Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Remote-sensing systems and seabirds: their use, abuse and potential for measuring marine environmental variables

We examined how seabirds might be used to study marine environmental variables, which necessitates knowing location and the value of the variable to be studied. Five systems can potentially be used for determination of location: VHF (Very High Frequency) telemetry, PTT (Platform Terminal Transmitters) telemetry, GLS (Global Location Service) geolocation methods, dead reckoning and GPS (Global Positioning System), each with its own advantages with respect to accuracy, potential number of fixes and size. Temperature and light were used to illustrate potential difficulties in recording environmental variables. Systems currently used on seabirds for measurement of temperature respond slowly to environmental changes; thus, they may not measure sea surface temperature adequately when contact periods with water bodies are too short. Light can be easily measured for light extinction studies, but sensor orientation plays a large role in determining recorded values. Both problems can be corrected. The foraging behaviour of seabirds was also examined in order to identify those features which would be useful for determination of marine environmental variables at a variety of spatial and temporal scales. Area coverage by birds is highly dependent on breeding phase and tends to be concentrated in areas where prey acquisition is particularly enhanced. The identification of these sites may be of particular interest to marine biologists. 'Plungers' and 'divers' are potentially most useful for assessment of variables deeper within the water column, with some divers spending up to 90% of their time sub-surface. Few seabirds exploit the water column deeper than 20 m, although some divers regularly exceed 50 m (primarily penguins and auks), while 2 species dive in excess of 300 m. The wide-ranging behaviour of seabirds coupled, in many instances, with their substantial body size makes them potentially excellent carriers of sophisticated environmental measuring technology; however, the ethical question of how much the well-being of birds can, and should, be compromised by such an approach needs to be carefully considered.
An Error Detection Scheme for AVS Video Streams

AVS-P2 is a video coding standard issued by China in 2006. It adopts variable length coding (VLC) and prediction techniques which make video stream vulnerable to bit errors. This paper analyzes the AVS-P2 bit stream structure, and based on it, presents a scheme for error detection and a fast error detection method, which lay a basis for the post process in video decoding such as error correction and error concealment. 
The mineralization effect of wheat straw on soil properties described by MFPC analysis and other methods

Abstract Recycling of crop residues is essential to sustain soil fertility and crop production. Despite the positive effect of straw incorporation, the slow decomposition of that organic substance is a serious issue. The aim of the study was to assess the influence of winter wheat straws with different degrees of stem solidness on the rate of decomposition and soil properties. An incubation experiment lasting 425 days was carried out in controlled conditions. To perform analyses, soil samples were collected after 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 49, 63, 77, 91, 119, 147, 175, 203, 231, 259, 313, 341, 369, 397 and 425 days of incubation. The addition of two types of winter wheat straw with different degree of stem solidness into the sandy soil differentiated the experimental treatments. The results demonstrate that straw mineralization was a relatively slow process and did not depend on the degree of filling of the stem by pith. Multivariate functional principal component analysis (MFPC) gave proof of significant variation between the control soil and the soil incubated with the straws. The first functional principal component describes 48.53% and the second 18.55%, of the variability of soil properties. Organic carbon, mineral nitrogen and sum of bases impact on the first functional principal component, whereas, magnesium, sum of bases and total nitrogen impact on the second functional principal component.
Interactive comment on “Shell dissolution observed in Limacina helicina antarctica from the Ross Sea, Antarctica: paired shell characteristics and in situ seawater chemistry” by Kevin M. Johnson et al

There is a growing body of papers linking carbonate chemistry and shell dissolution, firmly establishing the link between the carbonate chemistry and shell dissolution. While this manuscript only reestablishes this correlation, it does not contribute much to the development of new knowledge or approaches. Contrary of what the authors are claiming this being the first study to combine natural variability and shell dissolution, that is not the case, not it is presented as such. There are several issues with this manuscript that need to be consistently addressed. Firstly, the major drawback of the paper is the lack of the working hypotheses. That leaves the work more a compilation of different facts, without any proper integration. Authors have to reconsider how to bring
Algorithm for Qualifying Eye Movements During Handwriting

