Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bioavailability of dissolved and sediment-bound metals to a marine deposit-feeding polychaete

Assimilation efficiencies (AEs) of trace elements (Ag, Cd, Co, Se and Zn) in a marine deposit-feeding polychaete, Nereis succinea, from ingested sediments were measured using a pulse-chase radiotracer feeding technique. Radiolabeled sediments were encapsulated and fed to the worms for 1 h, after which the worms were allowed to depurate their ingested materials for 3 d. The ranges of AEs were 12 to 36% for Ag, 5 to 44% for Cd, 35 to 96% for Co, 29 to 60% for Se and 21 to 59% for Zn. Trace metal assimilation was little affected by sediment source and sediment grain size. Metals (Ag, Cd, Co and Zn) associated with anoxic sediments were assimilated with a significantly lower efficiency than metals from oxic sediments. The AE of Cd decreased with the duration of sediment radiolabeling; AEs of Ag, Co, Se and Zn were weakly affected by sediment aging. Metal uptake in worms from the dissolved phase was proportional to metal concentration in the dissolved phase, although there was some evidence of Cd and Zn regulation in response to an increase in ambient concentrations. Uptake rate constants were highest for Ag, followed by Zn > Co > Cd > Se. By incorporating metal influx from both the dissolved and particulate (sediment) phases, a bioenergetic-based kinetic model indicates that most (>98%) of the Cd, Co, Se and Zn in polychaetes arises from sediment ingestion due to the high ingestion rates of these animals and the low uptake rate of metals from the dissolved phase (porewater or overlying water). For Ag, approximately 5 to 35 % is due to uptake from the dissolved phase. Our study suggests that the establishment of sediment quality criteria must consider sediment as a potentially important source for metal uptake in benthic invertebrates.
Teaching Unheard Voices: Students At-Risk in Mathematics

To examine the mathematics classroom experiences of students considered to be “at-risk,” we conducted case studies of four students in grades 7, 8, and 9 in Northwestern Ontario. The case studies revealed that their mathematics classes offered few opportunities for active, engaging learning or activities that students experienced as being relevant. Their teachers, who generally used traditional practices, seemed reluctant or unable to adopt reform-based teaching methodologies. Based on the diversity of the observed students’ characteristics and learning needs, and the challenges these impose on classroom dynamics, we suggest earlier intervention for at-risk students as well as more substantial professional development for teachers.
Elevated Cortisol and/or Simple Carbohydrates in Stress and Stress-Related Diseases

Cortisol, a steroid hormone, in the glucocorticoid class is produced in humans by the zona fasciculata of the adrenal cortex within the adrenal gland [1] and released in response to stress and low blood-glucose concentration [2]. It represents a potentially important mechanism linking chronic stress with accelerated aging. In a study, a 24-hour urinary excretion of cortisol was found to link with an elevated marker of DNA and RNA damage in older adults [3]. Previously, Du et al. [4] reported that, long-term high-dose cortisol administration dramatically decreased mitochondrial function and promoted cell death in culture cells.
Dynamic modelling of a 3-CPU parallel robot via screw theory

Abstract. The article describes the dynamic modelling of I.Ca. Ro. , a novel Cartesian parallel robot recently designed and prototyped by the robotics research group of the Polytechnic University of Marche. By means of screw theory and virtual work principle, a computationally efficient model has been built, with the final aim of realising advanced model based controllers. Then a dynamic analysis has been performed in order to point out possible model simplifications that could lead to a more efficient run time implementation.
Absolute Magnitude Calibration for Red Giants Based on the Colour–Magnitude Diagrams of Galactic Clusters. III. Calibration with 2MASS

Abstract We present two absolute magnitude calibrations, MJ and MK s, for red giants with the colour–magnitude diagrams of five Galactic clusters with different metallicities, i.e. M92, M13, M71, M67, and NGC 6791. The combination of the absolute magnitudes of the red giant sequences with the corresponding metallicities provides calibration for absolute magnitude estimation for red giants for a given colour. The calibrations for MJ and MK s are defined in the colour intervals 1.3≤(V−J)0≤2.8 and 1.75≤(V−K s)0≤3.80 mag, respectively, and they cover the metallicity interval −2.15≤[Fe/H]≤+0.37 dex. The absolute magnitude residuals obtained by the application of the procedure to another set of Galactic clusters lie in the intervals −0.08<ΔMJ ≤+0.34 and -0.10< Δ MK s≤ +0.27 mag for MJ and MK s, respectively. The means and standard deviations of the residuals are 〈ΔMJ 〉=0.137 and σ M J =0.080, and $〈 Δ MK s〉 =0.109 and σMK s=0.123 mag. The derived relations are applicable to stars older than 4 Gyr, the age of the youngest calibrating cluster.
Model-free Causality Detection: An Application to Social Media and Financial Data

