Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of forest management on pre- and post-fledging productivity of a Neotropical migratory songbird in a highly fragmented landscape

Little is known about the effects of forest management on fledgling survival in birds, despite the fact that this is a key determinant of overall productivity. In 2005-2006, we compared male density, nesting success, and fledgling survival of Hooded Warblers (Wilsonia citrina Boddaert, 1783) among forest fragments that were reference sites (n = 3; not logged in >21 years) or had received either a standard selection system harvest (n = 3) or a heavy cut (n = 5) within the past 6- 10 years. Density tended to be higher in logged sites than reference sites, but cumulative probability of nest survival (0.22 ± 0.02; 21 days) did not differ among treatments. Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater (Boddaert, 1783)) parasit- ism was significantly higher in recently logged sites, and reference sites produced significantly more Hooded Warbler young per successful nest than standard selection harvest sites. Logging treatment did not have a strong negative effect on fledgling survival, and overall, 51% (33/65) of fledglings survived until three weeks after fledging. Standard selection harvest sites had the highest Hooded Warbler density (0.2 males/ha) but also the lowest seasonal productivity (0.84 independent fledg- lings/female), raising the possibility of an ecological trap. The estimated number of daughters produced per female per year that are expected to survive to breeding age was lower for all treatments (reference, 0.26; selection, 0.17; heavy cut, 0.32) than the expected annual mortality probability of adult females (0.4-0.6). Forest fragments in this region appear to be popu- lation sinks, regardless of extent of partial harvest within the fragment.
Field measurements of the stiffness of jacked piles and pile groups

INTRODUCTION This Technical Note presents a back-analysis of the axial response of some field-scale tubular displacement piles installed by jacking. This study was motivated by the recent development of large pile-jacking rigs. These rigs are sufficiently strong to offer an alternative to bored piling in urban areas where conventional dynamic methods of displacement pile installation are not permitted (White et al., 2002). The most notable feature of the axial response was the very high stiffness. Some pile jacking machines ‘walk’ along the pile wall under construction, so all piles must necessarily be installed at close centres, or indeed touching. This geometry is in contrast to conventional design guidance, which suggests that a separation of typically two or three diameters is required between piles, to prevent harmful interaction effects (BSI, 1986; GEO, 1996). Load test results from jacked piles installed closer than this recommended minimum spacing are presented. The study comprised a series of field tests carried out in Kochi, Japan. Full details are provided by Yetginer et al. (2003), and brief details are repeated below. Test piles were installed singly and in groups forming a ‘cell foundation’, comprising jacked piles at close centres around an enclosed soil block. In this Technical Note, pile group efficiency is defined as the average performance per pile (strength or stiffness) when a group is loaded in unison, divided by the performance of a single pile tested alone. Using this definition, the behaviour of trial piles installed prior to the main group can be linked to the group response. This definition is used by Vesic (1969) and Fleming et al. (1992), and is shown in equation (1) for strength and stiffness. Group strength efficiency, GROUP, is defined in equation (1a), where QSINGLE and QGROUP represent the capacity of a single (isolated) pile and the capacity of a group of n piles respectively. Group stiffness efficiency, GROUP, is defined in equation (1b), where KSINGLE and KGROUP represent the stiffness of a single (isolated) pile and the stiffness of a group of n piles respectively.
IEB Working Paper 2016 / 17 MODELLING ADULT SKILLS IN OECD COUNTRIES

Research in the social sciences has focused extensively on the relationship between family background, educational attainment and social destination, on the one hand, and on the processes of skills creation and skills use, on the other. This paper brings these two branches of the literature together by examining the correlation between a range of social factors. The methodology we adopt provides a comprehensive approach to the study of the channels through which literacy skills are acquired, taking into account the interrelation of family background, educational attainment, and the use of skills at work and at home. We use the Programme of International Assessment of Adult Competences (PIAAC) dataset and apply a structural equation model (SEM). Our results show that family background and education play an important role in the configuration of adult skills and skill practices. Unequal family access to resources has a strong impact at later stages in life and strongly affects educational attainment and skills outcomes. Additionally, skills use has a positive and direct impact on adult skills. JEL Codes: I2, I24
The effects of parental reading socialization and early school involvement on children's academic performance: a panel study of primary school pupils in the Netherlands

This study examines the extent to which parental reading socialization and early school involvement account for performance differences between low-status and high-status children in successive primary school grades. It investigates not only the direct effects of these parental practices on children’s academic performance, but also the indirect effects, that is, controlling for the children’s prior performance. It furthermore examines the influence of parental reading socialization and early school involvement on the longer term development of scholastic performance. Panel data are employed from four waves of the Dutch primary education cohort study, starting in 1996-1997. Using multilevel (repeated measurement) models, we find that parental reading socialization and parental school involvement both explain part of the association between social background and academic performance in successive primary school years. The positive, mainly indirect, impact of these factors, however, is stronger for children’s language performance than for arithmetic achievement. Finally, children socialized in reading retain or even expand their advantage in language performance over children who lack early reading socialization. The positive impact of parental school involvement fades as primary school progresses.
A New Beginning: An Overview of New Psychoactive Substances

