Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Aggregation Study of Ag-TiO 2 Composites

Most of the toxicity data presented in the literature are obtained in relatively simple media, like distilled water. The literature reported that nanoparticles agglomerate immediately upon being added to cell culture media and if the agglomerates are used directly in antimicrobial studies, the interpretation of the toxicity results tends to be complicated. Six different molar ratios Ag-TiO2 composites were synthesized by a reduction method using two different commercial TiO2 particles as base materials and were used to find the aggregate size in distilled water and Mueller-Hinton Broth, and to obtain the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) against E. coli and E. faecalis. To evaluate the evolution of the Ag-TiO2 particle size (z-average) three dilutions of each of the synthesized composites 100 µg/ml, 250 µg/mL and 500 µg/ml were realized in deionized water and Mueller Hinton broth. It was found that Ag-TiO2 composites increased in size after being diluted in Mueller-Hinton Broth, but once they grew in size, they remained constant for 24 minutes, and after this time, did not affect the MIC for the microorganisms involved.
A model analysis of the relationship between climate perturbations and carbon budget anomalies in global terrestrial ecosystems: 1970 to 1997

We performed a model analysis of the effect of climatic perturbations from 1970 to 1997 on the carbon budget of terrestrial ecosystems at the global scale. The model, Sim-CYCLE, enabled us to simulate carbon storage in terrestrial pools and monthly carbon fluxes between the atmosphere and the biosphere, e.g. photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, and net ecosystem production (NEP). For the global analysis, we adopted the Matthews biome distribution map (12 biome types) and the US National Centers for Environmental Prediction and the US National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/ NCAR) reanalysis climate dataset, which is at a spatial resolution of T62 (5828 land cells). During the 28 yr experimental period, global NEP showed considerable climate-induced interannual anomalies (⌉NEPs) ranging from -2.06 Pg C yr -1 (source) in 1983 to +2.25 (sink) Pg C yr -1 in 1971, being sufficiently large to give rise to anomalies in the atmospheric CO2 concentration from +0.97 to -1.06 ppmv. Regression analyses demonstrated the following: (1) annual ⌉NEPs had the highest correlation (r 2 = 0.38) with the temperature anomaly at the global scale; (2) the anomalies in precipitation resulted in a con- siderable ⌉NEP in northern high and middle regions; (3) an anomalous global warming by +1°C brought about a negative ⌉NEP of -2.7 Pg C yr -1 ; (4) the responsiveness was primarily attributable to the temperature sensitivities of plant respiration and soil decomposition, and secondarily to the moisture sensitivity of decomposition; and (5) the temperature dependence of ⌉NEP had a clear seasonality, i.e. most sensitive in July to September (summer in the northern hemisphere) relative to other seasons. In 1983, when an ENSO event happened and the tropical zone was anomalously hot (0.4°C above the long- term mean), the largest negative ⌉NEP (-2.06 Pg C yr -1 ) was estimated. On the other hand, in 1971, when global mean temperature was relatively low (0.2°C below the long-term mean), the largest positive ⌉NEP (+2.25 Pg C yr -1 ) was estimated. Furthermore, in 1992, when an anomalous cooling during the growing period (0.3°C below the long-term mean) was caused by the Mt. Pinatubo eruption (June 1991), a considerable positive ⌉NEP (+1.14 Pg C yr -1 ) was estimated. The climate dependencies of global ter- restrial ecosystems analyzed here may contain significant implications not only for the present functioning of atmosphere-biosphere carbon exchange, but also for ongoing global warming.
A General Theory of Time Discounting: The Reference-Time Theory of Intertemporal Choice

We develop a general theory of intertemporal choice: the reference-time theory, RT. RT is a synthesis of ideas from the generalized hyperbolic model (Loewenstein and Prelec 1992), the quasi-hyperbolic model (Phelps and Pollak 1968, Laibson 1997) and subadditivity of time discounting (Roelofsma and Read 2000, Read 2001 and Scholten and Read 2006a). These models are extended to allow for (i) reference points for time and wealth, and (ii) different discount functions for gains and losses. RT is able to account for all the 6 main anomalies of time discounting: gain-loss asymmetry, magnitude effect, common difference effect, delay-speedup asymmetry, apparent intransitivity of time preferences, and non-additivity of time discounting. We provide a class of utility functions compatible with RT. We show how RT can be extended to incorporate uncertainty and attribute models of intertemporal choice.
Diversity and structure of the fungal endophytic assemblages from two sympatric coastal grasses.

