Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biogas technology research in selected sub-Saharan African countries – A review

This reviews aims to provide an insight and update of the state of biogas technology research in some selected sub-Saharan African countries in peer reviewed literature. This paper also aims to highlight the sub-Saharan countries’ strengths and weaknesses in biogas research and development capacity. An attempt is made to pinpoint future research in critically reviewing the biogas technology research. The methane-producing potential of various agriculturally sourced feedstocks has been researched, as has the advantages of co-digestion to improve carbon-to-nitrogen ratios and the use of pretreatment to improve the hydrolysis rates. Some optimisation techniques associated with anaerobic digestion including basic design considerations of single or two-stage systems, pretreatment, co-digestion, environmental conditions within the reactor such as temperature, pH, buffering capacity have been attempted in some of the researches in Nigeria, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. However, there appears to be little research in biogas technology in many sub-Saharan African countries in internationally peer reviewed literature. Biogas production from large quantities of agricultural residues, animal wastes, municipal and industrial wastes (water) appears to have potential as an alternative renewable energy for many African countries if relevant and appropriate research is carried out to adopt the biogas technology to the local conditions in African countries. African scientists are urged to carry out research in biogas technology to locally demonstrate the feasibility, application, and adaptation of this technology and help improve the quality of energy supply in their respective countries.
Some Advances in the Circuit Modeling of Extraordinary Optical Transmission

The phenomenon of extraordinary optical trans- mission (EOT) through electrically small holes perforated on opaque metal screens has been a hot topic in the optics com- munity for more than one decade. This experimentally ob- served frequency-selective enhanced transmission of electro- magnetic power through holes, for which classical Bethe's theory predicts very poor transmission, later attracted the attention of engineers working on microwave engineering or applied electromagnetics. Extraordinary transmission was first linked to the plasma-like behavior of metals at opti- cal frequencies. However, the primary role played by the periodicity of the distribution of holes was soon made ev- ident, in such a way that extraordinary transmission was disconnected from the particular behavior of metals at op- tical frequencies. Indeed, the same phenomenon has been observed in the microwave and millimeter wave regime, for instance. Nowadays, the most commonly accepted theory explains EOT in terms of the interaction of the impinging plane wave with the surface plasmon-polariton-Bloch waves (SPP-Bloch) supported by the periodically perforated plate. The authors of this paper have recently proposed an alter- native model whose details will be briefly summarized here. A parametric study of the predictions of the model and some new potential extensions will be reported to provide addi- tional insight.
Excess 36Ar in the Efremovka Meteorite: A Strong Hint for the Presence of 36Cl in the Early Solar System

Noble gas studies of fine-grained silicate material of the Efremovka carbonaceous chondrite revealed the presence of excess 36Ar over and above the level expected due to contributions from the trapped and cosmic-ray-produced, both spallogenic and secondary neutron-induced, components. The observed excess in 36Ar can be best explained as due to in situ decay of 36Cl (τ = 0.43 Ma) in the analyzed samples and provides a strong hint for the presence of this now-extinct nuclide in the early solar system. Additional experiments that will confirm our observation are proposed. A conservative estimate of an initial 36Cl/35Cl of (1.4 ± 0.2) × 10-6 at the time of formation of Efremovka silicates can be made from our data. If we consider a nucleosynthetic origin of 36Cl, the time interval between the last addition of freshly synthesized 36Cl to the solar nebula and the formation of some of the first silicate grains in the nebula could be estimated to be approximately 1 Ma.
A note on the nutritional adequacy of stock diets for laboratory rats and mice

The chemical composition of nine samples of Labofeed H (LH) breeding diet produced by Feeds and Concentrates Production Plant of A. Morawski (Poland) in 1997-1999 was in agreement with declared values except for a slightly lower fat content. The content of nutrients, minerals and essential amino acids conformed with the requirements of laboratory rats and mice for growth and reproduction, given by NRC (1995), except for a lower sulphur amino acids content. Composition, determined nutritional value of protein and metabolisable energy concentration, as well as the effects of feeding LH on growth performance did not differ from the values of the breeding diet produced by Altromin. The diet Labofeed B, designed for adult animals, had lower protein and metabolisable energy concentrations than LH and a similar nutrient profile as the respective A l tromin maintenance diet.
Effects of Cohabitation on Children of Latino Americans

