Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
FACTORS INFLUENCING THE CHOICE OF RECORD KEEPING AMONG POULTRY FARMERS IN EKITI STATE, NIGERIA

The importance of poultry keeping cannot be overemphasized due to its contributions to rural householdsâ€™ food security. Despite the importance of poultry keeping, majority of poultry farmers keep farm records in traditional ways while some did not keep farm records. It was on this basis that the study examined the factors influencing the choice of record keeping among poultry farmers in Ekiti State. The study describe the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents, types of record kept, frequency of record keeping and the methods of record keeping. A well-structured questionnaire was employed to elicit information from 160 poultry farmers using a multi-stage sampled technique. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics, regression analysis and a 3 points Likert scale. It was found that majority (85.56%) of the respondents were male, married (90.00%), educated (71.90%), small scale farmers (90.63%) and mostly within the active age range of 41â€“50 years with the mean age of 42 (Â±10.24) years, and average family size of 5 people. Most (71.88%) of them were full-time poultry farmers with average farming experience of 13 (Â±8.54) years and mean monthly income of â‚¦296,750.00 (Â±195,050). The most common type of record kept by the farmers was production record (70.00%). The main reasons for record keeping were profit evaluation (xI…=2.88), planning and budgeting (xI…=2.84), to monitor feed consumption, mortality and theft (xI…=2.80), staff management (xI…=2.79), indication for the validity of farm business (xI…=2.66), expansion of farm size (xI…=2.64), for proper decision making (xI…=2.62), to provide correct data or information for researchers and tax or insurance purpose (xI…=2.53). However, the flock size (Pâ‰¤0.01), level of education (Pâ‰¤0.05), years of farming experience (Pâ‰¤0.05), and access to credit facilities (Pâ‰¤0.1) were the factors influencing the choice of record keeping among poultry farmers in Ekiti State. Therefore, the stated hypothesis was rejected. Thus, record keeping among poultry farmers is important for monitoring and evaluation of poultry farming.
How Sensitive are Spatial Estimates
of Wilderness Recreation Values to
Information about Hiking
Destinations?

This study uses individual survey data to investigate the impact of information about hiking destinations on estimated wilderness values in a spatial context. The data is derived from a revealed preference survey of backcountry visitors who responded to questions about their recreation behavior in the San Jacinto Wilderness of southern California. Two GIS data layers are developed showing spatial representations of non-market values derived from a Kuhn- Tucker demand model, with and without destination information. Each pixel in each data layer contains an estimate of the recreation value at that location. The destination data provides more detailed information on recreation behavior that can be used to more accurately allocate the landscape values. Results show that including destination information produces significantly greater heterogeneity in parcel value estimates for large areas of the wilderness.
An Herbal Alternative to Control Nosocomial Pathogens in Aerosols and Splatter During Ultrasonic Scaling

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of herbal mouthwash (Himalaya Hiora Regular) against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Acinetobacter baumanni during ultrasonic scaling. Material and Methods: Group B (n=25) received herbal mouthwash and Group A (n=25) received 0.12% chlorhexidine mouthwash respectively as a preprocedural rinse. The aerosols produced by the ultrasonic unit were collected on MeReSa and Leeds Acinetobacter Agar plates. The experimental setting included eight different locations covering all areas of the operatory. The plates exposed to aerosols for a period of 30 minutes were incubated aerobically at 37 o C for 48hrs and the colony forming units (CFU) were statistically analyzed. Results: Herbal mouthwash (Himalaya Hiora Regular) showed a significant reduction in mean CFU of MRSA compared to 0.12% chlorhexidine. While herbal mouthwash was on par with 0.12% chlorhexidine in the reduction of A. baumannii . Conclusion: Herbal mouthwash was found to be more effective against MRSA than 0.12% Chlorhexidine mouthwash as a pre-procedural rinse. Both herbal mouthwash and chlorhexidine mouthwash was found to be effective against A. baumannii . Herbal mouthwash may be a safe alternative to chlorhexidine against nosocomial pathogens like MRSA and A. baumannii .
AVAILABILITY AND DEGREE OF CONTAMINATION OF HEAVY METALS IN SOILS AND WATER OF BOMO AND GALMA IRRIGATION FARM LANDS, ZARIA,KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA

This research was designed to assess the level of heavy metal (Lead {Pb} and Cadmium {Cd}) and degree of contamination in soils and water located in Bomo and Galma irrigation farm lands. Soil and water samples collected from Bomo Lake, River Galma and borehole (serving as control) were digested and analyzed using Atomic absorption spectrophotometer to determine the heavy metal concentrations. The results showed that concentrations of Pb in soil located in Bomo ranges from 1.82 mg/kg to 6.19 mg/kg while Cd concentrations range from 0.03 mg/kg to 0.12 mg/kg. Pb concentrations in soil located in Galma ranges from 1.62 mg/kg to 4.03 mg/kg and Cd concentrations ranges from 0.02 mg/kg to 0.10 mg/kg. Concentrations of Pb in Bomo Lake ranges from 1.47 mg/kg to 3.09 mg/kg while Cd concentrations in Galma borehole water ranges from 0.02 mg/kg to 0.09 mg/kg. Pb concentrations in River Galma ranges from 1.14 mg/kg to 2.82 mg/kg while Cd concentrations in Galma borehole water ranges from 0.01 mg/kg to 0.08 mg/kg. Pollution Load Index (PLI) in Bomo ranges from 0.92 to 6.39 while in PLI in Galma ranges from 0.32 to 4.96. The study suggests that there are high concentrations of Pb than Cd in Soil and water and high PLI. This calls for intervention of the site quality in order to prevent or reduce the level of pollution as it could be moved up the food chain through bioaccumulation and magnification since these locations are popular for vegetable cultivation.
A petrographic and sedimentologic analysis of clasts in the Kržľa Breccia of the Malé Karpaty Mountains (Western Carpathians, Slovakia)

A section which runs through the Kržľa Breccia, known as the significant ? Upper Cretaceous-Paleocene paleokarst phenomenon, and its contact with the Lower Eocene Jelenia hora Formation in the Malé Karpaty Mts. , yield data on the source area of the clasts, paleotectonic settings during the breccia formation, and determine the age of the transgression onset. Analyses of the red clay matrix and the clasts support the idea that the source area of the clasts was situated nearby, and its erosive base did not erode the older formations than the Upper Permian. The breccia bodies fill karstic depresions in the Middle Triassic limestones of the Gutenstein Formation; the eroded material has been mostly derived directly from this formation. The rest of the clasts is represented by siliciclastic material transported from a distant source. The breccia infillings of the karst relief are covered with Paleogene basal marine transgressive facies rich in larger benthic foraminifera, which provide biostratigraphic data on the time of the breccia formation.
Ecosystem and Socioeconomic Response to Future Climatic Conditions in the Marine And Coastal Regions of the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Bahamas, and the Northeast Coast Of South America - CEP Technical Report 22

This study emphasizes the marine and coastal environment and addresses the implications of climatic change in the Intra-Americas Sea and its environs. To facilitate understanding the technical terms of this report, a glossary (abbreviated from Maul and Baig, 1993) is included as an appendix. As was the perspective of the early European and African explorers, the report is limited to a sailor's view of the coastline, reefs, passages, harbors, deltas, estuaries, and deep waters of this semi-enclosed sea.
Adaptive video-based vehicle classification technique for monitoring traffic : [executive summary].

