Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biodegradation Potentials of Bacterial Isolates from Auto-Mechanic Workshops in Oluku, Edo State, Nigeria

The frequent discharge of used petroleum products from automobiles has become a major source of concern due to unguided discharge into the soil environment, hence the need for biodegradation of the products. Bacterial species were isolated from contaminated soil in mechanic workshops and screened for their for hydrocarbon degradation potentials using standard microbiological procedures. Physicochemical properties of the contaminated soil were also analysed using standard techniques. The highest and lowest heterotrophic bacterial counts of 2.82 ± 0.16 ×10 and 2.09 ± 0.32 ×10 cfu/g were from the control soil and site 1 respectively. For hydrocarbon utilizing bacterial, Site 2 had the highest load of 8.33 ± 2.55 ×10 while the control had the least 1.35±0.33× 10 cfu/g. The bacterial isolates from the contaminated soil were found to be Corynebacterium kutsceri, Escherichia coli, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus megaterium, Klebsiella oxytoca, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Micrococcus luteus. The highest and lowest in the frequency of occurrence among the isolates were B. subtilis (27.5 %) and E. coli (1.4%) respectively. The screened hydrocarbon utilizing bacterial isolates were C. kutseri, B. subtilis and P. aeruginosa. The ability to degrade crude oil revealed that bacterial consortium had the highest growth profile of 12.90 ×10 while the least was C. kutsceri with values of 8.20 ×10 cfu/g. The consortium bacteria had the highest percentage of hydrocarbon products degradation. The ability of the consortium bacteria to remove a high percentage of crude oil components makes it potentially useful for bioremediation of site highly contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbon.
Temporal Response of NDVI to Climatic Attributes in North East India

NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) is designed to estimate the amount of above ground vegetation cover from measurements of red and near-infrared reflectance. It has been widely used to monitor vegetation changes. This paper used 10-day SPOT-Vegetation NDVI time-series data from 1998 to 2013 in Northeast India, to illustrate vegetation changes during 16 years and to examine the relationship between vegetation indices and climatic attributes the (Climatic Research Unittime series) CRU TS3.1 data from East Anglia was used for 31 study sites, using the GLC 2009 landuse categories. The framework of this analysis is the use of correlation and coefficient and Coefficient of determination (R2) to determine the temporal changes in NDVI during the 16 year period and enables productivity changes under different climatic scenarios. We examined responses of remotely sensed NDVI to precipitation and temperature during a sixteen year period (1998-2013) in Northeast India. A set of 300 spatially distributed NDVI values was analyzed to investigate significant divergence of vegetation growth from the 10 year period in the study area. From the analysis of NDVI value in different times, it is found that there was some fluctuation in the vegetation growth during the wettest months of each year. And from the analysis between precipitation and NDVI during 1998-2013, the correlation between NDVI and precipitation showed a negative correlation. Thus from the analysis it emerged that the negative correlation between NDVI and rainfall was accentuated during the growing season particularly when the monsoon was prevalent in the study area.
Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in Populations with Impaired Glucose Metabolism and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

INTRODUCTION: The high physical and economic burden of type 2 diabetes mellitus is an important public health concern. The impact of various intensities of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior on the development of type 2 diabetes is not well understood. Additionally, more insight into how measurement methodologies for PA and sedentary behavior affect the values of activity-related outcome variables is needed. METHODS: PA and sedentary behavior levels were assessed as part of a multi-center clinic trial of youth with type 2 diabetes from 15 U.S. centers; the Treatment Options for type 2 Diabetes in Adolescents and Youth (TODAY) study. Agreement between the results of a subjective and objective measure of PA and sedentary behavior were examined. Also, accelerometer processing algorithms were examined, using data on adults in the National Health Examination and Nutrition Survey (NHANES) 2005-06, to determine how changing the definition of accelerometer non-wear impacts on important PA outcome variables. PA and sedentary behavior levels from accelerometers were also described in 1609 adults with impaired glucose tolerance or type 2 diabetes, in the multi-center Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study (DPPOS). These results were compared to similarly assessed activity data for a nationally representative sample of adults. RESULTS: In TODAY youth, agreement was low between the Three Day Physical Activity Recall (3DPAR) questionnaire and accelerometer results; suggesting that the 3DPAR may not provide an accurate measure of time spent in PA or sedentary behavior in overweight/obese youth with type 2 diabetes. For NHANES adults, changing the definition of accelerometer non-wear time resulted in clinically significant differences in estimates of time spent sedentary, especially in older individuals. Compared to a nationally representative sample of adults, the DPPOS participants performed more moderate-vigorous intensity (MV) PA, but not more light intensity PA. These results likely reflect the effects of a successful lifestyle intervention on MVPA. PUBLIC HEALTH SIGNIFICANCE: The current effort advances the understanding of PA and sedentary behavior assessment methods in populations with impaired glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes and provides estimates for the average amount of time individuals in these populations spend physically active and sedentary.
Evidence of Changes of Seismic Properties in the Entire Crust Beneath Japan After the Mw 9.0, 2011 Tohoku‐oki Earthquake

