Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inclined Plane Jet Impinging a Moving Heated Wall

The present work is devoted to the numerical study of the interaction of an inclined plane turbulent jet with a moving horizontal isothermal hot wall. The inclination of the jet allows the control of the stagnation point location. Numerical predictions based on statistical modeling are obtained using a second order Reynolds stress turbulence model coupled to an enhanced wall treatment. For a given impinging distance H (H =8e), the considered problem parameters are: (a) jet exit Reynolds number (Re, based on the thickness "e" of the nozzle) in the range from 10000 to 25000, (b) surface-to-jet velocity ratio Rsj from left to right; ranging between 0 and1.75 and (c) optimal inclination angle of the jet between 0 ̊ to 25 ̊. The calculations are in good agreement with the available data. The numerical results show that the heat transfer is greatly influenced by the velocities of the jet and the moving wall. In particular, the local Nusselt number decreases with increasing surface-to-jet velocity ratios (until Rsj=1). Optimal inclination of the jet can be used to enhance heat transfer and modify the stagnation point location. The distribution of average Nusselt number is correlated with typical problem parameters.
Modeling the Potential Impact of Climate Change on Cotton (Gossypiumhirsutum) Production in Northeastern Semi-Arid Afar and Western TigrayRegions of Ethiopia

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) is a globally important fiber plant. Impact of climate change and variability is already being felt in Ethiopia in the form of higher temperature, erratic nature of rains (spatially and temporally), floods and drought. The aim of this study was to characterize the climate of the study areas, analyze the impact of climate change on cotton production and to recommend suitable adaptation strategies for cotton production under changing climate at Amibara, Dansha and Kebabo areas of Ethiopia. Historical climate data during 1980-2010, were collected from National Meteorological Agency and National aeronautical space administration while soil and cotton experimental data of the study areas were collected from respective agricultural research center. DSSATV4.6 model was calibrated and evaluated to assess the possible impact of climate change on cotton yield under the baseline and future climate. Model performance was assessed statistically by using quantitative statistical indicators: coefficient of de-term ination (R2), root mean square error (RMSE) and index of agreement (IA). In order to estimate the level of climate change impact (rainfall and temperature) on cotton production for the study areas, two Representative path ways as a threetime segment: Near-term i.e., 2010-2039, Mid-term i.e., 2040-2069) and End-term i.e., 2070-2099 using the coupled atmosphere-ocean HadGEM2-ES GCMs model. Time series anomaly plots for temperature showed that the mean temperature over Amibara, Dansha and Kebabo has increased by about 0.5 to-2oC, 0.5 to 1.65oC and 0.5 to 1.5oC and rainfall showed slight variability in start and end of season during the period of 1980-2010. The projected temperature and rainfall pattern shows that an overall increasing trend in annual temperature and significant variation of monthly and seasonal rainfall from the historical period of time. The rainfall varies between-1.6 to 3.3%,-0.7 to 3.8% and-0.8 to 3.3% at Amibara, Dansha and Kebabo respectively. Climate change analysis indicated a strong influence of temperature on cotton production in Amibara and Dansha sites and yield will be substantially decreased on average by 12% to 13% with projected increasing temperature and erratic nature of rainfall. Projected model simulations predict that climate change will shift planting dates towards late planting (May 15 and July 15) for the period of 2010-2099 at Amibara and Dansha while for Kebabo site early planting June 15 is preferable. In general cotton yield, will decrease but, late planting date and further research on different agronomic management practices will result in increased yield for Amibara and Dansha.
Predation rates of Indo-Pacific lionfish on Bahamian coral reefs

Indo-Pacific lionfish, mainly Pterois volitans, are currently invading coral reefs through- out the Caribbean region, where they have the potential to outcompete and prey upon a wide range of native reef animals. Here, we derive the first estimates of rates of predation by lionfish from field observations on natural reefs around New Providence, Bahamas. Although lionfish are reported to be crepuscular in their native range, they were very active during daylight hours. Lionfish were observed hunting at least 19 reef fish species, in at least 9 families. They hunted significantly more on overcast days and at greater depths, and frequently hunted near aggregations of fish at cleaning sta- tions. Lionfish consumed native fish at an average rate of 1.44 kills h -1 (0.29 kills h -1 on clear days and 2.29 kills h -1 on overcast days). This estimate may be conservative if lionfish hunt also between dusk and dawn. This rate is considerably higher than the only known prey consumption rate for P. volitans, which is extrapolated from ad libitum feeding of fish from the native range. Our results imply that using published predation rates from the native range to predict the impacts of lionfish on native Caribbean fish could lead to severe underestimation of these impacts.
THE TANZANIAN POLICY ON HEALTH-CARE FEE WAIVERS AND EXEMPTIONS IN PRACTICE AS COMPARED WITH OTHER DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: EVIDENCE FROM RECENT LOCAL STUDIES AND INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE

After introducing user charges in government hospitals and the presence of similar charges in the private health sector, the Tanzanian government established a policy for protecting poorest and vulnerable populations from healthcare charges. By citing evidence on similar experience from other developing countries, this paper presents, although in descriptive form, findings from technical research reports based on recent studies in Tanzania and critically analyses the relationship between government policy and its translation into practice. Evidence from previous but recent local studies indicates that while the policy explicitly identifies people with certain medical conditions as vulnerable groups eligible for exemptions, the issue of ‘waivers’ has been left to be decided at the discretion of local community leaders and health workers on ground that they know better the lifestyles, backgrounds and health conditions of the people surrounding them. This was viewed as a way of decentralizing decisions to local government authorities in granting such mechanisms to eligible people at the existing rates of health-care payments. This policy failure to define ‘who are the poor’ or how the poor should be assessed has caused confusion among health-care providers in identifying people who are eligible for waivers. It has also been used as a loophole for some health administrators to ignore people who deserve waivers since some people eligible for exemptions or waivers still pay either directly at the counter or indirectly under the table in order to get the better services they need. Other people delay or fail to contact health facilities due to lack of money or by avoiding the institutional bureaucracy in confirming who deserves a waiver. Some people do not benefit from exemptions because of lack of knowledge if they qualify and/or the procedures for presenting their claims. Meanwhile some exemptions are granted to people other than the targeted vulnerable groups. On the other hand, health workers hesitate to approve exemptions and waivers to avoid losing revenue on the side of their health facilities. Additional findings, discussions, conclusion and recommendations are presented.
Phenolic compounds as marker compounds for botanical origin determination of German propolis samples based on TLC and TLC-MS

Propolis, a complex mixture of different plant exudates collected and processed by honeybees, contains a wide range of bioactive substances. German propolis has so far only rarely been studied with respect to its constituents and botanical origin. To investigate the composition of specific phenolic constituents in bud extracts and German propolis, TLC and TLC-MS methods were developed. Ethanolic extracts from representative propolis samples and tree buds were analyzed by TLC. Compound assignment was achieved through mass spectrometric detection, and TLC using the DPPH assay was used to assess the antioxidant capacity. According to their TLC fingerprints, propolis samples were classified into three types (O/B/G) based on the results of former investigations. Identification of flavonoid aglycones and their methyl esters as well as acetates or butyrates was possible in both bud exudates of black poplar hybrids (Populus × canadensis Moench ‘Robusta’) and O-type propolis with TLC-MS. In aspen (Populus tremula L.) and B-type propolis, phenolic acid glycerols were detected as common constituents. Based on the marker compounds identified in the present study, black poplar hybrids and aspens were identified as major sources of the investigated propolis samples whereas horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum L.) and birch (Betula pendula Roth) were of minor importance. The O-type pro-polis displayed superior antioxidant activity, but also contained higher amounts of potential allergens like caffeic acid derivatives than B-type propolis.
Land-use changes may explain the recent range expansion of the Black-shouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus in southern Europe

Occasional observations of Black-shouldered Kites Elanus caeruleus in Europe date back to the mid-19th century, but it was only recorded as a breeding species in the early 1960s in Portugal and a few years later in neighbouring Spain. This recent colonization, possibly from Africa where the species is abundant, may be due to climate change, land-use changes in southern Europe, or both. As a first step to understanding this range expansion process we have developed a habitat selection model using data from the current strongholds of its European distribution. Comparing the proportion of different habitat types around 46 breeding sites and 45 randomly chosen plots, we have found that the area of cultivated parklands known as dehesas in Spain is a strong predictor of the current distribution range of breeding pairs of Black-shouldered Kites. Specifically, the percentage of dehesas with planted cereal and a low density of trees (i.e. < 7 trees/ha and thus a savannah-like habitat) within the study plots explained 44.6% of the residual deviance in our model. The minimal adequate model classified 81.3% of breeding sites and random plots correctly. Our results suggest that Black-shouldered Kites may have taken advantage of the gradual increase of cultivated dehesas in the second half of the 20th century to expand its range in Europe. This particular type of dehesa is structurally similar to the African savannahs where the species thrives and may offer a higher density of rodents than traditional dehesas, which primarily contain pastureland for livestock ranching.
PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHANGES OF 'GOLDEN' PAPAYA STORED UNDER CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERE

Changes in atmosphere composition make possible the increasing in postharvest life of fruits, but under extreme conditions it can alter the product quality. This research work investigates the physicochemical changes of ‘Golden’ papaya stored at 13 o C in different controlled atmospheres. It was evaluated peel colour, mass loss, pulp firmness, titratable acidity, pH, and soluble solids content in fruits stored under atmospheres with lower O2 (1, 3 and 5%) and higher CO2 concentrations (2, 6 and 10%). Fruits stored in 1% O2 showed detrimental green colour changes, however the ones stored in O2 levels above 3% presented small changes in colour. Furthermore, the colour changes were also delayed by increasing CO2 levels to 10%. Pulp hardness and atypical acidity were perceived at 1% O2 and 10% CO2 levels. The O2 level of at least 3% is essential to avoid physical and chemical disorders. By increasing the CO2 levels to 10% effectively slowed down the ripening process, but sensory analysis should be conducted to ascertain the quality of the product.
The Use of Trajectory Cluster Analysis to Evaluate the Long-Range Transport of Black Carbon Aerosol in the South-Eastern Baltic Region

Trajectory cluster analysis and source-receptor models (the potential source contribution function (PSCF), concentration weighted trajectories (CWT), and trajectory source apportionment (TSA)) were applied to investigate the source-receptor relationship for the aerosol black carbon (BC) measured at the coastal site (Preila, 55.55°N, 21.04°E) during 2013. The main sources and paths of advection to the south-eastern Baltic region and its relation to black carbon concentration were identified. The 72 h backward trajectories of air masses arriving at Preila from January to December 2013 were determined and were categorized by clustering them into six clusters. Subsequently, BC levels at Preila associated with each air mass cluster during this period were analyzed. The PSCF and CWT analysis shows that, on high BC concentration days, the air masses commonly originated and passed over southern regions of Europe before arriving at Preila in winter, while a strong impact of wildfires was observed in spring.
THE IMPACT OF ACCESS TO SERVICES AND SYMPTOM SEVERITY ON PARENTING STRESS AND STRESS-RELATED GROWTH IN PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM

by SARAH A. CAIN SPANNAGEL, M.A. Research has consistently demonstrated that parenting a child with autism can lead to increased perceived stress for parents. This stress may be affected by a number of variables such as the severity of the child’s autism symptoms and the difficulty accessing essential services. There may also exist a complex pattern of interaction among these variables. Parental coping and level of hopefulness may mitigate this stress in some way. Furthermore, some parents may actually demonstrate personal growth as a result of parenting for a child with a pervasive and chronic condition such as autism. The current study investigated several questions: (1) Is symptom severity associated with parenting stress? 2) Is access to services related to child clinical outcomes, parenting stress, and parental stress-related growth? 3) Do hopefulness and coping ability function as mediators of these relationships? Thirty-eight parents of children with autism were obtained from a Cleveland Clinic autism patient registry. Parents were asked to complete several questionnaires related to access to services, specifically met and unmet service needs (Family Support Index; Heller and Factor, 1993), level of hopefulness (Adult Trait Hope Scale; Synder, 1991), coping (Coping Health Inventory for Parents; McCubbin et al., 1983), parenting stress (Parenting Stress Index-Short Form; Abidin, 1995), stress-related growth (Stress Related Growth Scale; Park et al., 1996), and child outcomes (Ohio Autism Clinical Impression Scale; Butter and Mulik, 2006) Main results were that autism severity at diagnosis was not related to any variables. Current severity was related to parenting stress. As predicted, met service needs was significantly negatively related to child’s current level of severity. Results were that met service needs was significantly negatively related to parenting stress and significantly positively related to parental coping. Coping and met service needs were both significantly positively related to stress-related growth. This study did not find that coping and hopefulness functioned as mediators. This study is the first to examine the relationships among these variables with this population, and the findings have important implications for professionals serving these families.
An overview of tannins rich plants as alternative supplementation on ruminant animals: A Review

Sheep, cattle and goats are domestic ruminants of significant economic interest in the Southern Africa region. Their nutrition depended on grasses and browse plant species, some of these plants are reported to possess secondary compounds known as tannins. Also, these compounds are known to have properties that are both beneficial and disadvantageous towards animal production. Rural farmers tend to experience severe feed shortage during winter. Therefore, proper use of trees and shrubs (containing tannins) as supplementary feed by rural farmers will be beneficial. Rural farmers cannot afford to purchase commercial supplementary feeds. Hence, there is a need for alternative supplementary feeding. Moreover, use of tannin rich plants by rural farmers will reduce gastrointestinal, and in turn, it will enhance ruminant animal production on the rural areas. This review aims to find out how beneficial tannins rich plants to ruminant animal production.
A Better Framework for the Assessment of Performance and Stability of Co-Adaptive Myoelectric Systems

