Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
DETERMINATION OF GLUFOSINATE AMMONIUM IN CRUDE PALM OIL: USE OF THE MODIFIED QUECHERS METHOD AND LC-MS/MS DETECTION

The herbicide, glufosinate ammonium is widely used as crop protection for food crops and also in oil palm plantations. The herbicide is used to control weeds and also as a dessicant agent for land clearing. In this work, glufosinate ammonium was extracted from crude palm oil (CPO) samples using a modified QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe) method. This method was based on a simultaneous extraction and clean-up steps which required minimum sample handling. The extraction was performed using 5.0 ml deionised water, (0.1% formic acid) and dichloromethane. The glufosinate ammonium residue was extracted from CPO samples using a mini shaker and centrifuged for 10 min at 2500 rcf. The extracts, following pre-concentration were clean enough for direct injection into the LC-MS/ MS. Quantitative recoveries from 84%-109% were obtained for samples spiked with three concentration levels of 0.005, 0.05 and 0.5 µg ml -1 . The correlation variation (CV) percentage for reproducibility and repeatability of replicate extractions were less than 13% and 10% respectively. The limit of detection and limit of quantification was 0.002 µg litre -1 and 0.025 µg kg -1 respectively. The results obtained demonstrated that the method has achieved the requirements of the criteria for acceptance of single laboratory method validation. Determination of glufosinate ammonium residues in Malaysian CPO samples were carried out and the residues were not detected in the analysed samples.
Records of Frugivorous Fruit Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacini) from the Comoro Archipelago

ABSTRACT This paper summarizes current knowledge of the occurrence of Dacini fruit flies in the Comoro archipelago of the Indian Ocean. Ten species are confirmed as occurring there: Bactrocera invadens Drew, Tsuruta & White, 2005, Dacus bivittatus (Bigot, 1858), D. ciliatus Loew, 1862, D. etiennellus Munro, 1984, D. punctatifrons Karsch, 1887, D. vertebratus Bezzi, 1908 (all Dacina), Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann, 1824), C. malgassa Munro, 1939, Neoceratitis cyanescens (Bezzi, 1923), and Trirhithrum nigerrimum (Bezzi, 1913) (all Ceratitidina). Records of Bactrocera Cucurbitae (Coquillett, 1899) remain unconfirmed. The fauna of the Comoros is briefly compared to that of other islands in the western Indian Ocean.
Molecular cloning and sequencing of mcrA locus and identification of McrA protein in Escherichia coli*

The Mcr systems (previously known as Rgl systems) of Escherichia coli recognize and cleave specific sequences carrying methylated or hydroxymethylated cytosines. We have cloned the mcrA gene and determined its nucleotide sequence. An 831 base pair sequence encodes the McrA protein. Analysis of the sequence data reveals that there arc additional ORFs internal to the above. A phage T7 expression system was used to determine the protein products encoded by the cloned mcrA gene. The results clearly show that a 31 kDa polypeptide is responsible for McrA activity. This is in agreement with the molecular weight deduced from sequence data. McrA protein was found to be localized in the outer membrane of Escherichia coli. To our knowledge this is the first restriction enzyme localized in the outer membrane of Escherichia coli.
Investigation of kinetics of a strongly exothermic reaction in microstructured reactors. Cyclisation of pseudoionone to β-ionone

Microstructured reactors (MSR) are innovative reactors with the dimensions in the submillimeter range along one or two axis, where chemical transformation takes place. MSR present heat transfer coefficients one order of magnitude higher than conventional reactors and heat exchangers, leading to process intensification. In the thesis, a commercially important, rapid and highly exothermic reaction, cyclisation of pseudoionone, is considered. Due to the high exothermicity, the reaction is conventionally carried out in a semi-batch wise manner which leads to a broad residence time distribution of the products making difficult to evaluate kinetics. Therefore, a microstructured system combining reactants in the form of droplets and allowing isothermal conditions and uniform residence time is used to study the kinetics. A reliable kinetic scheme is established describing the formation of the main product and by-products in parallel and consecutive reaction networks. Finally, the reaction conditions are optimised to increase yield and selectivity.
Ethical Leadership and Workplace Bullying in Higher Education Yükseköğretimde Etik Liderlik ve İşyeri Zorbaliği

This study examines the relationship between ethical leadership and workplace bullying and the mediating roles of psychological safety and psychological contract fulfillment on that relationship in higher education. The sample of this study is composed of 591 faculty members along with their deans from 9 private universities chosen by random method in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Kayseri, Konya and Gaziantep in 2011-2012 spring semester. Faculty members' perceptions of psychological safety and psychological contract fulfillment were measured using the scale developed by Kahn (1990) and psychological contract fulfillment scale developed by Robinson and Morrison (1995). Brown, Trevino, and Harrison's (2005) ethical leadership scale and Einarsen and Hoel's (2001) the Negative Act Questionnaire-Revised scale were used to assess faculty member's perception of the ethical leadership and workplace bullying respectively. The results revealed a significant negative relationship between ethical leadership and bullying and mediating roles of psychological safety and psychological contract fulfillment on that relationship.
Understanding Public Hurricane Evacuation Decisions and Responses to Forecast and Warning Messages

