Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Electron impact vibrational excitation of carbon monoxide in the upper atmospheres of Mars and Venus

[1] Infrared emission from CO in the upper atmospheres of Mars, Venus and several other planets is a subject of current theoretical and experimental interest. Electron impact excitation makes a contribution that has not been included in previous studies. Given this, and recent new measurements of absolute cross sections for low-energy electron impact excitation of the vibrational levels of the ground state of CO, results from calculations are presented showing the contribution of electron impact relative to emissions by other mechanisms. It is demonstrated that emissions due to the impact of thermal, photo- and auroral electrons are generally small compared to sunlight-driven (fluorescence and photolysis) emissions, but with some exceptions. It is also shown that thermal-electron emissions may dominate over other processes at nighttime at Mars and that auroral emissions certainly do so. While measurements and other calculations do not appear to be available for Venus, the volume emission rates presented should be valuable in planning such measurements.
An analytical hierarchy process methodology to evaluate IT solutions for organizations

Nowadays organizations continuously update, adopt or introduce new Information Technology Systems within their structure. This requires great resources in capital, staff and time. Selection and adoption of the proper information system and/or technologies must be performed in a way which will ensure that the system will meet the requirements and will fit in the organization’s procedures and structure. This paper proposes a methodology for selecting the appropriate solution for an organization among the available options. It describes the requirement analysis phase where the selection criteria are defined and the available solutions are evaluated. For the evaluation of the different solutions, the Bipolar Analytic Hierarchical Process (BAHP) is proposed. The best solution is selected so as to fulfill the functional requirements and the requirements of the organization regarding the maintenance needs and the cost. The proposed approach is tested for the case of the Port Authority of Igoumenitsa, Greece.
Inter-temporal fiscal equalization and per capita output in a federation

We develop a model of a federation with two heterogeneous states which participate in an Australian-style inter-temporal revenue sharing-equalization scheme that redistributes income from rich to poor states. We then consider a policy shock requiring the states to make the transition to a steady state with a higher capital to effective labour ratio. It is shown that equalization induces the states to delay convergence, resulting in unambiguously smaller per capita output over time in each state, including the poor state receiving a net transfer. The paper also provides the foundation for further theoretical and empirical research.
Raftery, Simon Motorcycling in Victoria: Preliminary findings of the evaluation of the Community Education and Policing Project Proceedings of the 2010 Australasian Road

The Community Policing and Education Project was launched by VicRoads and Victoria Police in 2009 to reduce the likelihood of motorcycle crashes through a combination of enforcement and education countermeasures. The Centre for Automotive Safety Research at the University of Adelaide was chosen to evaluate the effectiveness of the Project using a range of methods. These methods include a process evaluation, analysis of crash data, on-road speed surveys, an online survey of motorcyclists, and roadside traffic observation. This paper provides a brief summary of the first round of roadside observations of motorcyclists, the first onroad speed surveys, and the early results of the online survey. The first round of roadside observations were focused on some of the areas included in the education component, including the use of headlights, helmets, protective gear and high conspicuity clothing by motorcyclists, analysed by type of motorcycle. The on-road speed surveys were conducted on regional Victorian roads. The online survey included sections on rider demographics, motorcycle characteristics, riding history, offences, crashes, exposure to enforcement, perceived likelihood of detection, views on road infrastructure, and on-road behaviour. The results provide insights into the issues that are of concern to motorcyclists, as well as motorcycle riding patterns, riding behaviour and use of protective clothing.
Electronic cargo tracking systems as a part of the intelligent freight technologies. Their impact on the global integrated supply chain security and effectiveness based on the avante system

Effectiveness of the global transport is directly linked to the freight security measures undertaken during entire integrated transportation process. Securing the supply chain through the securing of containers during transit could help to lower costs for consumers through the potential reduction of billion of dollars that are lost to theft and other spoilages. An effective container transport security system and supply chain security solution must include end-toend container tracking and full container intrusion monitoring in real time. This article is based on the AVANTE end-to-end intermodal container supply chain security tracking system used in order to achieve high supply chain security level. The article however, represents much more holistic approach identifying critical benefits for single transport operators as well as for the local and global economy.
Climate Change and Plantation Agriculture: A Ricardian Analysis of Farmlands in Nigeria