This report presents a methodology for extracting two vehicle features, vehicle length and number of axles in order to classify the vehicles from video, based on Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)’s recommended vehicle classification scheme. There are two stages regarding this classification. The first stage is the general classification that basically classifies vehicles into 4 categories or bins based on the vehicle length (i.e., 4-Bin length-based vehicle classification). The second stage is the axle-based group classification that classifies vehicles in more detailed classes of vehicles such as car, van, buses, based on the number of axles. The Rapid Video-based Vehicle Identification System (RVIS) model is developed based on image processing technique to enable identifying the number of vehicle axles. Also, it is capable of tackling group classification of vehicles that are defined by axles and vehicle length based on the FHWA’s vehicle classification scheme and standard lengths of 13 categorized vehicles. The RVIS model is tested with sample video data obtained on a segment of I-275 in the Cincinnati area, Ohio. The evaluation result shows a better 4-Bin length–based classification than the axle-based group classification. There may be two reasons. First, when a vehicle gets misclassified in 4-Bin classification, it will definitely be misclassified in axle-based group classification. The error of the 4-Bin classification will propagate to the axle-based group classification. Second, there may be some noises in the process of finding the tires and number of tires. The project result provides solid basis for integrating the RVIS that is particularly applicable to light traffic condition and the Vehicle Video-Capture Data Collector (VEVID), a semi-automatic tool to be particularly applicable to heavy traffic conditions, into a “hybrid” system in the future. Detailed framework and operation scheme for such an integration effort is provided in the project report.
The Impacts of External Nutrient Sources on Marine Phytoplankton in an Eastern Shore Sea-Side Estuary

THE IMPACTS OF EXTERNAL NUTRIENT SOURCES ON MARINE PHYTOPLANKTON IN AN EASTERN SHORE SEA-SIDE ESTUARY Claudette Lajoie Jenkins Old Dominion University, 1999 Director: Dr. William M. Dunstan The Eastern Shore o f Virginia (Greens Creek) as well as a large portion of the North Atlantic coastline is characterized by estuarine systems not dominated by large river systems. Instead, small freshwater creeks influence many coastal systems yet little information has been documented on their ecological significance. The focus of this research is to identify the biogeochemical and physical interactions within an estuarine water-column and understand the importance of freshwater sources in governing phytoplankton production. The hypothesis of this research is that increases in external nutrient loading into Greens Creek will not result in an increase in primary production. The reasons behind this are due to the light limitation o f photosynthesis and high tidal exchange rates, removing phytoplankton, in this creek system. Nutrient concentrations, species composition and nutrient loading rates for reservoir discharge, groundwater and precipitation will be presented. In addition, a rainfall related runoff model was also incorporated into this research to assess the indirect impacts o f atmospheric deposition. This research shows that a total of 1.80(*107) moles DIN yr' 1 and l.72(*103) moles P yr' 1 are input to Greens Creek via freshwater sources annually. The continuous freshwater discharge from the reservoir spillway accounts for the majority o f the total freshwater DIN (97.5%) and P (97.2%) inputs into Greens Creek. Groundwater discharge and rainfall are believed to be of substantial significance only on shorter time scales. Nutrient data from all input sources indicates that NCVis the dominant form o f DIN input to the creek with NH*+ and NCV being o f less significance. R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. Evidence shows that Greens Creek phytoplankton are light-limited in the turbid nutrient-rich waters o f the upper and mid-reaches o f the creek. However, as water becomes clearer downstream in the lower more saline reaches phytoplankton production increases and nutrient concentrations become low. Recharging tides characterized by high tidal energy break down the freshwater stratification and create a well-mixed watercolumn. This well-mixed environment drastically dilutes nutrient concentrations thus limiting phytoplankton growth. Daily production was strongly correlated with ambient nitrate concentrations and inversely correlated with salinity, emphasizing the importance of freshwater inputs as a nutrient source in this system. R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.
Normalized Difference Vegetation Index Continuity of the Landsat 4-5 MSS and TM: Investigations Based on Simulation

