Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Virtual teams in higher education: challenges and rewards for teachers and students

As virtual teams become more common in the workplace, a growing body of research has examined the factors critical to their success. Many studies have focused on practitioners or on students in business programs. This paper examines virtual team collaboration among technical communication students at the University of Limerick (UL) and at the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando, Florida, USA. The paper describes the projects we have run, the technologies we have used, and the challenges and rewards of the experience for both students and teachers. 1.0 Introduction Over the past two decades, advances in technology and the rise of technology-driven work practices have led to changes in traditional corporate structures. Many corporations now organise work “virtually”, independent of time, space, and organisational boundary constraints (Robey, Khoo, and Powers, 2000). In global virtual teams, members work on temporary projects with a shared purpose using communication technologies (Lipnack & Stamps, 2000; Robey, Khoo, and Powers, 2000; Suchan & Hayzak, 2001). Virtual teams facilitate information sharing and knowledge creation (Townsend et al, 1998). Moreover, because of their diversity, virtual teams tend to be more dynamic than traditional teams (Peters, 2003). Many students who go on to work in the corporate world on graduation will at some point work in a virtual team, yet most study programmes do not prepare them for the wellrecognised challenges posed by the process of virtual teaming. Referring to a collaboration between U.S. and Swedish students, Paretti, McNair, and HollowayAttaway (2007) note that despite the technological sophistication of most students today, they are not prepared for the challenges of virtual collaboration. Students need instruction that “enables them to manage collaboration themselves” (p. 349). Since 2006, the Technical Communication Section at the University of Limerick (UL) has run a virtual team collaboration project each academic year, enabling our students to work in teams with students of Technical Communication at the University of Central Florida (UCF). Each year, teams comprising students from each institution have worked virtually to produce content, such as web sites, brochures, and reports. They have used a variety of technologies (including videoconferencing and Virtual Learning Environments) and communication strategies, and have had to overcome the challenges of time and culture differences, and using lean communication media. Students have submitted reports or produced blogs reflecting on their experiences of the collaboration. We have learned many lessons and received valuable reflective feedback from student participants. In this paper, we share our reflections on and experiences of setting up and running virtual team projects with an international partner institution. We begin by discussing existing relevant research on virtual teams. We then describe the projects we
Influence of the physiological status of bacteria on their transport into permeable sediments

Starving and grown cultures of the heterotrophic, marine isolate FL2 were exposed to a defined flow at a hydrodynamically smooth, sandy sediment-water interface with a partially homogeneous bottom shear stress pattern but localized high advective inflow. Since transport-determining properties like cell size, hydrophobicity, motility and exopolymer production all change during starvation, we compared the distribution of differently nourished cells and microspheres at the surface and in the sediment after 3 d of exposure. We found different sorting processes between particles and bacteria, and between starving and grown cells, calling into question the transfer of laboratory results from exponentially grown cultures to in situ conditions and generally the substitution of bacteria by particles in transport experiments. While microspheres were distributed according to the advective flow and only weakly retained by interactions with sediment particles, grown bacteria showed a spatially homogeneous distribution over the sediment surface. One suggestion is that active movement renders them independent of advective inflow once they have contact with the sediment. Starved cells, however, accumulated at the surface area of highest advective flow. They excreted exopolymers different from those in exponential phase, and, consequently, formed aggregates of up to 7 μm in diameter, which were then retained at the surface due to straining. If this accumulation turns out to be a widespread behaviour of copiotrophic bacteria, possible consequences-both ecological and also regarding pathogenic bacteria in coastal zones-have to be considered.
Curves Extraction in Images Extracción de curvas en imágenes

We present a methodology for extracting processes of curves in images, using a statistical summary of the directional information given in measures of location, curvature and direction associated with the pixels that compose each curve. The main purpose is to obtain measures that serve as input for the reconstruction, in vector format, of a process of curves which are of interest, so that the extracted curves can be easily stored and reconstructed based on few parameters conserving representative information of its curvature at each pixel. As starting point, the directional information obtained from a methodology of consistent curves detection is used, which includes the decomposition of the image in a directional domain contained in R k , with k ∈ N. Basic summary measures criteria are proposed for this type of data and the application to four cases of satellite images for extraction of sections of rivers in these images are shown.
Gyrokinetic Large Eddy Simulations

The large eddy simulation approach is adapted to the study of plasma microturbulence in a fully three-dimensional gyrokinetic system. Ion temperature gradient driven turbulence is studied with the GENE code for both a standard resolution and a reduced resolution with a model for the sub-grid scale turbulence. A simple dissipative model for representing the effect of the sub-grid scales on the resolved scales is proposed and tested. Once calibrated, the model appears to be able to reproduce most of the features of the free energy spectra for various values of the ion temperature gradient.
The MU-RAY project: Summary of the round-table discussions