Ammophila arenaria and Elymus farctus are two grasses which grow in sympatry in sand dunes of the Atlantic coasts of Europe. Culturable fungal endophytes were isolated from leaf and rhizome tissues of eigthy four plants of each species, sampled in 12 different locations in beaches of the northern coast of Galicia (Spain). Morphological and molecular techniques were used for the identification of fungi. One hundred and three different endophytic species were identified in both grasses, 75 in Ammophila and 54 in Elymus. The mean number of species identified did not significantly differ between leaves or rhizomes for any of the grasses. The endophytic assemblages of both grasses were dominated by species capable of infecting both hosts. Endophytes found in both grasses comprised 25% of all species recorded, but produced 61% of all isolates obtained. A statistically significant inverse relationship existed between the similarity of endophytic assemblages and their distance. This spatial effect and species accumulation curves suggested that increasing the number of plants or locations examined would reveal new endophytic species, mostly singletons represented by single isolates, on both grasses.
Biodiversity Assessment of Foxtail Millet (Setaria italica L.) Genotypes Based on RAPD Marker

Foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.) is an important crop in areas where harsh environmental conditions limit crop productivity, including in high salinity and drought prone areas. In Indonesia millet is cultivated in certain areas; however, superior varieties are less developed in the country. The objective of this study was to analyze the genetic diversity among foxtail genotypes using RAPD markers. Genomic DNA of ten foxtail millet genotypes was amplified using 26 random primers through RAPD analysis. Of these primers, 22 produced reproducible amplicons and were polymorphic among the 10 foxtail millet genotypes. The number of polymorphic markers for each primer varied from 1 (primer E15) to 14 (primer M17). The amplified product size ranged from 120 to 2500 base pairs (bp). A dendrogram constructed based on the UPGMA clustering method put all genotypes in 5 distinct groups at 0.64 coefficient level. Diverse genotypes identified in this study can be used as potential parents in an efficient crop improvement program.
PERCEIVED NATURALNESS OF SPEECH SOUNDS PRESENTED USING PERSONALIZED VERSUS NON-PERSONALIZED HRTFS

Speech sound sources were spatially processed using measured HRTF data that were obtained from nine individuals. The speech signals were auditioned via headphones by two groups of listeners via a paired comparison task in which listeners were asked to judge which of two stimuli sounded more natural. One group of listeners was composed of those whose HRTFs had been used to create subsets of the stimuli that were presented, while a second group of listeners were never presented with stimuli that were processed using their own HRTFs. Results from the first group showed that stimuli generated using an individual’s own HRTFs will not necessarily be judged as more natural than those generated using HRTF data from other individuals. However, this was not because one set of HRTF data gave the most natural listening experience for all listeners, since the stimulus ranked highest differed between individuals. An analysis of the Interaural Level Difference (ILD) showed that the frequency dependence of ILD for an individual’s HRTFs was quite similar to that of the HRTFs that produced for them an auditory image that was ranked as the most natural sounding. The results suggest that the interaural spectral difference presented via HRTF-based processing can affect perceived naturalness as strongly as the overall spectral shape that is related to source tone coloration.
Vortex microavalanches in superconducting Pb thin films

