Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Activity theory: A framework for analysing intercultural academic activity

This article suggests that Activity Theory (AT) can be applied as a holistic framework to analyse the complex sociocultural issues that arise when academics wish to engage in collaborative activity across institutional and cultural boundaries. Attention will initially focus on how Activity Theory, first formulated in the 1930s by Leont'ev (1978), and subsequently developed into a second generation by Engestrom (1987), can help to analyse and illuminate the inherent complexity within any one community of practice. A more elaborate model of AT (Engestrom, 2001) is currently being developed and applied to analyse and illuminate collaborative activity across institutional bound- aries, so as to transform discourse communities into speech communities of practice through expansive learning. It is suggested that this 'third generation' model can be fur- ther refined to analyse specific contact zones, within and between activity systems, as a precursor to undertaking collaborative activity. It is suggested that, when discourse com- munities deriving from different culturally diverse traditions seek to work together, such an a priori analysis would enable potential areas for miscommunication and miscon- strual to be identified and possibly resolved before collaborative activity actually commences.
Organic Farming By Using Saharan Soil: Could It Be An Alternative To Fertilizers? Sahra Çöl Topraği ile Organik Tarim: Gübrelere Bir Alternatif Olabilir mi?

It has been shown that Saharan soil may have the potential of producing bioavailable iron when illuminated with visible light and also it has some essential macro and micro nutrient elements. In this study the impact of various growth media on development of some bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and durum wheat (Triticum durum L.) cultivars have been investigated. As a four different nutrient media, Hewitt nutrient solution [1], illuminated and non-illuminated Saharan desert soil solutions and distilled water have been utilized. Shoot length (cm.seedling-1), leaf area (cm2 seedling-1) and photosynthetic pigments [chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and carotenoids, mg ml-1 g fresh weight (g fw)-1] have been determined. The results of this study indicate that, wheat varieties fed by irradiated Saharan soil solution gave comparable results to Hewitt nutrient solution.
Numerical Study of Purge and Secondary Flows in a Low-Pressure Turbine

© 2016 by ASME. The secondary flow increases the loss and changes the flow incidence in the downstream blade row. To prevent hot gases from entering disk cavities, purge flows are injected into the mainstream in a real aero-engine. The interaction between purge flows and the mainstream usually induces aerodynamic losses. The endwall loss is also affected by shedding wakes and secondary flow from upstream rows. Using a series of eddy-resolving simulations, this paper aims to improve the understanding of the interaction between purge flows, incoming secondary flows along with shedding wakes and mainstream flows on the endwall within a stator passage. It is found that for a blade with an aspect ratio of 2.2, a purge flow with a 1% leakage rate increases loss generation within the blade passage by around 10%. The incoming wakes and secondary flows increase the loss generation further by around 20%. The purge flow pushes the passage vortex further away from the endwall and increases the exit flow angle deviation. However, the maximum exit flow angle deviation is reduced after introducing incoming wakes and secondary flows. The loss generation rate is calculated using the mean flow kinetic energy equation. Two regions with high loss generation rate are identified within the blade passage: The corner region and the region where passage vortex interacts with the boundary layer on the suction surface. Loss generation rate increases dramatically after the separated boundary layer transitions. Since the endwall flow energizes the boundary layer and triggers earlier transition on the suction surface, the loss generation rate close to the endwall at the trailing edge is suppressed.
A Preliminary Survey of Testudo graeca Linnaeus 1758 Specimens from Central Anatolia, Turkey

Sixteen specimens of Testudo graeca Linnaeus 1758 from 2 adjacent localities (Meke and Acigol) in Central Anatolia were measured. Morphological characters standardised for straight carapace length (SCL) were compared with original raw values from Testudo populations from Aegean and south-eastern Turkey. The post-ANOVA pairwise analysis (Tukey's) across all groups verified sexual dimorphism in the Central Anatolian populations in terms of anal suture length (P < 0.05) and plastron width 2 (P < 0.05). Discriminant analysis based on standardised values provided 89.3% and 92.6% correct classification among males and females, respectively. The difference was clearer between the Aegean and Central Anatolian populations, with a more domed carapace (CH) in the males and shorter plastron length (PL) and plastron width 2 (PW2) in the females of the Aegean population in comparison with the Central Anatolian population.
Genetic Parameters and Genetic Trends for Reproductive Traits of Santa Ines Sheep Kept in Extensive Environments in Brazil

