Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Filling the white space on maps of European runoff trends: estimates from a multi-model ensemble

An overall appraisal of runoff changes at the European scale has been hindered by "white space" on maps of observed trends due to a paucity of readily-available streamflow data. This study tested whether this white space can be filled using estimates of trends derived from model simulations of European runoff. The simulations stem from an ensemble of eight global hydrological models that were forced with the same climate input for the period 1963–2000. The derived trends were validated for 293 grid cells across the European domain with observation-based trend estimates. The ensemble mean overall provided the best representation of trends in the observations. Maps of trends in annual runoff based on the ensemble mean demonstrated a pronounced continental dipole pattern of positive trends in western and northern Europe and negative trends in southern and parts of eastern Europe, which has not previously been demonstrated and discussed in comparable detail. Overall, positive trends in annual streamflow appear to reflect the marked wetting trends of the winter months, whereas negative annual trends result primarily from a widespread decrease in streamflow in spring and summer months, consistent with a decrease in summer low flow in large parts of Europe. High flow appears to have increased in rain-dominated hydrological regimes, whereas an inconsistent or decreasing signal was found in snow-dominated regimes. The different models agreed on the predominant continental-scale pattern of trends, but in some areas disagreed on the magnitude and even the direction of trends, particularly in transition zones between regions with increasing and decreasing runoff trends, in complex terrain with a high spatial variability, and in snow-dominated regimes. Model estimates appeared most reliable in reproducing observed trends in annual runoff, winter runoff, and 7-day high flow. Modelled trends in runoff during the summer months, spring (for snow influenced regions) and autumn, and trends in summer low flow were more variable – both among models and in the spatial patterns of agreement between models and the observations. The use of models to display changes in these hydrological characteristics should therefore be viewed with caution due to higher uncertainty.
Multiphase CFD simulations of dense medium and classifying hydrocyclones

Cyclones are widely used in the mineral processing industry to classify and concentrate mineral particle slurries. CFD simulations of dense medium and classifying cyclones have been conducted using FLUENT. The simulations use a three dimensional grid and the Reynolds Stress Turbulence Model. Classification and medium segregation and the air core are being modelled with the Algebraic Slip Mixture Model. The results are compared with density profiles from gamma ray tomography and plant classification data.
Comparison of J-integral from single specimen SE ( T ) tests on API-5 L X 100 line pipe steel Conference

The clamped single-edge notched tension (SE(T)) specimen has seen increased use as a single-specimen testing scheme to determine tearing resistance curves in high strength steel pipe. The SE(T) specimen with appropriate notch geometry is a low-constraint specimen designed to reduce conservatism in the toughness measurement when compared to other toughness testing methods. The J-integral is robust and simple to calculate from data obtained by the use of several direct experimental measurements. This study employed a wide variety of instrumentation on API 5L X100 SE(T) specimens with fixed test parameters for direct comparison. This paper presents the details of the instrumentation and determination of the J-integral used in developing resistance curves. The results of this study show that directly measuring strain gradients can yield commensurate results to other non-codified methods currently under development for evaluating J-resistance curves in pipeline steels. Such experimental comparisons are needed to assure that the analysis methods used in both test-method development and in structural analysis accurately simulate the actual material behavior. Because the high fracture toughness of modern pipeline steels allows the development of extensive strain fields before significant tearing, practical strain gradient measurement techniques with local strain capacity up to 20 % will be needed to more accurately quantify the comparison between calculations and experiment. To the authors’ knowledge this direct comparison has never been conducted and published by use of independent instrumentation on the same specimens.
Quantity Rationing of Credit

Quantity rationing of credit, when ? firms are denied loans, has greater potential to explain macroeconomics ? fluctuations than borrowing costs. This paper develops a DSGE model with both types of financial frictions. A deterioration in credit market con? fidence leads to a temporary change in the interest rate, but a persistent change in the fraction of ? firms receiving ? financing, which leads to a persistent fall in real activity. Empirical evidence confi? rms that credit market con? fidence, measured by the survey of loan officers, is a signi? cant leading indicator for capacity utilization and output, while borrowing costs, measured by interest rate spreads, is not.
The effect of continuous positive airway pressure on blood pressure and left ventricular structure in male patients with obstructive sleep apnea

