Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spatial and Temporal Dynamics of Anabaena flos-aquae Akinetes in Bottom Sediments of a Small Siberian Reservoir

Spatial distribution of akinetes of Anabaena flos-aquae (cyanobacteria) in littoral bottom sediments of a small Siberian reservoir was studied. Akinete abundance in bottom sediments is found to be related with type of sediments and presence of higher water plants. The highest abundance of akinetes was observed in silty sediments at stations located in higher plants bed (mainly emerged plants Typha latifolia L. and Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud. ). These results demonstrate that macrophyte beds could increase the size of the potential cyanobacterial inoculum by accumulation of akinetes in shallow bottom sediments and, as a result, favour cyanobacterial bloom development. In addition, seasonal dynamics of Anabaena flos-aquae, including vegetative cells and akinetes, in bottom sediments and water column in open water and littoral of the reservoir was studied. Dynamics of Anabaena abundance in the water column at the central station and littoral stations were very similar, but the number of cells in the littoral achieved higher year maximum than that at the central station. The highest seasonal peak of vegetative cells and akinetes in the water column was observed at the littoral station, located in emerged higher plants bed. However, at this part of the reservoir lowest intensity of akinete production was recorded. Deposition of akinetes to bottom sediments occurred both in open water and littoral. Nevertheless, seasonal dynamics of akinetes in bottom sediments differed between these sites. At the central station accumulation of akinetes in bottom sediments occurred throughout the summer, but in the littoral abundance of akinetes decreased just after their sedimentation. Hence, abundance of akinetes in the littoral sediments of the reservoir is markedly lower than that in the deeper central part.
Direct and Indirect Effects of the Highseas Fisheries on the Marine Mammal Populations in the Northern and Central Patagonian Coast

Since 1989, interactions between marine mammals and fisheries have been monitored along the Atlantic Patagonian coast. The Argentinian national fishing fleet in the area is composed of approximately 208 vessels (75% trawlers; 16% jiggins; 9% longliners). The fleet operates the year-round from eight harbours between Escondida Island and San Jorge Gulf (80 000 naut. miles2). The important target species are: hake (Merluccius hubbsi), shortfin squid (IIlex argentinus) and shrimp (Pleoticus muelleri), while several tons of other fish are discarded. The dusky dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obscurus), the Commerson's dolphin (Cephalorhynchus commersonii) and the southern sea lion (Otaria flavescens) are incidentally caught. The dolphins become entangled mainly in mid-water trawls at night, while the sea lions become entangled in any kind of trawl. Annual mortality rates obtained are 170-480 sea lions (mostly males; figure estimated to be 1–2% of the population size in the area), 70–200 dusky dolphins (70% females) and 25–170 Commerson's dolphins. Feeding habits of top predators, fish catch and bycatch of the fishery were also studied. Dusky dolphins in the area prey mainly on anchovy and squid, while hake was the most important food item for Commerson's dolphins and male southern sea lions. Squid is also important prey for sea lions and overlaps in size with the fish taken by the commercial fishery. Fishing areas for squid taken by jigging vessels overlap in part with those of foraging sea lions. Even though the commercial size for hake is 30 cm or larger, smaller hakes are largely discarded by the fishery. A combination of operational and specific interactions have been detected. At present, mortality rates seem to be low and there is insufficient evidence of competition for prey species. However, there is concern about the large amounts of fish (particularly hake) discarded by the fishery.
Effect of atrazine ( Herbicide ) on blood parameters of common carp Cyprinus carpio (Actinopterygii: Cypriniformes )

In the present study an attempt was made to investigate the acute toxicity of atrazine (ATR) a herbicide on an economically important fish, Cyprinus carpio. In which, 24 h median lethal concentration (24 h LC50) of herbicide, atrazine to C. carpio was 18.5 ppm. Due to fish exposure to 24 h LC50 of atrazine for 24 h, red blood cells (RBCs) count (-63.17%), hemoglobin (-27.35%), plasma glucose (-6.78%) and plasma protein (-18.73%) levels were decreased; whereas white blood cells (WBCs) count (+3.73%) was enhanced. The differences in haematological and biochemical values were statistically significant (p < 0.05). However, WBC count was not significantly changed. The alterations of the above parameters could be used as an important tool for the assessment of pathological conditions of fish.
Government intervention and market integration in prominent wheat markets of Pakistan

