Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
DIVERSITY AMONG GROUND-DWELLING SPIDER ASSEMBLAGES: HABITAT GENERALISTS AND SPECIALISTS

Abstract We sampled assemblages of ground-dwelling spiders with pitfall traps in six terrestrial habitats representing a successional gradient in southwestern Virginia, during the summer of 2002. Approximately half of the 50 species trapped were habitat specialists with low abundance, found at only one of the sites, which is qualitatively consistent with the literature. Only four species, Schizocosa ocreata (Hentz 1844), Pirata insularis (Emerton 1885) Pirata aspirans (Chamberlain 1904) and Neoantistea magna (Keyserling 1887) were found at as many as four sites. A few species that were found in more than one study from disparate geographical communities, such as Trochosa terricola (Thorell 1856) tended also to be relatively abundant habitat generalists. In general, the majority of spider species found in studies such as ours that examined multiple sites were habitat specialists and had low abundance. For our sample sites, there was no relationship between any measure of spider diversity (S, H', J') and successional age. Our results, and those of most other published studies, are consistent with the hypothesis that spider assemblages do not undergo succession and except for a few very common generalist species the composition of these communities is unpredictable, and may depend more on stochastic colonization and specific resource requirements of specialists following immigration than on any predictable association with successional parameters.
The influence of physical conditions on embryo and protoplast culture in oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.)

Shoots with well developed roots were produced when oil palm embryos (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) were imbibed for 48 h and cultured in liquid Y3 (Eeuwens, 1978) medium. Embryos, which were imbibed for 48 h and cultured in Y3 liquid medium containing 8.3 µM picloram and 4.5 µM 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2, 4-D) gave the highest callus induction. Cell nuclei were isolated from embryos, calli, cell suspensions, shoots and roots, stained with propidium iodide and analyzed using flow cytometry. Characterization of the DNA content revealed that most of imbibed oil palm embryos were in G2/M phase of the cell cycle. Protoplasts were isolated from these embryos, calli and shoots, and the high percentage of cell division was derived from protoplasts cultured in liquid thin layer method. Colonies were obtained in protoplasts derived from the agarose embedding method; however no further development was evidenced.
ASSESSING GAMEPLAY EMOTIONS FROM PHYSIOLOGICAL SIGNALS: A FUZZY DECISION TREES BASED MODEL

As video games become a widespread form of entertainment, there is need to develop new evaluative methodologies for acknowledging the various aspects of the player's subjective experience, and especially the emotional aspect. Video game developers could benefit from being aware of how the player reacts emotionally to specific game parameters. In this study, we addressed the possibility to record physiological measures on players involved in an action game, with the main objective of developing adequate models to describe emotional states. Our goal was to estimate the emotional state of the player from physiological signals so as to relate these variations of the autonomic nervous system to the specific game narratives. To achieve this, we developed a fuzzy set theory based model to recognize various episodes of the game from the user's physiological signals. We used fuzzy decision trees to generate the rules that map these signals to game episodes characterized by a variation of challenge at stake. A specific advantage to our approach is that we automatically recognize game episodes from physiological signals with explicitly defined rules relating the signals to episodes in a continuous scale. We compare our results with the actual game statistics information associated with the game episodes
A Study on Sensitivity and Robustness of One Sample Test Statistics to Outliers

Outliers are observations that stand too different from others in a set of observations. When present in a data set, they affect both descriptive and inferential statistics. This work therefore, studies the sensitivity and robustness of one sample test statistics to outliers so as to know the appropriate one to test hypothesis about the population parameter when outliers are present. One sample test statistics considered are: parametrics test (Student t-test and ztest), non-parametric test (Wilcoxon Sign test (Distribution Sign test (DST), Asymptotic Sign test (AST)), Wilcoxon Signed rank test (Distribution Wilcoxon Signed rank test (DWST) and Asymptotic (AWST)), t-test for rank transformation (Rt-test) and Trimmed t-test statistics (Tt-test). Monte Carlo experiments, replicated five thousand (5000) times, were conducted at eight (8) sample sizes (10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 50) by simulating data from normal distribution. At each of the sample sizes, 10% and 20% of the generated data were randomly selected and invoked with various magnitude of outliers (-10, -9, -8,… 8, 9, 10). The test statistics were compared at three levels of significance, 0.1, 0.05 and 0.01. A test is considered robust if its estimated error rate approximates the true error rate and has the highest number of times it approximates the error rate when counted over the percentage (%) of outliers, magnitudes of outliers and levels of significance; and if the counts is minimum the test statistics is sensitive. At all the three (3) levels of significance, results revealed that Type 1 error rates of Student t-test, Rt-test and AWST statistics are good; and that z-test and Student t-test statistics are most sensitive to outliers. The statistics robustness is affected by the levels of significance in that the sign test (DST and AST) is robust at 0.1; Tt-test and Wilcoxon Sign Rank test (DWST and AWST) at 0.05; and DST, AWST, Tttest and AST at 0.01 level of significance. Consequently, the Sign test
Comparison of the effect of output filters on the total harmonic distortion of line current in voltage source line converter - simulation study