This study used the Ricardian approach that captures farmer adaptations to varying environmental factors to analyze the impact of climate change (CC) on plantation agriculture in Nigeria. By collecting data from 280 farm households in seven different agro-ecological zones of Nigeria (Cross River, Abia, Edo, Ondo, Ekiti, Oyo and Ogun States), the quantity of crops produced over time and land value proxied by net revenue per hectares (NR), were regressed on climate, household and soil variables. The results suggest that these variables have a significant impact on the net crop revenue per hectare of farmlands under Nigerian conditions. Specifically, seasonal marginal impact analysis indicates that increasing temperature during summer and winter would significantly reduce crop net revenue per hectare whereas marginally increasing precipitation during spring would significantly increase net crop revenue per hectare. Furthermore, the net crop revenue impact of predicted climate scenarios from three models (CGM2, HaDCM3 and PCM) for the years 2020, 2060 and 2100 suggest drastic decline in future net revenue per hectare for plantation crops in Nigeria. However, these marginal impacts are not uniformly distributed across the different agro-ecological zones in Nigeria.
Solar Thermal Plants Integration in Smart Grids

Abstract Solar energy penetration has been increasingly growing in recent years. Since solar energy is intermittent its integration in existing grids is difficult. This paper deals with the optimal integration of solar power plants in grids. The paper proposes a modification of energy hubs which allows to solve the optimization problem with a mixed integer programming algorithm in a distributed way. An introductory simulation study case is given.
A Content Analysis of Textbooks: Investigating Gender Bias as a Social Prominence in Iranian High School English Textbooks

This paper aims to look at language gender bias in EFL textbooks. It is the second in a series of three complementary papers which look at sexism (see Gharbavi & Mousavi, 2012). All use the same corpus; however different methodology. The paper points to areas that remain problematical in the design of textbooks. Four English textbooks currently taught in the Iranian high schools were chosen as a sample of this study. Three categories in these textbooks were examined: male and female visibility in illustrations, texts and the male/female occupational roles. First, a content analysis was conducted on the data, and then the frequency of each category was calculated and compared with one another. The results of chi-square test indicated that there is a significant difference between the frequencies of male and female for different categories of this study. The findings are followed by analysis and interpretation with special attention given to the relationship between language sexism and ideology. Pedagogical implications of the study have been discussed.
Sources of Value in Mergers and Acquisitions

This study investigates sources of value in mergers and acquisitions. While much emphasis is put on operating synergies from acquisitions the evidence provided in this study shows that the difference between the WACCs of the combined firm and the merging firms may have a significant role on the value effect of mergers. These findings suggest that changes in the capital structure of the combined firm, compared to capital structures of the acquirer and the target, play a key role in determining the value of an acquisition. Moreover, findings of this study suggest that reducing the cost of capital of the combined firm, compared to the merging firms, is value creating even in the absence of operating synergies. Furthermore, this study shows that the component of value associated with the difference between the WACCs of the combined firm and the acquirer is mainly determined by leverage of the acquiring firm and the method of payment. While cash payment is value creating, high leverage of the acquirer prior to an acquisition can destroy value by raising the cost of capital of the firm. This is especially important to managers when they are planning an acquisition.
The impact of food prices on factor incomes

In the context of the theory, a food price shock affects factor incomes through labor and capital markets. The magnitude of the effect of a price shock is defined by labor shares of the productive sectors, saving allocation, elasticity of substitution in the agricultural sector and factor intensities. A rise in food prices is likely to have a significant positive effect on wages when the labor share and the elasticity of substitution in the agricultural sector are large and the savings are relatively more allocated towards the capital using sector.
Financial innovation, macroeconomic volatility and the great moderation

In the paper we propose an assessment of the role of financial innovation in shaping US macroeconomic dynamics. We extend an existing model by Christiano, Eichenbaum and Evans which studied the transmission of monetary policy impulses to business and corporate sector financing variables just before the Great Moderation period. By investigating the properties of the model over a longer time span we show that in the later period a change in the monetary policy transmission mechanism is likely to have occurred. In particular, we argue that the role of financial innovation has significantly altered the transmission of shocks
Reflections and Reviews Consumer Culture Theory (CCT): Twenty Years of Research

This article provides a synthesizing overview of the past 20 yr. of consumer research addressing the sociocultural, experiential, symbolic, and ideological aspects of consumption. Our aim is to provide a viable disciplinary brand for this research tradition that we call consumer culture theory (CCT). We propose that CCT has fulfilled recurrent calls for developing a distinctive body of theoretical knowledge about consumption and marketplace behaviors. In developing this argument, we redress three enduring misconceptions about the nature and analytic orientation of CCT. We then assess how CCT has contributed to consumer research by illuminating the cultural dimensions of the consumption cycle and by developing novel theorizations concerning four thematic domains of research interest.
Improved measurement of resistance and calculation of arc power in fusion welding

