Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluating Websites and Web Services: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on User Satisfaction

This chapter presents an experiment with 158 children, aged 10 to 12, in which search performance and attitudes towards an informational Website are investigated. The same Website was designed in 3 different types of interface design varying in playfulness of navigation structure and in playfulness of visual design. The type of interface design did not have an effect on children’s search performance, but it did influence children’s feelings of emotional valence and their evaluation of “goodness. ” Children felt most positive about the Website with a classical navigation structure and playful aesthetics. They found the playful image map Website least good. More importantly, children’s search performance was much more effective and efficient when using the search engine than when browsing the menu. Furthermore, this chapter explores the challenge of measuring affective responses towards digital interfaces with children by presenting an elaborate evaluation of different methods.
SAR imagery of moving targets: application of time-frequency distributions for estimating motion parameters

It is well known that targets moving along track within a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) field of view are imaged as defocused objects. The SAR stripmap mode is tuned to stationary ground targets and the mismatch between the SAR processing parameters and the target motion parameters causes the energy to spill over to adjacent image pixels, thus not only hindering target feature extraction, but also reducing the probability of detection. The problem can be remedied by generating the image using a filter matched to the actual target motion parameters, effectively focusing the SAR image on the target. For a fixed rate of motion the target velocity can be estimated from the slope of the Doppler frequency characteristic. The processing is carried out on the range compressed data but before azimuth compression. The problem is similar to the classical problem of estimating the instantaneous frequency of a linear FM signal (chirp). This paper investigates the application of three different time-frequency analysis techniques to estimate the instantaneous Doppler frequency of range compressed SAR data. In particular, we compare the Wigner-Ville distribution, the Gabor expansion and the Short-Time Fourier transform with respect to their performance in noisy SAR data. Criteria are suggested to quantify the performance of each method in the joint time- frequency domain. It is shown that these methods exhibit sharp signal-to-noise threshold effects, i.e., a certain SNR below which the accuracy of the velocity estimation deteriorates rapidly. It is also shown that the methods differ with respect to their representation of the SAR data.
Genetic differentiation between populations of the moss Hylocomium splendens from low versus high elevation in the Scandinavian mountain range

To test the genetic relationship between alpine and subalpine forms of Hylocomium splendens, pairwise sampling was undertaken of populations from four areas, representing the southern and northern ranges of the Scandes. From each population I sampled 75 shoots in a hierarchical fashion, and these were screened for variation at 12 allozyme loci. The pairwise genetic identity (I) among subalpine and alpine populations was, respectively, 0.970 and 0.972, versus 0.946 between the altitudinal groups. This suggests that populations from subalpine and alpine zones are genetically differentiated. The total gene diversity (HT) based on polymorphic loci was slightly higher for alpine populations (0.330) than for subalpine populations (0.244), whereas the relative differentiation among populations (GST) was lower for alpine populations (0.054) than for subalpine populations (0.080). The number of observed clones was high in all populations, ranging from 18 to 29. Mean number of recorded haplotypes within 10x10 cm patches was higher in alpine populations than in subalpine populations, which in part could be explained by the nearly double ramet density in the former. I conclude that two main genetic variants of Hylocomium splendens, with different climate associations, occur in Scandinavia. (Less)
Flow mechanism and viscosity in basaltic magma chambers

Magmatic flow in the dense suspension of crystallizing gabbros below the free surface of basaltic magma chambers is considered from the point of view of flow mechanisms and rheology. Hyperdense suspensions (∼20% melt fraction) may arise if flat plagioclase crystals develop a strong preferred orientation induced by magmatic flow. With the help of Nomarski differential interference contrast and back scattered electron figures, we show that suspension flow is possible even for smaller melt fractions if impingements between moving crystals are reduced by chemical dissolution at their contact points. This dissolution process is rate controlling. With strain rates near 10−9 s−1 and viscosities near 1014–16 Pa.s, such crystalline mushes should be closer to plastically deforming solids than to the overlying basaltic suspension. If we characterize magma chambers by suspension flow, no matter how small the melt fraction, magma chambers below oceanic fast spreading centers should not be restricted to a perched melt lens, but should extend to the Moho and comprise the entire volume of observed strong seismic attenuation.
Tracing the record of early alluvial tin mining on Dartmoor, UK

