Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Defluoridation of groundwater using diatomaceous earth: optimization of adsorption conditions, kinetics and leached metals risk assessment

AbstractIn Sub-Saharan Africa, many rural communities depend on boreholes as the most appropriate source of water supply. Sadly, water from some of the boreholes contains fluoride above the WHO guideline of 1.5 mg/L. Hence, defluoridation is necessary. The aim of this study is to investigate the fluoride uptake capacity of diatomaceous earth (DE), a natural resource at optimized conditions by batch method. X-ray fluorescence analysis showed that the major component is silica (83.1%), while Al2O3 is the main minor component. XRD shows it is an amorphous material. For 8 mg/L fluoride spiked water, the highest per cent fluoride removal at optimum adsorption conditions (contact time: 30 min, adsorbent dosage: 8 g/L, pH 2, temperature: 298 K and shaking speed: 200 rpm) was between 23.4 and 25.6%. in tested field water was observed to reduce the fluoride uptake capacity of fluoride. The sorption data fitted better into Freundlich isotherm than Langmuir isotherm. Fluoride sorption process was found to be a secon.
Theology of religions: Models for interreligious dialogue in South Africa

To encounter a different culture, tradition or religion (which terms seem to be entwined with one another) one merely has to converse with a colleague or neighbour, turn on the television, read the news or go to a local store. Kärkkäinen (2003:17) observes that other religions used to be distant, almost exotic, and were merely vague topics for enjoyable conversation. These other religions – which could previously be ignored – ‘have come much closer to us whether we live in the West or elsewhere’ (Kärkkäinen 2003:17–18). What may also be true is that some Christians might still be blind to people from other religions, or purposely ignore other faiths. The World Council of Churches’ (WCC) Central Committee (2002:2), however, has made the point that religious plurality is becoming unavoidable, and in their 2002 report concerning religious plurality stated that almost all Christians all over the world live in religiously plural contexts. This in itself is not the problem being stated, but rather a promise of new and exciting opportunities for obtaining knowledge and understanding of different people and the characteristics that make them different.
Explaining Success and Failure in Welfare Policy Changes in Europe: Governance, Trust and Legitimacy

The global financial crisis and the subsequent Euro area debt crisis have led to new political challenges for the European Union, especially in the domain of welfare policies. This paper analyzes the effects of political institutions and societal preferences on the crisis management reactions of political elites in the more vulnerable EU member states. It explores two typical mechanisms diverting the democratic procedures from their usual stream, mainly in Southern and Central-Eastern European countries: an increasing delegation of power to non-elected economic policy experts and the strengthening of populist political leaders. The causal explanation reveals that the most important factors of the legitimacy of the political elites’ crisis management reactions are the trust of citizens in political institutions, the intensity of political polarization and the attitudes of citizens towards welfare entitlements.
ρ meson decay in 2+1 flavor lattice QCD

We perform a lattice QCD study of the {rho} meson decay from the N{sub f}=2+1 full QCD configurations generated with a renormalization group improved gauge action and a nonperturbatively O(a)-improved Wilson fermion action. The resonance parameters, the effective {rho}{yields}{pi}{pi} coupling constant and the resonance mass, are estimated from the P-wave scattering phase shift for the isospin I=1 two-pion system. The finite size formulas are employed to calculate the phase shift from the energy on the lattice. Our calculations are carried out at two quark masses, m{sub {pi}=}410 MeV (m{sub {pi}/}m{sub {rho}=}0.46) and m{sub {pi}=}300 MeV (m{sub {pi}/}m{sub {rho}=}0.35), on a 32{sup 3}x64 (La=2.9 fm) lattice at the lattice spacing a=0.091 fm. We compare our results at these two quark masses with those given in the previous works using N{sub f}=2 full QCD configurations and the experiment.
The Time is Now: Proposals for Two Enlistment Incentive Experiments

Abstract : When Congress initiated Enlistment Bonuses (EBs) in the early 1980s, it required the Department of Defense to conduct experiments on how these incentives affect recruiting. More recently, the only policy guidance for those who set enlistment incentives has come from analyses based on nonexperimental data. These analyses have employed widely recognized statistical estimators and, in many instances, have produced findings that seem both plausible and precise. Unfortunately, the statistical estimators used in these works have significant potential for bias when they are applied to nonexperimental data. This analysis describes several of the estimation problems that arise from using nonexperimental data to analyze the effects of enlistment incentives, discusses some of the econometric tools that researchers have used in their attempts to overcome these problems, and indicates the shortcomings of these tools. It also argues that the potential for estimation bias in these works is so severe that the Services should view the results from the recent analyses as inconclusive. Finally, the study proposes two experiments the Navy could undertake that would reveal important information about enlistment incentives, that would be low cost, and that would not hamper the Service's ability to meet its accession goals.
Layered Silicates/Fluorinated Polyimide Nanocomposites for Advanced Dielectric Materials Applications