Local magnetization measurements on 100-nm type-II superconducting Pb thin films show that flux penetration changes qualitatively with temperature. Small flux jumps at the lowest temperature gradually increase in size, then disappear near ${T=0.7T}_{c}. $ Comparison with other experiments suggests that the avalanches correspond to dendritic flux protrusions. Reproducibility of the first flux jumps in a decreasing magnetic field indicates a role for defect structure in determining avalanches. We also find a temperature-independent final magnetization after flux jumps, analogous to the angle of repose of a sandpile.
High Framingham risk score decreases quality of life in adults

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, such as diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, smoking, and obesity tend to occur together in the general population. Increasing prevalence of multiple CVD risk factors has been related to increased risk of death from coronary heart disease and stroke. Studies have suggested that people with several risk factors of CVD may have impaired healthrelated quality of life. The objective of this study was to assess the association of CVD risk factors with quality of life (QOL) among adults aged 40 to 65 years. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 220 subjects 40 - 65 years of age at a health center. The CVD risk factors were assessed using the Framingham risk score that is the standard instrument for assessment of the risk of a first cardiac event. The risk factors assessed were age, smoking, blood pressure, total cholesterol and high density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations. QOL was assessed by means of the WHOQOL-BREF instrument that had been prevalidated. The results of the study showed that 28.2% of subjects were smokers, 56.4% had stage 1 hypertension, 42.8% high total cholesterol and 13.6% low HDL cholesterol. The high risk group amounted to 45.5% and 42.3% constitued an intermediate risk group. High CVD risk scores were significantly associated with a low QOL for all domains (physical, psychological, social and environment) (p=0.000). Preventing or reducing the multiple CVD risk factors to improve QOL is necessary among adults.
Screening of electron-phonon coupling in graphene on Ir(111)

The phonon dispersion of graphene on Ir(111) has been determined by means of angle-resolved inelastic electron scattering and density functional calculations. Kohn anomalies of the highest optical-phonon branches are observed at the $\Gamma$ and K point of the surface Brillouin zone. At K the Kohn anomaly is weaker than observed from pristine graphene and graphite. This observation is rationalized in terms of a decrease of the electron-phonon coupling due to screening of graphene electron correlations by the metal substrate.
Money Growth and Consumer Price Inflation in the Euro Area: A Wavelet Analysis

Our paper studies the relationship between money growth and consumer price inflation in the euro area using wavelet analysis. Wavelet analysis allows to account for variations in the money growth-inflation relationship both across the frequency spectrum and across time. We find evidence of strong comovements between money growth and inflation at low frequencies with money growth as the leading variable. However, our analysis of time variation at medium-to-long-run frequencies indicates a weakening of the relationship after the mid 1990s which also reflects in a deterioration of the leading indicator property and a decline in the cross wavelet gain. In contrast, most of the literature, by failing to account for the effects of time variation, estimated stable long-run relationships between money growth and inflation well into the 2000s.
Spectral Parameter Encoding: Towards a Framework for Functional-Aesthetic Sonification

Auditory-display research has had a largely unsolved challenge of balancing functional and aesthetic considerations. While functional designs tend to reduce musical expressivity for the fidelity of data, aesthetic or musical sound organization arguably has a potential for representing multi-dimensional or hierarchical data structure with enhanced perceptibility. Existing musical designs, however, generally employ nonlinear or interpretive mappings that hinder the assessment of functionality. The authors propose a framework for designing expressive and complex sonification using small timescale musical hierarchies, such as the harmony and timbral structures, while maintaining data integrity by ensuring a closeto-the-original recovery of the encoded data utilizing descriptive analysis by a machine listener.
Firm Size and Capital Structure Decisions: Evidence From Turkish Lodging Companies

Aim of this study is to investigate the role of firm size on capital structure decisions of Turkish lodging companies. In this context, a survey questionnaire is developed and sent to unquoted Turkish lodging companies. 163 lodging companies answered the survey and they are classified according to their sizes. Empirical findings reveal that firm size is a significant factor for capital structure decisions of Turkish lodging companies. Firm size seems to affect lodging companies in using incentives, issuing common stock, using personal debt and determining target debt ratio. Most of the empirical findings seem to support pecking order theory.
The RMS survey: far-infrared photometry of young massive stars