Studying the Santa Ines sheep breed is important, as it is the most prevalent breed in Brazil and can adapt to many environments. This study included data were collected over a period of 12 years from 33 flocks in 10 Brazilian States. The estimation of variance components, genetic parameters and breeding values were obtained by DFREML method, using lineal mixed model in single-trait analysis. Traits of age at first lambing (AFL), lambing interval (LI), survivability (SU), litter size at birth (LSB), litter size at weaned (LSW),total litter weight at birth (TLWB) and total litter weight at weaning (TLWW) were assessed. The significance of the fixed effects to be included in the model was performed using statistic program R. The effects of breeder and lambing year were significant (P<0.001). A remarkable phenotypic and permanent environmental variability were found in all traits. Direct heritability estimates were 0.13, 0.04, 0.01, 0.12, 0.03, 0.16 and 0.18 for AFL, LI, SU, LSB, LSW, TLWB and TLWW, respectively. The estimated fractions of variance due to the permanent environmental effects in any traits were high magnitude (0.79 to 0.97). The annual genetic gain has a slightly negative trend in all of them except for AFL and SU. Results indicate that change in environmental conditions of flock in addition to the direct selection for TLWB and TLWW, can be used as selection criteria for improving the productivity of this sheep.
DOCTEUR DE L’UNIVERSITÉ DU LUXEMBOURG EN SCIENCES SOCIALES

This thesis investigates the long-term negative effects of unemployment, labour market inactivity and atypical employment. Within the theoretical framework of cumulative advantages and disadvantages, it is outlined how life-course differentiation creates gaps between age peers and cohorts and how this leads to social inequality in old age. In the three separate, but linked studies, disadvantages across the career and their associations to retirement are analysed. The focus of the analyses is laid on the outcomes of career disadvantages in form of subjective and financial well-being. The three studies all use the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. This large and multidimensional panel study provides not only prospective, but also retrospective data on European countries. The data base is employed in different combinations in the studies. In the first and second study, the retrospective wave SHARELIFE provides information on employment biography and is related to well-being indicators of the regular waves. In the third study, the persistence of disadvantages upon retirement is observed with a causal
Literacy, Ethnicity and Style

I present the result of a two-year research project developed at the “Instituto de Estudos de Linguagem” (IEL/Unicamp, Brazil) and also of action research I have been organizing since 2006 when I started to work as a professor at the “Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos”, in Brazil. Relying on recent developments in New Literacy Studies, I explore the concept of the continuum illiterate-literate and argue that it implies elements of transformation, as well as conservation. I also argue that three intersecting continua must be considered together: the continua oral-written, rural-urban and restricted-full literacy, always taking into consideration ethnicity as a variable (Cohen, 1974). Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork in Brazil, I show how elements of restricted literacy (Goody, 1968) are presented on the threshold of the twenty first century; how they entertain relation with the rural to urban migration and with a marked contrast between different ethnicities; and in what sense this fact may be visible in the everyday use of language and in the style inherent in it.
Cavitation Behavior of Semi-Crystalline Polymers during Uniaxial Stretching Studied by Synchrotron Small-Angle X-Ray Scattering

Cavitation appears in many semi-crystalline polymers when they are subjected to uniaxial stretching above their glass transition temperatures. Generally, the formation of voids is influenced by the morphology of semi-crystalline polymers, including their lamellae thickness, lamellae orientation, as well as the arrangement of the amorphous phase. Upon stretching, the size of the voids changes as a function of the local strain. Synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) can be used as a powerful method to in-situ monitor the evolution of voids with high time and spatial resolution. In this chapter, recent reports about the cavitation behavior of semi-crystalline polymers studied by SAXS are reviewed. Afterwards, the theoretical background related to the SAXS technique is introduced. Lastly, some exemplary results about the cavitation behavior of microinjection-molded isotactic-polypropylene, studied by synchrotron SAXS measurements, are presented.
Commodity Prices and the Dynamics of Inflation in Commodity-Exporting Nations: Evidence from Australia and Canada

A commodity-price boom is under way. What does this boom mean for inflation in countries with substantial net commodity exports? The answer depends on movements in commodity prices, changes in foreign exchange rates and the determinants of domestic price inflation. We estimate equations to provide indications of the strength of each of these forces for both Australia and Canada. The results show that world commodity prices move pro-cyclically with world industrial production and that rates of change in commodity prices are directly related to domestic inflation in both countries. However, there is an offsetting impact of exchange-rate changes, which is strong enough in the case of Australia, but not Canada, to substantially eliminate the inflationary impact of a commodity-price boom.
Production of Lipid Microparticles Magnetically Active by a Supercritical Fluid-Based Process

