Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nutrient retention in an Amazonian Ultisol: implications for sustainable land use

Knowledge about cation and anion exchange and pH buffering in soils is essential for developing an efficient nutrient management system, especially in tropical soils where nutrient retention capacity may be low. Sorption characteristics and pH buffering of an Amazonian Ultisol were studied in sequential batch experiments. Objectives were to gain additional information on the cation and anion exchange and pH buffer properties of this soil by using a coupled equilibrium model. The cation exchange capacities in the surface soil and subsoil were below 30 mmol c kg -1 , indicating that the soil is highly limited in retaining nutrient cations against leaching. The anion exchange capacity of the soils for both depths was small (1 to 4 mm olc kg -1 ), indicating insignificant retention of NO 3 and its enhanced losses in seepage water following non-adapted management practices such as high doses of fertilization. More protons could be buffered in the surface soil than in the subsoil. Addition of protons to the surface soil released equivalent amounts of Mb (Ca, Mg, K, Na) cations because of CEC reduction, and an insignificant amount of Al. However, input of protons to the subsoil released large amounts of Al. The model satisfactorily predicted the sorption values for various elements in both depths, indicating that the main processes are understood. The results indicated a very poor capacity of the soil for nutrient retention and pH buffering and a high risk of Al toxicity. Management options should substitute ‘slash and burn’ practices (which result in further nutrient losses) with mulch producing technologies and strive for only small additions of fertilizer (to reduce nutrient losses and avoid further soil acidification). A useful nutrient management strategy would include intercropping with legumes, but compensation for the increased acidification may be required.
Groundwater in the urban environment: management needs and planning strategies.

Problem statement: Over the past thirty years urban transformations, such as urbanization, suburbanization, dis-urbanization and re-urbanizati on processes, have modified the subsurface conditions of Torino (NW Italy). In order to contri bute to the solution of the problems concerning groundwater the conceptual model for the groundwater flow system, the schematization of the aquifers boundaries and the estimation of basic hydrogeologi cal parameters are among the main issues which should be investigated. This study was mainly aimed at illustrating (i) a new interpretation for the Torino urban area hydrogeological setting (ii) high lighting the current groundwater criticisms and (ii i) emphasizing the priority actions to implement a goo d urban groundwater management system. Approach: Starting from the analysis of the existing subsurf ace data, a comprehensive description of the general geological setting had been performed, three main (hydro) stratigraphical Units had been described and their reciprocal relationships had be en detected. On the basis of the available data, th e unconfined groundwater natural seepage had been reconstructed, a hydrogeological map and a cross section illustrating the units characteristics had been produced. Results: The analysis highlighted three main groundwater criticisms: A natural unconfined groundwater level uplifting in the quaternary unit 1, a widespread inorganic pollution under abandoned industrial areas and many interference problems with the groundwater in unit 1 caused by the new tr ansport infrastructures. Another important problem was the scarce geographical density of the existing groundwater monitoring network operating in the urban area. Conclusion: Solutions to specific, local problems can give the opportunity to transform some of the above mentioned problems into useful resources for the territorial development. The expansion of the groundwater observation network clearly appeared to be the main action to be implemented by the public authorities. Other succes sive actions could be the construction of a multi- purpose interactive real-time mathematical model of groundwater movement in the urban area and the development of improved methods for predicting changes of hydrogeological conditions.
LEONHARD EULER (1707-1783) AND THE COMPUTATIONAL ASPECTS OF SOME ZETA-FUNCTION SERIES

In this presentation dedicated to the tricentennial birth anniversary of the great eighteenth-century Swiss mathematician, Leonhard Euler (1707-1783), we begin by remarking about the so-called Basler problem of evaluating the Zeta function [in the much later notation of Georg Friedrich Bernhard Riemann (1826-1866)] when s
ENERGY RECOVERY LINACS FOR LIGHT SOURCE APPLICATIONS

Energy Recovery Linacs are being considered for applications in present and future light sources. ERLs take advantage of the continuous operation of superconducting rf cavities to accelerate high average current beams with low losses. The electrons can be directed through bends, undulators, and wigglers for high brightness x ray production. They are then decelerated to low energy, recovering power so as to minimize the required rf drive and electrical draw. When this approach is coupled with advanced continuous wave injectors, very high power, ultra-short electron pulse trains of very high brightness can be achieved. This paper reviews the status of worldwide programs and discusses the technology challenges to provide such beams for photon production.
Auditor Reputation: The International Empirical Evidence