Context. The Red MSX Source (RMS) survey is a multi-wavelength campaign of follow-up observations of a colour-selected sample of candidate massive young stellar objects (MYSOs) in the galactic plane. This survey is returning the largest well-selected sample of MYSOs to date, while identifying other dust contaminant sources with similar mid-infrared colours including a large number of new ultra-compact (UC) H ii regions. Aims. To measure the far-infrared (IR) flux, which lies near the peak of the spectral energy distribution (SED) of MYSOs and UCH ii regions, so that, together with distance information, the luminosity of these sources can be obtained. Methods. Less than 50% of RMS sources are associated with IRAS point sources with detections at 60 μm and 100 μm, though the vast majority are visible in Spitzer MIPSGAL or IRAS Galaxy Atlas (IGA) images. However, standard aperture photometry is not appropriate for these data due to crowding of sources and strong spatially variable far-IR background emission in the galactic plane. A new technique using a 2-dimensional fit to the background in an annulus around each source is therefore used to obtain far-IR photometry for young RMS sources. Results. Far-IR fluxes are obtained for a total of 1113 RMS candidates identified as young sources. Of these 734 have flux measurements using IGA 60 μm and 100 μm images and 724 using MIPSGAL 70 μm images, with 345 having measurements in both data sets.
Psycho-educational intervention for adolescents

Background. Adolescence is considered as a period of difficulties and challenges. It is the period of life of many changes. It may cause stress for adolescents, which in turn may have negative impact on adolescent’s mental health and well- being. Psycho-educational groups for adolescents are one of the common interventions to help them to cope and gain necessary life skills. Various psycho-educational group interventions and life skills programs have been developed and used to assist adolescents to cope with the challenges of life. The authors of the programs claim that they are creating new content to address the needs of youth. However, upon closer examination there are many similarities related to the constructs and interventions proposed many years ago by Alfred Adler and his followers. The aim of this article was to compare theoretical principles of Individual Psychology with the constructs proposed by various psycho-educational programs for adolescents but with a more intense focus on the now popular Lerner’s Positive Youth Development model. Method. A literature review was conducted to explore the similarities of the principles of Individual Psychology and contemporary psycho-educational interventions. Results and conclusions . the conclusions of analysis of the review of literature indicated that a number of the theoretical constructs of the Lerner’s Positive Youth Development model and other psycho-educational programs have been proposed many years ago by Adler and his followers. Examples of psycho-educational programs based on the principles of Individual Psychology were also reviewed. The authors propose that the theory of Individual Psychology may serve as a viable theory base for adolescent intervention programs that lack a theoretical base. It is also proposed that regardless of interventions studies need to be conducted to support the efficacy of the models.
Synthetic Epoxy-Pregnan Steroids: Effects on Anxiety Behavior in Rats

Neurosteroids like 3α-OH-5α-pregnan-20-one (allopregnanolone) and 3α-OH-5β-pregnan-20-one (pregnanolone) modulate the γ-aminobutyric acid-A (GABAA) receptor function and produce several effects that can be considered for therapeutical pruposes like antidepressant and anxiolyticts, in a similar way to benzodiazepines. However, their rapid metabolism is a great disadvantage for medicinal treatments consideration. Synthetic steroid analogues with more bioavailability and stability arise like a solution to overcome these limitations. In previous studies, we evaluated the performance of a synthetic steroid group (Epoxies, similar to allopregnanolone and pregnanolone) throughout different assays in rat cerebral cortex and hippocampus, including neuroprotection and GABAA receptor modulation obtaining promising results. Taking into account the anxiolytic effect of allopregnanolone and pregnanolone, in this work we evaluated the effect of an intracranial administration (in dorsal hippocampus) of two synthetic steroids, Epoxy 1 and Epoxy 2, in an anxiety animal model to provide knowledge about the possible in vivo effects of these steroids. Allopregnanolone and pregnanolone produced increases in vertical and horizontal exploration behaviors, interpreted as anxiolytic-like effects. However, the two Epoxies capable to modulate GABAA receptor binding have no effect on anxiety at the dose evaluated. These features make them suitable for other therapeutical purposes where the anxiogenic behaviors are not involved.
Evolution of tornado-like vortices in a numerically simulated supercell thunderstorm