The decomposition of the movement of the eye into different categories is critical to their study. According to the algorithm used, some movements may significantly be over or under estimated. The two most important movements (saccade, swift movement and fixation, when the eye remains on the same position to capture information) are well characterized and usually properly identified by most algorithms, however in the context of writing, some other movements cannot be characterized as fixations or saccades. These movements may either be considered as microsaccades or slow movements which are actually close to saccades of fixations respectively but without completely sharing their characteristics. None of the algorithms available for eye movements classification can handle all the four movements. Some of them tend to first identify fixations by the barycenter method while others first identify saccades by the mean of speed. The approach used here is different as movements are first decomposed into elementary movements according to the acceleration scheme before they are merged. This new approach allows a better identification of each of the 4 kinds of movements.
Olive Leaves Infuse and Decoct Production: Influence of Leaves Drying Conditions and Particle Size

Olive Leaves Infuse and Decoct Production: Influence of Leaves Drying Conditions and Particle Size Alessandro Casazza*, Bahar Aliakbarian, Mattia Comotto, Paula Monteiro Souza, Patrizia Perego Department of Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Genoa University, Via Opera Pia, 15, 16145 Genoa, Italy Research Center of Biologically Inspired Engineering in Vascular Medicine and Longevity, Genoa, Italy Department of Biochemical and pharmaceutical technology, University of São Paulo, 05508-900, SP, Brazil alessandro.casazza@unige.it
Glutathione S-Transferases CYP 2 C 9 and CYP 2 C 19 Polymorphisms in Turkish Children with Cancer

We investigated the associations between GSTM1, GSTT1, GSTP1, CYP2C9, CYP2C19 polymorphisms and childhood cancer. Genotypes were analyzed with real-time PCR in 61 children with cancer and 157 healthy controls. Twenty nine of 61 patients were diagnosed of leukemia and 8 of lymphoma. The remaining patients had solid tumors. GSTM1 null genotype was associated with an increased risk of leukemia and lymphoma (OR= 2.2, 95%CI= 1.1-4.6) (p= 0.03). Presence of at least one mutant allele of GSTP1 was related to an increased risk of solid tumor (OR= 3.3, 95%CI= 1.3-8.3) (p= 0.02). Moreover, CYP2C9*2 allele was a high risk for leukemia and lymphoma (p= 0.04). In conclusion, GSTM1, GSTP1, and CYP2C9 polymorphisms may play a role in the development of childhood cancer.
STUDY OF ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY IN CHILDREN: ITS AETIOLOGY, CLINICAL PROFILE AND OUTCOME

OBJECTIVES: To determine the incidence, age & sex ratio, analyse the spectrum of Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) in its aetiopathology, complications including mortality, prognostic factors and the role of dialysis in the management. METHODS: This prospective observational study was conducted on serial cases of 30 patients admitted in Paediatrics department from Feb 2012-Aug 2014 (30 months). RESULTS: The incidence of AKI was 0.44%. Children in age group of 0-4 yrs were affected most, predominantly males. Distribution of AKI according to aetiopathogenesis was Acute Tubular Necrosis (ATN) 50%, Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome (HUS) 19.8%, Glomerulonephritis (GN) 13.2%, Obstructive uropathy 9.9% and Acute on Chronic renal failure (CRF) 6.6%. Dialysis was required in 53.3% of patients. Mortality was 57%. Patients with complications of sepsis, neurological & respiratory problems, hyperkalemia, metabolic acidosis and gastrointestinal bleeding were associated with high mortality. CONCLUSIONS: AKI is a common life threatening condition seen in childhood. Early referral, proper assessment, adequate INTRODUCTION: Acute renal failure is a serious condition in children. (1) The term 'Acute Renal Failure' (ARF) was replaced by 'Acute Kidney Injury' (AKI) to provide uniform definition, classification and standardize patient care. (2) AKI is defined as abrupt (within 48hrs) reduction in kidney function, defined as an absolute increase in serum creatinine of >0.3mg/dl or reduction of urine output (oliguria of <0.5ml/kg/hr for more than 6 hrs). (2) Detection of the incidence, aetiological profile and outcome of AKI is important for commencement of preventive and therapeutic strategies. Few studies have been conducted to study AKI in children in the developing world in recent years. Considering the limited data available on paediatric AKI in India, the present study was undertaken.
Protective Coatings for the Elements of Ships Power Plants which Use Sea Water