Abstract Although there has been considerable speculation, there is as yet no conclusive evidence to confirm Dartmoor as a tin producing region in prehistory. This is in part due to extensive tin mining on the moor during the Medieval period destroying evidence of earlier mining activity. This paper presents the preliminary results of an integrated mineralogical and geochemical geoarchaeological approach to identifying the record of early mining activity. Floodplain sedimentary successions, that have not themselves been mined, and are downstream of known areas of tin streaming, retain a geochemical record of the mining activities because the early tin streaming released large quantities of mine waste tailings. Where these successions can be dated, they provide an indirect means of testing the record of mining activity on Dartmoor. Geochemical and mineralogical analyses of datable fluvial sediments aimed to (a) distinguish between natural and mine contaminated sediments, and (b) to date the onset of sediment aggradation caused by tin mining activity in the headwaters. Results from the Avon Valley show negligible Sn concentrations in basal silts that are dated to pre-2845 ± 45 yrs bp. Overlying silts are enriched in Sn and were deposited after 1560 ± 40 ad, suggesting that the Sn enrichment corresponds with tin streaming in the 16th century. In the Erme Valley, significant Sn enrichment post-dates an organic-rich silt dated at 1280 ± 45 ad. At both sites there is sediment aggradation coupled with an enhancement in Sn concentration consistent with mine waste contamination as a result of Medieval tin streaming.
⑥✇✁✂✄☎✆✝✞✟✡☛☞✌✍✏✑✒✓✔✕✖✗✘✙✚✤✥✦✧★✩✪✫✬✭✮✰✱✲✳✴✵✶✷✸✹✺❁②❆⑤ Evaluation of Hand Micromovement Features for Continuous Authentication of Smartphone Users During Typing

Biometric authentication is a form of identity veriﬁcation, which relies on user’s distinctive physiological or behavioral characteristics. This thesis presents an evaluation of Hand Movement, Orientation and Grasp (HMOG), a new behavioral biometric for continuous authentication of smartphone users during typing. HMOG unobtru-sively captures subtle micromovement and orientation dynamics resulting from how a user grasps, holds, and taps on the smartphone. We evaluated the authentication performance of HMOG features on typing data collected from 100 subjects under two conditions: sitting and walking. Combining HMOG with the state-of-the-art (tap characteristics and keystroke dynamics) improved the performance in walking (the best achieved EER lowered from 10.51% to 6.92%). For sitting users, the performance improved in shorter authentication scans (e.g., from 19.11% to 15.44% for 20-second authentication scan).
Soil community dynamics in sagebrush and cheatgrass-invaded ecosystems of the northern Great Basin

approved: Peter J. Bottomley David D. Myrold Sagebrush steppe ecosystems in the Great Basin have become increasingly threatened by the proliferation of cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.), an invasive annual grass. Diverse sagebrush and perennial bunchgrass landscapes can be converted to homogenous cheatgrass grasslands mainly through the effects of fire. Although the consequences of this conversion are well understood in the context of plant community dynamics, information on changes to soil communities has not been well documented. I characterized soil surface, microbial, and nematode community dynamics in sagebrush steppe and cheatgrass-invaded areas across the northern Great Basin. I also examined how restoration treatments, such as seeding with a low impact rangeland drill and applying herbicide or sugar to plots, affected soil communities. Soil community functional diversity and structure were alike at sites where soil pH and percent bare ground were similar. Rangeland drill seeding and associated human trampling decreased biological soil crust cover at sites with high proportions of cyanobacteria. Herbicide treatments had little effect on soil communities, but addition of sugar to plots increased carbohydrate utilization and fungal biomass of cheatgrassinvaded soils. In studying paired intact and cheatgrass-invaded sagebrush plots, I found that microbial functional diversity and community composition were different in sagebrush, bunchgrass, cheatgrass, and interspace soils. Fungal biomass and species richness were highest under sagebrush and decreased under cheatgrass. To examine how soil community shifts might affect ecosystem processes, I investigated the contribution of fungi to inorganic nitrogen (N) mineralization in sagebrush and cheatgrass rhizospheres. Results from a N pool dilution experiment modified with the fungal protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide showed that gross and net N cycling rates did not differ between control sagebrush and cheatgrass soils and that fungi were important for gross NH4 production and consumption in both soil types. However, net nitrification increased in sagebrush soils after 24 h, suggesting that when organic matter decomposition by fungi ceased bacteria became carbon limited and could no longer assimilate NH4. These studies demonstrate that cheatgrass invasion into sagebrush steppe ecosystems can bring about significant changes to soil communities and that these changes may have repercussions for ecosystem functioning in the northern Great Basin. Soil Community Dynamics in Sagebrush and Cheatgrass-invaded Ecosystems of the Northern Great Basin by Nicole M. DeCrappeo
Social organization and organic production in agroecological Land Reform territories in the state of Alagoas