This study uses data from a survey of coastal Miami-Dade County, Florida, residents to explore how different types of forecast and warning messages influence evacuation decisions, in conjunction with other factors. The survey presented different members of the public with different test messages about the same hypothetical hurricane approaching Miami. Participants’ responses to the information were evaluated using questions about their likelihood of evacuating and their perceptions of the information and the information source. Recipients of the test message about storm surge height and the message about extreme impacts from storm surge had higher evacuation intentions, compared to nonrecipients. However, recipients of the extreme-impacts message also rated the information as more overblown and the information source as less reliable. The probabilistic message about landfall location interacted with the other textual messages in unexpected ways, reducing the other messages’ effects on evacuation intentions. These results illustrate the importance of considering trade-offs, unintended effects, and information interactions when deciding how to conveyweatherinformation.Recipientsofthetestmessagethatdescribedtheeffectivenessofevacuationhad lowerperceptionsthattheinformationwasoverblown,suggestingthepotentialvalueofefficacymessaging.In addition, respondents with stronger individualist worldviews rated the information as significantly more overblown and had significantly lower evacuation intentions. This illustrates the importanceof understanding how and why responses to weather messages vary across subpopulations. Overall, the analysis demonstrates the potential value of systematically investigating how different people respond to different types of weather risk messages.
The Impact of Classroom Behaviors and Student Attention on Written Expression

This study sought to examine classroom behaviors and attention as predictors of writing performance among third-grade students receiving a Tier 1 performance feedback intervention. Information about the classroom behavior of 80 third grade students (39 males, 41 females) was collected before intervention began through use of two teacher report measures: the Academic Performance Rating Scale (APRS; DuPaul, Rapport, & Perriello, 1991) and the inattention factor on the Strengths and Weaknesses of ADHD Symptoms and Normal Behavior Rating Scale (SWAN; Swanson et al., 2006). Results indicated that the APRS and SWAN were significant predictors of writing fluency in the combined sample of participants. When examining gender differences between these predictors, the APRS and SWAN were identified to be significant predictors for writing fluency among female students. No behavioral predictors were found to be significantly associated with any of the writing measures for male students, and no behavioral predictors were found to be significantly associated with writing productivity for any of the participants. Results from this study offer some guidance regarding the underlying factors that contribute to writing performance within the context of academic interventions.
Evidence of magma activation beneath the Harrat Lunayyir basaltic field (Saudi Arabia) from attenuation tomography

Abstract. We present a seismic attenuation model for the crust beneath the Cenozoic basaltic field of Harrat Lunayyir (western Saudi Arabia), where a strong seismic swarm occurred in 2009. The tomography inversion uses the envelope shape of the S wave seismograms from over 300 strong events (M
Role of helicities for the dynamics of turbulent magnetic fields

Investigations of the inverse cascade of magnetic helicity are conducted with pseudospectral, three-dimensional direct numerical simulations of forced and decaying incompressible MHD turbulence. The high-resolution simulations which allow for the necessary scale separation show that the observed self-similar scaling behavior of magnetic helicity and related quantities can only be understood by taking the full nonlinear interplay of velocity and magnetic fluctuations into account. With the help of the eddy-damped quasi-normal Markovian approximation a probably universal relation between kinetic and magnetic helicities is derived which closely resembles the extended definition of the prominent dynamo pseudoscalar α. This unexpected similarity suggests an additional nonlinear quenching mechanism of the current-helicity contribution to α.
Achieving Gentle Manipulation with Deep Reinforcement Learning

Robots must know how to be gentle when they need to interact with fragile objects, or when the robot itself is prone to wear-and-tear. We propose an approach that enables deep reinforcement learning to train policies that are gentle, both during exploration and task execution. Our approach involves augmenting the (task) reward with a penalty for non-gentleness. However, augmenting with only this penalty impairs learning: policies get stuck in a local optimum of avoiding all contact with the environment. Introducing surprise-based intrinsic rewards solves this problem, as long as the right kind of surprise is chosen—penalty-based surprise is more effective than the typical dynamics-based surprise. Videos are available at http://sites.google. com/view/gentlemanipulation.
From probabilistic forecasts to statistical scenarios of short-term wind power production

