Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Technical Note: Method of Morris effectively reduces the computational demands of global sensitivity analysis for distributed watershed models

Abstract. The increase in spatially distributed hydrologic modeling warrants a corresponding increase in diagnostic methods capable of analyzing complex models with large numbers of parameters. Sobol' sensitivity analysis has proven to be a valuable tool for diagnostic analyses of hydrologic models. However, for many spatially distributed models, the Sobol' method requires a prohibitive number of model evaluations to reliably decompose output variance across the full set of parameters. We investigate the potential of the method of Morris, a screening-based sensitivity approach, to provide results sufficiently similar to those of the Sobol' method at a greatly reduced computational expense. The methods are benchmarked on the Hydrology Laboratory Research Distributed Hydrologic Model (HL-RDHM) over a six-month period in the Blue River watershed, Oklahoma, USA. The Sobol' method required over six million model evaluations to ensure reliable sensitivity indices, corresponding to more than 30 000 computing hours and roughly 180 gigabytes of storage space. We find that the method of Morris is able to correctly screen the most and least sensitive parameters with 300 times fewer model evaluations, requiring only 100 computing hours and 1 gigabyte of storage space. The method of Morris proves to be a promising diagnostic approach for global sensitivity analysis of highly parameterized, spatially distributed hydrologic models.
Translation, cross-cultural adaptation and factor analysis of the Persian version of ankle instability instrument

Background: Ankle Instability Instrument (AII) is a questionnaire for determination of ankle stability status. The aim of this study is to cross-culturally translate and investigate the reliability and validity of AII in a sample of Persian-speaking Iranians, suffering from ankle sprain. Methods: One hundred twenty persons with a history of ankle sprain were recruited in the study. All participants completed the Persian version of Ankle Instability Instrument, Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT), Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM) and Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS) at the baseline. Out of them, 60 randomly selected subjects completed the questionnaires once more, one week later. Face validity, Test–retest reliability, internal consistency, standard error of measurement, minimal metric detectable change, spearman’s correlation coefficient and confirmatory factor analysis of AII measured. We used Lisrel v 8.80 software with significant level of p<0.05. Results: Persian version of AII is clear and unambiguous and its qualitative face validity was confirmed in the pilot study on the 20 subjects with a lateral ankle sprain. The interclass correlation coefficient, Cronbach’s alpha, standard error of measurement and minimal metric detectable change were 0.93, 0.87, 0.81 and 2.25 (95% confidence interval, 0.85-0.96). The Spearman correlations coefficients between AII, and CAIT, FAAM and FAOS measures were 0.91, 0.71 and 0.69 respectively. The original three factor structure of AII was replicated based on the confirmatory factor analysis. Which showed an adequate fit of the model to the data and goodness-of-various fit indices. Conclusion: The Ankle Instability Instrument Persian Version (AII-PV) is a reliable and valid measure for assessing the ankle stability status.
On the potential vegetation feedbacks that enhance phosphorus availability – insights from a process-based model linking geological and ecological timescales

In old and heavily weathered soils, the availability of P might be so small that the primary production of plants is limited. However, plants have evolved several mechanisms to actively take up P from the soil or mine it to overcome this limitation. These mechanisms involve the active uptake of P mediated by mycorrhiza, biotic de-occlusion through root clusters, and the biotic enhancement of weathering through root exudation. The objective of this paper is to investigate how and where these processes contribute to alleviate P limitation on primary productivity. To do so, we propose a process-based model accounting for the major processes of the carbon, water, and P cycles including chemical weathering at the global scale. Implementing P limitation on biomass synthesis allows the assessment of the efficiencies of biomass production across different ecosystems. We use simulation experiments to assess the relative importance of the different uptake mechanisms to alleviate P limitation on biomass production. We find that active P uptake is an essential mechanism for sustaining P availability on long timescales, whereas biotic de-occlusion might serve as a buffer on timescales shorter than 10 000 yr. Although active P uptake is essential for reducing P losses by leaching, humid lowland soils reach P limitation after around 100 000 yr of soil evolution. Given the generalized modelling framework, our model results compare reasonably with observed or independently estimated patterns and ranges of P concentrations in soils and vegetation. Furthermore, our simulations suggest that P limitation might be an important driver of biomass production efficiency (the fraction of the gross primary productivity used for biomass growth), and that vegetation on old soils has a smaller biomass production rate when P becomes limiting. With this study, we provide a theoretical basis for investigating the responses of terrestrial ecosystems to P availability linking geological and ecological timescales under different environmental settings.
Change of self-efficacy verbalizations and derivation of functions