Regional market integration in many agricultural commodities has been extensively studied for the insight it provides into the functioning of such markets; such studies provide valuable information about the dynamics of market adjustments, and whether there exist market imperfections, which may justify government intervention. In the case of widely spatially dispersed regional food markets in developing countries, the nature and extent of market integration is of particular importance. Periodic localized supply shortages are common and have the potential to create major food security problems. Further, various market imperfections, such as entrenched monopolies/monopsonies and inadequate and costly information transmission, hinder the attainment of market efficiency, and may constrain sustainable agricultural development and aggravate inequitable pattern of income distribution. This study empirically estimated the degree of integration in wheat markets using the law of one price (LOP) framework and cointegration analysis. Results show that wheat markets are perfectly integrated and Lahore is the dominating market. This high degree of market integration provides little justification for extensive and costly government intervention designed to improve the market efficiency.
Filling machine preventive maintenance using age replacement method in PT Lucas Djaja

PT Lucas Djaja is a company engaged in the pharmaceutical industry which produce sterile drugs and non-sterile. Filling machine has a high failure rate and expensive corrective maintenance cost. PT Lucas Djaja has a policy to perform engine maintenance by way of corrective maintenance. The study focused on the critical components, namely bearing R2, bearing 625 and bearing 626. When the replacement of the failure done by the company is currently using the formula mean time to failure with the result of bearing R2 at point 165 days, bearing 625 at a point 205 days, and bearing 626 at a point 182 days. Solutions generated by using age replacement method with minimization of total maintenance cost given on the bearing R2 at a point 60 days, bearing 625 at the point of 80 days and bearing 626 at a point 40 days.
Multi-Character Fighting Simulation

In the development of and research into multicharacter fighting computer games, Non-Player Characters (NPCs) frequently seem less intelligent owing to them having a single focus. As such, multi-character fighting becomes one-on-one fighting; one character will encounter another character only once the previous opponent is defeated. This study develops a new model in multi-character fighting, in which each NPC can simultaneously fight against many characters. Following this model, each character becomes an agent that makes his own decisions. The first advantage of this model is the integration of multi-character behaviors in fights. Each character can seek out enemies/opponents, select one target opponent, avoid obstacles, approach the target opponent, change the target opponent, and then defeat the opponent or be defeated by the opponent; in other words, each character can thus fight against many opponents. All of the behaviors in the fight take place automatically. The second advantage of this model is that each character does not only focus on the opponent being targeted, but also on the other opponents surrounding him. Each character can move from one opponent to another, even when the target opponent is not yet defeated. The third advantage of this model is that each character can move to another fight cluster, thus ensuring that fights seem more dynamic. This research has experimented with the model using a 3D application that can run on personal computers or smart phones.
Morphological diversity of microstructures occurring in selected recent bivalve shells and their ecological implications

Abstract Environmental adaptation of molluscs during evolution has led to form biomineral exoskeleton – shell. The main compound of their shells is calcium carbonate, which is represented by calcite and/or aragonite. The mineral part, together with the biopolymer matrix, forms many types of microstructures, which are differ in texture. Different types of internal shell microstructures are characteristic for some bivalve groups. Studied bivalve species (freshwater species – duck mussel (Anodonta anatina Linnaeus, 1758) and marine species – common cockle (Cerastoderma edule Linnaeus, 1758), lyrate Asiatic hard clam (Meretrix lyrata Sowerby II, 1851) and blue mussel (Mytilus edulis Linnaeus, 1758)) from different locations and environmental conditions, show that the internal shell microstructure with the shell morphology and thickness have critical impact to the ability to survive in changing environment and also to the probability of surviving predator attack. Moreover, more detailed studies on molluscan structures might be responsible for create mechanically resistant nanomaterials.
Design of a hybrid plasmonic electro-optical modulator based on n doped silicon and barium titanate

In this paper, a numerical solution for a hybrid plasmonic modulator was presented with 6- layer structure. Regarding the considered structure, the parameters related to the phase and absorption modulation had been investigated at different thicknesses. Due to using hybrid structure, this modulator had the advantages of high mode confinement and low loss. In this research, the Pockels effect and the free carrier dispersion effect were simultaneously considered. To study the propagation constant, absorption coefficient, effective propagation length, 1 dB on-off length, {\dh} shift length, figure of merit and transmittance parameters, the dispersion equation of this structure was analytically obtained and numerically solved by Nelder-Mead method. The minimum {\dh} shift length was predicted to be equal to 6.91\`im and maximum figure of merit was calculated as the 10.74. Furthermore, corresponding to these given values and results, this modulator had a high ability to be utilized in optical communication systems and nono-photonics and also, it could be integrated to microelectronic system and it was compatible with CMOS technology.
Assessing the Impact of Mergers and Acquisitions on Firm Performance: Evidence from India