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Application of a General Material Balance for High-Pressure Gas Reservoirs

Summary This paper presents the derivation of a general gas material balance that has particular application to high-pressure gas reservoirs, [both normal pressured and overpressured (geopressured)]. Its main application is to calculate original gas in place and assist in calculating remaining recoverable reserves from pressure/production data. The form of the material-balance equation is (p/z)[1 2 c #e(p)(pi 2 p)] 5 (p/z)i(1 2 Gp/G), which includes a pressure-dependent cumulative effective compressibility term c #e(p) that is defined in terms of the following reservoir parameters: pore compressibility, water compressibility, gas solubility, and total water associated with the gas reservoir volume. “Associated” water includes connate water, water within interbedded shales and nonpay reservoir rock, and any limited aquifer volume. c #e physically represents the cumulative change in hydrocarbon pore volume (PV) caused by compressibility effects and encroaching water. High pressure gas reservoirs typically have concave downward p/z vs. Gp plots which may result in serious overestimation of original gas in place and remaining recoverable reserves. The proposed form of the gas material balance equation provides a method to linearize the p/z vs. Gp plot, and thereby predict the true original gas in place. A method is suggested to determine initial gas in place by analyzing the behavior of cumulative effective compressibility backcalculated from pressure/production data. The c #e(p) function determined by this procedure, or estimated from logs and geological maps when sufficient production data is not available, is then used to forecast pressure/cumulative behavior. Two field examples are provided showing the application of the material balance equation to high pressure gas reservoirs.
Evaluation of SCIAMACHY Oxygen A band cloud heights using Cloudnet measurements

Abstract. Two SCIAMACHY (SCanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY) O2 A band cloud height products are evaluated using ground-based radar/lidar measurements between January 2003 and December 2011. The products are the ESA (European Space Agency) Level 2 (L2) version 5.02 cloud top height and the FRESCO (Fast Retrieval Scheme for Clouds from the Oxygen A band) version 6 cloud height. The radar/lidar profiles are obtained at the Cloudnet sites of Cabauw and Lindenberg, and are averaged for 1 h centered at the SCIAMACHY overpass time. In total we have 217 cases of single-layer clouds and 204 cases of multilayer clouds. We find that the ESA L2 cloud top height has a better agreement with the Cloudnet cloud top height than the Cloudnet cloud middle height. The ESA L2 cloud top height is on average 0.4 km higher than the Cloudnet cloud top height, with a standard deviation of 3.1 km. The FRESCO cloud height is closer to the Cloudnet cloud middle height than the Cloudnet cloud top height. The mean difference between the FRESCO cloud height and the Cloudnet cloud middle height is −0.1 km with a standard deviation of 1.9 km. The ESA L2 cloud top height is higher than the FRESCO cloud height. The differences between the SCIAMACHY cloud (top) height and the Cloudnet cloud top height are linked to cloud optical thickness. The SCIAMACHY cloud height products are further compared to the Cloudnet cloud top height and the Cloudnet cloud middle height in 1 km bins. For single-layer clouds, the difference between the ESA L2 cloud top height and the Cloudnet cloud top height is less than 1 km for each cloud bin at 3–7 km. The difference between the FRESCO cloud height and the Cloudnet cloud middle height is less than 1 km for each cloud bin at 0–6 km. The results are similar for multilayer clouds, but the percentage of cases having a bias within 1 km is smaller than for single-layer clouds. We may conclude that the FRESCO cloud height is accurate for low and middle level clouds, whereas the ESA L2 cloud top height is more accurate for middle level clouds. Both products are less accurate for high clouds.
Design, sharing and co-construction of learning resources: A case of lifelong learning communities in Shanghai

A key problem in developing a virtual community for co-constructing learning resources is the need to have people volunteer to share their expertise. In this paper, we introduce the first phase of our research in which we examine strategies for encouraging participants to share in the system. We began by designing an intervention model based on creating and sustaining social capital among the participants for the entire resource development process. Data collected in this pilot for the first phase showed that this design was effective in attracting and maintaining users' interest in contributing to this virtual community, while leaving some designed functions and tools still in need of improvement. These findings will be used to make modifications for a future version of the system, and their implications to the social computing field are addressed also.
Factors Determining the Use of Voluntary Counselling And Testing For HIV and AIDs Among Men And Women In Malawi

Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) is one of the measures used in the fight of HIV and AIDS in Malawi. WHO/UNAIDS/UNICEF (2011) estimated that about 440,000 to 510,000 people living with HIV and AIDS in Malawi were not getting treatment. This could be the case because they did not know their HIV status. Knowing the factors that lead people to seek Voluntary Counseling and Testing services in Malawi could demystify this. This study therefore investigated the determinants of Voluntary Counseling and Testing for HIV and AIDS among men and women in Malawi. The principal research focus was on the socio-economic and socio-demographic factors that determine one’s need to demand VCT services. A logistic regression model was used due to the categorical nature of the dependent variable i.e. whether one was tested or not. Among women, the variables age, residence, education, marital status, employment, mode of employment and lifetime number of sexual partners were found to be significant factors influencing the uptake of VCT. With the lower class as the reference variable, the ‘rich group’ was found to significantly influence the uptake of VCT but not the middle class. On the men’s side, the variables age, education, region of residence, lifetime number of sexual partners, marital status, wealth status and employment were found to have a significant influence on VCT uptake. The results also show that a man’s place of residence and mode of employment do not affect VCT uptake. In summary, the findings show that for both men and women the variables; age, education and lifetime number of sexual partners were significant. The variables; residence and mode of employment were significant only for women while the variable region of residence was only significant for men. The variable wealth status had the rich group being significant among both men and women while middle group was insignificant among both men and women. The variables marital status and employment were significant at all levels for women while for men they had at least one variable not significant. The variable religion was insignificant for both women and men except one variable – other religion affiliation, which was significant among men. Keywords: Socio-economic and socio-demographic factors, Voluntary Counselling and Testing, Logistic Regression Model
Technical Efficiency of Dairy Farms: A Stochastic Frontier Application on Dairy Farms in Jordan

The present study was conducted to determine the level of technical efficiency of dairy producing farms in Jordan by applying the stochastic production frontier (SPF) methodology. Technical efficiency estimates were generated for 100 dairy farms in Jordan. The results of the study indicated that technical efficiency of milk production by most of dairy farms in Jordan is low. The mean technical efficiency was estimated to be only 39.5% for the sampled dairy farms. This means that an average farm in the sample could in principle increase its level of milk production by 60.5% using the current input quantities. The results also implies that the dairy farms in Jordan are producing milk to only about 40% of the potential frontier production levels of this industry, implying that the production is about 60% below the frontier due to technical inefficiency. To enhance farm efficiency there is a need to improve farmers’ access to extension services. The need to involve farmers more in the extension process itself should be encouraged.
Archives of Family Medicine and General Practice

Objective: Analyze the hypothesis that exposure to family problems results in the presence of a patient companion in the medical consultation. Material and method: This is a retrospective study of cases and controls. "Case" was defined as a patient with a companion, and "control" as a patient without an accompanying adult. Problems in the family context (based on the genogram) were considered the previous exposure factor. For each case, the patient with the next appointment in the practice who did not come with a companion was chosen as a control. For each patient, the following variables among others were collected: age, sex, chronic diseases, medications, and social class. The bivariate comparisons were performed using the Chi square test, the Student t test, and the Mann-Whitney test. Finally, an analysis using logistical regression was performed. Results: 106 cases and 106 controls were obtained. The cases had more problems in the family context (45.1% vs. 30%; p = 0.03). Significant differences were found in favor of the cases in the following variables: older (≥ 65 years: 38.7% vs. 19.8%), a higher average number of chronic diseases (2.39 vs. 1.92); more drugs prescribed (2.96 vs. 1.97), and lower social class. When the logistical regression analysis was conducted on the variables that showed statistical significance in the bivariate analysis, using as the dependent variable the problems in the family context of the patient, significant differences were found only in the total number of chronic diseases (p = 0.019; OR = 1.384; risk factor), and age (p = 0.024; OR = 0.977; protection factor). Conclusion: The presence of a patient companion in the consulting room is an indicator of problems in the family context, and should be used as a signal to investigate psychosocial family data.
Novel Technologies and Future Perspectives of Drug-Eluting Stent

