Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A comparison of similar aerosol measurements made on the NASA P3-B, DC-8, and NSF C-130 aircraft during TRACE-P and ACE-Asia

[1] Two major aircraft experiments occurred off the Pacific coast of Asia during spring 2001: the NASA sponsored Transport and Chemical Evolution over the Pacific (TRACE-P) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) sponsored Aerosol Characterization Experiment-Asia (ACE-Asia). Both experiments studied emissions from the Asian continent (biomass burning, urban/industrial pollution, and dust). TRACE-P focused on trace gases and aerosol during March/April and was based primarily in Hong Kong and Yokota Air Force Base, Japan, and involved two aircraft: the NASA DC-8 and the NASA P3-B. ACE-Asia focused on aerosol and radiation during April/May and was based in Iwakuni Marine Corps Air Station, Japan, and involved the NSF C-130. This paper compares aerosol measurements from these aircraft including aerosol concentrations, size distributions (and integral properties), chemistry, and optical properties. Best overall agreement (generally within RMS instrumental uncertainty) was for physical properties of the submircron aerosol, including condensation nuclei concentrations, scattering coefficients, and differential mobility analyzer and optical particle counter (OPC) accumulation mode size distributions. Larger differences (typically outside of the RMS uncertainty) were often observed for parameters related to the supermicron aerosols (total scattering and absorption coefficients, coarse mode Forward Scattering Spectrometer Probe and OPC size distributions/integral properties, and soluble chemical species usually associated with the largest particles, e.g., Na+, Cl−, Ca2+, and Mg2+), where aircraft sampling is more demanding. Some of the observed differences reflect different inlets (e.g., low-turbulence inlet enhancement of coarse mode aerosol), differences in sampling lines, and instrument configuration and design. Means and variances of comparable measurements for horizontal legs were calculated, and regression analyses were performed for each platform and allow for an assessment of instrument performance. These results provide a basis for integrating aerosol data from these aircraft platforms for both the TRACE-P and ACE-Asia experiments.
Grazing behaviour of the giraffe in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe

The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is usually described as an exclusive browser, feeding only on shrubs and trees, preferrably between 2 and 5 m above ground (Lamprey, 1963; McNaughton & Georgiadis, 1986; Ciofolo & Le Pendu, 2002). Although browsing seems to be an easier form of feeding for giraffes in terms of accessibility and vigilance (Young & Isbell, 1991), a few studies mention that the giraffe also ‘very occasionally’ feeds on grass (Pienaar, 1963; Du Toit, 2005). To be able to graze, a giraffe has to adopt the typical ‘drinking position’, where the forelegs are splayed out laterally, and sometimes the carpal joints are also flexed. In this position, the animals are particularly vulnerable to predators (Periquet et al., 2010). In this note, we show that grazing, although not a core activity, is a recurrent event in a nutrient-poor environment such as Hwange National Park and suggest a possible function.
The Flypaper and Teflon Effects: Evidence from China

In this paper, we analyze how public spending responds to income and intergovernmental fiscal transfer shocks in China. Similar to federations around the world, we find the flypaper effect at the provincial level since the country became a de facto federation in 1980. Before 1980 we find what we define as the teflon effect at the central government level. We rationalize the latter regularity using collection costs/distortionary taxation arguments
Do Board Characteristics Affect Information Asymmetry

DOI: 10.6007/IJARBSS/v3-i12/483 URL: http://dx.doi. org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v3-i12/483 Abstract: In this paper, we investigate the empirical relationship between corporate governance and information asymmetry across a range of French firms. Based on a cross-sectional analysis, our study of the empirical relationship between corporate governance and information asymmetry involved 160 companies over the years 2008-2010. Mechanisms of corporate governance include the characteristics of the board of directors. Our results seem to indicate a significant relationship between certain mechanisms of corporate governance and the information asymmetry of the French market. These mechanisms can reduce adverse selection costs, and make exchanges more transparent.
Critical success factors of ERP implementation in chinese state-owned enterprises