Effects of Cohabitation on Children of Latino Americans Miriam Grace Clark Department of Sociology, BYU Master of Sociology The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of cohabitation on children in kindergarten and how this varies by race. Many researchers have shown that children being raised in cohabiting families do not perform as well as children being raised in married parent families (Manning and Seltzer 2009; Artis 2007; Raley et al 2005). Furthermore, demographic trends show that cohabitation among Latinos is very similar to marriage, whereas among whites they are two very different things (Choi and Seltzer 2009). My research combines these two ideas to investigate how cohabitation may affect Latino children differently than it affects white children in terms of internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. I hypothesize that though whites will be negatively affected by cohabitation, Latinos will not have this negative effect. Evidence supports hypotheses and suggests that, indeed, Latino children are not as negatively affected by cohabitation as Whites.
Climate change and household food insecurity among fishing communities in the eastern coast of Zanzibar

This paper examines the local vulnerability of households in two study communities in the east coast of Zanzibar focusing on food security, which is negatively impacted by climate variability and change. Findings have indicated that overall the local people in eastern coast of Zanzibar are insecure with respect to most major sources of food. Households solely dependent on natural resources through farming, fishing, livestock and poultry farming, have been found to be more vulnerable to food insecurity as these activities are facing considerable uncertainties associated with climate change and variability as well as other stress factors. Agricultural failure resulting from various factors, including local climate variability, coupled with uncertainty of fishing has many pushed households towards increasing dependence on market for their staple food supplies. Therefore, this enhances the household’s vulnerability to food insecurity especially among households with low purchasing power. With increasing demand of fisheries resources in urban areas associated with the expanding tourism industry in the study area the price for fisheries resources has increased, causing the poor, including the fishers, to consume less fish and other seafood, and thereby limiting their dietary protein intakes. Key words: Agriculture, climate change, coastal communities, fisheries based livelihoods, food insecurity, food accessibility, vulnerability, Zanzibar.
Retrieval of dust aerosols during night: improved assessment of long wave dust radiative forcing over Afro-Asian regions

Abstract. Several investigators in the past have used the radiance depression (with respect to clear-sky infrared radiance), resulting from the presence of mineral dust aerosols in the atmosphere, as an index of dust aerosol load in the atmosphere during local noon. Here, we have used a modified approach to retrieve dust index during night since assessment of diurnal average infrared dust forcing essentially requires information on dust aerosols during night. For this purpose, we used infrared radiance (10.5–12.5 μm), acquired from the METEOSAT-5 satellite (~ 5 km resolution). We found that the "dust index" algorithm, valid for daytime, will no longer hold during the night because dust is then hotter than the theoretical dust-free reference. Hence we followed a "minimum reference" approach instead of a conventional "maximum reference" approach. A detailed analysis suggests that the maximum dust load occurs during the daytime. Over the desert regions of India and Africa, maximum change in dust load is as much as a factor of four between day and night and factor of two variations are commonly observed. By realizing the consequent impact on long wave dust forcing, sensitivity studies were carried out, which indicate that utilizing day time data for estimating the diurnally averaged long-wave dust radiative forcing results in significant errors (as much as 50 to 70%). Annually and regionally averaged long wave dust radiative forcing (which account for the diurnal variation of dust) at the top of the atmosphere over Afro-Asian region is 2.6 ± 1.8 W m −2 , which is 30 to 50% lower than those reported earlier. Our studies indicate that neglecting diurnal variation of dust while assessing its radiative impact leads to an overestimation of dust radiative forcing, which in turn result in underestimation of the radiative impact of anthropogenic aerosols.
Title CONGRUENCE SOLUTIONS TO THE LOCALIZED INDUCTIONHIERARCHY IN THREE-DIMENSIONAL SPACE FORMS

The localized induction hierarchy in three-dimensional sp ace forms is studied. In particular, we determine all the generating curves of congr uence solutions to each evolution equation belonging to the localized induction hi erarchy. Here, a congruence solution means a solution moving without changing shap e. Also, we give the characterization of some low-order soliton curves.
Influence of Nd-Doping on Photocatalytic Properties of TiO2 Nanoparticles and Thin Film Coatings

Structural, optical, and photocatalytic properties of TiO2 and TiO2:Nd nanopowders and thin films composed of those materials have been compared. Titania nanoparticles with 1, 3, and 6 at. % of Nd-dopant were synthesized by sol-gel method. Additionally, thin films with the same material composition were prepared with the aid of spin-coating method. The analysis of structural investigations revealed that all as-prepared nanopowders were nanocrystalline and had TiO2-anatase structure. The average size of crystallites was ca. 4-5 nm and the correlation between the amount of neodymium and the size of TiO2 crystallites was observed. It was shown that the dopant content influenced the agglomeration of the nanoparticles. The results of photocatalytic decomposition of MO showed that doping with Nd (especially in the amount of 3 at. %) increased self-cleaning activity of the prepared titania nanopowder. Similar effect was received in case of the thin films, but the decomposition rate was lower due to their smaller active surface area. However, the as-prepared TiO2:Nd photocatalyst in the form of thin films or nanopowders seems to be a very attractive material for various applications.
Chromospheric Inversions of a Micro-flaring Region