Studies of mechanical responses of the Earth crust to large earthquakes can provide us with unique insights into the processes of stress buildup and release. As a complement to geodetic methods that derive crustal strain dynamics from surface observations (e.g., GPS, InSAR), noise‐based seismic velocity monitoring directly probes the mechanical state of the crust, at depth and continuously in time. We investigate the responses of the crust to the Mw 9.0, 2011 Tohoku‐oki earthquake. In addition to the Hi‐net short‐period sensors, we use Hi‐net tiltmeters as long‐period seismometers (8–50 s) to sample the crust below 5 km in depth. The spatial distribution of the strong velocity decreases at short periods appears to be limited to the region of strong ground shaking induced by the 2011 Tohoku‐oki earthquake, while the long‐period velocity changes correlate well with the modeled static strain induced by viscoelastic relaxation and afterslip at depth. Amplitudes of coseismic velocity changes decrease with increasing depth. The temporal evolution of velocity changes in different period bands shows that the maximum drops in the velocity at long periods are delayed in time with respect to the occurrence of the Tohoku‐oki earthquake. The inversion of seismic velocity changes at depth illustrates how S wave velocities evolve down to 40 km at a regional scale after a major earthquake.
Professional Real Estate Activities and Academic Journal Importance among African Scholars: A Snapshot of the 2008 African Real Estate Society Meeting

This research reports on real estate activities undertaken by participants in the African Real Estate Society’s conference held in Johannesburg in August 2008, who are the real estate thought leaders of Africa. Attendees’ credentials, career path, and professional activities are addressed, including time spent on various activities, including teaching publishing, and consulting. Respondents are largely multilingual middle-aged males with a masters degree that listened to rather than presented research. There were more practitioners (40%) than academics (33%) or entrepreneurs (28%) in attendance. Academics typically taught four classes a year and published an article a year. Respondents reported working 36 hours a 1 Professor, Levin College of Urban Affairs, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio US, r.simons@csuohio.edu 2 Associate Professor, School of Architecture and Town Planning, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, Aly.Karam@wits.ac. za
Analysis of factors and drivers in graduates success among Portugal, India and Italy- extracurricular activities before university

2 Summary . 3 Introduction . 4 Literature Review . 5 Methodology . 8 Qualitative Research: Focus Groups . 8 Quantitative Research: Questionnaire . 11 Main Findings . 12 Focus Group Results . 12 Focus Group Results: Sports and Music activities . 13 Focus Group Results: Other Activities . 14 Focus Group Results: Foreign Languages . 15 Questionnaire Results: Demographics Data . 16 Questionnaire Results: Extracurricular Activities . 16 Questionnaire Results: Projective Technique . 19 Limitations . 21 Conclusions . 22 Focus Group . 22 Questionnaire . 23 Appendix . 25 Appendix 1: Questionnaire Analysis – ANOVA – Tables . 25 Appendix 2: Questionnaire analysis – ANOVA – Mean graphs . 27 Appendix 3: Questionnaire Analysis – Contingency tables . 29 Bibliography . 31
Flow and Suspended Sediment Division at Two Highly Asymmetric Bifurcations in a River Delta: Implications for Channel Stability