: The organization of families settled to constitute an Organic Quality Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) evidences the territorial character and the organizational diversity of this methodology aimed at assessing organic compliance. The current study was carried out in two Land Reform settlements from the state of Alagoas, which have settled families working in the Agroecology and organic production field and that, since 2019, have been part of a state-level articulation to formalize an Organic Compliance Participatory Assessment Body (OCPAB). In order to develop the paper, the action-research method was adopted, and information collection instruments were used, such as a semi-structured questionnaire and a field diary. The results evidenced that there are local participatory certification groups in the Land Reform context. They can consist exclusively of families from the same settlement or include other settlements in the proximities and they can also be comprised by families officially regularized or not in the settlement. In other words, the PGS allows the groups to create their own territorial organization logic. And, in these terms, the territory evidences the material and immaterial aspect of the peasants' connection with the land, represented by the symbology in the choice of names for the groups and also in welcoming families that still intend to gain legal possession of the land. Our study also evidenced the differential of the Federal Brazilian legislation that deals with organic agriculture, especially for having created three compliance assessment mechanisms that expand the possibilities to include family agriculture in this context and for adapting organic production to the different realities of the territories.
Intra-aggregate pore structure influences phylogenetic composition of bacterial community in macroaggregates

It is known that variability in the characteristics of soil physical microenvironments, e.g., locations and characteristics of soil pores, can have a major influence on microorganisms. This study compared the characteristics of intra-aggregate pores and their relationships with bacterial community composition in 4- to 6-mm soil macroaggregates from two contrasting agricultural systems, namely a corn (Zea mays L.)–soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr. ]–wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) rotation (i) with conventional chemical inputs and (ii) without chemical inputs but with legume cover crops. Characteristics of intra-aggregate pores and particulate organic matter (POM) were obtained from three-dimensional X-ray computed microtomography aggregate images at 13-μm resolution. Microbial community analyses were conducted using 16S rRNA pyrosequencing. We found that the aggregates from long-term (>20 yr) organic management with cover crops differed from the aggregates from conventional management in terms of intra-aggregate pore-size distribution, intra-aggregate pore variability, POM contents, as well as microbial community compositions. Relative abundances of Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Firmicutes in the aggregates from cover-crop-based management were positively correlated with the presence of large (>110 μm) pores, while the presence of medium-sized pores (32–84 μm) was significantly correlated with 30 to 40% of the top 100 bacterial operational taxonomic units identified during sequencing. The results suggested that the legacy of rhizosphere presence in terms of intra-aggregate pore structure and microbial community composition can last in the studied soil for at least 4 to 9 mo. Our study demonstrated that working with bulk sieved soil samples can mask substantial differences present within distinct soil aggregate units.
On the (mis)use of statistical methods in hydro-climatological research

Abstract This paper discusses four areas where, in the author's view, statistical methods are misused in reporting results of hydro-climatological research. They are: (i) the use of the same data set both to suggest a hypothesis (commonly of trend over time) and to test it; (ii) failure to use an appropriate significance level for tests in which a number of hypotheses are tested, even when the data sets used are mutually uncorrelated; (iii) failure to account for spatial correlations between variables, whether these are explanatory or response variables; and (iv) exaggerated importance given to statistical tests of significance, in particular to the 5% and 1% significance levels. Citation Clarke, R. T. (2010) On the (mis)use of statistical methods in hydro-climatological research. Hydrol. Sci. J. 55(2), 139–144.
NET ECOSYSTEM PRODUCTIVITY STUDIES IN MANGROVE FORESTS

The carbon dynamics of forest ecosystems are particularly significant to the phenomenon of global warming. Mangrove forests situated between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems show unique patterns of biomass allocation and carbon dynamics, as they are subjected to daily tidal inundations and a mixture of seawater and fresh water. Due to the recent decrease in areas of mangrove forests, their carbon dynamics should be re-examined and updated. The estimation of net ecosystem productivity (NEP) is an approach for studying the carbon dynamics of an ecosystem. In this review, we performed an NEP estimation of mangrove forests in tropical and subtropical regions. The magnitude of estimated NEP was compared by two methods: the summation method and the eddy covariance technique. We found that a possible under-estimation in the summation method occurs if the belowground litter production is excluded from measurements. We also confirmed high NEP trends of mangrove forests in a comparison to upland forests. In summary, the mangrove ecosystems are considered a significant carbon sink in the tropics.
underlying lock-in in large infrastructure