In this paper we observe the protective coatings carbon for steel, aluminium and titanium alloys were obtained by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) under unipolar and bipolar conditions. The anticorrosion properties and the thermal stability of the surface layers were studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and potentiodynamic polarization. It was found that the application of the bipolar PEO mode enables one to synthesize the surface layers that possess enhanced anticorrosion and mechanical properties. results of research of antiscale PEO - coatings for marine power equipment are presented. The combined method of prevention of corrosion and scale formation was tested at the industrial plants of Russian Shipyard "Zvezda".
Preschool Teachers' Attitudes toward Internet Applications for Professional Development in Taiwan.

Background:This study focuses on preschool teachers’ attitudes toward integrated Internet applications for professional development by a survey in Taiwan.Material and methods:The researcher developed a survey questionnaire consisting of five factors: usefulness, effectiveness, behavioral intention, Internet connection, and professional competence. This study analyzed the survey data from Taiwan’s preschool teachers’ attitudes through structural equation modeling.Results:The findings show that preschool teachers feel positively toward Internet innovative value to improve their pedagogical practices. Their considerations on usefulness, effectiveness, and behavioral intention using the Internet positively influence their attitudes toward Internet-based professional interactions and abilities.Conclusions:The researcher discussed certain implications of the findings. An enhanced understanding of teacher views toward Internet applications in preschools provides Internet-related implementation and references for innovations and high-quality early childhood professional development.
Morpho-physiological and oxidative responses of nitrogen and phosphorus deficiency in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Wheat is one of the most important cereal crops in India.Nitrogenand phosphorus arethe major nutrients, which are deficient in Indian soil; hence the effectsof this deficiency on morpho-physiological response and antioxidant metabolism were studied in wheat to improve the knowledge and understanding of adaptive responses of plants.Two wheat genotypes WH1080 and WH1105 were raised hydroponically for 15 and 25 days, using germination paper with four treatments- T1(0%N+0%P), T2(0%N+100%P), T3(100%N+0%P), T4(100%N+100%P). It was found that root/ shoot ratioincreased, however total soluble sugar content decreased. An increase of 8.1% was observed in WH1105 as compared to WH1080 in terms of root/shoot ratio. Lipid peroxidation and H2O2 content increased with decreasing nitrogen and phosphorus levels, which led to production of antioxidant enzyme as superoxide dismutase (EC 1.15.1.1) and catalase (EC 1.11.1.6). It was found thatoxidative stress was greater under the deficiency of nitrogen as compared to that of phosphorus.
Upgrading Electrical, Mechanical, and Chemical Properties of CNTs/Polybond® Nanocomposites: Pursuit of Electroconductive Structural Polymer Nanocomplexes

Electroconductive structural polymer-based nanocomposites (NCs) were prepared by incorporating carbon nanotubes (CNTs) into Polybond (PB) matrix via melt compounding technique. Chemical structure of NCs, investigated via Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, corroborated successful grafting of CNTs functional groups onto PB chains. The morphology of NCs, as examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), ensured their optimum state of dispersion. Electrical conductivity, melting transition temperatures, mechanical properties, and chemical resistance of NCs were improved by incorporating CNTs into PB as established by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), high resistance meter (HRM), Universal Testing Machine (UTM), and chemical resistivity measurements, respectively.
Transmission lines and passive elements for multilayer coplanar circuits on silicon