According to behavioral finance, stock market returns are influenced by emotional, social and psychological factors. Several recent works support this theory by providing evidence of correlation between stock market prices and collective sentiment indexes measured using social media data. However, a pure correlation analysis is not sufficient to prove that stock market returns are influenced by such emotional factors since both stock market prices and collective sentiment may be driven by a third unmeasured factor. Controlling for factors that could influence the study by applying multivariate regression models is challenging given the complexity of stock market data. False assumptions about the linearity or non-linearity of the model and inaccuracies on model specification may result in misleading conclusions. In this work, we propose a novel framework for causal inference that does not require any assumption about the statistical relationships among the variables of the study and can effectively control a large number of factors. We apply our method in order to estimate the causal impact that information posted in social media may have on stock market returns of four big companies. Our results indicate that social media data not only correlate with stock market returns but also influence them.
Optimum conditions of keratinase production from Bacillus licheniformis

Forty isolates of Bacillus spp. were isolated from fifty samples including different source of soil to detect the ability to produce keratinase enzyme in liquid state fermentation, Bacillus (Bs13)was the highest keratinase producer , it was identified as a strain of Bacillus licheniformis. The optimum conditions for keratinase productions were in a media contains keratin 4% (hooves) as a carbon and nitrogen and energy sources, peptone 1% as a secondary nitrogen source with pH 8 , inculums size 1%, and incubated at 37C o for 24 hrs.
Water vapor transport in the lower mesosphere of the subtropics: a trajectory analysis

The Institute of Applied Physics operates an air- borne microwave radiometer AMSOS that measures the ro- tational transition line of water vapor at 183.3 GHz. Water vapor profiles are retrieved for the altitude range from 15 to 75 km along the flight track. We report on a water va- por enhancement in the lower mesosphere above India and the Arabian Sea. The measurements took place on our flight from Switzerland to Australia and back in November 2005 conducted during EC- project SCOUT-O3. We find an en- hancement of up to 25% in the lower mesospheric H2O vol- ume mixing ratio measured on the return flight one week af- ter the outward flight. The origin of the air is traced back by means of a trajectory model in the lower mesosphere and wind fields from ECMWF. During the outward flight the air came from the Atlantic Ocean around 25 N and 40 W. On the return flight the air came from northern India and Nepal around 25 N and 90 E. Mesospheric H2O measurements from Aura/MLS confirm the transport processes of H 2O derived by trajectory analysis of the AMSOS data. Thus the large variability of H2O VMR during our flight is explained by a change of the winds in the lower mesosphere. This study shows that trajectory analysis can be applied in the meso- sphere and is a powerful tool to understand the large vari- ability in mesospheric H2O. mation and latent heat release. In the stratosphere H 2O con- tributes to radiative cooling and plays a role in ozone deple- tion chemistry by the formation of polar stratospheric clouds. In the lower mesosphere as well as in the stratosphere water vapor can be used as a tracer for atmospheric transport. Fur- ther it is involved in the buildup of polar mesospheric clouds also known as noctilucent clouds at the summer mesopause. The H2O volume mixing ratio (VMR) decreases from a few percent in the tropical troposphere to a few parts per million in the mesosphere. The measurement over 4 orders of magnitude is difficult to be achieved by one single mea- surement technique. We use ground-based and airborne mi- crowave remote sensing for the retrieval of H2O VMR in the middle atmosphere (Deuber et al., 2005; M¨
Genetic similarity among commercial oil palm materials based on microsatellite markers

Microsatellite markers are used to determine genetic similarities among individuals and might be used in various applications in breeding programs. For example, knowing the genetic similarity relationships of commercial planting materials helps to better understand their responses to environmental, agronomic and plant health factors. This study assessed 17 microsatellite markers in 9 crosses (D x P) of Elaeis guineensis Jacq. from various commercial companies in Malaysia, France, Costa Rica and Colombia, in order to find possible genetic differences and/or similarities. Seventy-seven alleles were obtained, with an average of 4.5 alleles per primer and a range of 2-8 amplified alleles. The results show a significant reduction of alleles, compared to the number of alleles reported for wild oil palm populations. The obtained dendrogram shows the formation of two groups based on their genetic similarity. Group A, with ~76% similarity, contains the commercial material of 3 codes of Deli x La Me crosses produced in France and Colombia, and group B, with ~66% genetic similarity, includes all the materials produced by commercial companies in Malaysia, France, Costa Rica and Colombia.
Status of CERN

