period and follows either the Rayleigh or the exponential distribution, appropriate estimators for the optimal order quantity and the maximum expected profit are established and their distributions are derived. Measuring validity and precision of the corresponding generated confidence intervals by respectively the actual confidence level and the expected half-length divided by the true quantity (optimal order quantity or maximum expected profit), we prove that the intervals are characterized by a very important and useful property. Either referring to confidence intervals for the optimal order quantity or the maximum expected profit, measurements for validity and precision take on exactly the same values. Furthermore, validity and precision do not depend upon the values assigned to the revenue and cost parameters of the model. To offer, therefore, a-priori knowledge for levels of precision and validity, values for the two statistical criteria, that is, the actual confidence level and the relative expected half-length are provided for different combinations of sample size and nominal confidence levels 90%, 95% and 99%. The values for the two criteria have been estimated by developing appropriate Monte-Carlo simulations. For the relative-expected half-length, values are computed also analytically.
FOR THE DEGREE OF LICENTIATE OF ENGINEERING Quantifying the Metabolism of Individual Households

The magnitude of the flows of matter and energy resulting from human activities is influenced by human needs and demands as well as the practices and technologies applied to fulfil them. The aim of this study was to explore differences in resource use and waste generation between individual households through the simultaneous quantification of physical flows entering and leaving the households. A pilot study was initiated where infrastructure-mediated sensing was combined with manual data collection approaches for fine-grained monitoring of resource use and waste generation at the level of individual households. A further aim was to relate resource and waste flows to specific household activities. This thesis presents the main findings from the pilot study, embeds the concept of household metabolism within the research field of socio-economic metabolism, and outlines which other research fields contribute to, or benefit from the quantification of household metabolism. The main scientific contribution of this thesis is the development and evaluation of two approaches for the collection of highly disaggregated data on goods consumption and related waste generation. In conclusion, comprehensive data collection at the level of detail envisaged in this study is challenging. Data collection can potentially be significantly simplified once easy to install single-point sensors for sensing disaggregated consumption data become commercially available, and data on goods consumption can be more readily obtained from retailers. Based on the work on household metabolism presented in this thesis, two meaningful possible directions for future research emerge. First, quantification of household metabolism can be embedded in living lab facilities in order to assess the impact of innovations on resource consumption and waste generation. Second, researchers and household members could co-develop a way to comprehensively track and evaluate resource consumption and waste generation of individual households. This could include seeking cooperation with supermarkets and retailers to provide consumption data to households.
Musical Effect and Personality: The Impacts of Video Game Music on Task Performance of Different Personality Dimensions

This study was conducted to examine the effects of video game music on cognitive task performance for individuals scoring high and low on the various personality dimensions as measured with NEO-FFI. The participants of the study consisted of 70 undergraduate psychology students from the age 19 to 37, 18 men (25,7%) and 52 women (74,3%) all students at Reykjavik University. There were two experimental conditions to collect data about the impact of music, silence vs. low volume video-game music. Participants were randomly assigned to either silent condition or musical condition, where they all solved four levels of Stroop test. To gather information about the personality type, participants answered the revised NEO personality inventory that consists of 60 questions. The results showed significant main effect for the Extroversion, and significant interactions for Neuroticism and Agreeableness personality dimensions. Where Neuroticism showed the most significant effects, i.e. Individuals who scored high on neuroticism performed well on all levels of the Stroop test in the silence condition. However, when they were exposed to music, scores were significantly worse compared to those who scored low on neuroticism. There was also a particular trend in the difficulty levels of the Stroop test and the increasing importance of silence for all of the personality dimensions.
Discovering unique profiles of adolescent information and communication technology (ICT) use: Are ICT use preferences associated with identity and behaviour development?