We use spectropolarimetric observations of the Ca ii 8542 Å line, taken from the Swedish 1 m Solar Telescope, in an attempt to recover dynamic activity in a micro-flaring region near a sunspot via inversions. These inversions show localized mean temperature enhancements of ∼1000 K in the chromosphere and upper photosphere, along with co-spatial bi-directional Doppler shifting of 5–10 km s−1. This heating also extends along a nearby chromospheric fibril, which is co-spatial to 10–15 km s−1 downflows. Strong magnetic flux cancellation is also apparent in one of the footpoints, and is concentrated in the chromosphere. This event more closely resembles that of an Ellerman Bomb, though placed slightly higher in the atmosphere than what is typically observed.
Explaining Differences in State Unemployment Rates During the Great Recession

The deterioration of the labor market during the Great Recession has varied considera- bly among states. This study investigates determinants of several measures of the change in state unemployment rates from pre-recessionary lows to recessionary peaks. As in previous studies for earlier recessions, industrial composition - specifically the share of state GDP (gross domestic product) in manufacturing - was strongly associated with greater labor mar- ket deterioration. However, new to this study were the findings that larger declines in hous- ing prices and bigger household in-migration rates were also associated with more state labor market decline during the Great Recession. Three geographic groups of states - in the Far West, the Southeast, and the Midwest - had economic characteristics resulting in greater in- creases in unemployment rates during the Great Recession.
The Use Values of Smartphone Apps

Smartphone applications are exploding in popularity, and people today assume there should be an app for everything. However, despite the vast amount of applications available, the average Swede only uses twelve during a regular month. For marketers, this makes it essential to know why some applications are used before others. Hence, to know what is the consumer perceived value in using smartphone applications. Consequently, the purpose of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of the consumer perceived value in using smartphone applications by studying how and why people use them. This is done taking a qualitative approach using indepth interviews and self-observations, with users familiar with the technology. By focusing on the actual use, we highlight the users’ views on what constitutes value, in contrast to the producers’ views on the concept. Our conclusions are that six use values exist: convenience, control, motivation & inspiration, monetary savings, entertainment, and knowledge. These are connected to mainly functional and symbolic value dimensions, but also epistemic and conditional value dimensions. This knowledge will aid marketers in giving the application users what they want, when they want it.
Value Congruence as a Source of Intrinsic Motivation

Using a multisource dataset consisting of information from organizational survey and public database of nursing homes in a Midwestern state in the United States, the present study empirically investigates the relationships between employee-organization value congruence, organizational delegation of decision-making and monitoring in the workplace. The results show that value congruence between employees and the organization complements delegation of decision-making, substitutes for monitoring, and further improves organizational performance, especially which of the relational dimension. These findings suggest that value congruence can serve as a source of intrinsic motivation for employee effort and mitigate agency problems in the workplace. Copyright © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Effects of river regulation and diversion on marine fish and invertebrates

The effects of freshwater regulation and diversion on the adult and larval stages of fish and invertebrates in coastal marine waters are reviewed. 2. Potential impacts of river modification are highlighted based on our present understanding of the role of fresh water on the physical, chemical and biological processes on the marine environment. These include effects on migration patterns, spawning habitat, species diversity, water quality and distribution and production of lower trophic levels. The effect of dams on anadromous and catadromous fish are also presented. 3. We discuss in detail the marine response to specific river regulation projects on the Nile, Indus and rivers flowing into the Black Sea, San Francisco Bay and James Bay in Canada. A decline in some coastal fisheries with an overall negative impact on the biota is generally associated with reductions in freshwater flow. 4. Extensive ecological considerations are needed during the planning stage of large-scale freshwater modification projects to minimize potential impacts.
Tree Phenology in Adjacent Amazonian Flooded and Unflooded Forests 1

Most phenological studies to date have taken place in upland forest above the maximum flood level of nearby streams and rivers. In this paper, we examine the phenological patterns of tree assemblages in a large Amazonian forest landscape, including both upland (terra firme) and seasonally flooded (várzea and igapó) forest. The abundance of vegetative and reproductive phenophases was very seasonal in all forests types. Both types of flooded forest were more deciduous than terra firme, shedding most of their leaves during the inundation period. Pulses of new leaves occurred mainly during the dry season in terra firme, whereas those in the two floodplain forests were largely restricted to the end of the inundation period. Flowering was concentrated in the dry season in all forest types and was strongly correlated with the decrease in rainfall. The two floodplain forests concentrated their fruiting peaks during the inundation period, whereas trees in terra firme tended to bear fruits at the onset of the wet season. The results suggest that the phenological patterns of all forest types are largely predictable and that the regular and prolonged seasonal flood pulse is a major determinant of phenological patterns in várzea and igapó, whereas rainfall and solar irradiance appear to be important in terra firme. The three forest types provide a mosaic of food resources that has important implications for the conservation and maintenance of wide‐ranging frugivore populations in Amazonian forests.
Sodium Hydroxide Direct Distillation: A Method for Estimating Total Nitrogen in Soil