The MU-RAY project has the challenging aim of performing muon radiography of the summit cone of Mt. Vesuvius. The muon telescopes developed for this purpose will be available for the radiography of other volcanoes, in particular Stromboli. The scientific goals, the strategy for their implementation and the baseline detector design are discussed in detail. A tentative time schedule for the project is drawn.
Chemical‐Mechanical Polishing and Material Characteristics of Plasma‐Enhanced Chemically Vapor Deposited Fluorinated Oxide Thin Films

The chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) process has been proven to be the most promising method for accomplishing global planarization. In this paper, results of chemical-mechanical polishing of fluorinated silicon dioxide (SiOF) thin films are presented. Nanohardness, elastic modulus, and bonding structure of fluorinated silicon dioxides are characterized in order to evaluate their correlations with CMP performance. The results show that under fixed chemistry and mechanical parameters, the CMP removal rate increases significantly with increasing fluorine content in the oxides due to the lower hardness and elastic modulus in the films. Higher CMP removal rate is observed for fluorinated oxides polished with slurry of pH 10 relative to pH 9. Compared with undoped oxides, SiOF films are more sentisitive to chemical and moisture attacks as reflected by the post-CMP increase in refractive index.
Title A Classifier Based on Distance between Test Samples and AveragePatterns of Categorical Nearest Neighbors

The recognition rate of the typical nonparametric method “ -Nearest Neighbor rule ( NN)” is degraded when the dimensionality of feature vectors is large. Another nonparametric method “linear subspace methods” cannot represent the local distribution of patterns, so recognition rates decrease when pattern distribution is not normal distribution. This paper presents a classifier that outputs the class of a test sample by measuring the distance between the test sample and the average patterns, which are calculated using nearest neighbors belonging to individual categories. A kernel method can be applied to this classifier for improving its recognition rates. The performance of those methods is verified by experiments with handwritten digit patterns and two class artificial ones.
Optimization of the Control Scheme for Human Extremity Exoskeleton

One kind traditional PI (Proportion Integration) control scheme was proposed to be applied to human extremity exoskeleton (HEE, for short) in our previous works, and the simulation study and experimental study was also carried out. By analyzing the simulation calculation results, it was shown that the traditional PI controller is not very appropriate for human body in every movement speed condition. So, at last the fuzzy self-adaptive PI controller was proposed to solve this problem. Eventually, the superiority and feasibility of the fuzzy self-adaptive PI controller was proved by the simulation results and experimental results.
REFLEXO DA QUALIDADE DE GOVERNANÇA CORPORATIVA NO PROCESSO DE AVALIAÇÃO DE EMPRESAS

Este estudo analisou o reflexo da qualidade de Governanca Corporativa sobre o processo de avaliacao de empresas. Com base na Teoria da Agencia, foi estimado um Indice de Qualidade de Governanca Corporativa (IQGC) que foi incluido no modelo de Ohlson (1995) para verificar sua relevância no valor de 213 companhias negociadas na BMF Indice; Avaliacao de empresas; Valor; Value Relevance .
Effect of altered nitrogen availability following accelerated succession of a forest: the role of tree species and size.

Many factors affect the amount of mycorrhizal colonization in a plant, such as soil fertility and plant species. We focus on the effect of accelerated succession, which changes nitrogen availability, on mycorrhizal colonization. Tree species and size were also of interest, as very few direct comparisons of species or size have been conducted. We measured colonization between sapling and canopy variants of Acer rubrum (red maple), Quercus rubra (northern red oak), and Pinus strobus (white pine) in a northern temperate forest in northern Michigan by analyzing fine roots using a well-developed gridline intersect method. These trees were located at two sites, one where succession was accelerated and one without accelerated succession that served as a control. Greater mycorrhizal colonization was measured in the forest undergoing accelerated succession, implying that several factors besides nutrient availability may be influencing colonization. Greater mycorrhizal colonization was also measured in the white pines, likely due to its coarser roots which rely more on mycorrhizal associations because of lower surface to volume area in the roots. It appears that both canopy and sapling individuals for each of the three study species have a similar reliance on mycorrhizal colonization, despite the different nutritional requirements between the two size classes.
Algorithm for the Multi-Objective Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows

This paper focuses on an algorithm for the vehicle routing problem with time windows (VRPTW). It involves servicing a set of customers, with earliest and latest time deadlines, a constant service time including when the vehicle arrives to the customers. The demands are served by capacitated vehicles with limited travel times to return to the depot. The purpose of this research is to develop a hybrid algorithm that includes a heuristic, a local search and a meta-heuristic algorithm to solve optimization problems with multiple objectives. The first priority aims to find the minimum number of vehicles required and the second priority aims to search for the solution that minimizes the total travel time. The algorithm performances are measured with two criteria: quality of solution and running time. A set of well-known benchmark data and the genetic algorithm are used to compare the quality of solution and running time of the algorithm, respectively. The algorithm is applied to solve the Solomon’s 56 VRPTW benchmarking problems which have 100-customer instances. The results show that 22 solutions are better than or competitive as compared to the best solutions of the Solomon benchmark problem instances. The running time results display that the hybrid algorithm has higher performance than the genetic algorithm when the number of customers less than 25 nodes.
MODERN PROCESSES AND HISTORICAL FACTORS IN THE ORIGIN OF THE AFRICAN ELEMENT IN LATIN AMERICA