Short-term (up to 2-3 days ahead) probabilistic forecasts of wind power provide forecast users with a highly valuable information on the uncertainty of expected wind generation. Whatever the type of these probabilistic forecasts, they are produced on a per horizon basis, and hence do not inform on the development of the forecast uncertainty through forecast series. However, this additional information may be paramount for a large class of time-dependent and multi-stage decision-making problems e.g. optimal operation of combined wind-storage systems or multiple-market trading with different gate closures. This issue is addressed here by describing a method that permits the generation of statistical scenarios of short-term wind generation that accounts for both the interdependence structure of prediction errors and the predictive distributions of wind power production. The method is based on the conversion of series of prediction errors to a multivariate Gaussian random variable, the interdependence structure of which can then be summarized by a unique covariance matrix. Such matrix is recursively estimated in order to accommodate long-term variations in the prediction error characteristics. The quality and interest of the methodology are demonstrated with an application to the test case of a multi-MW wind farm over a period of more than two years.
Accepted 8 April, 2010

Deinococcus radiodurans is best known for its extraordinary radiation resistance. Manganese(II) ions can protect proteins from being damaged by super radicals, which is supposed to be the main mechanism through which D. radiodurans has the strong radiation resistance. But the detailed molecular and physiological processes about how Mn(II) ions are transported in this bacterium is still not clear. In this paper, two Mn(II) ions transporter gene (DR1709 and DR2523) mutants were used to study the Mn(II) ions transporting mechanism. Results showed that M1709 was much more sensitive to low concentration of Mn(II) ions than M2523. But it was less sensitive to low concentration of Fe(II) ions than M2523. When there were enough Mn(II) ions in the medium, other genes were also activated to uptake them. But when Mn(II) ions was deficient, DR1709 became the only candidate responsible for Mn(II) assimilation. DR1709 was in charge of Mn(II) ions absorbing, no matter wheather Mn(II) ions supply was enough or not. DR1709 can also control the protease production or secretion to prevent over production. The functions of protease secreted by the strains was limited in radiation resistance. DR2523 was responsible for Mn(II) ions efflux, while DR1709 was a Mn(II) influx transporter, which cannot transport Fe(II) ions.
Stock market liquidity and economic growth in Nigeria (1980 to 2012)

This study examined the impact of stock market liquidity on economic growth of Nigeria between the years 1980 and 2012. With the use of EViews 5.0 econometric software, tests for stationarity using the Augmented Dickey- Fuller approach was carried out while the ordinary least square (OLS) technique was employed to estimate the basic model specified for the study. The result of the analysis of data revealed that variables were stationary at their first difference while the Johansen co-integration approach confirmed the existence of co-integrating relationship at the 5 percent level of significance. The study found, surprisingly, that stock market liquidity was not a statistically significant variable explaining economic growth in Nigeria for the periods under study.
Control Loop Design for Closed-Loop Class-D Amplifiers with 4 th Order Output Filter

The paper presents a control scheme for a high bandwidth class-D power amplifier with two-stage LC output filter. The amplifier’s output voltage is controlled using a simple PI-type controller with added single or double capacitor filter current feedback. With the proposed design principle a well-damped dynamic response of the total system (e.g., Butterworth or Bessel) can be achieved without any additional passive damping, whereas the large-signal frequency response is still defined by the intrinsic cut-off frequencies of the LC filter. The paper reports the control loop design analytically analyzing also the design space of the LC filter, the PI-control and the current feedback parameters. System verification is performed by digital simulation including also load variations. Finally, the principle is tested by implementation of a 1kW/±200V laboratory amplifier prototype based on a GaN-MOSFET halfbridge operated at a rather high switching frequency of 200kHz.
Global cloud top height retrieval using SCIAMACHY limb spectra: model studies and first results