As ERP implementation is complex and risky, there were many researchers discussed the critical success factors (CSFs) of it to achieve a more successful ERP implementation project. On the other hand, the ERP implementation in Chinese SOEs met some other obstacles. There were articles discussed what were the differences of ERP implementation between Chinese SOE and western countries, and some were directly about the CSFs among Chinese SOE implementing, there is still lack of a comprehensive study of what caused the difficulties and why, as well as possible solutions for it. This study was based on both literature review and empirical study. Literature of brief ERP and ERP implementation introduction, general CSFs description, cultural features of Chinese SOE, and ERP implementation in Chinese context, were reviewed. In the empirical study, which was about the ERP implemented in a Chinese SOE, the project process was described and the perspectives from different project participants were obtained by interviews, surveys and documents. Generated from the literature review and empirical study, suggestions of CSFs of ERP implemented in Chinese SOE are as follow: the legacy systems, existing data quality and IT infrastructure should be figured out to make proper plans and schedule; the top management should be mobilized to guarantee their sufficient support and commitment, as well as resource allocation; the employee cultural feature should be understood such as collectivist and uncertainty acceptance culture; and based on these understanding of the cultural characteristics of project relevant groups, then the appropriate and accurate plan and estimation can be done; during the project, the project team has to spend enough effort and patience to execute the plans, as well as guarantee the effective communications among implementing parties; after the implementation, a continuous attention should be paid by top management and relevant departments to obtain the continuous improvement which is one of the ERP benefits.
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND METABOLIC ENGINEERING OF STEVIA REBAUDIANA (BERT.) BERTONI: PERSPECTIVE AND POSSIBILITIES

*Metabolic engineering has emerged as a powerful tool for higher yields of secondary metabolites of industrial importance. Stevia plants are known for providing natural calorie-free sweetener and the sweetness arising from several steviol glycosides and their derivatives residing in the leaf tissue. Steviol glycoside biosynthesis pathway has several steps catalyzed by different enzymes, manipulation of which by either increasing or diverting flux to desired product by introducing genes from other organism can offer an attractive prospect in the future. The steviol glycosides are synthesized and get accumulated in glandular trichomes present on the surface of leaves of Stevia rebaudiana. Micropropagation can provide for uniform high quality planting material.
Satellite Remote Sensing of Tropical Cyclones

This chapter provides a review on satellite remote sensing of tropical cyclones (TCs). Applications of satellite remote sensing from geostationary (GEO) and low earth orbital (LEO) platforms, especially from passive microwave (PMW) sensors, are focused on TC detection, structure, and intensity analysis as well as precipitation patterns. The impacts of satellite remote sensing on TC forecasts are discussed with respect to helping reduce the TC's track and intensity forecast errors. Finally, the multi‐ satellite‐sensor data fusion technique is explained as the best way to automatically monitor and track the global TC's position, structure, and intensity.
Design and analysis of microstrip‐line‐coupled NRD guide filter based on integral equation techniques

Integral equation techniques which include an order‐reduced volume integral equation approach for NRD guide circuits and a generalized surface‐volume integral equation approach for planar‐NRD guide hybrid circuits have been presented in this article. A gap‐coupled NRD guide filter is designed based on the order‐reduced volume integral equation method. The two identical high‐quality microstrip‐line‐to‐NRD guide transitions are designed by means of the generalized surface‐volume integral equation approach. Finally, the optimized length of the NRD guide feed‐line is determined and a compact microstrip‐line‐coupled NRD filter is obtained. Simulated results are in good agreement with measured results. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE, 2009.
From the decompositions of a stopping time to risk premium decompositions

We build a general model for pricing defaultable claims. In addition to the usual absence of arbitrage assumption, we assume that one defaultable asset (at least) looses value when the default occurs. We prove that under this assumption, in some standard market filtrations, default times are totally inaccessible stopping times; we therefore proceed to a systematic construction of default times with particular emphasis on totally inaccessible stopping times. Surprisingly, this abstract mathematical construction, reveals a very specific and useful way in which default models can be built, using both market factors and idiosyncratic factors. We then provide all the relevant characteristics of a default time (i.e. the Az\'ema supermartingale and its Doob-Meyer decomposition) given the information about these factors. We also provide explicit formulas for the prices of defaultable claims and analyze the risk premiums that form in the market in anticipation of losses which occur at the default event. The usual reduced-form framework is extended in order to include possible economic shocks, in particular jumps of the recovery process at the default time. This formulas are not classic and we point out that the knowledge of the default compensator or the intensity process is not anymore a sufficient quantity for finding explicit prices, but we need indeed the Az\'ema supermartingale and its Doob-Meyer decomposition.
The contribution of sectoral climate change mitigation options to national targets: a quantitative assessment of dairy production in Kenya

Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture has become a critical target in national climate change policies. More than 80% of the countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) refer to the reduction of agricultural emissions, including livestock, in their nationally determined contribution (NDC) to mitigate climate change. The livestock sector in Kenya contributes largely to the gross domestic product and to GHG emissions from the land use sector. The government has recently pledged in its NDC to curb total GHG emissions by 30% by 2030. Quantifying and linking the mitigation potential of farm practices to national targets is required to support realistically the implementation of NDCs. Improvements in feed and manure management represent promising mitigation options for dairy production. This study aimed (i) to assess mitigation and food production benefits of feed and manure management scenarios, including land use changes covering Kenya’s entire dairy production region and (ii) to analyse the contribution of these practices to national targets on milk production and mitigation, and their biophysical feasibility given the availability of arable land. The results indicate that improving forage quality by increasing the use of Napier grass and supplementing dairy concentrates supports Kenya’s NDC target, reduces emission intensities by 26%–31%, partially achieves the national milk productivity target for 2030 by 38%–41%, and shows high feasibility given the availability of arable land. Covering manure heaps may reduce emissions from manure management by 68%. In contrast, including maize silage in cattle diets would not reduce emission intensities due to the risk of ten-fold higher emissions from the conversion of land required to grow additional maize. The shortage of arable land may render the implementation of these improved feed practices largely infeasible. This assessment provides the first quantitative estimates of the potential of feed intensification and manure management to mitigate GHG emissions and to increase milk yields at sectoral-level and at a high spatial resolution for an SSA country. The scientific evidence is tailored to support actual policy and decision-making processes at the national level, such as ‘Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions’. Linking feed intensification and manure management strategies with spatially-explicit estimates of mitigation and food production to national targets may help the sector to access climate financing while contributing to food security.
The Road towards Polarized Antiprotons

The PAX-Collaboration is pursuing studies to find a method for producing an intense beam of polarized antiprotons. The following write-up gives a physics motivation, the possible methods and previous tests that have been performed. Currently spin-filtering in a suitable storage ring is the only viable method to achieve this goal. PAX has recently performed a spin-filtering measurement with protons in the COSY storage ring at Forschungszentrum Jülich (Germany) as a step towards an experiment with antiprotons, planned at CERN/AD. An outlook is also given as to what the possibility would be for exploiting a polarized antiproton beam in HESR at FAIR. All of the issues are discussed in a concise way – for more details the reader is referred to the given references.
Employment Risk, Returns, and Entrepreneurship

Comparing local employment portfolios against entrepreneurship, this research finds that local wage and salary job market prospects shape incentives for potential entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship may thus be more attractive in areas featuring high employment risk and/or low returns. This research contributes to the existing regional employment portfolio literature by using more disaggregated data at both the county and the commuting zone levels. Commuting zones in particular represent a broader spectrum of labor market agglomerations across both rural and urban areas to provide the most stringent and revealing tests of the interrelationship between local employment portfolios and the choice to pursue entrepreneurship. The authors find a U-shaped risk/return trade-off using employment variance and growth, consistent with the literature. They test their hypothesis with a model of regional entrepreneurship, incorporating the employment portfolio variables. This is the first known study to explore the hypothesized relationship between wage and salary employment portfolios and entrepreneurship, effectively synthesizing two previously disparate literatures.
GDP and Unemployment Rate in Turkey: An Empirical Study using Neural Networks

In this paper, we analyze the forecasting performance of artificial neural networks (ANN) models to forecast the GDP and the unemployment rate (UR) in Turkey. Our object is to compare between two econometric techniques: the ANN and the classical econometric techniques particularly the vector autoregressive model (VAR) in terms of their performanc e. The results show that the ANN models are often more robust than the VAR model.
Framework for Reducing Teaching Challenges Relating to Improvisation of Science Education Equipment and Materials in Schools.

The science education budget of many secondary schools has decreased, while shortages and environmental concerns linked to conventional Science Education Equipment and Materials (SEEMs) have emerged. Thus, in some schools, resourceful educators produce low-cost equipment from basic materials and use these so-called improvised SEEMs in practical work. However, scattered in the literature are diverse challenges linked to the production and/or use of improvised SEEMs. Thus, the purpose of the literature review presented here was to design a framework useful in the reduction of these challenges. In this regard, we systematically gathered, characterised and clarified the challenges, in addition to collecting and reflecting on ways of reducing them. This enabled us to design the framework which focuses on educator learning and practice in the improvisation of SEEMs under specified conditions. Regarding the implementation of the framework, we have discussed the role that stakeholders including professional development providers and researchers may play.
Light-scattering measurements of micro-deformations in granular materials

