Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Does the seasonal variation in fat content of blue whiting affect the acoustic conversion factor (TS)

Blue whiting is a physoclist gadoid distributed in the Northeast Atlantic. The catches in recent years have ranged between 1-1.7 mill tonnes. The stock is currently being assessed from VPA and acoustic surveys in the spawning season. The latter usually yielding estimates twice the size of the former. Acoustic estimates in late summer in the Norwegian Sea in the early 80's, however, yielded lower acoustic estimates compared to those obtained during the spawning season the same year. The total fat content of blue whiting varies significantly during the year. Being at a minimum in April/Mai after spawning and at a maximum in August at the height of the feeding season. The gas filled swim bladder represents most of the acoustic back scattering energy (echo) and any changes in the volume of the swim bladder would affect the echo. If it is assumed that blue whiting is at neutral buoyancy in seawater, then changes in fat content, which has a lower specific density than seawater, may affect the amount of gas needed to attain neutral buoyancy. By simple modelling of the swimbladder we find an inverse relationship between the acoustic target strength and fat content, and seasonal variations in fat content of 7% might lead to a bias of up to 12% in acoustic biomass estimates, if they were compared between the low-fat and high-fat period. New in situ target strength measurements of blue whiting are asked for, also covering the natural variation in fat content of the fish.
Value Function and Optimal Trajectories for Regional Control Problems via Dynamic Programming and Pontryagin Maximum Principles

In this paper we study the optimal trajectories for regional, deterministic optimal control problems, i.e., problems where the dynamics and the cost functional can be completely different in two regions of the state space and therefore present discontinuities at their interface. Our first aim is to prove the classical link between the study of optimality conditions and the Bell-man approach in this framework, and then exploit it to recover the value function under the assumption that optimal trajectories have only a countable number of switchings between the different regions. From an application point of view this is a very reasonable assumption because in practice one never implements chattering trajectories (i.e., enjoying the Zeno phenomenon). As a consequence of our description we obtain a new regularity result for the value function in the framework of hybrid optimal control problems.
Proud2B: An evaluation of outcomes for adults with a learning disability from minority groups in Hampshire participating in a club celebrating and exploring culture

Social care is changing. Making choices, becoming or remaining independent, choosing your care or the right service for your needs are key elements of the new system. Expressing choices and needs related to culture can seem very intimidating if you have a minority culture, even more so if you have a learning disability and feel isolated living in an area where diversity is low. This report is an evaluation of the Proud2B groups, set up as a positive opportunity to encourage people with a learning disability from black and minority ethnic backgrounds to develop self-confidence and self-advocacy skills in order to express their needs and wishes. The aims of the groups are to celebrate and explore members’ and other cultures. Through the analysis of data from interviews, questionnaire and diaries, the research concludes that attending the Proud2B groups has had a positive effect on members’ lives and identifies additional effects for supporting staff and community engagement.
Remedial Online Teaching on a Summer Course

This paper is based on experiences with remedial online learning from a national collaboration initiative in the Netherlands involving the University of Amsterdam, Erasmus Rotterdam University and Maastricht University (www.web-spijkeren.nl). The central question is how prior knowledge tests and online remedial summer courses can contribute to mitigating the problems of heterogeneous student enrolment. Although the insights gathered for the paper are from pilots for first-year Bachelor's programmes, the guidance they provide on how to implement an online summer course programme successfully should prove valuable to other organizations.
Adequacy of Immersive Virtual Reality for the Perception of Daylit Spaces: Comparison of Real and Virtual Environments

ABSTRACT This article presents a novel experimental method that uses a virtual reality (VR) headset, aiming to provide an alternative environment for the conduction of subjective assessments of daylit spaces. This method can overcome the difficulty of controlling the variation of luminous conditions, one of the main challenges in experimental studies using daylight, and its novelty lies in the implementation of physically based renderings into an immersive virtual environment. The present work investigates the adequacy of the proposed method to evaluate five aspects of subjective perception of daylit spaces: the perceived pleasantness, interest, excitement, complexity, and satisfaction with the amount of view in the space. To this end, experiments with 29 participants were conducted to compare users’ perceptions of a real daylit environment and its equivalent representation in VR and test the effect of the display method on the participants’ perceptual evaluations, reported physical symptoms, and perceived presence in the virtual space. The results indicate a high level of perceptual accuracy, showing no significant differences between the real and virtual environments on the studied evaluations. In addition, there was a high level of perceived presence in the virtual environment and no significant effects on the participants’ physical symptoms after the use of the VR headset. Following these findings, the presented experimental method in VR seems very promising for use as a surrogate to real environments in investigating the aforementioned five dimensions of perception in daylit spaces.
Computational Diffraction Microtomography with Sample Rotation and with Illu- mination Direction Variation