Landsat 4-5, built at the same time and with the same design, carrying the Multispectral Scanner System (MSS) and the Thematic Mapper (TM) simultaneously, jointly provided observation service for about 30 years (1982–2013). Considering the importance of data continuity for time series analyses, investigations on the continuity of the Landsat 4-5 MSS and TM are required. In this paper, characterization differences between the Landsat 4-5 MSS and TM were initially discussed using the synthesized reflectance records generated from a collection of Hyperion hyperspectral profiles which were well calibrated and widely distributed. The difference in near-infrared region mostly contributed to the difference in normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) between MSS and TM, while the between-sensor difference in red spectrum was relatively minor. Models for transforming MSS NDVI to TM NDVI were proposed, and validated subsequently through cross-validation tests. Furthermore, effectiveness of the transformation models was investigated using eight synchronous observation pairs of the Landsat 5 MSS and TM. On average, the univariate models through ordinary least squares regression (OLS) regression resulted in a decrease about 10% of the median relative difference (MdRD). Meanwhile, the bivariate models improved the NDVI comparability in most cases, especially when the transformation models through ridge regression were implemented. The univariate model through OLS regression could be the only solution for cases when problems of data quality are encountered (e.g., problem in the MSS near-infrared channel (800–1000 nm)). In conclusion, the findings on NDVI transformation models from MSS to TM are valuable for reference, because of the collection of diverse Hyperion hyperspectral profiles used.
ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS BY UK EMPLOYEES

This paper examines employees’ work-related attitudes to recycling and waste management systems whilst retaining a link with personal domestic behavior. A questionnaire of 38 Likert-type items measured employee attitudes to environmental, waste management and recycling, environmental and sustainability concerns, perceived costs and benefits to the company. The hypotheses included demographic differences in attitudes, that attitudes and behavior are related and that behaviors transfer from home to work. The sample included 189 employees from 6 northern UK companies. A factor analysis reduced the attitudes items into four factors, being a positive approach to company recycling, that policies are needed, that recycling is costly to the company and that recycling can earn money. The factors were correlated with behavioral measures and compared by demographics and past recycling behavior using t-tests and ANOVAs. The results show differences in attitudes and behaviors by job type and age, that recycling at work and home are unrelated but that use of eco-friendly products is related to attitudes and concern about depletion of natural resources. The findings are discussed in terms of attitude theories, workplace behavior, training and communications about environmental and waste management in companies plus the transferability of these findings to other types of management systems, other sectors or regions.
Wave Breaking Dissipation in a Young Wind Sea

Coupled in situ and remote sensing measurements of young, strongly forced wind waves are applied to assess the role of breaking in an evolving wave field. In situ measurements of turbulent energy dissipation from wave-following Surface Wave Instrument Float with Tracking (SWIFT) drifters and a tethered acoustic Doppler sonar system are consistent with wave evolution and wind input (as estimated using the radiative transfer equation). The Phillips breaking crest distribution L(c) is calculated using stabilized shipboard video recordings andtheFourier-basedmethodofThomsonandJessup,with minor modifications. TheresultingL(c)areunimodal distributionscenteredaroundhalfofthephasespeedofthedominantwaves,consistentwithseveralrecentstudies. Breaking rates from L(c) increase with slope, similar to in situ dissipation. However, comparison of the breaking rateestimatesfromtheshipboardvideorecordingswiththeSWIFTvideorecordingsshowthatthebreakingrateis likely underestimated in the shipboard video when wave conditions are calmer and breaking crests are small. The breaking strength parameter b is calculated by comparison of the fifth moment of L(c) with the measured dissipation rates. Neglecting recordings with inconsistent breaking rates, the resulting bdata do not display any clear trends and are in the range of other reported values. The L(c) distributions are compared with the Phillips equilibrium range prediction and previous laboratory and field studies, leading to the identification of several inconsistencies.
Effects of Fault Roughness on Coseismic Slip and Earthquake Locations