Over the course of the last seven years, the average weekly screen-time of youth has dramatically increased. The present study was designed to better understand how young people utilise multiple types of information and communication technology (ICT) in their everyday lives and how these preferences may be associated with key aspects of their development. To this end, the present study was designed to explore whether specific profiles of technology usage would be associated with key characteristics of identity and behaviour. To identify groups of adolescents who share similar technology use habits, a sample of 933 adolescents reported on their time spent interacting with various digital communication devices and associated platforms. Utilizing a latent profile analysis, four distinct profiles of technology use preferences emerged. Then, a series of linear regressions were calculated to investigate the degree to which class membership predicted indicators of identity and problem behaviours. The findings suggest that important concepts of both identity and behaviour are associated with individual ICT usage preferences. Acknowledging the cross-sectional nature of the data, it is suggested that the impact of clusters of communication technology use on adolescent development should be investigated with longitudinal data.
Inhibition of Streptococcus pneumoniae adenylate kinase by some 5-arylidene-thiazolidin-4-on-2-thione derivates

Abstract Adenylat kinase is an ubiquitous enzyme found in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. In the present study we examined the inhibition of Streptococcus pneumoniae adenylate kinase (AKSP) by six 5-arylidene-thiazolidin-4- on-2-thione derivates using 2, 4-dinitrophenylhydrazine colorimetric assay. Inhibition of AKSP activity with synthetic compounds was performed against recombinant enzyme over-expressed in E. coli. The compound C10H6BrNOS2 with the bromine atom in -ortho position has shown the most efficient inhibitory activity; I50 value (the inhibitor concentration that leads to 50% activity inhibition) was 0.067mM. Rezumat Adenilat kinaza este o enzimă ubiquitară prezentă atât la procariote cât şi la eucariote. în această lucrare am testat acţiunea inhibitorie a şase 5-ariliden-tiazolidin-4-on-2-tione faţă de adenilat kinaza din Strepto- coccus pneumoniae (A\Ksp) prin metoda colorimetrică cu 2,4-dinitrofenilhidrazonă. Efectul inhibitor al compuşilor de sinteză a fost testat faţă de enzima recombinantă supra-exprimată în E. coli. Compusul C10H6BrNOS2 cu atomul de brom în poziţia -orto a fost cel mai eficace inhibitor, valoarea I50 (concentraţia de inhibitor care determină inhibarea activităţii cu 50%) a fost 0.067mM.
CONCEPTUAL DESIGN OF PRODUCTS AND PRODUCT FAMILIES

The early phases during design are probably the most important ones. Concept development consists of at least three activities: the establishment of a design specification, functional decomposition and establishment of concepts. The establishment of a design specification is not treated in the paper. Hubka's procedure bas been used successfully at Linkoping University for some years, however not exactly as proposed by Hubka. An enhanced procedure for conceptual design is presented in the paper. The procedure is based on Hubka's General Procedural Model, complemented with theories and methods from Andreasen, Hansen & Svendsen, Roozenburg & Eekels, etc. How should we treat variance between the members of a product family when using the procedure? For some families, the process structure will vary depending on the family member we are focusing on. The function/means tree is a powerful tool for structuring the family. The variance can be created by letting the family members be composed of different functions, or by varying the means for realising functions. The final step is to compose into concepts based on selected means. This is not easy when designing a product; it is certainly not easier when designing a product family.
Standoff Detection of Chemical and Biological Substances using Laser Induced Fluorescence Technique

Laser based standoff detection methods are convenient to investigate unknown/hazardous chemical or biological aerosol clouds at a safe distance in order to trigger further counteractions if necessary. Classification and localization of such clouds can be provided by laser induced fluorescence (LIF). At Lampoldshausen the German Aerospace Center (DLR) operates a 135 m long laser test range, where LIF measurements on aerosols, liquids, and solids can be performed. Fluorescence light of test material, which is illuminated by a laser source with UV wavelengths, is collected by a telescope and analyzed spectrally as well as time resolved by means of a gated spectrograph. LIF measurements on liquids and aerosols at a distance of 22 m show adequate fluorescence signal strength with a good signal to noise ratio. The data analysis has the ability to distinguish between biological and chemical material with a good prediction confidence level.