We aim at the development of a new approach to observe transparent samples having a low refractive index (RI) contrast, that makes it difficult to identify their intra-cellular structures. Tomographic diffractive microscopy in coherent light is one of the techniques proposed to address this issue. For weakly diffractive samples, the 3-D distribution of the complex RI can be reconstructed from the knowledge of the measured scattered fields sampled under various viewing and illumination angles according to the diffraction tomography theorem.
Adverse Effects of Immobilised Pseudoalteromonas on the Fish Pathogenic Vibrio anguillarum: An In Vitro Study

As a prerequisite for use in marine aquaculture, two immobilisation systems were developed by employing the probiotic bacterium Pseudoalteromonas sp. strain MLms_gA3. Their impact on the survivability of the fish pathogen Vibrio anguillarum was explored. Probiotic bacteria either grown as a biofilm on ceramic tiles or embedded in alginate beads were added to sterile artificial seawater that contained the fish pathogen. While immobilisation on ceramics followed a recently developed protocol, a medium allowing for alginate microencapsulation was newly developed. Anti-Vibrio activities were obtained with both immobilisation systems. The viable cell counts of V. anguillarum constantly decreased within the first two weeks of the treatments evidencing the potential of the immobilisation systems for providing probiotic-based protection against this pathogen.
Accelerators in macroeconomics: Comparison of discrete and continuous approaches

We prove that the standard discrete-time accelerator equation cannot be considered as an exact discrete analog of the continuous-time accelerator equation. This leads to fact that the standard discrete-time macroeconomic models cannot be considered as exact discretization of the corresponding continuous-time models. As a result, the equations of the continuous and standard discrete models have different solutions and can predict the different behavior of the economy. In this paper, we propose a self-consistent discrete-time description of the economic accelerators that is based on the exact finite differences. For discrete-time approach, the model equations with exact differences have the same solutions as the corresponding continuous-time models and these discrete and continuous models describe the same behavior of the economy. Using the Harrod-Domar growth model as an example, we show that equations of the continuous-time model and the suggested exact discrete model have the same solutions and these models predict the same behavior of the economy.
Buffalo meat from animals fed with agro industrial products in eastern amazon

The quality of buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) meat, finished in a silvopastoral system with feed supplementation in the Amazon, was evaluated. Five crossbred buffaloes were used in each treatment with supplements of two different feeds, elaborated with agroindustrial by-products of coconut or palm oil extraction and a traditional one based on corn and soy. Physical, physical- chemical, microbiological, and sensorial analyses were performed on the Longissimus dorsi muscle, and the results were analyzed through the analysis of variance and averages, compared by t-test. The coconut and palm treatments had the largest percentage of saturated fatty acids. On the other hand, the ω6/ω3 ratio were within the healthy dietary standards. According to the results of pH, color, and shear force analyses, the meat was classified into RFN (Red, Firm and Normal) or ideal standards. Through subjective and objective analyses, the meat of the treatments was considered tender. The quality of the meat produced is due to the farming system used. Moreover, the use of agro-industrial waste minimizes environ- mental impact and the cost of animal feed, thus increasing the revenue of the rural worker.
The role of talent management and HR generic strategies for talent retention

The research was conducted to highlight the role of talent management with HR generic strategies to retain talent, reduce employees’ turnover and to achieve perceived HR outcomes of a firm by implementing succession planning, employer’s branding, motivation and development policies effectively and efficiently. In addition, HR practices like training and development, recruitment and selection, resources and skills building of employees also play vital role for organizational success. Structured questionnaire is used as instrument to prove the hypothesis, and for the results, appropriate statistical tools will be used for the analysis. Both qualitative and quantitative techniques are adopted and for the purpose of primary data collection, leading MNCs, well reputed public and private sector organizations will be visited. Interviews and discussions will help to determine the results. The sample size of 200 respondents was undertaken and the questionnaires were floated to HR Managers at different levels. The instrument is adopted from Zheng (2009) and questionnaire is designed according to under process research paper. The results of this work showed that talent management techniques are integral part of HR generic strategies. Key words: Talent management, HR generic strategies, talent retention, employer branding, succession planning.
Aerosol transport to the Andean region: A new GAW station