The division of sediment at river bifurcations results from the complex interaction between three‐dimensional flow, planform, and channel bed morphology, as well as the heterogeneity of the bed material. Sediment division processes cannot be incorporated in their full complexity in scale experiments and are difficult to reproduce with numerical models. Field measurements are thus necessary to advance our understanding of those processes in river deltas. However, such measurements are rare. We present measurements of the flow and sediment division at two tidally influenced bifurcations of the Kapuas River, a large sand‐bedded suspended load‐dominated river in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. At both bifurcations, a smaller channel branches off from the side of the main river, which makes the planform strongly asymmetric. The planform of both bifurcations has been stable at least since the end of the nineteenth century when the region was mapped for the first time. Based on our measurements, we explore possible factors that stabilize the bifurcations. We measure the flow velocities with a boat‐mounted acoustic velocity profiler and determine the sediment concentration from acoustic backscatter, calibrated against water samples. The side branch of the first bifurcation receives a proportionally lower fraction of sediment than water. In contrast, the side branch at the second bifurcation receives a proportionally higher fraction of sediment than water. A comparison of flow velocity and suspended sand concentration indicates that the bed material sorting strongly influences the division of sediment, in particular at one of the bifurcations, which is situated in a meander bend.
The national influenza epidemic preparedness plan and assessment of health system resources in relation to epidemic response capacity, Ismailia city, Egypt

Influenza can be epidemics and causes a mass casualty. To responses that, health care setting must have a good preparedness for epidemics. Aim: To estimate the current state of influenza preparedness level in hospitals and primary health care centers, and health workers’ perception of institutional preparedness in Ismailia city. Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional study design was conducted at three hospitals and four primary health care centers in Ismailia city. 139 healthcare workers (HCWs) were studied in primary health care centers and 176 HCWS in hospitals. Data collection tools included 2 questionnaires and 2 checklists appropriate to the study objectives. Results: The results of this study showed that hospital and primary healthcare workers (HCWs) in Ismailia assigned relatively low importance to personal protective equipment (PPE), and showed mixed attitudes (anxious but accepting) to the potential risk. The weakest domain in our hospital preparedness was health personnel and supplies while the weakest area of preparedness was for infection control among primary health centers. Concerning the Gini coefficient, our results demonstrated inequalities in the distribution of all resources at the hospital level with the higher level of inequality for physicians, Tamiflu and N95 mask (0.63, 0.56 & 0.46 respectively). On the other hand, the distribution of nurses and Tamiflu was moderate unequal distributed at primary levels (0.34 & 0.41 respectively). Conclusions : A higher level of institutional preparedness stood out to be an important predictor of individual preparedness.
A Study on the Ready-to-Eat Street-Foods Usage of Customers in a College-Town in Northern Part of Seoul

This study was designed to identify the actual state of ready-to-eat street-foods usage in a college-town in northern part of seoul. For the empirical study, data was collected from customers who had eaten street-foods and a survey was conducted from 16 to 30, May 2006. The results showed that many respondents had irregular eating habits. More than 60% of them responded they usually skipped breakfast and the reason was no time. It was shown that they have had Frequent snacks and unbalanced diet. The results of survey are as follows ; 1. The major time for street-foods usage: p.m 3-5 (28.77%). 2. The frequency of street-foods usage: 1-2 times/week (43.85%). 3. The street-foods usage days of the week: weekday (52.79%). 4. The mean cost for the onetime purchase of street-foods usage: 1000-3000won (71.79%). 5. The monthly cost for the purchase of street-foods usage: below 50000won (81.84%). 6. The reason for street-foods usage: mainly convenience (60.61%). 7. The reason for minding street-foods : mainly insanitary (40.50)%. 8. Factors considered when choosing street-foods: tastes of the foods (65.08%). Also, it was shown that over 50% of respondents have considered the street-foods as the worth of meal replacement, and taken effective factor on eating habits for influx of new culture. It was indicated that problems of street-foods usage was the unbalanced nutrition for 81.8% of respondents and suggestions for improving the street-foods were sanitary controls for products for 63.4% of respondents.
Tahap komunikasi dalam Bahasa Arab dalam kalangan pelajar Sarjana Muda Bahasa Arab di IPTA Malaysia