The purpose of this paper is to consider whether some audit firms are perceived by the financial communities of different countries to have higher reputations than other audit firms. The results that will be considered come from three sources: audit fee studies, studies of the issue of new shares and studies of the effects on a company of changing its auditor. The studies reveal that there is considerable evidence that Big Six auditors are differentiated from other audit firms by company directors when recommending to shareholders the appointment of a firm of auditors and its audit fee. The results point to a Big Six audit fee premium of between 16 to 37% across the countries surveyed. Participants in the stock market (investors and bankers) also appear to differentiate between audit firms. The Big Six tend to be associated with a higher quality service in most of the countries surveyed. In addition, there is some evidence of differential effects within the Big Six, with Price Waterhouse being identified with above average reputation in the 1980s in three countries. However, for other Big Six firms any reputational effects appear to be country specific and do not generalize across countries.
Timming, Andrew and Nickson, Dennis and Re, Daniel and Perrett, David (2017) What do you think of my ink? Assessing the effects of body art

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Geographical Distribution of Growth Disorders in Iranian Child-ren and Adolescents: The CASPIAN-IV Study

Background: Iran is a vast country with great variability in ethnicity and geographical regions as well as higher diversity in socioeconomic and demographic factors in different provinces. All these differences could influence the growth indicators of children and may result in a substantial inequality in the distribution of growth indexes across Iranian provinces. This study aimed to determine the distribution of growth disorders of Iranian children according to the geographical and climatic conditions. Methods : In this nationwide cross-sectional study, students aged 6-18 years, living in urban and rural areas of 30 provinces in Iran, were studied. The prevalence of underweight, overweight, obesity, abdominal obesity and short stature were determined in different geographical regions of Iran using the geographic information system (GIS) and ArcGIS software . Results : Overall, 13486 children with mean age of 12.5 (CI: 12.3 - 12.6) years were studied. The prevalence of overweight and obesity as well as underweight ranged between 5-15%, in most provinces. Underweight was more prevalent in very hot and hot regions than in cold regions. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was higher in regions with cold and rainy weather. The prevalence of short stature in most of the provinces ranged between 5-15%. Conclusion : The findings provide geographic disparities of growth disorders among Iranian pediatrics population. They could be used as baseline information for planning further studies to determine the causal pathway for reported wide range of reported growth disorders and their association with different geographical and climatic regions. Keywords : Obesity, Overweight, Underweight, Short stature, Children, Adolescents, Iran
The “more is less” phenomenon in Contingent and Inferred valuation

We examine inconsistencies in preference orderings of the “more is less” kind (Alevy et al. 2011) using the Contingent valuation (CV) and the Inferred valuation (IV) method (Lusk and Norwood 2009a, 2009b). We find that when moving in a familiar market for consumers (i.e., the food market) we only observe weak effects of inconsistencies. In addition, we find that the IV method is no better than the CV method in generating more consistent preference orderings. Surprisingly, we also find that the IV method generates higher valuations than CV, rendering one of its advantages of mitigating social desirability bias questionable.
Aquatic Living Resources Evaluation of reference genes of Mytilus galloprovincialis and Ruditapes philippinarum infected with three bacteria strains for gene expression analysis

Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is probably the most used method for gene expression quantification because of its high sensitivity and specificity. Nevertheless, this technology can undergo experimental errors and variations. Normalization of the results using a reference gene is therefore necessary to minimize these variations. As the study of immune genes in bivalve mollusks has increased in the last years, the establishment of adequate and stable reference genes for bivalves is strongly required. We analyzed the behavior of four putative reference genes: ribosomal RNA 18S, actin, elongation factor 1 − α and α-tubulin. The suitability of these four genes as internal control for qPCR was evaluated in mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) and clam (Ruditapes philippinarum) hemocytes after bacterial challenge. Four independent approaches (BestKeeper, GeNorm, NormFinder and DeltaCt ) were used to assess the suitable genes for stable expression. For these particular circumstances, the most stable gene in hemocytes was elongation factor 1 − α for mussels and α-tubulin for clams.
A Novel Compact Wideband Bandpass Filter Using Rotational Symmetric Loaded Structure