Soil total nitrogen (N) concentration is commonly measured by Kjeldahl and combustion methods. In this study, a method based on determination of ammonium (NH4)‐N produced by steam distillation of the soil sample with sodium hydroxide solution (NaOH‐DD) is developed and evaluated for estimating soil total N concentration. The method was evaluated using two sample sets: (A) 44 samples collected from contrasting land uses in central Iran and (B) 344 samples collected from contrasting arable soils across Canada and Maine, USA. Based on this experiment, 10‐min distillation of 5.0 g soil with 20 mL 12.5 M NaOH were selected as the optimum conditions. The NH4‐N released by the NaOH‐DD method was highly correlated with total N concentration in the sample sets A and B (r = 0.79 and 0.94, respectively). The NaOH‐DD method provides a simple, rapid means of analysis with reduced measurement cost and better health and safety precautions than the traditional Kjeldahl method. Current address for Mehdi Sharifi: Nova Scotia Agricultural College, Department of Plant and Animal Science, Truro, Canada.
Perceptions of growth-impeding constraints acting upon SMEs’ operations and the identification and use of transitionary paths to elevate them

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to know which growth-impeding constraints are perceived to act upon operations of small- to medium-sized (SME) companies by their owner-managers and to recommend transitionary paths to elevate constraints and increase contribution levels made by SMEs’ operations. To do so, this research has been primarily founded upon Hayes et al.’s (2005) operations contribution model for differentiating between different levels of operations’ contribution, and secondarily on the theory of constraints philosophy to explain the perceptions of constraints found at each level – current and future. Design/methodology/approach An open-ended survey and a series of group workshops have gathered new empirical data about these perceptions, which were coded using the relational content analysis to identify a parsimonious set of perceptual growth-impeding constraint categories. The most popular transitions were identified and a correlation of frequency rank orders between “perceived current” and “perceived future” constraints categories was calculated, and likely transitionary paths for growth are discussed. Three SME case studies were documented in related action research to contextualise survey findings. Findings The most popular transition was from “neutral” to “leading”. A lack of people capability was perceived to be the most commonly reported growth-impeding constraint category, followed by a combined lack of process competence and product and service innovation, further followed by a lack of skills in information technology automation. In addition, a new conceptual model has been generated inductively to address shortcomings found in the original operations contribution model (Hayes et al., 2005) during its application to UK SMEs. The new model is referred to in this paper as the “Operations Growth Rocket”. Research limitations/implications This research only used data from UK SMEs. Practical implications This work should help SME owner-managers to overcome growth-impeding constraints that act upon their operations and assist them to develop more effective actions and paths to increase the contribution levels made by their operations. This in turn should support growth of their organisations. Findings will also inform teaching about more effective operations management in SMEs. Social implications This work should help UK SMEs to grow, which in turn will strengthen the UK economy. Originality/value A novel approach and new data from 208 SMEs modify a classical operations contribution model (Hayes et al., 2005). This is achieved by considering transitionary paths to be meta-categories continua abstracted from constraint categories combined with case data for moving towards higher levels of operations contribution, rather than using discrete growth-impeding and growth-constraining “levels”. This research has inductively generated a new version of the classical contribution model that should be more suitable for stimulating growth in (UK) SMEs.
The Dynamics of Social Assistance Benefit Receipt in Germany - State Dependence Before and after the 'Hartz Reforms'

In this article, we study state dependence in social assistance receipt in Germany using annual survey data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) for the years 1995-2011. We show that there is considerable observed state dependence, with an average persistence rate in benefits of 68% compared to an average entry rate of below 4%. To identify a possible structural component in state dependence, we estimate a series of dynamic random-effects probit models that control for unobserved heterogeneity and endogeneity of initial condition. We find evidence of substantial state dependence in benefit receipt. Our estimates suggest that benefit receipt one year ago raises the likelihood of benefit receipt today by a factor of 3.7. This corresponds to an average partial effect of over 14 percentage points. Average predicted entry and persistence rates are much higher in Eastern Germany than in Western Germany, absolute levels of structural state dependence however are comparable. We do not find evidence for much time variation in state dependence. This holds true also for the time around the Hartz reforms.