The purpose of this study was to investigate the using of Arabic among the students of Bachelor of Arabic at the Local Higher Institutions (IPTA) and to find out the reasons which obstruct the using of Arabic among them. The research has been carried out among 130 students of Bachelor of Arabic at the Local Higher Institutions (UPM, UKM, UM, UIAM, and USIM. The results shown the level of using Arabic among the students of Bachelor of Arabic at IPTA either in the classroom or out-site classroom is low and did not satisfied. This is because of the external and internal factors. The internal factors are the feelings of students toward the Arabic language such as shy, not confident, afraid, not courageous, ect. The results of this research may affect the implication practical of technique and method of teaching of Arabic in order to uplift the using of Arabic among the Arabic Bachelor students.
Application of Poly-γ-Glutamic Acid Flocculant to Flocculation–Sedimentation Treatment of Ultrafine Cement Suspension

We examined the effect of poly-γ-glutamic acid flocculant (PGAF) on the removal of ultrafine cement (UFC) particles stabilized by a poly-carboxylate co-polymer, which is a superplasticizer (SP). The flocculation–sedimentation treatment with PGAF successfully removed the SP-stabilized cement particles through the gravitational settling of the formed flocs. The removal efficiency reduced with the increase in the ionic strength, probably because of the shrunk form of poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) at high ionic strengths. Increasing the mixing intensity during rapid mixing improved the removal efficiency. A series of flocculation–sedimentation experiments provided a diagram showing the relationship between ionic strengths and the addition amount of PGAF. Our results suggest that PGAF is a good candidate for the purification of cement suspension by flocculation–sedimentation, and a better removal performance can be obtained at lower ionic strengths with intense rapid mixing. From the diagram of the control charts presented in this study, we can determine the optimal addition amount of PGAF for achieving the target removal rate for cement suspension under any ionic strength.
The Experiences of Mobile Populations About Malaria Control in Southeastern Iran Using the PEN-3 Cultural Model: A Qualitative Study

Objectives: Although malaria is in the elimination phase in Iran, cases imported from Afghanistan and Pakistan as malaria-endemic regions is challenging. Therefore, the present study investigates the experiences of mobile populations about malaria control in Southeastern Iran. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted in October 2015. Participant selection was purposive and criteria-based, and a total of 70 migrants and mobile population were selected from Sistan and Baluchistan province, southeast of Iran. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with all of the participants using ten guide questions based on the concepts of the PEN-3 model to examine the views and experiences of the participants about malaria during their travels. The PEN-3 model emphasizes the culture of preventive behaviors or health-promoting behaviors. Content analysis was used for data analysis. Results: According to the PEN-3 model, the most important cultural impediments were the false beliefs about the usefulness of herbal medicines for the treatment of the disease (negative perception), the wrong attitude of being protected from the disease due to holding certain jobs (negative perception), the belief in destiny and God’s will with respect to the incidence of diseases (negative enabler), and eating native plants for the prevention of the disease (existential nurturer). Conclusions: Malaria prevention program should focus on the cultural characteristics of immigrants for effective interventions to control malaria.
Global Bathymetry and Topography at 15 Arc Sec: SRTM15+

An updated global bathymetry and topography grid is presented using a spatial sampling interval of 15 arc sec. The bathymetry is produced using a combination of shipboard soundings and depths predicted using satellite altimetry. New data consists of >33.6 million multibeam and singlebeam measurements collated by several institutions, namely, the National Geospatial‐Intelligence Agency, Japan Agency for Marine‐Earth Science and Technology, Geoscience Australia, Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping, and Scripps Institution of Oceanography. New altimetry data consists of 48, 14, and 12 months of retracked range measurements from Cryosat‐2, SARAL/AltiKa, and Jason‐2, respectively. With respect to SRTM15_PLUS (Olson et al.,), the inclusion of these new data results in a ∼1.4‐km improvement in the minimum wavelength recovered for sea surface free‐air gravity anomalies, a small increase in the accuracy of altimetrically derived predicted depths, and a 1.24% increase, from 9.60% to 10.84%, in the total area of ocean floor that is constrained by shipboard soundings at 15‐arc sec resolution. Bathymetric grid cells constrained by satellite altimetry have estimated uncertainties of ±150 m in the deep oceans and ±180 m between coastlines and the continental rise. Onshore, topography data are sourced from previously published digital elevation models, predominately SRTM‐CGIAR V4.1 between 60°N and 60°S. ArcticDEM is used above 60°N, while Reference Elevation Model of Antarctica is used below 62°S. Auxiliary grids illustrating shipboard data coverage, marine free‐air gravity anomalies, and vertical gradient gradients are also provided in common data formats.
Types and frequency of fingerprint minutiae in individuals of Igbo and Yoruba ethnic groups of Nigeria