The European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) operates one of the largest laboratories in High Energy Physics in Geneva, Switzerland. It serves more than 5000 users of whom the main fraction comes from Europe. It is financed by the 20 European Members States but receives also major contributions from the USA, Japan and Russia for the construction of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) which will provide proton - proton collisions with a centre-of-mass energy of 14 TeV. In addition, substantial contributions to LHC are made by Canada and India. A large number of states participates in the financing of the detectors used in the general and LHC physics programmes, CERN providing only a fraction of this budget. Given the importance of the contribution of Japan, Russia and USA, these states have observer status at the CERN Council and participate in the sessions of the Committee of Council when dealing with LHC matters. Further observer states are the European Union, Israel and Turkey. A summary of the accelerator complex is given in point 2 and of the physics programme in point 3. The present and planned accelerator R&D is outlined in point 4.
UN PARÁMETRO DIFUSO NOVEDOSO PARA DENSIDAD DE DESCARGAS A TIERRA

Lightning parameters such as ground flash density GFD have been determined using mainly deterministic methods and in the last 20 years the main source of information has been lightning location systems (LLS) data. GFD has some problems like the dependence on the area of the grid studied, strong variations between data in closer points of the grid and its low descriptive capability. Additionally LLS introduce other problems due to the location accuracy that must be in accordance with the area of the grid to be studied. This paper presents a novel fuzzy parameter to calculate ground flash density using modern computational techniques. The new parameter called Fuzzy Ground Flash Density (FGFD) can deal with the problems related to the GFD parameter itself and the location accuracy of the LLS. FGFD gives a better representation of the phenomena and it is more adequate for practical problems especially in engineering subjects such as lightning location systems design and lightning risk assessment. Some examples were created to demonstrate the validity of the new parameter and a real case using the Colombian LLS data is shown.
IDENTIFYING AND RANKING THE CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS OF CHALLENGES IN PROVIDIENG QUALITY EDUCATION BY THE MALAYSIAN PRIVATE HIGHER LEARNING INSTITUTIONS

The issue of quality education in higher learning institutions is timely and crucial due to the government’s aspiration to turn Malaysia into a centre of educational excellence in the Asian region. Quality education acts as an indicator of the institution’s ability to provide tertiary education to the society as well as an instrument for the nation’s economic growth. Till date, numerous studies have been conducted in measuring the quality of education in higher learning institutions. However, the task in identifying the challenges faced by the institutions in providing quality education and the critical success factors to address those challenges are largely been ignored by previous researchers. Thus, by applying the mixed methods approaches, this study intends to identify and rank the challenges and critical success factors for each challenge. Data are collected from the Malaysian private higher learning institution’s stakeholders for both stages namely; the qualitative and quantitative stage. Thematic analysis is utilised in identifying the challenges and critical success factors that gained through the semi structured interviews with the respondents. Subsequently, a survey is conducted to rank the identified challenges and critical success factors by employing the Analytic Hierarchy Process. At International Symposium on the Analytic Hierarchy Process 1 Washington, D.C. June 29 – July 2, 2014 ISAHP Article: Islam et al./ Identifying and Ranking the Critical Success Factors of Challenges in Providing Quality Education by the Malaysian Private Higher Learning Institutions the end of the study, a framework to enhance the quality of education in Malaysian private HLIs is provided.
A Case Study: Second Language Investments of an International Student in Shaping Identity

The objective of this study is to find the ways of a postgraduate student in investing the language for shaping the second language identity in the local communities of practice in a city in the UK. This research is a case study which employs qualitative descriptive method. The data was gathered through diaries and interviews. Finding has shown that the subject of the research was active in the communities. The language investment was gained by involving actively in several communities in the UK. The finding also shows that there is no limitation to speak English from the native speakers in the communities. These finally shape the identity of the subject as a second language learner in the local communities. In conclusion, the investment in the local communities has shaped subject’s second language identity.
Battlecat Then, Battlecat Now: Temporal Shifts, Hyperlinking and Database Subjectivities

Within these examples, the blog is being cast in the role of mediator, a technology of self expression traversing the gap between the public space of information and the personal, interior space of the Self. As Mortensen and Walker write: “Blogs exist right on this border between what’s private and what’s public …” (2002, p. 256). But, like all media forms, the blog is not transparent. The technological code of the software contains affordances that filter and, in part, determine the constitution of the private/public Self represented in any weblog. And so, what kind of Self (or Selves) are made possible or enabled by typical blogging practice? It is the contention of this paper that the basic features of the generic software – hyperlinking and temporal dynamism – privilege a form of subjectivity aligned with the cultural form of the database. Using a particular instance of blogging practice, battlecat.net, as a case study, this paper intends to explore how the formal and textual structures of the medium, and their implementation by this blogger, allow for a selective interpretation and re-interpretation of her identity akin to the interpretation and re-interpretation of data enabled by the database. The database form
Revisiting Armington and AIDS: How Sensitive Simulated Pattern of Trade is to Functional Form Choices?