Two different output filter topologies are considered, namely the LCLand L+LC-filter. The space vector modulation (SVM) is used to control the power switches of the converter. Design methods for both filter types are proposed. The methods are used to dimension the filter components. The performances of the filters designed are verified by simulations to meet the given line current total harmonic distortion (THD) requirement. The study reveals that the LCL-filter is more effective a filter topology in attenuating line current harmonic components than the L+LC-filter.
Do welfare and labour market institutions influence unemployment duration of immigrants? Evidence from 11 European countries

This paper investigates the effect of institutions on the unemployment gap between immigrants and natives in 11 EU-countries. We study whether benefits provide disincentive effects as the job-search theory suggests or rather efficiency gains as alternative theories propose. Further than the existing literature, we study unemployment duration instead of unemployment incidence, we distinguish between exits to inactivity, primary and secondary employment and we use individual-level measures for unemployment benefits. We apply a competing-risk event-history model using the ECHP. Our results favour the efficiency-gains argument for granting immigrants benefits as we find that benefits reduce unemployment duration and prevent transitions into inactivity. Employment perspectives of immigrants are better when demand for low-skilled labour is high, employment protection is low and immigration policy is labour-market oriented.
Inclusive Teaching Circles: Mechanisms for creating welcoming classrooms

This essay examines the Inclusive Teaching Circle (ITC) as a mechanism for faculty development in creating instructional tools that embrace an inclusive pedagogy reflecting diversity, cultural competence and social justice. We describe one group's year-long participation in an ITC at a large, metropolitan research university in the south. Next, we share several members' strategies for promoting more inclusive and equitable learning for students in our classrooms. Finally, we consider the implications of ITCs for its group participants and the professorate at large.
PCR-Based EST Mapping in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Mapping expressed sequence tags (ESTs) to hexaploid wheat is aimed to reveal the structure and function of the hexaploid wheat genome. Sixty eight ESTs representing 26 genes were mapped into all seven homologous chromosome groups of wheat (Triticum aestivum L) using a polymerase chain reaction technique. The majority of the ESTs were mapped to homologous chromosome group 2, and the least were mapped to homologous chromosome group 6. Comparative analysisbetween the EST map from this study and the EST map based on RFLPs showed 14 genes that have been mapped by both approaches were mapped to the same arm of the same homologous chromosome, which indicated that using PCRbasedESTs was a reliable approach in mapping ESTs in hexaploid wheat.Key words: wheat, EST, PCR, homologous.
Guided Wave Propagation in Composite Structures; Application to ice detection on wind turbine blades

Guided waves are an efficient non-destructive tool in inspection and fault detection of elongated structures. Due to the special characteristics of composite materials, study of guided wave propagation in them has been an interest. In the current work, application of guided waves is investigated in ice detection on composite materials which is a well-known problem in wind turbine industry. The possibility of detecting a layer of ice on a composite plate is first investigated by a 2D isotropic-anisotropic multilayer model. The wave equation is solved and dispersion curves are obtained. Results show that adding a second isotropic layer on top of an anisotropic material causes reduction in phase and group velocity of the first symmetric mode. Effects of low temperature on the received signal is investigated using an experimental test setup. Measurements show that lowering the temperature causes drop in amplitude and temporal phase shift in the received signal. These effects were handled by a modification of the Baseline Signal Stretch method. The modification is based on decomposing the signal into symmetric and asymmetric modes and applying two different stretch factors on each of them. Computational modelling of the problem is performed by first developing a 2D model which shows that accretion of ice causes reduction in phase and group velocities of the incident wave and creates reflections. The model is developed further to a 3D shell model, in which ice is placed on the plate by changing the properties of specific elements in the icing region. The Baseline Signal Stretch with the mode decomposition method is applied to the model for temperature variations. Effects of ice accretion on a composite plate is studied in time, frequency and wavenumber domains. In each case post-processing approaches are introduced for this specific application. Moreover, icing index is introduced which is sensitive to accumulated ice on the plate. The experimental study is performed in a cold climate lab in three different steps. The first part to get general understanding about the effects of ice accretion on waves propagating in a composite plate. Next, to understand the effects of temperature on the received signal and calibrate the temperature model and finally a more accurate study by installing 24 accelerometers and manufacturing a layer of ice on the plate to validate the results obtained by the computational model. Using the model and introduced criteria both thickness and location of ice on the plate are identified. All the results show that application of guided waves is a promising and accurate tool in ice detection on composite plates.
Adaptive capabilities, pathdependence and institutional change: insights from an empirical work on rural producers organizations