SUMMARY The importance of particulate matter transport over the Andean glaciers has recently grown because new studies have suggested that at least part of the local warming at the Himalayas might be due to transport of particles to this region. In the Andean region the rapid retreat of glaciers and a moderate increase in temperature suggest that particulate matter product of biomass burning could also be playing a role in the observed glacier recession. Satellite imagery from MODIS, measurements from photometers as well as in-situ measurements were used to try to characterize some optical and chemical properties of particulate matter arriving to the Andean region. Backward trajectories and electronic microscopy were also used for this purpose. Preliminary results are reported here. In addition, the implementation of a new GAW station at Chacaltaya (5200 masl; 16°21’S, 68°07’W) is discussed in this context.
Stratigraphic simulations on the shelf of the Gulf of Lions : testing subsidence rates and sea-level 1 curves during Pliocene and Quaternary 2

12 Determining the relative importance of the different factors interacting in the stratigraphic organization is one of the key issues 13 in sedimentology. The Pliocene-Quaternary stratigraphy on the Gulf of Lions platform is still chronostratigraphically poorly 14 constrained and led, in particular, to different interpretations about the dynamic of subsidence and its evolution through time. 15 This paper aims to model numerically the Pliocene-Quaternary sedimentary filling on the Gulf of Lion’s shelf with Dionisos, a 16 numerical stratigraphic model. Our results show that a constant subsidence rate enables to reproduce satisfactorily the observed 17 geometries, whereas a varying subsidence rate reproduces them only if the acceleration of subsidence is limited. At this time18 scale, a third order eustatic curve is also reappraised: a higher resolution curve (built using δ 18 O measurements) gives a more 19 realistic restitution of our stratigraphic markers. Sediment fluxes implied in these modellings are finally discussed relative to 20 climate and local factors of sedimentation. 21 22
Shift in larval fish diets related to phytoplankton blooms revealed by stable isotope analysis

Shift in larval fish diets related to phytoplankton blooms revealed by stable isotope analysis Arne M. Malzahn1 (Arne.Malzahn@awi.de), Justus van Beusekom2, Karen H. Wiltshire1, Nicole Aberle1 and Maarten Boersma1,3 1Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, Alfred Wegener Institute for Marine and Polar Research, Helgoland, Germany 2Alfred Wegener Institute for Marine and Polar Research, List, Germany 3GKSS Research Centre, Institute for Coastal Research, Geesthacht, Germany
Lantana camara (verbenaceae) : a potential threat to the effectiveness of protected areas to conserve flora and fauna in Benin

Invasive plant species are today among the biggest threats to integrity of many ecosystems including that of the protected areas. Climate change may exacerbate the negative effects of invasive plant species. Here, we used the Maximum Entropy model to project habitat suitability for Lantana camara L. , an invasive plant species under current and future climates in the national protected areas network of Benin. The models were run using bioclimatic data and data on soil type. Nineteen percent of the total land in the protected areas network was highly suitable for L. camara under current climate. Highly suitable areas under current and future climates cover about 65 % of the Pendjari Biosphere Reserve, the major wildlife sanctuary in Benin. Other bio-reserves such as W National Park, Lama, Agoua, Dogo-Ketou, Atcherigbe, Mekrou and Kouande Forest Reserves were also suitable for the species. Presence of L. camara in the protected areas represents a great potential threat to the global food webs being conserved. Based on these results, areas with highly suitable habitats are at high risk of invasion by L. camara , and should be accorded high priority when formulating appropriate management strategies. Keywords: Invasive species ; Climate change ; Habitat suitability ; Protected areas ; West Africa Lantana camara et les aires protegees au Benin Les especes invasives font de nos jours partie des plus importantes menaces aux quelles font face les ecosystemes y compris les aires protegees. Les changements climatiques peuvent amplifier leurs effets negatifs. Dans la presente etude, nous avons utilise un algorithme de modelisation de niche ecologique, le Maximum Entropy pour analyser la susceptibilite des habitats a etre colonises par Lantana camara L . , une plante invasive, sous les conditions climatiques actuelles et futures dans les aires protegees du Benin. Les modeles ont ete etablis en utilisant des donnees bioclimatiques et des donnees relatives aux types de sol. Dans les conditions climatiques actuelles, 19 % de la superficie totale du reseau des aires protegees est significativement favorable a L. camara. Sous les conditions climatiques actuelles et futures, 65 % de la reserve de biosphere de Pendjari, le plus important sanctuaire de faune sauvage du Benin, est hautement favorable a l’espece. D’autres bio-reserves telles que le Parc National W et les reserves forestieres de Lama, Agoua, Dogo-Ketou, Atcherigbe, Mekrou et Kouande ont aussi des habitats favorable a l’espece. En nous fondant sur ces resultats, les zones favorables sont a haut risque d’invasion par L. camara et devraient etre priorisees lors de la formulation de strategies preventives appropriees. Mots cles: Especes envahissantes ; Changements Climatiques ; Habitats favorables ; Aires protegees, Afrique de l’Ouest.
Professional Knowledge and Skills Required for Accounting Majors Who Intend to Become Auditors: Perceptions of External Auditors