In this paper, propagation properties of both standard and multilayer coplanar lines on different types of silicon substrates, as well as a number of quasi-lumped and stub-type circuit elements, are investigated. For the transmission lines, emphasis is placed on losses. As examples for circuit elements, a lumped parallel resonator and a high-low impedance low-pass filter are demonstrated.
A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW ON GASTRORETENTIVE FLOATING TABLET OF CAPTOPRIL USING NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC POLYMER WITH COMPARISION OF POLYMER EFFICACY

The oral route of drug administration is the most important method of administering drug for systematic effect. The present study was undertaken to prolong the release of orally administer. Captopril in the floating tablets by using different grade of HPMC. Formulation were optimized using different viscosity grades of HPMC. Lactose and citric acid and also natural polymers chitosan and carbopole. were used in different concentration as a channeling and chelating agent to obtain best optimized formulation and designed to prolong the gastric residence time (GRT). KEYWORD: gastroretentive floating drung delivery system, Gastric retention time, HPMC, Lactose, Carbopole, Chitosan.
Impact of Total Quality Management Practices on the Profitability and Service Quality of Public Sector Commercial Banks in Chennai

In modern global economics, public sector commercial banks are facing serious challenges from domestic and international market competition. Such reason is in their limited potential in adopting new managerial methods to cope with the current challenges in the business environment. Thus, it is unlikely to see commercial banks show any sort of progress in the dynamically changing global market. As a result, public sector commercial banks tend to be more innovative and competitive to survive in such a context. However, to enable commercial banks to improve their operation systems continuously by providing a high standard of products and services, organizations have to provide their employees with the proper tools and techniques, especially those individuals involved in the process of continual improvement and one such technique is Total Quality Management. This study will focus on impact of TQM practices on the performance of public sector
Separability of multi-partite quantum states

We give a direct tensor decomposition for any density matrix into Hermitian operators. Based upon the decomposition we study when the mixed states are separable and generalize the separability indicators to multi-partite states and show that a density operator is separable if and only if the separable indicator is non-negative. We then derive two bounds for the separable indicator in terms of the spectrum of the factor operators in the tensor summands.
A Process for Stochastic Material Analysis based on Empirical Data

Material properties are often dominated by imperfections and geometrical variations in micro-scale. The manufacturing process of complex parts as stringers and their assembly creates specific microscopic imperfections whose influence to phenomena like delamination growth can not be understood with a deterministic homogenised material model. This paper describes a general approach to develop a stochastic model of anisotropic micro-structure on the basis of high-resolution image data. This approach uses a surrogate model for approximating material properties of meso-scale material blocks. The empirical material properties provided by the surrogate model are analysed for their marginal distribution and spatial covariance. 1 Motivation An uncertain material parameter may be discretised by a random field — a function defined on the tensor product of the underlying geometrical domain and the specified stochastic space. The most important work in modelling tensor-valued random fields is done in Soize (2006). The identification procedure proposed by Soize requires experiments and image data characterising the inner state of considered material under load. The objective of our work is to model the random field of fluctuations in material properties induced by microscopic fluctuation in the geometry of phases in a forward approach. The difference to our approach is mainly visible in the direction of the analysis. While Soize is using a backward identification process, our approach uses a forward surrogate model. We describe abstractly a procedure to extract stochastic information of random fluctuations from high resolution cross-section images using a forward approach.
Corporate Social Responsibility , Shariah-Compliance , and Earnings

This study examines the effect of two potential sources of ethical principles on earnings quality: corporate social responsibility (CSR) and membership in a Shariah index. We define membership in a Shariah index as the adherence to an ethical code that relates to Islam. Our sample comprises firms in ten European Union countries for the period from 2003 to 2013. The empirical results show that firms with a high degree of CSR are less likely to manage earnings. In contrast, membership in a Shariah index leads to earnings manipulation. Our results are robust after using several alternative quality metrics for earnings. Furthermore, our empirical results indicate that highly rated CSR firms that are not Shariah-compliant are less likely to engage in earnings manipulation. Further, institutional factors are also important in determining the link between CSR, Shariah-compliance, and the quality of financial reporting.
Electrons and phonons in single layers of hexagonal indium chalcogenides from ab initio calculations