New psychoactive substances are the newest danger trending on the drug market. Though they are defined as substances designed to replicate the effects of traditional illegal drugs such as cocaine, ecstasy, amphetamines and cannabis, it has been suggested that these mimics are extensively more potent than their counterparts. Beyond the limits of current legislation, clandestine chemists have set out to manufacture these substances for profit, whilst benefitting users in areas of affordability, availability and purity. Since the rediscovery of mephedrone in 2003 and more so in recent years, the manufacture and sale of these substances has soared. Due to the rate at which these ever-increasing analogues are being manufactured, and the endless number of combinations available for production, it is unlikely the trade will be reduced in the near future. This review provides an overview of these new substances addressing; what they are, when they were produced, where they are available, how they are manufactured, who is taking them and why users are resorting to these substances over traditional substances. It is clear throughout this review that the lack of information surrounding these substances is leading to increased risks to users, untrained healthcare and forensic professionals and ineffective legislation. Welcome to, a new beginning.
Trade, Wages and Employment: an empirical analysis

En utilisant les donnees sur 459 industries manufacturees au cours de la periode 1958-2005, ce papier examine a la fois la relation entre mondialisation, salaires relatifs et emplois et le changement dans la structure de l'emploi. Nous trouvons que l'outsourcing accroit separement les ecarts de salaire et d'emploi.
APPLICATION OF INTERNET GIS TOOLS FOR HERITAGE MANAGEMENT. ARKAS CASE STUDY

Geographical information systems are becoming a common tool in applications that involve spatial objects and relations, including heritage management. In the last years the internet technology is moving GIS towards web based applications, simplifying the interaction between users and GIS, and at the same time reducing the ownership and maintenance costs. Archaeology is forced to incorporate the activities of protection, investigation and presentation to new tendencies of contemporary open society. It has to constantly renew and modernize its informational infrastructure with the purpose of more effective cultural heritage management and as an effective base for research. Internet based databases that include mapping capabilities can provide a useful and efficient way of storing and disseminating data and results to the public and researchers. At the Scientific Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts an internet based mapping application for Archaeological Sites and Monuments Records of Slovenia (ARKAS) has been designed and implemented.
The ERP technique in children ’ s sentence processing : a review

The measurement of brain activation through the technique of event related potentials (ERP) has been valuable in shedding light on various human cognitions. Language is one of those cognitions that has been studied using this technique, which allows for a more accurate temporal resolution between the stimulus presented and the time in which we observe an activation resulting from this stimulus. The area of Revista de Estudos da Linguagem, Belo Horizonte, v.25, n.3, p.1537-1566, 2017 1538 language acquisition has especially benefited from this technique since it is possible to investigate relationships between linguistic data and brain activation without the need for an explicit response. The purpose of this article is to present the state of the art in children’s sentence processing captured by the ERP technique.
Long-term changes in sexual functions following complicated pregnancies and deliveries Komplike gebelikler ve doğumdan sonra cinsel fonksiyonlardaki uzun dönem değişiklikler

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of complicated pregnancy and delivery (P/D) on sexual functions and to determine possible risk factors that affect sexual functions. Methods: Women, who have the history of severe preeclampsia, placenta previa totalis, abruption placentae or postpartum uterine atonia, comprised the study group. The control group was comprised the women matched for age, parity, mode of delivery, vocation, the level of income and education status. Their fear of getting pregnant again and fear of death in the most recent delivery were measured by questionnaires. The Arizona Sexual Experience Scale was used to assess the sexual functions. We compared sexual functions of the women with and without suffering from complicated P/D. Results: Fear of death during the last delivery and fear of getting pregnant again were significantly more intense in the study group (p=0.002 and p<0.001, respectively). The rates of volunteers detected sexual dysfunction in the study and control groups were 55.1% and 38.7%, respectively (p=0.081). Fear of death during the last delivery was found to be significant risk factors for sexual dysfunction (odds ratio [OR] = 1.653; 95% CI = 1.1312.415; p=0.009). Conclusion: In conclusion, sexual dysfunction rate of women with a history of complicated pregnancy and delivery, was almost equal that of women with a history of health pregnancy and delivery. Fear of death during the last delivery was found to be most important risk factor for sexual dysfunction. J Clin Exp Invest 2013; 4 (4): 429-435
Robots showing emotions: Emotion representation with no bio-inspired body