We reported a new method based on the input electrical impedance of a welding system to measure the resistance of the welding system for the arc power calculation in fusion welding. This impedance can be obtained by dividing the measured voltage to current in their analytic form. Two time recorded waveforms, namely, resistance and reactance of impedance, are therefore calculated. Theoretically, the resistance used for arc power calculation is obtained by dividing measured voltage to current directly without considering the influence of inductance. Through experimental studies, we confirm that the error of arc power calculation incurred by the influence of inductance can range from 2 to 10% depending on the welding voltage and current setting. Since the proposed method can obtain the resistance of the welding system without the influence of inductance, it is a better approach as compared with the current method to obtain the accurate resistance and then arc power.
Controller Design for Three-Mass Resonant System Based on Polynomial Method

The mechanical system in the industrial electrical drives can be modelled by a multi-mass system. Torsional vibration suppression and attainment of robustness in motion control systems is a requisite in industry applications. In this paper, the system that is three-mass system is considered. A speed control method based on polynomial method introduced to imple-mentation of torsional vibration is proposed. The effectiveness of the proposed controller is demonstrated by transfer function analysis and simulation results. The simulation results show that the proposed controller improves dynamic performance and suppresses torsional vibration of three-mass resonant system.
Fossil Stomatocysts in Upper Cretaceous Sedimentary Pyrite from Central Mexico

In this paper six fossil forms of Chrysophycean stomatocysts are described. The material was collected from sedimentary pyrite embedded in well-laminated organic-rich limestone of the Upper Cretaceous Agua Nueva Formation at the locality of Xilitla, Central Mexico. The stomatocysts are represented by two spherical specimens with smooth surfaces lacking of ornamentation, three ovoid forms with rugose textures, one of them exposing presence of pore without collar, and one spherical specimen showing rugose texture and the presence of two short and rounded projections. The specimens here described showed affinity with some stomatocysts morphotypes described for brackish and fresh water, but not for known marine specimens. The presence of these microfossils in the Agua Nueva Formation represents the first formal description of fossil stomatocysts in Upper Cretaceous sedimentary pyrite in Mexico. The occurrence of both micro (planktonic foraminifera, calcispheres, radiolarians) and macrobiota (ammonites, inoceramid bivalves and fishes) and the presence of the specimens in sedimentary pyrite suggest that the stomatocysts were preserved under oxygen-deficiency conditions in a low energy environment. This event could have occurred in open marine waters in the Tampico-Misantla basin (Central Mexico) during the late Cenomanian throughout the early Turonian.
Profit and Loss Sharing Financing, Mark-up Products or Conventional Debt? Application of Analytic Hierarchy Process

Financing SMEs is one of the most critical problems faced by entrepreneurs. PLS (Profit and Loss Sharing) and mark-up instruments are two sets of Islamic modes of financing developed as a substitute for conventional debt, which is typically adopted by SMEs. However, with larger finance offerings, it becomes more complicated for SMEs to determine the best financial instrument. Indeed, the financing decision involves a trade-off between tangible and intangible factors. Therefore, using an experts’ decision-making in evaluating financial products is a beneficial way to assist SMEs choosing the most appropriate one. The purpose of this paper is to apply the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) in selecting an instrument to finance SMEs. Financial suitability, cost, risk, management intervention and profitability are the criteria upon which the financial decision is based in the current study. The results show that PLS equity finance complies with the SMEs profile more than mark-up products and traditional debt. The study has concluded with suggestions for future research.
A two-patch ecological system with nonlinear transfer rate and noise effect

Abstract. In this paper, we study the dynamical behavior of a species which inhabits two independent habitat patches. Due to the long range foraging behavior, frequent transfers happen between two patches with an exponentially decaying nonlinear transfer rate. Periodic oscillation is observed as a Hopf bifurcation occurs at some critical values of the delay τ . By applying the center manifold theorem, the Poincaré normal form and the approximate periodic solution near the critical delay values are obtained. The complete synchronization of variations of the population size of species in two patches is analyzed and numerical simulations under various parametric conditions are illustrated. The moment stability of the solution of the stochastic delay equation is also considered by applying the Itô integral.
World Mycotoxin Journal