Abstract The combination of factors that account for present-day distributions of organisms is unique to individual lineages and varies over time. An observation relevant to some lineages at some point in their history is that hurricane frequency and intensity appears to be increasing with global warming. If so, then directional winds from Africa to the Caribbean region (the trade winds), from South America to Africa (the westerlies), the ocean currents they induce, and the transport of the floating islands they carry, were likely more intense during the generally warmer-than-present Tertiary Period and especially at peaks of exceptional warmth. These peaks occurred in the Paleocene/Eocene (65–45 Ma), in the early to middle Miocene (broadly between ∼23–12 Ma), in the middle Pliocene (3–4 Ma), and probably extended slightly later in the lower latitudes. The Paleocene/Eocene interval includes the time when the distance between Africa and South America was one-half to two-thirds that of the present, and when the Greater Antilles island arc was first becoming emergent as increasing target areas for propagules. The second and third intervals of warming include the times when molecular evidence suggests divergence between several African and New World lineages. Thus, wind and ocean transport of organisms and propagules throughout the Tertiary, and especially at peaks of warmth, was likely a more important means of dispersal than would seem plausible under present conditions.
Tensorial properties of local crystal susceptibilities

With the advent of synchrotron radiation, non-magnetic and magnetic resonant X-ray diffraction has become an important tool in modern materials research, e.g. on electronic states of systems. Polarized X-rays are sensitive to the local environments of resonant scattering atoms and their partial structures. At energies close to an absorption edge of an absorbing element, in particular, `forbidden' reflections can be excited, which would be extinct in absence of local anisotropic X-ray susceptibility. Anisotropy of energy-dependent susceptibility is treated in terms of tensor atomic scattering factors, giving rise to tensor structure factors, so that the intensity and polarization of the scattered radiation depend not only on the energy and polarization of the incident radiation, but also on both the crystal symmetry and the site symmetry. Owing to the anisotropy, rotation of the crystal about the scattering vector (azimuthal rotation) becomes an additional important parameter of investigation. This chapter considers the treatment and potential of anisotropic resonant scattering, both in the absence and presence of magnetic scattering, and the impact of symmetry on local physical properties, particularly symmetry and physical phenomena that allow and restrict forbidden reflections as well as reflections caused by magnetic scattering.
Obtaining of doubled haploid lines by anther culture method for the Latvian wheat breeding

3 Institute of Systematic Biology, Daugavpils Univers ity, Vien ības 13, Daugavpils, LV-5401, Latvia; e-mail: inese.kokina@biology.lv Abstract. Methods of modern biotechnology, like double haploids (DH), could highly contribute improving efficiency and speeding up the breeding process. Aim of the present work was to elaborate most effective protocol of obtaini ng DH lines by spring and winter wheat anther culture. As initial material 10 spring and 4 winter wheat F 2 hybrids were used. The cold (4oC) pre-treatment of spikes was applied, and spik es were sterilized by 50% solution of bleach for 17 min. Isolated anthers were cultivated on the different induction media: 190-0, AMC, and AMC with addition of 2.5 mg l -1 CuSO 4 x 5H 2O. The most suitable induction medium for obtaining DHs from used wheat hybrids was the AMC medium with copper. Produced DH lines were multiplied and tested in the field conditions.
Impurity behaviour during ICRH and NBI operation with ITER-like wall at JET

Hery 23 Str. , 01-497 Warsaw, Poland 2 Max-Planck-Institut fur Plasmaphysik, EURATOM-Assoziation, D-85748 Garching, Germany 3 Department of Physics, Queen’s University, Belfast, BT7 1NN, Northern Ireland, UK 4 Euratom/CCFE Association, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, OX14 3DB, UK 5 Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6169, USA 6 Association "EURATOM Belgian State”, ERM-KMS, TEC Partner, Belgium * See the Appendix of F. Romanelli et al., Fusion Energy Conference 2010 (Proc. 23nd Int. Conf.
Numerical estimate of infinite invariant densities: application to Pesin-type identity