Robots should be able to represent emotional states to interact with people as social agents. There are cases where robots cannot have bio-inspired bodies, for instance because the task to be performed requires a special shape, as in the case of home cleaners, package carriers, and many others. In these cases, emotional states have to be represented by exploiting movements of the body. In this paper, we present a set of case studies aimed at identifying speciﬁc values to convey emotion trough changes in linear and angular velocities, which might be applied on different non-anthropomorphic bodies. This work originates from some of the most considered emotion expression theories and from emotion coding for people. We show that people can recognize some emotional expressions better than others, and we propose some directions to express emotions exploiting only bio-neutral movement.
Structural Analyses of the Novel Phosphoglycolipids Containing the Unusual very Long Bifunctional Acyl Chain, α,ω-13,16-Dimethyloctacosanedioate in Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus

Novel membrane lipids containing the unusual very long chain fatty acid, α,ω-13,16-dimethyloctacosanedioate dimethyl ester (DME C30) was isolated and purified from thermophilic anaerobic eubacterium, Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus. Structures of the lipids containing the bifunctional fatty acyl components were proposed by various analyses such as 1 H, 1 3 C, 3 1 P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Fourier transform infrared (FrIR) spectroscopy, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry (FAB/MS). Combined with the GC/MS, 1 H and 1 3 C NMR data, we confirmed that the head groups of the lipids contained the glycerol and/or glucosamine molecules. 3 1 P NMR spectrum also showed that the lipids contained phosphate in a phosphodiester linkage. The proposed structures of these novel lipid components were the ones in which two head groups were linked by the membrane spanning fatty acyl component (DME C30) and regular chain fatty acids on glycerol moiety of each head group.
The Demand for Winter Sports: Empirical Evidence for the Largest French Ski-Lift Operator

This paper investigates the determinants of long-run winter tourism demand for French ski resorts. The data are based on skier visits to the largest ski-lift operator in the world (Compagnie des Alpes) for the winter seasons 1993/1994 to 2011/2012. Using dynamic panel data models for six ski resorts, the study finds relatively low income and price elasticities in absolute terms, with long-run elasticities of 0.64 and −0.40, respectively. Furthermore, the study finds that snow depth measured at the weather station Col de Porte — located at the medium elevation of 1,325 metres above sea level — is a significant predictor of skier days in the high-elevation ski areas. However, the magnitude of the effect of poor snow years is very small: on average, low-snow winter seasons (such as 1989/1990 or 2006/2007) will lead to a reduction in skier visits of about 2.5%. The results are not sensitive with respect to the measurement and timing of snow depth.
Quality Risk and Profitability in Cattle Production: A Multivariate Approach

This study evaluates quality, production, and price risk within the context of overall profit variability in fed cattle production. The approach used offers a flexible way to estimate a large system of equations with more than three jointly related censored outcomes. Trade-offs between quality and yield grade levels and production measures, such as average daily gain and feeding efficiency, are evaluated. Simulation procedures are used to assess the impact of quality risk on overall profit variability. Results make an important contribution to existing research by explaining why price signals through grid quality grade premiums may not generate intended producer responses.
Adaptive memory : measuring the effect of encoding strategies on word recall

Recently, adaptive memory has gained much attention as it grants the possibility of insights into the ultimate causes of human memory. However, we first need to identify the proximate mechanisms. The aim of the current study was to isolate and measure the effects of encoding styles (functional, novel-survival) on word recall. A quasi-experimental design was used with a 2 x 2 x 2 mixed ANOVA with between and within-subject factors. Participants consisted of 62 adults (36 females and 26 males aged 18-61) divided into two groups for each encoding strategy. Participants were first presented with a visualization context depending on encoding strategy (functional, novel-survival) and prompted by written instructions to visualize 20 words (10 concrete, 10 abstract). Second, a distractor task was completed to prevent imagery to be held in short-term memory. Lastly, a recall task was given. Results confirmed that significantly more words were recalled in the novel-survival group, implying that this encoding strategy has a powerful effect on recall, more so than functional encoding. In the word type condition, we found a higher rate of concrete words recalled than abstract words. No significant effect could be detected between recall and gender. Interestingly, results discovered significant interaction effects between group, gender and word type, suggesting a complex relationship between these variables involved in adaptive memory.
Het push left-principe als motor van data analytics in de accountantscontrole