During the last twenty years, the evolution of public policies in Southern countries has been characterized by the implementation of liberalization processes, which can be analyzed through Douglass North's institutional change approach. In Costa Rica, liberalization processes, that mainly consisted in State withdrawal and frontiers' opening, led to private actors' empowering and induced different strategic behaviors among rural producers' organizations. In this paper, we carry out a comparative study of four farm sectors (coffee, milk, black bean and pineapple), based on a dynamic approach of behaviors in relation with institutional changes occuring during the liberalization process. We highlight organizations'capacities to adapt and participate to institutional changes by (i) implementing economical activities and (ii) acting upon public policies. We underline the fact that rural producers organizations play a key role in farm sectors' efficiency and sustainability, permiting both producers' market insertion (acces to domestic and world markets) and political participation (obtention of public suppports). We show that the conditions for success of collective action depend on organization's mental models and organization's resources endowment, and are in line with pathdependent logic. More generally, our study allows us to get a better understanding of institutional and economic dynamics. (Resume d'auteur)
Radiocarbon and Soil Carbon Dynamics

Research over the past several decades has clarified the mechanisms and timescales involved in stabilizing organic matter in soils, but we still lack process-based understanding sufficient for predicting how vulnerable soil carbon (C) is, given climatic or environmental change across a range of soil types and landscapes. Part of the problem is the emphasis on short-term studies and processes that dominate C balance at the point or soil profile scale, whereas other processes that dominate over longer timescales and larger spatial scales may actually be more important for determining the carbon balance of soils in a region. Radiocarbon is one of the only tools to study the dynamics of C in soils on decadal to millennial timescales. It provides a means for directly testing models of organic matter dynamics in ecosystems and, when measured in respired CO2 or dissolved organic carbon (DOC), provides evidence of shifts in microbial metabolism. This review explores the application of this underutilized tool, with an emphasis on conceptual advances made using the state-factor approach and on detecting processes causing abrupt change in soil C stores.
Immobilized Photosensitisers for antimicrobial applications

7 Photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (PACT) is a very promising alternative to conventional 8 antibiotics for the efficient inactivation of pathogenic microorganisms; this is due to the fact that it 9 is virtually impossible for resistant strains to develop due to the mode of action employed. PACT 10 employs a photosensitizer, which preferentially associates with the microorganism, and is then 11 activated with non-thermal visible light of appropriate wavelength(s) to generate high localized 12 concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROS), inactivating the microorganism. 13 The concept of using photosensitizers immobilized on a surface for this purpose is intended to 14 address a range of economic, ecological and public health issues. 15 Photosensitising molecules that have been immobilized on solid support for PACT applications are 16 described herein. Different supports have been analyzed as well as the target microorganism and the 17 effectiveness of particular combinations of support and photosensitiser. 18
Comparative study of label-free electrochemical immunoassay on various gold nanostructures

Electrochemical methods such as amperometry and impedance spectroscopy provide the feasibility of label-free immunoassay. However, the performance of electrochemical interfaces varies with the shape of gold nanostructures. In the present work three types of gold nanostructures including pyramid, spherical, and rod-like nanostructures were electrochemically synthesized on the gold electrode and were further transformed into immunosensor by covalent binding of antibodies. As a model protein, a cancer biomarker, Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) was detected using amperometric and impedimetric techniques on three nanostructured electrodes, which enabled to evaluate and compare the immunoassay's performance. It was found that all three immunosensors showed improved linear electrochemical response to the concentration of CEA compared to bare Au electrode. Among all the spherical gold nanostructure based immunosensors displayed superior performance. Under optimal condition, the immunosensors exhibited a limit of detection of 4.1 pg ml−1 over a concentration range of five orders of magnitude. This paper emphasizes that fine control over the geometry of nanostructures is essentially important for high-performance electrochemical immunoassay.
Global sensitivity analysis of the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model: ozone and hydrogen oxides during ARCTAS (2008)