Fault zone structure is well known to exert strong controls on earthquake properties including coseismic slip distribution, rupture propagation direction, and hypocenter location. It has also been well established that the principal slip surface, which accommodates the majority of earthquake displacement, exhibits roughness at all scales following self‐affine fractal distributions. Here we explore the relationship between fault roughness and specific earthquake properties including coseismic slip distribution and hypocenter location based on long‐term simulations of earthquake catalogs on fractally rough faults. We begin by using the von Kármán autocorrelation function to procedurally generate single faults with different fractal roughness properties, which we place in a homogeneous elastic solid and apply pure right‐lateral shear at a constant back slip rate with the earthquake simulator RSQSim. Running the simulations for 10,000 years each, we generate millions of earthquakes including thousands of events with Mw > 6.0, which rupture the surface. We show that the patterns of surface rupture in these large events follow self‐affine fractal distributions with consistent fractal dimension related distinctly to the fractal dimension of the fault. In addition, the hypocenters of these large events occur in very specific predictable locations where the longest wavelength structure produces a stress asperity (i.e., restraining bend). The resulting patterns can explain many features observed on real fault systems, including clustered hypocenter locations, spatially variable coseismic slip distributions, and characteristic slip recurrence behavior. These results demonstrate a quantitative link between a directly measurable fault property—roughness—and the properties of future earthquakes.
Creation of the GSFCSSI2 Composite Solar Spectral Irradiance Data Set

Solar spectral irradiance (SSI) is a key driver for the Earth's energy budget. Characterizing the spectral and temporal variations in SSI from measurements over multiple decades relies on the creation of a composite SSI product that merges data from multiple instruments. The V1 composite SSI product created by DeLand and Cebula (2008, https://doi.org/10.1029/98JD01204) provides daily spectra covering 120–400 nm by combining data from six instruments but ends in July 2005. We have developed an improved composite SSI product, designated GSFCSSI2, that extends to the present by incorporating additional SSI data sets from the NOAA‐16 SBUV/2, Aura Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), and SORCE SOLSTICE instruments. The NOAA‐16 SBUV/2 SSI data set is a new product that fills a data gap at 170–400 nm in 2005–2006, while the Aura OMI SSI data set represents an improvement over previously published measurements and covers the time period 2006–2018. The SORCE SOLSTICE SSI data set provides data coverage down to 120 nm for the time period 2005–2018. The new GSFCSSI2 composite now spans almost 40 years (November 1978–April 2018) and extends observational coverage into the visible region (500 nm) with OMI data. Comparisons with the NRLSSI2 modelled SSI data set show typical agreement to within ±5% between 120 and 170 nm, ±2%–3% between 170 and 300 nm, and ±1.5% or better between 300 and 500 nm. The GSFCSSI2 composite SSI product is an element of the NASA Solar Irradiance Science Team program and can be further improved by incorporating other data sets being produced through that effort.
Saltmarsh sedimentation: Processes & patterns

When considering the importance of saltmarsh dynamics it is important to understand the processes of saltmarsh sedimentation. Many authors have researched the importance of sedimentation on a saltmarsh via direct settling, but very few have analysed the role of vegetation and the implications it may have for sedimentation. Much opposition exists between researchers in establishing whether vegetation truly plays a role within the sedimentation dynamics on a saltmarsh. This thesis will investigate the importance of vegetation in relation to surface sedimentation on a saltmarsh and assess what temporal and spatial patterns exist. Orchardton Marsh on the Solway Firth, Southwest Scotland, is unusual due to its colonisation by Spartina, which is normally confined to areas in Southern England. Three methods were employed to assess the role of sedimentation in relation to (i) direct settling and (ii) on-vegetation settling. Fieldwork was undertaken on a monthly basis over the period of 1 year. The results demonstrate that vegetation within the saltmarsh system has a significant role in both temporal and spatial aspects. On-vegetation deposition was highest in the mature marsh. It was also found that the highest sedimentation amounts were recorded at creek edges. Thus, deposition of sediment is influenced greatly by vegetative and direct settling. Overall, long-term erosion is occurring on parts of Orchardton saltmarsh.