The population distribution of fingerprint minutiae is necessary to improve efficiency of fingerprints in identifying individuals in a population-specific manner. The objective of the study was to determine the distribution of different types of minutiae fingerprint feature in two Nigerian ethnic populations. Fingerprints from forty-four (44) Igbo individuals and forty-four (44) Yoruba individuals, both of Nigeria were collected using a manual impression method that uses ink pad and paper. Of all the minutiae types considered, bifurcations and convergences accounted for 54.85% of the study’s total minutiae counts (TMC). This study shows that the Igbo ethnic group consistently have higher count of all minutiae types and higher total minutiae counts for both hands statistically significant at P<0.001. We found association between gender and minutiae distribution in some minutiae types including fragment/point or dot (FP), overlap (OL) and break (BR). This work revealed important variations among individuals from the two ethnic groups on the distribution and variability of minutiae in Nigeria populations. Keywords: Dermatoglyphics, fingerprints, forensic, Igbo, minutiae, Nigeria, Yoruba.
Leaf Wax δD and δ13C in Soils Record Hydrological and Environmental Information Across a Climatic Gradient in Israel

The hydrogen (δDwax) and carbon (δ13Cwax) isotope compositions of long‐chain alkanes derived from plant waxes record hydrological and environmental conditions. However, the integration of plant n‐alkanes into the sedimentary cycle, the variability of δDwax and δ13Cwax in soils, and the paleoclimate applicability in paleosols and archaeological sediments are poorly constrained. We sampled plants and soils across a steep climate transect in Israel to understand how plant type and environmental parameters shape δ13Cwax and δDwax. This transect has three advantages: existence of long‐term precipitation isotopic composition (δDr) records, a single wet season potentially reduces variability due to seasonality, and abandoned Byzantine period (~300–600 AD) agricultural terraces that reduce modern and ancient soil mixing and provide age constraints. We find that soil δ13Cwax is constant (0.4‰, 1σ) across a 500‐ to 1,300‐mm/year rainfall gradient and appears insensitive to rainfall amount, unlike bulk plant δ13C. The absence of a rainfall effect suggests that δ13Cwax may be better suited to reconstructing C3/C4 plant ratios than bulk δ13C. Homologue average soil δDwax significantly correlate with δDr, and the offset between δDr and soil δDwax (εapp) correlates with growing season relative humidity. The seasonality of leaf production accounted for at most ~10% of total plant δDwax variability. Lastly, soil δDwax and δ13Cwax variability is reduced by ~80% relative to plant δDwax and δ13Cwax variability. Our results show that soil δDwax and δ13Cwax faithfully record δDr and landscape C3‐C4 plant contributions and thus support the utility of these proxy data in paleosols and archaeological sites.
The Impact of Location Characteristics on Population Distribution in the United States

vii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION . 1 Statement of the Problem . 1 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW . 20 CHAPTER THREE: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK . 52 Theory . 52 CHAPTER FOUR: METHODOLOGY. 60 Research Design . 60 Research Hypotheses . 60 Data . 61 Methods . 62 CHAPTER FIVE: FINDINGS . 76 Examining Indicators of Counties with Population Growth and Counties with Population Loss . 76 Examining Indicators of Native-born Population Growth and Foreign-born Population Growth . 94 CHAPTER SIX: DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION . 114 REFERENCES . 146