Abstract. Developing predictive capability for future atmospheric oxidation capacity requires a detailed analysis of model uncertainties and sensitivity of the modeled oxidation capacity to model input variables. Using oxidant mixing ratios modeled by the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model and measured on the NASA DC-8 aircraft, uncertainty and global sensitivity analyses were performed on the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model for the modeled oxidants hydroxyl (OH), hydroperoxyl (HO2), and ozone (O3). The sensitivity of modeled OH, HO2, and ozone to model inputs perturbed simultaneously within their respective uncertainties were found for the flight tracks of NASA's Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites (ARCTAS) A and B campaigns (2008) in the North American Arctic. For the spring deployment (ARCTAS-A), ozone was most sensitive to the photolysis rate of NO2, the NO2 + OH reaction rate, and various emissions, including methyl bromoform (CHBr3). OH and HO2 were overwhelmingly sensitive to aerosol particle uptake of HO2 with this one factor contributing upwards of 75 % of the uncertainty in HO2. For the summer deployment (ARCTAS-B), ozone was most sensitive to emission factors, such as soil NOx and isoprene. OH and HO2 were most sensitive to biomass emissions and aerosol particle uptake of HO2. With modeled HO2 showing a factor of 2 underestimation compared to measurements in the lowest 2 km of the troposphere, lower uptake rates (γHO2
Indigenous Young People Transitioning from Out-of-Home Care (OOHC) in Victoria, Australia: The Perspectives of Workers in Indigenous-Specific and Non-Indigenous Non-Government Services

Indigenous children and young people are overrepresented in the Australian out-of-home care (OOHC) system. To date, specific research has not been undertaken on workers' perspectives regarding the Indigenousspecific and non-Indigenous supports and services available to Indigenous young people exiting the system. This exploratory research involved focus group consultations with workers from seven child and family welfare agencies to examine the current support services available to Indigenous young people who are in or will be leaving out-of-home care in the State of Victoria. Findings suggest that Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) play a positive role in working with non-Indigenous agencies to assist Indigenous care leavers. Participants identified some key strategies to improve outcomes, such as facilitating stronger relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous services, and improving the resourcing of ACCOs.
How Individuals Perceive Reconciliation Problems: Childcare Policies and Gender-specific Patterns of Time Conflicts

In recent decades, many studies have examined gender-related differences in paid employment and the reconciliation of family and employment. Considering perceptions of time conflicts with regards to work at home and leisure activities, this paper contributes to a more encompassing understanding of attitudes towards reconciliation problems. Special attention is given to the role of external childcare services. The use of an original data set from 60 Swiss municipalities and of hierarchical multi-response regression models enable an analysis of the various aspects of time conflicts simultaneously, and a consideration of how different policy contexts shape these attitudes. This study provides evidence that the communal provision of external childcare is related to gender-specific perceptions of time conflicts. Most interestingly, men seem to be affected most strongly by communal policy conditions, whereby the provision of external childcare is related to systematically higher levels of time conflicts.
A Comparative Analysis of ROE and Value-to-Price based Trading Rules : Do Conventional Risk Factors Matter ?

This paper examines the profitability of ROE and value to price (VP) based trading rules. We find that the ROE based trading rule generates significant hedge portfolio return over 12-month period after portfolio formation. In addition, we find tha t the ROE-based trading rule significantly under-performs trading rules based on VP ratio, especially over longer horizon. However, the result indicates that the profitability of the ROE trading rule is by and large subsumed by the conventional risk factors.
A two-stage interval-stochastic water trading model for allocating water resources of Kaidu-Kongque River in northwestern China

In this study, a two-stage interval-stochastic water trading (TIWT) model is developed for reallocating water resources under uncertainty, which integrates techniques of interval-parameter programing and two-stage stochastic programing into a general framework. The TIWT model can provide an effective linkage between system benefit and the associated economic penalty attributed to the violation of the pre-regulated water permit under uncertainties expressed as probabilistic distributions and interval values. The trading scheme is introduced to optimize water allocation of Kaidu-Kongque River in northwestern China. Results obtained suggest that trading program can effectively allocate limited water resources to competitive users by market approach in such an arid area, which improves economic efficiency in the mass (e.g., maximizing system benefits) and remedies water deficiency. A number of policies for water permits are analyzed and reveal that different water permits lead to different water shortages, system benefits, and system-failure risks. Tradeoffs between economic benefit and system-failure risk are also examined under different policies, which support generating an increased robustness in risk control for water resources allocation under uncertainty. The results are helpful for local decision-makers in adjusting the current water allocation pattern optimally.