An original technique, based on supercritical and on the particles from gas saturated solution (PGSS) micronization method, was developed to obtain magnetically active lipid microparticles. Magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) were encapsulated into triestearin and phosphatidylcholine mixtures to increase their biocompatibility for future applications in the fields of biomedical diagnostics and therapeutic medications. The lipid particles produced were characterized to determine size and size distribution, and to confirm the encapsulation of MNP. The mean size was in the range of 200–800 nm. The possibility to drive these magnetically active particles by an external magnet was demonstrated in a simple apparatus simulating a vessel of the circulatory system. The results obtained indicate that the modified PGSS technique is suitable to produce lipid microparticles with magnetic activity for possible use in medical applications.
Extensive tabulations of Stark broadened hydrogen line profiles

New tables of Stark broadened hydrogen Lyman, Balmer and Paschen lines are presented for a wide range of plasma conditions, allowing the complete spectrum of these series to be modelled up to the Inglis Teller limit. The formalism, based on the Model Microeld Method (MMM) for both the electronic and ionic broadenings, gives an accurate description of the line prole from the centre to the wings.
SLA Translation in Multi-Layered Service Oriented Architectures: Status and Challenges

Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) represents an architectural shift for building business applications based on loosely-coupled services. In a multilayered SOA environment the exact conditions under which services are to be delivered can be formally specified by Service Level Agreements (SLAs). However, typical SLAs are just specified at the top-level and do not allow service providers to manage their IT stack accordingly as they have no insight on how top-level SLAs translate to metrics or parameters at the various layers of the IT stack. This paper addresses the research problems in the area of SLA translation, namely, the correlation and mapping of SLA-related metrics and parameters within and across IT layers. We introduce a conceptual framework for precise definition and classification of SLA translations in SOA. With such a framework, an in-depth review and analysis of the state of the art is carried out by the category, maturity, and applicability of approaches and methodologies. Furthermore, we discuss the fundamental research challenges to be addressed for turning the vision of holistic and transparent SLA translation into reality.
The level of computer use and the degree of the acceptance of informatics applied in medical research.

Young medical graduates are bound to become researchers, as medical science implies constant studying. Documenting, collecting and processing medical data involve a certain degree of computer literacy. The development of computer-assisted tools and their implementation in all medical fields imposes an evaluation of the level of computer use in research. A number of 85 PhD students at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy from Tg. Mures were presented with a questionnaire in order to evaluate their knowledge of computer use. The results were quantified by devising evaluation scores. Correspondence between answers was tested using Friedman’s correspondence test. After the initial questionnaire, the subjects attended a course in which computer-aided solutions were presented, followed by a new evaluation questionnaire. The conception and application of a questionnaire-based qualitative study to assess the level of knowledge regarding the use of information technologies applied in medical research has proved that there are researchers who do not use computers to aid them in their research. Testing the researchers by means of a questionnaire for evaluating the level of acceptance of information technologies in computer-assisted medical (epidemiological and clinical) research has shown that resistance to computer use in research is not significant.
Hawks and Doves at the FOMC

In this paper we estimate ideal points of Bank Presidents and Board Governors at the FOMC. We use stated preferences from FOMC transcripts and estimate a hierarchical spatial voting model. We find a clear difference between the average Board Governor and Bank President. We find little evidence for difference in ideal points according to the appointing president in case of Bank Governors. Similarly career background has no clear effect on the ideal points. We find that the median ideal point at the FOMC has been fairly stable over our sample period (1989-2007) emphasizing the lack of a political appointment channel. We also show that there was considerable variation in the median ideal point of Bank Presidents and Board Governors, but that these seem to cancel each other out. Also the dispersion of opinions (the spread between the lowest and highest ideal point) varies over time, suggestion variation in agreement at the FOMC.
On the relativistic invariance of entanglement

In this work we study the entanglement properties under a Lorentz boost of a pair of spin-1 massive particles, with spin and momentum as the sole degrees of freedom of the system. Different cases for entanglement and between spins and between momenta are considered as initial states and it is shown that entanglement between the different degrees of freedom is, in general, not invariant. We analyze the entanglement change in terms of the Wigner rotation induced by the transformation and show that, for the case of spin-1 particles, the relative entanglement change between different states depends strongly on the boost velocity.
Seasonal dynamics and disturbance of phytoplankton biomass in the wake of Tahiti as observed by Biogeochemical-Argo floats