Research in large scale infrastructure projects have argued that the overall project performance is subject to lock-in, yet this is little understood empirically and more research is needed. Recently studies reported that lock-in can occur both at the decision-making level and at the project execution level respectively. The underlying patterns influencing project scope transformation, due to evolving expectations and/or stakeholder’s perspective and the occurrence of lock-in influence in project performance. This paper explores the relationship between project scope and lock-in within large infrastructure projects in the context of cost over-run. Based on empirical data from 20 High Speed Rail (HSR) projects in Spain with multinational sets of actors, and anchored in the Management of Project (MoP) paradigm, the paper shows that a holistic perspective is essential for successful outcome. Methodologically, the paper uses data mining and a case study approach to explore mechanisms that underlie lock-in in relation with scope demarcation – tracked through contract change. It suggests that an investigation of lock-in in relationship to scope demarcation and through the lens of path dependence contributes to the understanding of cost over-run emergence. Preliminary findings highlight contract type and its content to have a great influence in cost over-run.
Sensing, Actuating & Interacting Through Passive Body Dynamics: A Framework for Soft Robotic Hand Design

—Robotic hands have long strived to reach the performance of human hands. The physical complexity and extraordinary capabilities of the human hand, in terms of sensing, actuation and cognitive abilities, makes achieving this goal challenging. At the heart of the physical structure of the hand is its’ passive behaviours. Seen most clearly in soft robotic hands, these behaviours influence and affect the mechanical, sensing and control functionalities. With this perspective, we present a framework through which passivity in robot hands can be understood, by concretely identifying the role of passivity in the design, fabrication and control of soft hands. In this framework we focus on the interactions between the physical hand and the: environment, internal actuation, sensor morphology and wrist control. Taking these surrounding systems away, we are left with a passive soft hand whose behaviours emerge from external interactions. Inspired by the human hand, we define the role of these four key interacting pillars and review how state-of-the art robot hands utilize these four elements to aid functionality. We show how these pillars promote hybrid soft-rigid hands with rich behaviours, providing benefits in terms of the increased adaptability to uncertain environments, improved scalability and reduction in the cost of actuation, sensing and control. This review provides a conceptual framework for approaching hand design and analysis through consideration of the passive behaviours. This highlights not only the advances that can be made by approaching the problem in this way, but also the outstanding challenges that stem from this outlook.
emerging perspectives on laminopathies

: Laminopathies are a group of inherited disorders caused by mutations in the lamin A/C gene, and can affect diverse organs or tissues, or can be systemic, causing premature aging. In the present review, we report on the composition and structure of the nuclear lamina and the role of lamins in nuclear mechanics and their involvement in human diseases, and provide some examples of laminopathies and current therapeutic approaches.
Geochemical and acoustic evidence for the occurrence of methane in sediments of the Polish sector of the southern Baltic Sea

This paper presents the results of geochemical and acoustic investigations of sediments in the Polish sector of the southern Baltic Sea. Its objective was to indicate areas of gas bubble formation and the occurrence of methane. Over 3000 nautical miles of transects were recorded using a variety of hydroacoustic instruments, and five coring points were selected for further analyses of pore waters (CH4, SO42−, H2S, NH4+, total alkalinity) and sediments (grain size distribution, Corg, Ntot, LOI and WC). Gas turned out to be present at shallow depths in different forms such as recent and buried pockmarks, and gas-saturated sediments (including gas pockets and seepages). It was found that methane was widespread in the sediments of the study area, both in the surface sediments, e.g. in the vicinity of the Hel Peninsula or in the central Gulf of Gdansk, and in deeper sediment layers, e.g. in the Gdansk Deep and the Slupsk Furrow. Chemical analysis showed that as a result of the rapid decomposition of organic matter, sulphates were depleted in the top 20 cm layer of sediments and that methane was produced at relatively shallow depths (in some areas even at depths of 20–30 cm bsf) compared to other regions of the Baltic, reaching concentrations of > 6 mmol l−1 in the 30–40 cm layer below the sediment surface. The sulphate-methane transition zone (SMTZ) was 4–37 cm thick and was situated in the uppermost 50 cm of the sediments.
Impact of Teachers' Charisma on Students’ Motivation and Perceived Learning During Emergency Remote Teaching

The swift widespread shift from face-to-face to emergency remote teaching (ERT) due to the COVID-19 pandemic was accompanied by numerous technical, psychological, and pedagogical challenges and prompted educators to look for ways to improve their performance to preserve the high quality of learning. One way to do this is for teachers to adopt charismatic behaviours. This study aims at investigating the concept of and factors determining teachers’ charisma and its connection with students’ intrinsic motivation and perceived learning in a synchronous online learning setting during ERT. The questionnaires measuring students’ intrinsic motivation, perceived learning, and teachers’ charisma were used to collect the responses from Ukrainian university students who reported on their online learning experienced amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Varimax rotation method was applied to determine the factors of charisma. Correlation analyses established a connection between students’ intrinsic motivation and perceived learning and teachers’ charisma as well as each factor of charisma independently. The research is the first of its kind done in an online learning setting in an Eastern European cultural context. The research validates some previous findings done in a face-to-face teaching context. The current study also established the connection between humor and empathy as a factor of charismatic teaching.