As compared with bare metal stents (BMS), Drug-eluting stents (DES) have dramatically reduced the incidence of target lesion revascularization and neointimal formation. There are, however, potential toxic effects of DES upon arterial tissue. Previous pathological studies have indicated that durable polymers and the drug itself play critical role in delayed endothelialization, persistent inflammation, hypersensitivity, apoptosis, necrosis, and positive remodeling leading to adverse cardiovascular events. To address these issues, new generation DES, biodegradable polymers, polymer-free and fully bioabsorbable scaffolds are currently in evolution. This review summarized the clinical trials that have assessed the feasibility and efficacy of new generation DES. A number of pivotal trials have also demonstrated the non-inferiority of biodegradable polymer or polymer-free DES to durable polymer DES in terms of clinical outcomes and angiographic in-stent late loss, although long-term follow-up data remain sparse. Fully absorbable DES has also provided promising results in selected populations and requires sufficiently powered randomized studies to assess their safety and efficacy.
Latitudinal patterns in the abundance of major marine bacterioplankton groups

The present study describes the abundance of major marine bacterioplankton groups and 2 bacterial genera (Pseudoalteromonas and Vibrio) in surface seawater at 24 stations around "\llnrJ the and 2 bacterial genera (Pseudoalteromonas and Vibrio) in surface seawater at 24 stations around the world. Catalyzed reporter deposition-fluorescence in situ hybridization showed that Alphaproteobacteria (average relative abundance 37%, average absolute abundance 3.7 x 10 5 cells ml -1 ) including SAR11 [30 % / (3 × 10 5 )], Gammaproteobacteria [ 14 % / (1.2 × 10 5 )] and Bacteroidetes [12 % / (1.3 × 10 5 )] globally dominated the bacterioplankton. The SAR86 clade (4.6% / (4.1 × 10 4 )] and Actinobacteria [4.5 % / (4 × 10 4 )] were detected ubiquitously, whereas Archaea were scarce [0.6 % / (4.2 × 10 3 )]. The Roseobacter clade [averaging 3.8% / (3.5 x 10 4 )], Pseudoalteromonas [2.6% / (2.1 × 10 4 )] and Vibrio [1.5% / (1.3 x 10 4 )] showed cosmopolitan occurrence. Principal component analysis revealed a latitudinal pattern in bacterial abundances by clustering samples according to lower and higher latitudes. This was related to significantly different relative abundances of Bacteroidetes (peaking at higher latitudes) and of unclassified Bacteria and Vibrio (both peaking at lower latitudes) between warmer and colder oceans. Relative abundances of Alphaproteobacteria (peaking at subtropical) and Gammaproteobacteria (polar stations) varied between major oceanic biomes, as did absolute abundances of Roseobacter (peaking at temperate and polar stations). For almost all groups, absolute abundances were positively correlated with nutrient concentrations in warmer oceans and negatively correlated with oxygen saturation in colder oceans. On a global scale, Roseobacter and SAR86 were correlated with chlorophyll a. Linkages of environmental parameters with relative abundances were more complex, with e.g. Bacteroidetes being associated with chlorophyll a. The finding of differing communities in warmer and colder oceans underlined the presence of biogeographical patterns among marine bacteria and the influence of environmental parameters on bacterial distribution.
Farmers' Understandings of Weeds and Herbicide Usage as Environmental Influences on Agricultural Sustainability

Little comparative research has specifically used farmers’ understandings of agricultural weeds and herbicides usage as important indicators of their environmental decision making and behaviours. This paper proposes that “organic’ farmers”, already attuned to environmental ideas, may be more likely to have favourable understandings and behaviours towards agricultural weeds as an integral part of environmentally sustainable agricultural farming systems than “conventional” farmers. Using a behavioural approach, the ways in which farmers’ (situated in central-southern England) understandings influence their environmental behaviours were examined. Most “conventional” farmers’ fields were kept relatively weed-free through herbicide usage. This contrasted with “organic” farmers having less concern about removal of weeds (with their associated invertebrates and seeds) which they understood contributes significantly towards biodiversity and agricultural sustainability. A remarkably high 92 per cent of “organic” farmers were critical of “conventional” farmers’ using herbicides and pesticides, asserting that lack of pesticide and herbicide usage as core reasons for their sustainability. This contrasted with most “conventional” respondents who claim they used as few chemicals as practicable to minimise environmental damage to soil and water, while maintaining adequate crop levels. Nevertheless, such environmental understandings and behaviours may not always be indicative of any differences that may be found between those farmers commonly classified as “organic” and “conventional” in the UK as a whole.