Co-adaptive myoelectric human-machine systems are a fairly recent, but promising, advancement in pattern recognition-based myoelectric control. Their performance and stability, however, are not fully understood due in part to a lack of proper assessment tools. Time-series based analyses are typically used despite the availability of techniques used in other fields that can robustly measure stability and performance. In this research, we leverage the success achieved by lower limb systems to improve the assessment framework of co-adaptive myoelectric systems by exploiting a key feature common between the two systems. The cyclical dynamics found in lower limbs are also apparent in co-adaptive myoelectric systems, allowing us to analyze their behavior using Poincaré maps. A 10-day experiment was designed and conducted to observe the effects of algorithm adaptation and myoelectric experience level on the performance of a co-adaptive myoelectric control system. Through Poincaré maps, we were able to identify learning effects, as well as oscillations and uncertainty in performance. Assessment of these seemingly random variations in performance led to the inference that co-adaptive systems can be chaotic. Modelling co-adaptive myoelectric systems as cyclical leads to the application of an improved framework to better assess and describe their dynamics and performance.
GROWTH AND FLOWERING OF GERBERA AS INFLUENCED BY VARIOUS HORTICULTURAL SUBSTRATES

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the growth and flowering of gerbera grown in various horticultural substrates combined with conventional media (composed of garden soil, silt and sand in equal proportions) which is commonly used for its commercial production in the country. Two horticultural by-products viz. coconut coir and spent mushroom compost were tested for their suitability to be used as growing media for cut flower production. No major differences in yield were observed between conventional media and both horticultural by-products; however, flower quality was improved when both of the substrates were used in combination with conventional media. Growing substrate choice also influenced flower stalk length and diameter which revealed positive correlation of these substrates with various attributes of flower quality but not flower yield. Moreover, incorporation of coconut coir and mushroom compost lowered pH and increased available organic matter and electrical conductivity of conventional media which improved nutrient uptake by the plants.
Chiral observables and topology in hot QCD with two families of quarks

We present results on QCD with four dynamical flavors in the temperature range $150$ MeV $\lesssim T \lesssim 500$ MeV. We have performed lattice simulations with Wilson fermions at maximal twist and measured Polyakov loop, chiral condensate and disconnected susceptibility, on lattices with spacings as fine as 0.065 fm. For most observables spacing effects are below statistical errors, which enables us to identify lattice results with continuum estimates. Our estimate of the pseudocritical temperature compares favorably with continuum results from staggered and domain wall fermions, confirming that a dynamical charm does not contribute in the transition region. From the high temperature behaviour of the disconnected chiral susceptibility we infer the topological susceptibility, which encodes relevant properties of the QCD axion, a plausible Dark Matter candidate. The topological susceptibility thus measured exhibits a power-law decay for $T/T_c \gtrsim 2$, with an exponent close to the one predicted by the Dilute Instanton Gas Approximation (DIGA). Close to $T_c$ the temperature dependent effective exponent seems to approach the DIGA result from above, a behaviour which would support recent analytic calculations based on an Instantons-dyons model. These results constrain the mass of a hypothetic QCD post-inflationary axion, once an assumption concerning the relative contribution of axions to Dark Matter is made.
Analysis Of Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology Of Thyroid Lesions

This is a five year study of 412 cases of thyroid lesions reported by Pathology Department in a tertiary care hospital. These lesions were studied for Cytological features and correlation with Clinical, Radiological, Hormonal & Histopathological features. Neoplastic lesions were classified according to WHO guidelines. The study concluded that thyroid lesions were more common in females with male to females ratio 1:9. Nonneoplastic lesions were more common 70.4% as compared to Neoplastic lesions. Diffuse goitre was the most common Non-neoplastic lesion and follicular neoplasm was the most common Neoplastic lesion. Good correlation was noted in Cytodiagnosis, Clinical status, Radiological findings, Histopathological and Hormonal findings.
The Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Narrative Abilities in Primary Progressive Aphasia

Title of Thesis: THE EFFECTS OF TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT CURRENT STIMULATION ON NARRATIVE ABILITIES IN PRIMARY PROGRESSIVE APHASIA Deborah Colantuoni, Master of Arts, 2018 Thesis Directed By: Associate Professor Yasmeen Faroqi-Shah Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a neuromodulation technique that has recently been studied as an adjunct to speech-language therapy in persons with primary progressive aphasia (PPA). Preliminary studies have shown improved language abilities with tDCS-supplemented therapy, primarily in naming, as well as improved generalization and maintenance of skills. However, the effects of tDCS on narrative abilities have not yet been well studied in this population. The present study examined whether the addition of tDCS to anomia therapy improved narrative language measures in 16 participants with PPA versus sham stimulation plus therapy. Results demonstrated that tDCS did not significantly improve narrative language measures in participants with PPA. THE EFFECTS OF TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT CURRENT STIMULATION ON NARRATIVE ABILITIES IN PRIMARY PROGRESSIVE APHASIA by Deborah Colantuoni Thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Maryland, College Park in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts 2018 Advisory Committee: Professor Yasmeen Faroqi-Shah, Chair Professor Nan Bernstein-Ratner Professor Kyrana Tsapkini © Copyright by Deborah Colantuoni 2018