A novel compact wideband bandpass fllter using rotational symmetric loaded structure is proposed in this paper. A ‚/4 parallel coupled line is flrst introduced to form a passband with desired center frequency. The rotational symmetric structure with short/open circuit stubs is then introduced as a loading structure to improve the fllter's performance. The rotational symmetric loading structure is discussed in detail in this paper, and a pair of transmission zeros is obtained and located at two sides of the passband to improve the passband selectivity intensively. Moreover, three open circuit stubs are utilized to replace one single stub for obtaining a wide stopband. At last, the proposed fllter is fabricated and measured, and the results show a good agreement with each other.
A ROBUST AND ACCURATE PHASE-FIELD SIMULATION OF SNOW CRYSTAL GROWTH

In this paper we introduce 6-fold symmetry crystal growth using new phase-field models based on the modified Allen-Cahn equation. The proposed method is a hybrid method which uses both analytic and numerical solutions. We then show this method can be extended to k-fold case. The Wulff construction procedure is provided to understand and predict the shape of crystals. We also present a detailed mathematical proof of the validity of the Wulff construction. For computational results, we verify the accuracy and efficiency of the method for snow crystal growth.
Workshops for subject-specific teachers’ training: A case study for teaching cancer biology

Teachers’ training in higher education institutions widely serves general purposes. However, recent dialogues and research highlight the importance of teachers’ deep understanding of the material being taught and the ways students think about the content as critical components of great teaching. We explored the novelty of providing a one-day workshop entitled, ‘Effective strategies for teaching cancer biology’. The Biochemical Society supported the event and marketed it throughout the UK – not with any targeted level of university teaching experience and attendees therefore ranged from those who had never taught to those at the level of Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. The day included various short talks, the sharing of good practice and the opportunity to experience a demonstration lesson as a student. Twelve out of thirteen who provided feedback had not received previous subject-specific teacher-training. Half of the attendees gave feedback with the highest score out of five, having found the event ‘very valuable’. This experience suggests that subject-specific training may be beneficial and applicable to other subject areas.
Deconstructing the Audit Expectation Gap Concept

The Audit Expectation Gap (AEG) concept appears to be, unarguably, as old as the accounting and auditing profession, hence has been variously researched. However, despite its apparent longevity in the accounting literature, there seems to be little consensus as to its precise definition. The concept displays a high degree of fluidity in both the academic and professional discourses. Interestingly, however, most of the discussions of the concept appear to have tried to introduce unity into a conception where the facts show utmost divergence in perceptions. Thus, the variability in the construction of the concept stands seemingly underestimated. This paper analyses the origins and definitions of the AEG concept with a view to contributing to clarifying and characterising it in the context of contemporary financial reporting and accounting ramifications. The paper argues that the conceptual hitches need to be addressed to bring clarity to bear on the conceptualisation, interpretation and application of the concept. It is contended that the lack of harmony in interpretation of the concept has the potential, perceived and/or real, of perpetuating the AEG problem as attempts at tackling a loosely couched phenomenon could prove ineffectual. This paper therefore is yet another modest contribution to providing useful view points and insights supportive of efforts at understanding and evaluating the AEG concept. This, it is believed, could provide added leverage to the incessant efforts and discourses aimed at devising strategies and mechanisms for addressing the existence and/or curtailing the escalation of the concept. Keywords: Audit Limitations, Audit Expectation Gap, Financial Statements Paper Type: Conceptual Paper
Transgenics: An emerging approach for cold tolerance to enhance vegetables production in high altitude areas

By the 2020, global population is expected to reach 8 billion. Conventional breeding methods alone cannot feed the extra hungry mouths. Despite the successes of the green revolution with substantial strides in food grains production, India is still classified by FAO as a low income, food deficit country, nearly 26 per cent of India's population (268 million) are considered food insecure, consuming less than 80 per cent of minimum energy requirements and account for about a third of the world's population that suffers from chronic hunger. Agricultural biotechnology has the potential to reduce crop losses from pest and diseases, to improve the nutrient efficiency of food and animal feeds; to extend post harvest losses with increased shelf life of fruits and vegetables; and to increase the stress tolerance of crop plants allowing them to tolerate various environmental extremes such as cold and drought. The biotechnology has the potential to enhance the productivity and also extend the cropping period especially in high altitude areas where vegetable cultivation is impossible in severe winter months. Modern Biotechnology has the tools to develop cold tolerant varieties, which enhance the productivity and profitability of farming. It empowers the hill farmers by boosting the productivity and also enhancing their nutritional security. The present article examine the use of cold tolerant genes in vegetables and also tools of biotechnology the DRDO agricultural laboratories employs towards transformation of hill agriculture through development of cold tolerant transgenics in vegetables.
Do Foreign Language Learning, Cognitive, and Affective Variables Differ as a Function of Exceptionality Status and Gender?.