Weakly chaotic maps with unstable fixed points are investigated in the regime where the invariant density is non-normalizable. We propose that the infinite invariant density ρ ¯ ( x ) ? > of these maps can be estimated using ρ ¯ ( x ) = lim t → ∞ t 1 − α ρ ( x , t ) ? > , in agreement with earlier work of Thaler. Here ρ(x,t) is the normalized density of particles. This definition uniquely determines the infinite density and is a valuable tool for numerical estimations. We use this density to estimate the sub-exponential separation λα of nearby trajectories. For a particular map introduced by Thaler we use an analytical expression for the infinite invariant density to calculate λα exactly, which perfectly matches simulations without fitting. Misunderstanding which recently appeared in the literature is removed.
An extension of the Apéry number supercongruence

(modp). This was proved for primes p such that p ∤ a(p) by Ishikawa [8] and unconditionally by Ahlgren and Ono [1]. The a(p) for odd primes p are also known to be related to the modular Calabi–Yau threefold (1.4) x + 1 x + y + 1 y + z + 1 z + w + 1 w = 0, in the following way. Let N(p) denote the number of solutions to (1.4) over the finite field with p elements. Then Ahlgren and Ono [2], van Geemen and
The New Basel Accord and Capital Concessions

The new Basel Accord proposes an incentive, by way of a lower minimum capital ratio, for banks judged to have acceptable advanced risk management systems and which are thus to be regulated under the advanced (internal ratings based) rather than standardised approach. This paper investigates the case for such a proposed capital concession to such banks, and demonstrates circumstances under which it may be warranted. A methodology for estimating the appropriate size of capital concessions, which reflects the cost of implementing advanced risk management systems (in order to qualify for the concessions) and the value of deposit insurance, is presented – and illustrative estimates provided. The paper also considers briefly why capital concessions have been proposed rather than the alternative of adjustment to deposit insurance premiums.
Si cycle in the Cariaco Basin, Venezuela: Seasonal variability in silicate availability and the Si:C:N composition of sinking particles

A 9‐year time series of water column and sediment trap measurements was used to examine silicon cycling within the anoxic Cariaco Basin. The dynamic hydrographic regime within Cariaco Basin results in strong seasonal changes in nutrient availability and the Si:C:N of sinking particles. Upwelling in early winter injects silicic acid (Si(OH)4= ) and nitrate (NO3−) rich waters into the photic zone which stimulates primary production and results in opal fluxes in excess of 4 mmol Si m−2 d−1. However, even during upwelling, surface waters tend to be depleted (<1 μM) in both Si(OH)4= and NO3− as a result of rapid utilization. In most years, the upper water column during winter and spring is marked by Si(OH)4= :NO3− and Si* values of less than 1. This indicates that silicate limitation in Cariaco Basin is most severe during upwelling and may restrict diatom production. Conversely, during the summer and fall when upwelling is reduced, Si(OH)4= :NO3− ratios in the upper 50 m of the water column exceed 10, implying that nitrate rather than silicate is acting to limit production during this time of year. On average, sinking particles collected at 150‐m depth in the Cariaco Basin have Si:C and Si:N values of 0.17 ± 0.01 and 1.14 ± 0.10, respectively. These ratios increase with depth to 400 m and then remain relatively constant, suggesting minimal selective removal of elements with remineralization in the anoxic portion of the water column. Similar depth‐dependent changes in these ratios are seen in surface sediments from the basin. Seasonally, particulate Si:C and Si:N are highest during the early part of the year when upwelling is most intense, while both ratios decrease to their lowest values during summer and fall. The observed seasonal variability in these ratios is due to changes in both nutrient utilization by diatoms and the contribution of diatoms to the total phytoplankton. The high ratios during upwelling suggest enhanced export of Si relative to C and N during this time of year.
Modified Multilevel Inverter Topology forDriving a Single Phase Induction Motor

The multilevel inverter utilization has been increased since the last decade. These new type of inverters are suitable in various high voltage & high power application due to their ability to synthesize waveforms with better harmonic spectrum and faithful output. This paper presents a multilevel inverter configuration which is designed by insertion of a bidirectional switch between capacitive voltage sources and a conventional H-bridge module. The modified inverter can produce a better sinusoidal waveform by increasing the number of output voltage levels. By serial connection of two modified H-bridge modules, it is possible to produce 9 output voltage levels including zero. Multicarrier phase-shifted pulse-width modulation method is used to generate control signals. The analysis of the output voltage harmonics is carried out. From the results, the proposed inverter provides higher output quality with relatively lower power loss as compared to the other conventional inverters with the same output quality. Also the hardware implementation was made with induction motor load.
How Can I Improve Junior Level Mathematics Achievement Using Constructivism

This is a description of an educator using a non-traditional teaching method to improve Mathematics achievement in a split-grade junior classroom. The supplemental impact of this action research project guided students to engage in independent investigation across the curriculum. Mathematics test scores to determine grade level, provincial test scores, and teacher observations supply evidence of enhanced pupil achievement in Mathematics.