Relationship among self-efficacy, rigidity and derivation of functions through stimulus equivalence is addressed. Eight subjects who scored high on a self-efficacy scale were selected, four of them scoring high on a rigidity questionnaire and four scoring low. They were trained to form two equivalence classes (Class~1: A1, B1, C1, D1; Class~2: A2, B2, C2, D2). Then, specific self-efficacy verbalizations about unperformed tasks (A1 and A2) were assessed and only subjects presenting high levels of selfefficacy continued. Then, subjects had to perform two tasks from Class~1 (A1 and B1). Both tasks were manipulated so that subjects received false feedback indicating unsuccessful performance. Lastly, subjects were tested for their specific self-efficacy verbalizations about unperformed tasks (C1, D1, A2, B2, C2 and D2). Results showed that high rigidity scorers maintained original high self-efficacy verbalizations and that low scorers changed original self-efficacy verbalizations, reporting not to have abilities enough to solve the novel tasks.
Integrating community based disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation: examples from the Pacific

Abstract. It is acknowledged by academics and development practitioners alike that many common strategies addressing community based disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation duplicate each other. Thus, there is a strong push to integrate the two fields to enhance aid effectiveness and reduce confusion for communities. Examples of community based disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) projects are presented to highlight some of the ways these issues are tackled in the Pacific. Various approaches are employed but all aim to reduce the vulnerability and enhance the resilience of local communities to the impacts of climate change and disasters. By focusing on three case studies, elements of best practice are drawn out to illustrate how DRR and CCA can be integrated for enhanced aid effectiveness, and also look at ways in which these two often overlapping fields can be better coordinated in ongoing and future projects. Projects that address vulnerability holistically, and target the overall needs and capacity of the community are found to be effective in enhancing the resilience of communities. By strategically developing a multi-stakeholder and multi-sector approach, community projects are likely to encapsulate a range of experience and skills that will benefit the community. Furthermore, by incorporating local knowledge, communities are far more likely to be engaged and actively participate in the project. From selected case studies, commonly occurring best practice methods to integrate DRR and CCA are identified and discussed and recommendations on how to overcome the common challenges also presented.
Quality of Life Issues in Vasculitis

Over the past 40 years, the advent of more effective treatment regimens has transformed vasculitis from a frequently fatal, acute disease to a chronic condition with relapsing and remitting episodes with which patients can live for many years. Because vasculitis is now viewed as a chronic disease, the role of treatment has expanded from an almost exclusive focus on reducing mortality and inducing remission to include improving patient quality of life. In fact, most research studies with vasculitis patients, including clinical trials and observational studies, now measure patient quality of life to determine what factors hinder and facilitate optimal patient functioning and well-being. The World Health Organization has defined quality of life as “individuals’ perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns” (WHO, 1997, p. 1). Implicit in this definition is the fact that many layers of influence, ranging from intrapersonal beliefs to environmental factors, affect quality of life. In chronic disease populations, researchers often focus on patient health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Although HRQOL is more narrowly focused than quality of life, it is a still a complex concept that refers to the overall perceived well-being of an individual as well as his/her ability to function in daily life (Hays et al., 1993). There are many definitions of HRQOL, but most scholars agree that HRQOL includes both multidimensional and subjective components (Cella, 1994). The multidimensional component refers to the many dimensions (e.g. physical, functional, emotional, financial, and social) on which chronic disease can affect the patient’s health and functioning. The subjective component suggests that patients, rather than health care providers, for example, are in the best position to report their HRQOL. Although the HRQOL literature has primarily described how vasculitis negatively impacts patients’ physical and mental health, there is also some evidence that patients experience positive impacts. Moreover, in addition to directly affecting the patient, vasculitis also has the potential to influence patients’ relationships with spouses, family members, and friends. Garnering a holistic understanding of how vasculitis affects patients and their social networks is of interest because individuals having a chronic disease often seek support from others to help cope with disease-related stressors, which can lead to improved physical and mental health (Pennix et al., 1996). This chapter not only describes how vasculitis positively and negatively impacts patients’ HRQOL, but also, the impacts of vasculitis on members of patients’ social networks. We first focus on patient HRQOL issues, including an examination of how vasculitis affects patients
Effect of brood stock size on egg fertilization, hatchability and fry survival rate of African catfish ( Clarias gariepinus )