Het businessmodel van accountantskantoren staat onder druk. In diverse gremia is de vraag gesteld of accountants in voldoende mate en tijdig hebben opgemerkt of de ondernemingen die zij controleren financieel gezond zijn. Tegelijkertijd bieden data analytics veel mogelijkheden voor innovatie in de accountantscontrole, maar worden die mogelijkheden nog onvoldoende benut. Dit artikel presenteert het ‘push left’-principe: een nieuwe manier om data analytics te positioneren in de accountantscontrole. De toepassing van data analytics volgens het ‘push left’-principe biedt drie voordelen: Ten eerste heeft de accountant meer inzicht in de kans dat hij een goedkeurende verklaring afgeeft terwijl de jaarrekening toch een materiele fout bevat. Ten tweede is hij in staat om te garanderen dat zijn controle-mix optimaal is: gegeven de verwachting die hij vooraf uitspreekt is het statistisch onmogelijk om tegen minder inspanning meer zekerheid te verkrijgen. Ten derde vergroot het ‘push left’-principe de relevantie van de accountant door meer dan alleen zekerheid te bieden. Het ‘push left’-principe kan eenvoudig gekwantificeerd worden door een nieuwe Bayesiaanse methode genaamd BETA . Deze positionering past binnen de controlestandaarden, hoewel aanscherping van de standaarden soms wenselijk is.
Human Asset Internalization and Global Sourcing of Services: A Strategic Management Analysis on Activity-Level

In this exploratory study we look at human asset aspects of offshore outsourcing of services that over time become more advanced and strategic potent to the outsourcing firms. As a consequence, the outsourcing firms might want to internalize the operations. We focus on the ways that outsourcing firms may transfer key personnel of local service providers to wholly‐ owned subsidiaries. We argue that a felt need for applying more powerful incentives on key personnel of the service provider ‐ to harness and empower the sourcing operation ‐ may in itself be a motive for, and key driver of, the internalization process.
Critical Views of Mainstream Approaches on Ecotourism

Mainstream approaches ecotourism focus on the main idea that the tourism activities employ the kinds of sustainability that are economically viable, ecologically maintainable and socially equitable. Hence, ecotourism is considered a special type of sustainable tourism that aims at responsible use of natural, cultural and historical resources, and it simultaneously contributes to the local and national development and the protection of natural areas. This paper presents critical assessment of the mainstream explanations about the nature of ecotourism. To do so, the critical views in the related literature are collected, reviewed and presented. Their criticisms include the central assumptions and explanations provided by the mainstream scholars about ecotourism, such as definition, goals and outcomes of ecotourism, business practices, environmental sustainability, ethics and tourism policy. It is clear that critical approaches come up with explanations that are diametrically different and, thus reject the validity of the mainstream approaches.
Porosity and Permeability Estimation using Neural Network Approach from Well Log Data

Summary In recent years, artificial intelligence techniques, and neural networks in particular, have gained popularity in solving complex nonlinear problems. Permeability, porosity and fluid saturation are three fundamental characteristics of reservoir systems that are typically distributed in a spatially non-uniform and non-linear manner. In this context, porosity and permeability prediction from well log data is well-suited to neural networks and other computer based techniques. The present study aims to estimate formation porosity and permeability from digital well log data using an artificial neural network (ANN) approach. A representative case study from the Alberta Deep Basin is presented. Five well log responses (Gamma Ray Log (GR), Deep Resistivity (RD), Formation Density (DEN), Neutron Porosity (PHIN) and Density Porosity (PHID)) are used as inputs in the ANN to predict porosity and permeability. Core porosity and permeability are used as target data in the ANN to test the prediction. The accuracy of the ANN approach is tested by regression plots of predicted values of porosity and permeability with core porosity and permeability respectively. Excellent matching of core data and predicted values reflects the accuracy of the technique. ANN is a fast and accurate method for the prediction of reservoir properties and could be applied in reservoir modeling and characterization.
Desert Nomads Healthcare Monitoring Application Based on BSN and Wi-Max

Wireless sensor networks consist of small nodes with sensing, computation, and wireless communication capabilities. Among applications of WSN, healthcare monitoring in large-scale areas is an important technique which offers tracking and controlling patients at anywhere and anytime via the Web/Dabase and cellular network technologies.Due to the emerging demands of medical equipment nowadays, the wireless body area network (WBAN) is imperative. In the case of an emergency, doctors and/or nurses will be contacted automatically and immediately through their handhelds or smart phones. This paper describes the design of a system which allows real-time monitoring of nomads people those are in isolated areas as desert locations. This system helps to save the patient's life especially those who suffer from chronic diseases and in their case the medical intervention become impossible. This solution combines RFID tags and readers, BSN nodes incorporated in the patient body. All biomedical collected data will be sent periodically to the medical specialist staff in a remote hospital center through a Wi-MAX network. The proposed scheme has been simulated by OPNET tool to demonstrate the efficiency and the convenience of the developed approach. This solution facilitates the emergency intervention and the localization, in real time, of the patient targets whose are in far areas and they need a help.