Co-contamination of feed and feed raw materials with two or more mycotoxins is frequently reported, however, only a few studies have investigated the combined effects of low doses of multiple mycotoxins. In the present study the individual and combined effects of 10 mg/kg fumonisin B1 and 2 mg/kg T-2 toxin (n=12/group) were investigated in weaned rabbits. Mycotoxin contaminated feed was produced by adding fungal cultures of Fusarium verticillioides and Fusarium sporotrichioides, and fed to 40 days old rabbits during 28 days. Feed intake and body weight were measured weekly, serum biochemistry and antioxidant parameters on day 0, 14 and 28, while histopathological examination and comet assay were performed at the end of the experiment. T-2 exposure both alone and in combination resulted in 15-18% less final body weight compared to the control and FB1 treatment. There was a significant increase in the concentration of plasma total protein, albumin, fructosamine and creatinine in the group treated with FB1 compared to the control. The liver and the kidney of most animals treated with T-2 toxin, FB1 and their combination showed pathological changes, occurring more frequent in animals exposed to both toxins. T-2 resulted in depletion of lymphocytes in the spleen. FB1 and T-2 exerted synergistic effect on the antioxidant/oxidative parameters after 2 weeks of exposure, manifesting in less glutathione and glutathione peroxidase, while more malondialdehyde was produced. Both toxins caused DNA damage in the lymphocytes, which was more pronounced in the group fed T-2 toxin and T-2 combined with FB1, without additive or synergistic effects.
Estimating the temporal overlap between post-smolt migration of Atlantic salmon and salmon lice infestation pressure from fish farms

To be able to design effective management to alleviate wild fish from parasite infestation pressure from fish farms, it is pivotal to understand when post-smolts migrate past areas of potential exposure to salmon lice Lepeophtheirus salmonis. Here, data from release groups of coded-wire-tagged Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolts and their subsequent recaptures in a trap net in the outer fjord 12 to 97 km from the various release sites were used to estimate the smolts’ progression rate and their arrival time in an outer fjord in Norway. The arrival time estimates to the outer fjord are compared with modelled infestation pressure from local fish farms. The overall progression rate varied from 0.8 to 31.2 km d−1 (0.05 to 2.20 body lengths s−1), with mean and median values of 8.8 and 7.8 km d−1, respectively (0.60 and 0.54 body lengths s−1). The progression rate varied with water discharge from the rivers into the fjords, fish length, condition factor and smolt origin. Simulated arrival time and capture of wild smolts suggest that smolts from the different rivers arrive in the outer fjord system with a difference of up to 4 wk. The arrival time for the rivers with the longest migration was estimated to be from mid-May throughout June. Infestation pressure from fish farms increased from the beginning of June in 2 of 3 study years, suggesting that an increase in lice exposure from fish farms will overlap with smolts from late-migrating populations in some but not all years.
Orthostatic Hypotension in Alzheimer’s disease: A Meta-Analysis

Objective To investigate the relationships between orthostatic hypotension (OH) and the risk of AD using meta-analysis. Methods The PubMed, Sciencedirect and Web of Science were searched to identify relevant literature published up to October 2016. The RevMan 5.3 software was used for statistical analysis, with odds ratio (OR), risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) calculated to evaluate the associations between OH and the risk of AD. Meta-regression and publication bias were also performed. Results This meta-analysis included 6 studies. OH was associated with increased AD risk (OR=8.27, 95% CI=4.21-16.22, PA¯Â¼ÂÂ0.00001; RR=8.27, 95% CI=3.15-10.55, PA¯Â¼ÂÂ0.00001). There was no heterogeneity (OR: P=0.54, I2=0%; RR: P=0.45, I2=0%). The funnel plots were symmetrical. Egger’s linear regression showed that there was no publication bias (P=0. 212). Conclusion This meta-analysis showed that OH may be a risk factor for susceptibility to AD. Large-sample multicenter studies are needed to confirm the findings.
Quantifiying external and internal nitrogen and phosphorus pools, as well as nitrogen and phosphorus supplied through remineralization, in coastal marine plankton by means of a dilution technique

A theoretical framework was developed for analyzing Landry & Hassett (1982; Mar. Biol. 67: 283-288) type dilution assays under more general conditions, where phytoplankton growth might also be nutrient-limited. The theory, which accounts for growth on available internal and external pools as well as on nutrients . supplied through remineralization by grazers, was applied to a series of field experiments performed in nutrient-impoverished waters in the Oslofjord, Southern Norway, in summer 1988. Analysis of the experimental results indicates that the phytoplankton had intracellular stores of P sufficient for several hours of growth in all experiments, while internal stores of N were undetectable in 4 out of 6 cases. Dissolved N pools appeared to be of greater importance to the algae as a nutrient reservoir than were hssolved P pools. Significant nutrient supplies from remineralization were identified on 3 out of 6 occasions, compensating for around half of the estimated grazing losses in each case. The supplies of remineralized N and P were closely balanced with respect to the growth demands of the phytoplankton, indicating that the surplus of cellular P originated from other sources.