Abstract. The South Pacific Subtropical Gyre (SPSG) is a vast and remote area where large uncertainties on variability in phytoplankton biomass and production remain due to the lack of biogeochemical in situ observations. In such oligotrophic environments, ecosystems are predominantly controlled by nutrients depletion in surface waters. However, this oligotrophic character can be disturbed in the vicinity of islands where enhancement of biological activity is known to occur (i.e. the island mass effect, IME). This study mainly focuses on in situ observations showing that an IME can be evidenced leeward of Tahiti (17.7° S–149.5° W), French Polynesia. Concomitant physical and biogeochemical observations collected with two Biogeochemical-Argo (BGC-Argo) profiling floats from April 2015 to November 2016 are used to investigate the dynamics of phytoplankton biomass. The first float has a transit of more than 1000 km westward of Tahiti (open ocean conditions) while the second one remained in the Tahitian wake (around 45 km from the island coasts). In the oligotrophic central SPSG, the wintertime increase in upper layer chlorophyll a concentration is likely due to photoacclimation process. Vertical observations show a light-driven deepening of the deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM) from winter to summer, consistently with previous descriptions. At the opposite, within the Tahitian wake, the DCM temporary widens during late spring in association with a biological enhancement in the upper layer. Combining in situ measurements with meteorological data along the Tahiti coasts, Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model outputs and satellite-derived products (i.e., horizontal currents and associated fronts), the physical mechanisms involved in the disturbance of phytoplankton seasonal cycle in the Tahitian wake have been investigated. This disturbance results from the concomitant occurrence of strong precipitations and a zone of weak currents leeward Tahiti. We conjecture that the land drainage induces a significant supply of nitrate in the ocean upper layer (down to ~ 100 m) while a zone of weak currents in the southwestern zone behind Tahiti forms an accumulation zone, hence allowing phytoplankton growth up to 20 km away from the coastlines. Moreover, bio-optical measurements suggest that the composition of phytoplankton community could differ in the Tahitian wake vs. the open ocean area. Finally, in addition to extending information to the water column, only BGC-Argo floats could provide biogeochemical measurements in the SPSG region when clouds prevent the use of remote sensing.
The impact of immigration on the greek labor market

Abstract: This paper applies the “spatial correlations” methodology in order to investigate the impact of immigrants on the unemployment rates of natives. We use information on 13 local labor markets for the 1988-2008 period. The data are drawn from the Greek Labor Force Survey. We address the endogeneity of immigrants’ location choices and measurement error by using an instrumental variables methodology. Our results provide empirical evidence that immigrants do not displace the indigenous workers. Also, there is evidence that: (i) medium skilled unemployment declines with immigration and (ii) labor force participation rises due to immigration
Corruption, Globalization, and Economic Growth: Theory and Evidence

We investigate, both theoretically and empirically, how the negative effects of government corruption on economic growth are magnified or reduced by capital account liberalization. Our model shows that highly corrupt countries impose higher tax rates than do less corrupt countries, thereby, magnifying the negative impacts of government corruption on economic growth in the highly corrupt countries and reducing the impacts in the less corrupt countries if capital account liberalization is enacted. Empirical evidence obtained from an analysis of the panel data collected from 111 countries supports our theoretical predictions. Our theoretical and empirical results contribute to the recent policy debates on the merits or demerits of capital account liberalization.
An evaluation of nitrogen fertilised Panicum maximum cv. Gatton at different stages of maturity during autumn: 1. Dry matter yie

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of level of nitrogen (N) fertilisation and stage of maturity on certain qualitative parameters and dry matter (DM) production of Panicum maximum cv. Gatton during autumn. Treatments included seven levels of N fertilisation (0, 25, 50, 75, 100, 125 and 150 kg N/ha) and harvesting at three stages of maturity, namely the vegetative, early and full bloom stages. Nitrogen was applied in late summer. Dry matter yields were determined at each stage of harvesting. Dry matter yield, N, nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) and acid detergent lignin (ADL) concentrations increased, while total non-structural carbohydrates (TNC) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) concentrations decreased with increasing levels of N application. There was no significant change in in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD). As the pasture matured from the vegetative to the full bloom stage, N, NO3-N and IVDOM concentrations decreased, while DM yield, TNC, NDF and ADL concentrations increased.
Observational Signatures of a Kink-unstable Coronal Flux Rope Using Hinode/EIS

The signatures of energy release and energy transport for a kink-unstable coronal flux rope are investigated via forward modeling. Synthetic intensity and Doppler maps are generated from a 3D numerical simulation. The CHIANTI database is used to compute intensities for three Hinode/EIS emission lines that cover the thermal range of the loop. The intensities and Doppler velocities at simulation-resolution are spatially degraded to the Hinode/EIS pixel size (1″), convolved using a Gaussian point-spread function (3″), and exposed for a characteristic time of 50 s. The synthetic images generated for rasters (moving slit) and sit-and-stare (stationary slit) are analyzed to find the signatures of the twisted flux and the associated instability. We find that there are several qualities of a kink-unstable coronal flux rope that can be detected observationally using Hinode/EIS, namely the growth of the loop radius, the increase in intensity toward the radial edge of the loop, and the Doppler velocity following an internal twisted magnetic field line. However, EIS cannot resolve the small, transient features present in the simulation, such as sites of small-scale reconnection (e.g., nanoflares).