Abstract. Cloud top heights (CTHs) are retrieved for the period 1 January 2003 to 7 April 2012 using height-resolved limb spectra measured with the SCanning Imaging Absorption SpectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY (SCIAMACHY) on board ENVISAT (ENVIronmental SATellite). In this study, we present the retrieval code SCODA (SCIAMACHY cloud detection algorithm) based on a colour index method and test the accuracy of the retrieved CTHs in comparison to other methods. Sensitivity studies using the radiative transfer model SCIATRAN show that the method is capable of detecting cloud tops down to about 5 km and very thin cirrus clouds up to the tropopause. Volcanic particles can be detected that occasionally reach the lower stratosphere. Upper tropospheric ice clouds are observable for a nadir cloud optical thickness (COT) ≥ 0.01, which is in the subvisual range. This detection sensitivity decreases towards the lowermost troposphere. The COT detection limit for a water cloud top height of 5 km is roughly 0.1. This value is much lower than thresholds reported for passive cloud detection methods in nadir-viewing direction. Low clouds at 2 to 3 km can only be retrieved under very clean atmospheric conditions, as light scattering of aerosol particles interferes with the cloud particle scattering. We compare co-located SCIAMACHY limb and nadir cloud parameters that are retrieved with the Semi-Analytical CloUd Retrieval Algorithm (SACURA). Only opaque clouds (τN,c > 5) are detected with the nadir passive retrieval technique in the UV–visible and infrared wavelength ranges. Thus, due to the frequent occurrence of thin clouds and subvisual cirrus clouds in the tropics, larger CTH deviations are detected between both viewing geometries. Zonal mean CTH differences can be as high as 4 km in the tropics. The agreement in global cloud fields is sufficiently good. However, the land–sea contrast, as seen in nadir cloud occurrence frequency distributions, is not observed in limb geometry. Co-located cloud top height measurements of the limb-viewing Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) on ENVISAT are compared for the period from January 2008 to March 2012. The global CTH agreement of about 1 km is observed, which is smaller than the vertical field of view of both instruments. Lower stratospheric aerosols from volcanic eruptions occasionally interfere with the cloud retrieval and inhibit the detection of tropospheric clouds. The aerosol impact on cloud retrievals was studied for the volcanoes Kasatochi (August 2008), Sarychev Peak (June 2009), and Nabro (June 2011). Long-lasting aerosol scattering is detected after these events in the Northern Hemisphere for heights above 12.5 km in tropical and polar latitudes. Aerosol top heights up to about 22 km are found in 2009 and the enhanced lower stratospheric aerosol layer persisted for about 7 months. In August 2009 about 82 % of the lower stratosphere between 30 and 70° N was filled with scattering particles and nearly 50 % in October 2008.
GLOOTT Model: A Pedagogically-Enriched Design Framework of Learning Environment to Improve Higher Order Thinking Skills

Learning object design currently leads the instructional technologist towards more effective instructional design, development and delivery of learning content. There is a considerable amount of literature discussing about the potential use of learning object in e-learning. However, most of the works were mainly focused on the standard forms of metadata and technical-related issues leaving behind the importance of pedagogical factors. This paper comprises two parts. In the first part, the authors examine the attributes of learning objects in providing a customized, individualized and flexible learning environment with an approach that is grounded in generative learning principles of learner-centered and learner-controlled learning environment. The cognitive and pedagogical relationships between generative learning and higher order thinking skills (HOTs) are briefly reviewed. The second part proposes a design and development framework of Generative Learning Object Organizer and Thinking Task (or simply called GLOOTT), a pedagogically-enriched web-based learning environment designed to improve HOTs.
Understanding the chemistry of atmospheric aerosol particle formation via observations of physical properties

It is widely accepted that the global climate is heating up due to human activities, such as burning of fossil fuels. Therefore we find ourselves forced to make decisions on what measures, if any, need to be taken to decrease our warming effect on the planet before any irrevocable damage occurs. Research is being conducted in a variety of fields to better understand all relevant processes governing Earth’s climate, and to assess the relative roles of anthropogenic and biogenic emissions into the atmosphere. One of the least well quantified problems is the impact of small aerosol particles (both of anthropogenic and biogenic origin) on climate, through reflecting solar radiation and their ability to act as condensation nuclei for cloud droplets. In this thesis, the compounds driving the biogenic formation of new particles in the atmosphere have been examined through detailed measurements. As directly measuring the composition of these newly formed particles is extremely difficult, the approach was to indirectly study their different characteristics by measuring the hygroscopicity (water uptake) and volatility (evaporation) of particles between 10 and 50 nm. To study the first steps of the formation process in the sub-3 nm range, the nucleation of gaseous precursors to small clusters, the chemical composition of ambient naturally charged ions were measured. The ion measurements were performed with a newly developed mass spectrometer, which was first characterized in the laboratory before being deployed at a boreal forest measurement site. It was also successfully compared to similar, low-resolution instruments. The ambient measurements showed that sulfuric acid clusters dominate the negative ion spectrum during new particle formation events. Sulfuric acid/ammonia clusters were detected in ambient air for the first time in this work. Even though sulfuric acid is believed to be the most important gas phase precursor driving the initial cluster formation, measurements of the hygroscopicity and volatility of growing 10-50 nm particles in Hyytiälä showed an increasing role of organic vapors of a variety of oxidation levels. This work has provided additional insights into the compounds participating both in the initial formation and subsequent growth of atmospheric new aerosol particles. It will hopefully prove an important step in understanding atmospheric gas-to-particle conversion, which, by influencing cloud properties, can have important climate impacts. All available knowledge needs to be constantly updated, summarized, and brought to the attention of our decision-makers. Only by increasing our understanding of all the relevant processes can we build reliable models to predict the long-term effects of decisions made today.