Relationships between foreign language learning and four characteristics— anxiety, aptitude, attitudes and attributions for success—were investigated for 95 students enrolled in introductory level Spanish classes at a large, southeastern university in the United States. Examination grades resulted in signifi cantly positive correlation with an aptitude measure and signifi cantly negative correlation with luck attributions for foreign language success (p .05). Modern Language Aptitude Test Part IV and luck attributions signifi cantly predicted exam grades within a multiple regression analysis. In a second multiple regression analysis, only effort and ability attributions signifi cantly predicted anxiety. Results underscore the importance of understanding and addressing both cognitive and affective variables in learning a new language.
Biological synthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticles from Fusarium oxysporum

Synthesis of silver nanoparticles using fungi is emerging as an important branch of nanotechnology due to its ecofriendly, safe, and cost-effective nature. The present work investigates the synthesis of silver nanoparticles by biological method using fungus Fusarium oxysporum. The test fungus was isolated from decayed banana fruit in PDA. Based on identification using morphological characteristics, Fusarium oxysporum was identified. The production of silver nanoparticles by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum was investigated. It was found that exposure of Fusarium oxysporum to silver ion leads to the formation of silver nanoparticles. Synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy and the peak of the spectra was found to be at 420nm. The morphological study of Silver nanoparticles using TEM suggests that the nanoparticles are spherical in shape with a diameter around 50-100nm. The TEM characterization of the fungus reacted on the silver ion indicated that the protein might be responsible for the stabilization of the silver nanoparticles. The rapid synthesis of silver nanoparticles would be suitable for developing a “microbial nanotechnology” biosynthesis process for mass scale production.
Analytical Study of Tunable Bilayered-Graphene Dipole Antenna

In the last decade, carbon allotropes have attracted the attention of the scientific community, first with carbon nanotubes and, since its isolation in 2004, with graphene, which has shown unique electronic and physical properties, such as unconventional integer quantum hall effect, high carrier mobility at room temperature, and potential for a wide range of applications, like nanoribbon FETs[1]. The excellent transport properties of single and multilayer graphene hold promise to build ultrafast transistors with excellent on state characteristics. However, the lack of significant band gap in such systems has been one of the major roadblocks to achieve low off state current and hence high on/off current ratio. Recently, it has been found, both theoretically and experimentally, that a band gap can be opened up in a bilayer graphene (BLG) using an external bias [3]. Recently, theoretical models and experiments have shown that bilayer graphene has the interesting property of an energy gap tunable with an applied vertical electric field [1].
The Effectiveness of Education and Training Management of the Public Servants at the Center of Education and Training of Ministry of Domestic Affairs Regional Bukittinggi.

Based on a preliminary survey, it was found that the education and training management of the public servant at the Center of Education and Training of Ministry of Domestic Affairs Regional Bukittinggi does not give significant impact to increase the official government performance. To find out the level of effectiveness of the training offered in the Center of Education and Training of Ministry of Domestic Affairs Regional Bukittinggi, a study was conducted. The aim of the study was to reveal the relationship between the characterictics of the trainee, trainers’ competence, learning strategy, and effectiveness of the learning process; and between the effectiveness of the learning process and the official government performance. The result of the study revealed: (1) The characterictics of the trainee, trainers’ competence, and learning strategy partially and simultaneously have low positive and significant influence on the effectiveness of the learning process. (2) The characterictics of the trainee, trainer competence, and learning strategy partially and simultaneously have low positive and significant influence on the civil servants’ performance. (3) The effectiveness of the learning process has mild positive and significant influence on the civil servants’ performance. (4) The characterictics of the trainee, trainer competence, and learning strategy partially and simultaneously have mild positive and significant influence on the civil servants’ performance. It can be concluded that the diklat has given a positive but low impact to increase the performance of government officials. By implication, the Center of Education and Training of Ministry of Domestic Affairs Regional Bukittinggi should try to improve the quality of the learning process.