This research aims to ascertain the professional knowledge and the skills/attributes that are considered important by external auditors for a graduate who intends to be an auditor. For this purpose, we conducted a survey on external auditors in Turkey. The research has two dimensions: skills dimension (twenty one items) and professional knowledge dimension (twenty four items). The results indicated that all skills except “knowledge of accounting software” are perceived to be important or very important for the auditing profession. Among the most important skills that graduates are expected to possess are ethics, teamwork, and honesty. The results also demonstrated that some courses are perceived to be extremely necessary, e.g. Auditing, Microsoft Office Programs, Accounting and Financial Reporting Standards, Financial Statement Analysis, Financial Accounting, Capital Market Board Regulations, Cost Accounting, and Managerial Accounting. In addition, cross analyses indicated that there are significant differences among subgroups based on gender, education, auditing firm, experience, and job title.
Prerequisites for application of hyperbolic relaxed eddy accumulation on managed grasslands and alternative net ecosystem exchange flux partitioning

Abstract. Relaxed eddy accumulation is still applied in ecosystem sciences for measuring trace gas fluxes. On managed grasslands, the length of time between management events and the application of relaxed eddy accumulation has an essential influence on the determination of the proportionality factor b and thus on the resulting flux. In this study this effect is discussed for the first time. Also, scalar similarity between proxy scalars and scalars of interest is affected until the ecosystem has completely recovered. Against this background, CO2 fluxes were continuously measured and 13CO2 isofluxes were determined with a high measurement precision on two representative days in summer 2010. Moreover, a common method for the partitioning of the net ecosystem exchange into assimilation and respiration based on temperature and light response was compared with an isotopic approach directly based on the isotope discrimination of the biosphere. This approach worked well on the grassland site and could enhance flux partitioning results by better reproducing the environmental conditions.
The Dynamics of Bank Spreads and Financial Structure

This paper investigates the effect of within banking sector competition and competition from financial markets on the dynamics of the transmission from monetary policy rates to retail bank interest rates in the euro area. We use a new dataset that permits analysis for disaggregated bank products. Using a difference-in-difference approach, we test whether development of financial markets and financial innovation speed up the pass through. We find that more developed markets for equity and corporate bonds result in a faster pass-through for those retail bank products directly competing with these markets. More developed markets for securitized assets and for interest rate derivatives also speed up the transmission. Further, we find relatively strong effects of competition within the banking sector across two different measures of competition. Overall, the evidence supports the idea that developed financial markets and competitive banking systems increase the effectiveness of monetary policy.
Contemporary study on Face and FacialExpression Recognition System-A Review

The primary goal of this paper is to make a comparative study on various approaches used to identify the person’s face and thereafter recognize their emotion. Among the various techniques implemented, Neural Networks, Hidden Markov Model and Dimensionality reduction techniques have received lot of attention. The face and facial emotion recognition system would require care and efforts in data acquisition, pre-processing, feature extraction, classification and performance evaluation. The main aim of this review paper is to study and compare the well-known techniques used at different stages to recognize the face and its emotion.
Evaporation-driven self-organization of sol–gel dip-coating films

In this review, we discuss the spontaneous pattern formation of sol­gel dip coating films induced by solvent evaporation, as a novel patterning technique. Linearly arranged striations and cell-like patterns were obtained upon withdrawing the substrate from the coating solution at increasing withdrawal rates. Such highly ordered micropatterns formed by the Bénard­Marangoni convection mechanism triggered by solvent evaporation. In contrast, dip-coating at rates below 1.0 cmmin11 generated periodic stripe patterns arranged on the surface of the films that were perpendicular to the substrate withdrawal direction. Such a formation design was attributed to the onset of capillary flow of the coating solution at the meniscus induced by solvent evaporation.