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of size of brood stock on egg fertilization, hatchability and fry survival rate of Clarias gariepinus in an intensive culture system, for a period of four weeks. Larger brood stock size (1200-1500g) produced larger eggs and bigger fry while moderate brood stock size (795-1000)g produced moderate eggs and moderate fry. The mean size of eggs produced and the size of brood stock was however not significantly different (p > 0.05). In addition, larger eggs resulted in larger fry. The survival rate of fry after starvation increased with increase in parent brood stock size. Best on this study it was recommended that for larger eggs and fry production, brood stock of Clarias gariepinus , of average size of (1200-1500g) should be selected for use in fish hatchery operation in Nigeria. There was no significant difference (p> 0.05) in the physiochemical parameters. Keywords : Broodstock, Egg fertilization, Hatchability, Clarias gariepinus
The Impact of Foreign Ownership on Firm Performance, Evidence from an Emerging Market: Turkey

Problem statement: The inflows of foreign direct investment are important sources of finance for developing countries. Due to the increase in the amount of the international flows of capital over the last three decades, the issue of the possible impact of foreign direct investment on the performance of corporations and thus the economy has gained increased attention. The purpose of this study is to explore how the financial performance of the companies listed on the Istanbul Stock Exchange (ISE) is affected by foreign ownership. Approach: This study employed panel data analysis on a sample of 205 non-financial listed companies covering the 3 year time period from 2005-2007. After having examined previous empirical work, several firm and industry related variables are included to eliminate the likely impact of other factors on corporate financial performance and to accurately demonstrate whether there are any significant differences in the financial performance of the firms due to foreign ownership. We also take into account the existence of a potential reverse relationship and conduct causality tests between the measures of financial performance and percentages of foreign ownership. Results: The results indicated that minority foreign-owned companies (MIN) perform better than domestic ones (DOM) in terms of operating profitability. When return on assets is employed as a performance measure, it is observed that MIN perform better than both DOM and majority foreign-owned companies (MAJ). It is also found that MAJ perform worse than DOM. The results of further analyzed, which employ yearly dummies for different ownership structures, are also provided. Conclusion: The overall results of this study indicated that foreign ownership improves firm financial performance in Turkey up to a certain level, beyond which additional ownership by the foreigners does not add to firm profitability. As it is obvious that the recent financial crisis will reduce the amount of international movement of capital, it is important to analyze the case prior to the crisis to be better able to gauge the possible impact of the lack of these inflows on companies in 2009 and onwards.
Substance use and related criminality among male juvenile sexual and nonsexual offenders : an investigation of the patterns and prevalence

iii, 63 p. Thesis (M.S.W.)--Smith College School for Social Work, Northampton, Mass. , 2007. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 15-17, 39-42,60-63) Contents: Examining substance use and abuse among juvenile sexual offenders: an investigation of the prevalence and related crime associated with mood altering substances -- Specialization and versatility of criminal behavior: comparing juvenile sexual and nonsexual offenders' substance use and related criminality -- Substance use and criminal behavior among juvenile sexual offenders : an exploratory study examining the relationship between criminality and the use of mood altering substances.
Interpretative Structural Modeling Institutional Land Use Of Agricultural In Pasuruan

Institutional interaction is dynamic and changes according to institutional caused by changes in the values ? and culture of society in line with future changes. Farmers become important institutional arrangement, due to rampant land conversion for agriculture into non-agricultural land. This study aims to find clarity decisions agricultural institutions in the form of institutional models in Pasuruan, East Java, Indonesia. Quantitative research methods were used to approach Interpretative Structural Modeling (ISM). The results showed clear decision on the repair and improvement of the land use pattern elements, agricultural institutions, economic capital, human capital, social capital, government policy, institutional change land use, and reduction of constraints on agricultural land use. Key words : institutional, land use, agricultural, ISM
The Impact of Institutional Context, Education and Labour Market Policies on Early School Leaving: a comparative analysis of EU countries

This article presents a comparative analysis of the determinants of early school leaving (ESL) at the country level. We decompose ESL rates into two components: a ‘primary’ rate reflecting unqualified school leaving from initial education, and a second component accounting for early school leavers who participate in training programmes. Both may be influenced by structural and policy determinants. We examine how the ESL rate is affected by macro-economic and social context variables such as GDP/capita, growth, poverty, and youth unemployment, as well as system characteristics of the education system (such as legal school leaving age, grade retention, early tracking, and size of vocational education) and the labour market and social protection systems (minimum wages, unemployment insurance).
An integrated continuous improvement model of TPM, TPS and TQM for boosting profitability of manufacturing industries: An innovative model & guideline