We use density functional theory to calculate the electronic band structures, cohesive energies, phonon dispersions, and optical absorption spectra of two-dimensional In2X2 crystals, where X is S, Se, or Te. We identify two crystalline phases (alpha and beta) of monolayers of hexagonal In2X2, and show that they are characterized by different sets of Raman-active phonon modes. We find that these materials are indirect-band-gap semiconductors with a sombrero-shaped dispersion of holes near the valence-band edge. The latter feature results in a Lifshitz transition (a change in the Fermi-surface topology of hole-doped In2X2) at hole concentrations n(S) = 6.86 x 10(13) cm(-2), n(Se) = 6.20 x 10(13) cm(-2), and n(Te) = 2.86 x 10(13) cm(-2) for X= S, Se, and Te, respectively, for alpha-In2X2 and n(S) = 8.32 x 10(13) cm(-2), n(Se) = 6.00 x 10(13) cm(-2), and n(Te) = 8.14 x 10(13) cm(-2) for beta-In2X2.
Bay-scale spatial growth variation of mussels Mytilus edulis in suspended culture, Prince Edward Island, Canada

Spatial growth variation of experimentally cultured blue mussels Mytilus edulis in Tracadie Bay, Prince Edward Island, Canada, was consistent in both years of a 2 yr study. The spatial pattern displayed reduced tissue growth along a gradient of decreasing tidal exchange from the inlet mouth to the inner estuary. There was no indication of persistent spatial differences in seston concen- tration among stations. The data imply that the flux of food (expressed as the product of concentra- tion and current speed) controls the spatial variation in growth, with decreasing flux from the outer to inner bay. Growth trajectories analysed by polynomial regression differed between years despite spatial similarities within each year. Results of multiple regression analyses explaining mussel growth suggested that temporal variability in seston characteristics was more important in explain- ing growth than annual mean seston levels. Chlorophyll a and meat weight showed similar patterns of increase during 1998. In 1999, higher summer temperatures were more important in determining upper limits of growth, with later growth stimulation apparently in response to an autumn phyto- plankton bloom. The pattern of spatial variability in mussel growth, representing decreased growth rates in the inner relative to the outer bay, provided evidence that the density of mussels in Tracadie Bay was exceeding the food supply.
The comparison of thermal properties of protective clothing using dry and sweating manikins

The thermal insulation of clothing is commonly determined by dry thermal manikins either made of plastic or metal. For the determination of evaporative resistance of clothing ensemble, there exist three types of manikin methods: pre-wetted underwear or “skin” covered on dry manikins, the manikin with regulated constant water supply to the “skin” surface and the sweating fabric manikin based on a water filled body covered with waterproof but vapour permeable fabrics. The purpose of this study was to compare thermal insulation and moisture evaporative resistance of a set of protective clothing measured using different type of manikins. The total thermal insulation of seven EU project ensembles (Subzero A and B, Permeable (PERM), Impermeable (IMP), Nomex coverall (with two types of underwear) and Cotton coverall) were measured using the manikin Tore in Sweden, the sweating fabric manikin Walter in Hong Kong, and the manikin Newton in the UK. The results showed that total thermal insulation is reproducible for the seven clothing ensembles measured on the manikins Walter and Tore. The coefficient of variance is less than 8%. Nomex coverall with cotton underwear has 8-16% higher total insulation than that with polypropylene underwear. The apparent evaporative resistance of the impermeable coverall with cotton underwear measured on Newton was 44.5% lower than the evaporative resistance measured on Walter. The effect of condensation and conduction at room temperature environment and measuring time allowing full accumulation of moisture in clothing ensembles might be two important factors affecting the evaporative resistance.