Most applied general equilibrium (AGE) and partial equilibrium (PE) models use the Armington approach to represent the trade specification of their models. In the context of analyzing the impact of economic changes in trade policies, it is important what type of specification is used in the trade structure of such models. It may be plausible to use functional forms such as the Constant Elasticity of Substitution (CES) based Armington specification for relatively homogeneous aggregated goods like cereals (or other agricultural goods), but its restrictiveness makes it less satisfactory when examining the trade relationships for more complex and heterogenous aggregated goods such as electronics (or other manufacturing goods). Almost Ideal Demand System (AIDS) is a flexible functional form, and incorporating such a demand system into a trade specification makes more sense for electronic goods where complementary trading relationships could be more prevalent. This paper compares the Armington specification with the AIDS specification for electronic goods using comparatives tatic analysis. The effect of change in price and income over global patterns of trade are examined. The results show that using different specifications of the trade structure in economic models can significantly alter the simulated patterns of trade, both in terms of magnitude and direction of changes in trade flows.
SUSY Ward identities, superamplitudes and counterterms

Ward identities of SUSY and R-symmetry relate n-point amplitudes in supersymmetric theories. We review recent work in which these Ward identities are solved in SYM and supergravity. The solution, valid at both tree and loop level, expresses any NKMHV superamplitude in terms of a basis of ordinary amplitudes. Basis amplitudes are classified by semi-standard tableaux of rectangular ×K Young diagrams. The SUSY Ward identities also impose constraints on the matrix elements of candidate ultraviolet counterterms in supergravity, and they can be studied using superamplitude basis expansions. This leads to a novel and quite comprehensive matrix element approach to counterterms, which we also review.
RANK-PRESERVING OPERATORS OF NONNEGATIVE INTEGER MATRICES

The set of all matrices with entries in is de­noted by . We say that a linear operator T on is a (U, V)-operator if there exist invertible matrices and such that either T(X) = UXV for all X in , or m = n and T(X) = for all X in . In this paper we show that a linear operator T preserves the rank of matrices over the nonnegative integers if and only if T is a (U, V)­operator. We also obtain other characterizations of the linear operator that preserves rank of matrices over the nonnegative integers.
ON THE RAPID RISE OF SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES: NEW FINDINGS AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS

Social networking sites have been rapidly adopted by children and, especially, teenagers and young people worldwide, enabling new opportunities for the presentation of the self, learning, construction of a wide circle of relationships, and the management of privacy and intimacy. On the other hand, there are also concerns that social networking increases the likelihood of new risks to the self, these centring on loss of privacy, bullying, harmful contacts and more. This article reviews recent findings regarding children and teenagers’ social networking practices in order to identify implications for future research and public policy. These focus on the interdependencies between opportunities and risks, the need for digital or media literacy education, the importance of building safety considerations into the design and management of social networking sites, the imperative for greater attention to ‘at risk’ children in particular, and the importance of a children’s rights framework in developing evidence-based policy in this area.
A wide search of obscured Active Galactic Nuclei using XMM-Newton and WISE

Abstract We use the WISE all sky survey observations to look for counterparts of hard X-ray selected sources from the XMM-Newton-SDSS survey. We then measure the 12 μm luminosity of the AGN by decomposing their optical to infrared SEDs with a host and an AGN component and compare it to the X-ray luminosity and their expected intrinsic relation. This way we select 20 X-ray under-luminous heavily obscured candidates and examine their X-ray and optical properties in more detail. We find evidence for a Compton-thick nucleus for six sources, a number lower than what expected from X-ray background synthesis models, which shows the limitations of our method.
Determinants of Credit Growth in Africa

The importance of bank credit as an essential instrument that determines the efficacy of the financial system has been widely discussed in the literature. Some studies even opine a minimum threshold for it to generate the desired impact while others suggest efficient allocation rather than volume of credit. All these underlie the need for an increase in bank credit without overlooking the efficient utilization hence our choice of private sector credit as proxy. The paper conducts a panel study of the main factors that propels credit growth and covers 1970 – 2006 for thirtythree African countries. The research finds that real export is inversely related to real private sector credit while real capital inflow and real imports is positively related to real private sector credit.