Recent observational studies of supercell thunderstorms indicate that low-level vertically oriented vortices with diameters 500 m or less may play a crucial role in some cases of tornadogenesis (Bluestein et al. 1997; Bluestein et al. 2003). Cyclonic vortices with a diameter on the order of 100-200 m found along the leading edge of a rearflank gust front preceded tornadogenesis in an observed supercell (Bluestein et al. 2003). It is likely that rotation on such scales, which is difficult to observe for both technological and logistical reasons, occurs frequently within supercell thunderstorms. Many three-dimensional numerical modeling studies of supercells are found in the literature and have elucidated many of the features of these storms. However, the vast majority of these simulations have been run at grid spacings on the order of 1 kilometer which is far too coarse to resolve flow on the order of a few hundred meters (Bryan et al. 2003). In this study, a supercell thunderstorm is simulated using the NCOMMAS model with horizontal grid spacing of 100 meters and a stretched vertical grid with 70 meter spacing near the surface. During the course of the four-hour simulation, numerous cyclonic vorticity features with a horizontal scale on the order of 500 m are found extending upwards from the surface behind the leading edge of the gust front along the storm’s right flank. Most of these features originate ahead of and to the left (all directions relative to the storm’s motion vector) of the supercell updraft along the leading edge of outflow pulses initiated from precipitation-induced downdrafts. These features typically propagate along and slightly behind the leading edge of the cold pool, moving below the main updraft and continuing along the gust front below the storm’s flanking line. Some of these features are associated with vertical vorticity exceeding 0.2 s−1, a drop in central pressure on the order of 5 hPa, and ground-relative surface winds exceeding 35 m s−1.
An innovation in teaching and learning of accounting concept using AccRoBa© Game Approach

The creation of Accounting Royale Balls Game (AccRoBa Game Approach) is to support the learning environment of university students by embarking on the approach of ‘learning through play’ during learning and teaching process. Some lecturer feel that the most common problem on why students face difficulties to understand accounting subject is because they do not mastering the accounting equation especially the topic of revenue and expenses. Therefore, AccRoBa is a game specifically designed to assist students in understanding the element of revenue and expenses in accounting equation and help them to understand better about the journal entry. This study was conducted in a classroom and participated by 250 of non-accounting major students. In this game, the players are required to specify the journal entry and describe whether it is revenue or an expense from the transaction that appears on the given flash card. From the study, most respondents found the game to be beneficial and could be used as a learning tool in the classroom. Majority respondents also agreed that this game can help student to evaluate and classify the assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses easier. Furthermore, this game also encourages peer teaching and learning since it promotes participation and teamwork while students play the game. It is anticipated that the use of this game can alleviate and rejuvenate the learning styles in accounting subject. Since some students have difficulties to understand this subject clearly, hence AccRoBa Game Approach can be the catalyst for the educator to take it as an alternative to mitigate this problem
The effect of problem based learning (pbl) approach on students’ creative thinking ability

The aim of this research is to determine the effects of PBL model on elementrary school students’ creative thinking. The research was carried out on two different groups of the 7 grade students of Yenimahalle Osman Ülkümen Elementary School in Ankara. In the research to which pre and post-test with control group quasi-experimental design were applied, Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT) Figural A-B forms was used as data collection tool. Both the experimental and the control groups were found to be equivalent in terms of creative thinking levels prior to the treatment. The course has been taught using PBL model in experimental group and the course has been taught using lecture, demonstration and question-answer method in control group. Both groups was given lessons by the researcher. According to the findings of the study, it is shown that PBL model has a significant an effect on students’ creative thinking ability in the visual arts education.