Article history: Received: September 2, 2017 Received in revised format: September 26, 2017 Accepted: November 5, 2017 Available online: November 5, 2017 The purpose of this research is to develop an integrated literature based TPM, TPS and TQM model through PDCA cycle, and implementation guideline for the implementation of the model. At this time very few studies are available on this research area, even this research on integrated model of TPM, TPS and TQM practices, and implementation guideline are not corresponding. The methodology to develop the model and the implementation guideline is based on identifying the uniqueness and common practices of TPM, TPS and TQM systems, existing practice of the integration and implementation guideline, identifying the existing gaps on the model and implementation guideline, developing new integrated TPM, TPS and TQM practice model, and implementation guideline. Previous very few studies of uniqueness, common practices and implementation guideline of the three systems are preserved. The findings of this research, an integrated cutting-edge model of TPM, TPS and TQM practices and implementation guidelines are developed. The originality / value of the developed model and implementation guideline enable manufacturing industries continuously to be competitive and profitable. © 2018 by the authors; licensee Growing Science, Canada.
"The role of e-participation in local government strategies for improving climate protection performance"

This contribution reviews various approaches to stimulating climate-friendly behaviour and introduces a participatory approach taken by local governments involving direct citizen participation in improving climate protection performance. The paper presents and puts up for discussion intermediary results of similarly structured climate dialogues in several cities in Austria, Germany and Spain. A core element of this form of citizen participation is the use of both traditional and electronic media for interactions in climate dialogues stretching over two years. The research project “e2democracy” investigates citizen panels collaborating with municipal governments on consensually agreed local climate targets. The results from a first survey among more than 400 participants in five cities show that participants have a special profile characterised by significantly higher levels of engagement in climate change, of sensitisation, issue knowledge, and beliefs in efficacy of targeted action. The findings lend support to expectations of enhanced community building and positive effects of online tools. Data from measurements via CO2 calculator and CO2 household books, respectively, suggest that there are also some indications of positive impacts on individual CO2 balances.
Decreased Myocardial Tl-201 Uptake inRats: Early Sign of Doxorubicin InducedMyocardial Damage and the Relation toInflammation

Aim: In the present study, we demonstrated that total cardiac 201Tl uptake changes associated with histological findings in DOX-induced early myocardial injury. Method : Early DOX cardiotoxicity was induced in normal rats by giving 15 mg/kg DOX intraperitoneally. Cardiac uptake studies and the blood sampling for creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay has been performed on the 3rd (acute phase) and 16th days (subacute phase) after the treatment, respectively. Rats were killed by heart puncture and the hearts removed by dissection at 60 min after the injection of 7.4 MBq 201Tl. The ratio of total cardiac uptake to the injected dose (%ID/g x BW, where ID is injected dose and BW is body weight) was calculated. Result : DOX led to a significant decrease in myocardial uptake of 201Tl in both treatment groups (p< 0.05). There was no significant difference in the %ID/g x BW between acute and subacute phases (p>0.05). DOX induced a significant increase in the levels of CK and LDH in serum, indicating its early cardiotoxicity (p=0.01). DOX treatment produced disorganization of myocardial fibers, vacuolation of the cardiac myocytes and myocardial necrosis (p=0.01). These cardiomyocyte injuries were accompanied by increased numbers of mononuclear cells (p< 0.05). LDH, CK, cardiyomyopathy and mononuclear cell infiltration scores were not found significantly different between acute and subacute phases (p>0.05). Conclusion: The DOX-induced cardiac injury at early stage can be evaluated by 201Tl and the findings may be associated with the myocardial inflammation. Due to the complicated mechanism of DOX injury, we believe that the development process of cardiac injury and the pathological findings should be taken into consideration in interpreting the radiopharmasotic studies to be conducted for the evaluation of the early and late stage cardiac injuries.
Linear Antenna Array Design with Use of Genetic, Memetic and Tabu Search Optimization Algorithms

Antenna array design techniques are focused on two main classes: uniformly spaced antenna arrays and the non-uniform spacing case. These include techniques based on mathematical programming, such as constrained programming and non-linear programming. More recently, meta-heuristics approaches have been successful at designing antenna arrays (5). In this work, this paper presents efficient methods of genetic algorithm (GA), memetic algorithm (MA) and tabu search algorithm (TSA) for the synthesis of linear antenna design. We present three examples of antenna array design to compare the efficiency of the algorithms through simple design to complex design. The GA, TSA and MA has been used to optimize the spacings between the elements of the linear array to produce a radiation pattern with minimum SLL and null placement control.