The issue regarding why corporate enterprises engage in mergers and acquisitions (M&As) has become the centre of a large body of corporate finance literature in recent years. In the Indian context, the deregulated policy regime started in 1991 has significantly contributed to the increase in M&A activity. This paper is aimed at examining the long-term impact following M&As of listed Indian enterprises in the post-liberalisation period by using financial accounting data. Throughout the period of study, turnover increased after the companies experienced an M&A which is in line with the findings that Indian companies grew in size and attained bigger market share. M&As did not have any impact on return on net worth for the period of study. Mixed results have been reported for other variables.
Design and Implementation of a Web Usage Mining Model Based On Upgrowth and Preflxspan

Web Usage Mining (WUM) integrates the techniques of two popular research fields - Data Mining and the Internet. By analyzing the potential rules hidden in web logs, WUM helps personalize the delivery of web content and improve web design, customer satisfaction and user navigation through pre-fetching and caching. This paper introduces two prevalent data mining algorithms - FPgrowth and PrefixSpan into WUM and they are applied in a real business case. Maximum Forward Path (MFP) is also used in the web usage mining model during sequential pattern mining along with PrefixSpan so as to reduce the interference of "false visit" caused by browser cache and raise the accuracy of mining frequent traversal paths. Detailed analysis and application on the corresponding results are discussed.
Directional absorption by phased arrays of plasmonic nanoantennae probed with time-reversed Fourier microscopy

We demonstrate that an ordered array of aluminum nanopyramids, behaving as a phased array of optical antennae, strongly modifies light absorption in thin layers of dye molecules. Photoluminescence measurements as a function of the illumination angle are performed using a time-reversed Fourier microscope. This technique enables a variable-angle plane-wave illumination of nanostructures in a microscope-based setup. Our measurements reveal an enhancement of the light conversion in certain directions of illumination, which indicate the efficient diffractive coupling between the free space radiation and the surface plasmons. Numerical simulations confirm that surface modes supported by the periodic array enhance the intensity of the pump field in the space between particles, where the dye molecules are located, yielding a directional plasmonic-mediated enhancement of the optical absorption. This combined experimental and numerical characterization of the angular dependence of light absorption in nanostructures can be beneficial for the design and optimization of devices in which the harvesting of light plays a major role.
Making Image Retrieval and Classification More Accurate Using Time Series and Learned Constraints

After the generation of multimedia data turning digital, an explosion of interest in their data storage, retrieval, and processing, has drastically increased in the database and data mining community. This includes videos, images, and handwriting, where we now have higher expectations in exploiting these data at hand. We argue however, that much of this work’s narrow focus on efficiency and scalability has come at the cost of usability and effectiveness. Typical manipulations are in some forms of video/image processing, which require fairly large amounts for storage and are computationally intensive. In this work, we will demonstrate how these multimedia data can be reduced to a more compact form, that is, time series representation, while preserving the features of interest, and can then be efficiently exploited in Content-Based Image Retrieval. We also introduce a general framework that learns a distance measure with arbitrary constraints on the warping path of the Dynamic Time Warping calculation. We demonstrate utilities of our approach on both classification and query retrieval tasks for time series and other types of multimedia data including images, video frames, and handwriting archives. In addition, we show that incorporating this framework into the relevance feedback system, a query refinement can be used to further improve the precision/recall by a wide margin.
ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES OF AGRICULTURAL HABITATS AND THEIR IMPACT ON THE SPIDER INHABITANTS

The density and diversity of the spider community has been closely tied to the structural complexity of the local environment. For instance, soil dwelling spiders increase dramatically when the litter layer is enhanced because there are more retreats and hiding places and because temperature and humidity extremes are moderated. Web-building spiders are directly linked to the configuration of the vegetation because of specific web attachment requirements. Both correlative and experimental data sup- port a tight relationship between spider density and habitat structure. Most of the available data show that agricultural practices which enhance the structural complexity of the environment (such as intercropping, mulching, and conservation tillage practices) enhance the density and diversity of the spider community. The key question regarding spiders in agroecosystems is, of course, whether they are in any way sup- pressing the activity of herbivores. Some studies uncovered a strong link between habitat complexity, spider abundance and plant productivity; but others have not, and the mechanisms by which spiders could exert a top-down effect are not clear. More investigation into the specifics of how habitat structure influ- ences the predator-prey interactions in agroecosystems is needed in order to truly understand and manage agricultural production in a responsible manner.
Bundled Adoption of Precision Agriculture Technologies by Cotton Producers