Diffusive Wave Spectroscopy is used to measure very small strains of the order of $10^{-5} - 10^{-3}$. That method gives a new full-field measurement of the strain at the vicinity of the surface of highly scattering materials. The principle of the method is presented and application to the measurement of micro-deformations in a granular material are shown.
Tomography of cool giant and supergiant star atmospheres

Context. Asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars are characterized by substantial mass loss, however the mechanism behind it not yet fully understood. The knowledge of the structure and dynamics of AGB-star atmospheres is crucial to better understanding the mass loss. The recently established tomographic method, which relies on the design of spectral masks containing lines that form in given ranges of optical depths in the stellar atmosphere, is an ideal technique for this purpose. Aims. We aim to validate the capability of the tomographic method in probing different geometrical depths in the stellar atmosphere and recovering the relation between optical and geometrical depth scales. Methods. We applied the tomographic method to high-resolution spectro-interferometric VLTI/AMBER observations of the Mira-type AGB star S Ori. The interferometric visibilities were extracted at wavelengths contributing to the tomographic masks and fitted to those computed from a uniform disk model. This allows us to measure the geometrical extent of the atmospheric layer probed by the corresponding mask. We then compared the observed atmospheric extension with others measured from available 1D pulsation CODEX models and 3D radiative-hydrodynamics CO5BOLD simulations. Results. While the average optical depths probed by the tomographic masks in S Ori decrease (with ⟨log τ0⟩ = −0.45, − 1.45, and − 2.45 from the innermost to the central and outermost layers), the angular diameters of these layers increase, from 10.59 ± 0.09 mas through 11.84 ± 0.17 mas, up to 14.08 ± 0.15 mas. A similar behavior is observed when the tomographic method is applied to 1D and 3D dynamical models. Conclusions. This study derives, for the first time, a quantitative relation between optical and geometrical depth scales when applied to the Mira star S Ori, or to 1D and 3D dynamical models. In the context of Mira-type stars, knowledge of the link between the optical and geometrical depths opens the way to deriving the shock-wave propagation velocity, which cannot be directly observed in these stars.
Exploring the Nature of Material Information: Disclosure and Its Implications

Understanding the nature of material information is of crucial importance to regulators and the investment community, particularly with regard to the implications of disclosure. This study examined the disclosure of material information by companies listed in Taiwan in various stages of their life cycle to identify the nature of material information as well as related firm performance and provides insights into their causes and consequences. Evidence suggests that companies intent on fulfilling their corporate social responsibilities are more likely to disclose material information and when doing so, they are highly valued by market participants. Our empirical results provide strong evidence that the disclosure of material information by socially responsible companies is associated with higher earnings quality. Furthermore, mature companies are more likely than growing companies to receive favorable reactions from market participants when they disclose material information.
Reasoning About Foreign Function Interfaces: Blame and Nondeterministic Formal Semantics

Foreign function interfaces (FFIs) are commonly used as a way to mix programming languages. In such systems, a program written in a host language calls functions written in a guest language from within the same program. Perhaps the most popular language to interface with is C, due in no small part to its performance (often gained through unsafe operations), and programmers often write performance-critical code in C and call it from other languages. But while C is a very performant language, it is far from being memorysafe, and one might expect C to introduce unsoundness into host language systems. This host/guest language relationship echoes that of typed and untyped code in gradual type systems. In such systems, untyped values flowing into typed code must be cast at the boundary between typed and untyped code, and this introduces the possibility for runtime type errors in otherwise statically guaranteed code. Similarly, when a host language calls a function written in a guest language, this introduces any unsoundness in the guest language to the host language, and new errors become possible at runtime. And when an FFI is being used to call C functions, anything is possible. In this thesis, we explore the effects of C on languages using a C FFI. To demonstrate, we give a formalization of Poseidon Lua, an environment wherein Typed Lua code may call C functions, cast C values, and allocate C data. To showcase the interaction between Lua and C, we choose to formalize a core calculus for Lua, and do not model C per se; instead, we reason about C as if C calls were a black-box, remaining general with respect to C’s semantics, while carefully quantifying the effects that C can have on Lua by leveraging the concept of blame from gradual typing. We present a nondeterministic operational semantics for Poseidon Lua, and use blame to assure that C is always at fault for runtime errors in Lua.