This research analyzes the adoption patterns among cotton farmers for remote sensing, yield monitors, soil testing, soil electrical conductivity, and other precision agriculture technologies using a Multiple Indicator Multiple Causation regression model. Adoption patterns are analyzed using principle component analysis to determine natural technology groupings. Identified bundles are regressed on farm structure and operator characteristics. The propensity to adopt technology bundles was greater for producers managing relatively larger operations who used a variety of information sources to learn about precision farming, irrigated cotton, practiced crop rotation, and participated in working land conservation programs.
Space design quality and its importance to sustainable construction: the case of hospital buildings

The hospital project, more than any other, requires a number of concerns related with the satisfaction and well being of working teams, patient, administration and other officials. In this context it is possible to say that the healthcare spaces design are fundamental for the best work, functionality, results and to improve the best practices for a sustainable building. The volume and organization of these spaces are very important and can be decisive in environmental, economic and social development of the whole building. Therefore this study is is focused in the space design quality and how its organization, flexibility and adaptability can be fundamental for the well being of people and for the best results in the sustainability of construction and will highlight how building sustainability assessment tools consider and evaluate these aspects. It is fundamental to propose the best way to promote the investment in the hospital design space to support the design team in the adoption if space solutions that contribute to the sustainability of these buildings. Chapter 6 Building Sustainability Assessment Tools
Bactericidal Application of Biosynthesized Silver Nanoparticles

Nowadays, nanotechnology has been developing rapidly as an important field of modern research with potential effects in medicine, agriculture, textiles, electronics, and energy, etc. Nanotechnology involves the development of efficient systems at the molecular scale. Nanotechnology is responsible for the synthesis and design of structures ranging in size between 1 and 100 nm (Rai et al., 2014). The synthesis of silver nanoparticles is an important aspect of nanotechnology. Presently, different techniques are available for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles, such as: chemical, physical, and biological. In the past decade, a great attention has been paid to microbial production of nanoparticles. Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is an ecofriendly approach by using different biological sources; for example, plants and microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and actinobacteria (Tsibakhashvili et al., 2011; v International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 5 Number 7 (2016) pp. 785-793 Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas. com
MAX‐DOAS O4 measurements: A new technique to derive information on atmospheric aerosols: 2. Modeling studies

[1] A new retrieval algorithm for the determination of aerosol properties using Multi-AXis Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) measurements based on nonlinear optimal estimation is presented. Using simulated MAX-DOAS measurements of the optical depth of the collision complex of oxygen (O4) as well as the variation of the intensity of diffuse skylight measured at different viewing directions and wavelengths, the capability of this measurement technique to derive the aerosol extinction profile as well as information on the phase function and single scattering albedo is demonstrated. The information content, vertical resolution and retrieval errors under various atmospheric conditions are discussed. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the assumption of a smooth variation of the aerosol properties between successive measurements can be used to improve the quality of the retrieval by applying a Kalman smoother. The results of these model studies suggest that the achievable precision of MAX-DOAS measurements of the aerosol total optical depth is better than 0.01 and thus comparable with established methods of aerosol detection by Sun photometers (e.g., within the AERONET network) over a wide range of atmospheric conditions. Moreover, MAX-DOAS measurements contain information on the vertical profile of the aerosol extinction, and can be performed with relatively simple, robust and self-calibrating instruments.
SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT STRATEGIES : AN APPROACH TOWARDS LOW CARBON CITIES

Rapidly growing urban population and changing morphologies of the urban settlements coupled with higher expectations of the global economy are placing unprecedented stress on the urban transportation system. A world class urban transportation which is innovative effective, integrated, sustainable, intermodal, safer, secure, reliable and cost effective will improve the transportation scenario in cities dramatically. The developments of cities largely depend upon their physical, social and institutional infrastructure. In this context, the importance of intra urban transportation is paramount. The aim of the study is to provide an overview of urban transport issues and strategies towards sustainable transport in India. The Paper first reviews the growth of urbanisation, vehicular growth and availability of transport infrastructure in Indian cities. These are followed by the nature and magnitude of urban transport problems such as congestion, pollution and road accidents and finally review the possible measures and strategies.