Amaç: fiiddetli derecede obstrüktif uyku apnesi (OSA) olan erkek hastalarda nazal sürekli havayolu bas›nc› (SHB) tedavisinin kan bas›nc› ve sol ventrikül yap›s› üzerine etkileri incelendi. Çal›flma plan›: fiiddetli derecede OSA saptanan 33 erkek hasta alt› ay süreyle SHB ile tedavi edildi. Hastalar›n tedaviye uyumu, SHB’nin her gece en az 3.5 saatlik kullan›m› olarak tan›mland›¤›nda, 25 hasta (ort. yafl 47.9±8.2) uyumlu (ort. 5.3±1.9 saat), sekiz hasta (ort. yafl 48.6±8.4) uyumsuz (ort. 1.0±0.8 saat) bulundu. Tedavi öncesi ve sonras›nda, sol ventrikül yap›s› (interventriküler septum kal›nl›¤›, sol ventrikül posterior duvar kal›nl›¤›, sol ventrikül kütlesi, sol ventrikül kütle indeksi) ve fonksiyonunu (E/A oran›, izovolümetrik gevfleme zaman›, mitral ak›m h›z› yavafllama zaman›, mitral ak›m propagasyon h›z›) belirlemek için ekokardiyografik ölçümler yap›ld› ve sistolik ve diyastolik kan bas›nçlar› ölçüldü. Tedaviye uyumlu grupta 20 hastada hipertansiyon, 22 hastada diyastolik disfonksiyon, 16 hastada sol ventrikül hipertrofisi (SVH) vard›. Uyumlu olmayan hastalar›n tümünde hipertansiyon, dördünde diyastolik disfonksiyon, dördünde SVH vard›. Bulgular: Tedavi sonras›nda sistolik ve diyastolik kan bas›nçlar› her iki grupta da anlaml› düflüfl gösterdi; ancak, bu düflüfller tedaviye uyumlu grupta daha belirgindi (p<0.001 ve p<0.01). Sol ventrikül yap›s› ve diyastolik fonksiyonla ilgili göstergelerin tümü tedaviye uyumlu hastalarda anlaml› derecede düzelme gösterdi. Sol ventrikül hipertrofisi dokuz hastada (%56.3, p<0.0001), diyastolik disfonksiyon 11 hastada (%50, p<0.001) iyileflti. Tedaviye uyum göstermeyen grupta ise, sol ventrikül yap›s› ve diyastolik fonksiyonla ilgili göstergelerde anlaml› düzelme görülmedi ve SVH’li ve diyastolik disfonksiyonlu hasta say›s›nda de¤ifliklik olmad›. Sonuç: fiiddetli OSA’n›n SHB ile tedavisi, kan bas›nçlar›n› ve sol ventrikül duvar kal›nl›¤›n› anlaml› derecede düflürmekte ve sol ventrikül diyastolik disfonksiyonu iyilefltirmektedir.
Preparation of Nano-thin films of ZnO by Sol – Gel method and applications of solar cells Hetrojunction

In this research was to prepare ZnO by sol – gel method and then deposited on the( ITO - glass, Silicon wafer and glass) substrates by spin- coating 2000 rpm and then thermally treated in a furnace heat. Then the samples were examined by X-Ray, as well as UV and then was PMMA deposition at different spin sped by using spin- coating (1000, 2000 and 3000) rpm for Nano-thin film (67, 91, 182) nm respectively. Then the samples were examined to feature current and voltages darkness and light extraction efficiency of the solar cell where they were getting the best efficiency is when the thickness of the oxide42 nm and 91 nm where the polymer was 2.1%. Keywords : Zinc oxide (ZnO), sol-gel, PMMA polymer, Nano-thin film
Understanding co‐occurrence by modelling species simultaneously with a Joint Species Distribution Model (JSDM)

A primary goal of ecology is to understand the fundamental processes underlying the geographic distributions of species. Two major strands of ecology – habitat modelling and community ecology – approach this problem differently. Habitat modellers often use species distribution models (SDMs) to quantify the relationship between species’ and their environments without considering potential biotic interactions. Community ecologists, on the other hand, tend to focus on biotic interactions and, in observational studies, use co‐occurrence patterns to identify ecological processes. Here, we describe a joint species distribution model (JSDM) that integrates these distinct observational approaches by incorporating species co‐occurrence data into a SDM. JSDMs estimate distributions of multiple species simultaneously and allow decomposition of species co‐occurrence patterns into components describing shared environmental responses and residual patterns of co‐occurrence. We provide a general description of the model, a tutorial and code for fitting the model in R. We demonstrate this modelling approach using two case studies: frogs and eucalypt trees in Victoria, Australia. Overall, shared environmental correlations were stronger than residual correlations for both frogs and eucalypts, but there were cases of strong residual correlation. Frog species generally had positive residual correlations, possibly due to the fact these species occurred in similar habitats that were not fully described by the environmental variables included in the JSDM. Eucalypt species that interbreed had similar environmental responses but had negative residual co‐occurrence. One explanation is that interbreeding species may not form stable assemblages despite having similar environmental affinities. Environmental and residual correlations estimated from JSDMs can help indicate whether co‐occurrence is driven by shared environmental responses or other ecological or evolutionary process (e.g. biotic interactions), or if important predictor variables are missing. JSDMs take into account the fact that distributions of species might be related to each other and thus overcome a major limitation of modelling species distributions independently.
Fabrication of uniform Ag/TiO2 nanotube array structures with enhanced photoelectrochemical performance

In the current work, pulse current deposition has been used to prepare evenly distributed and uniformly sized Ag nanoparticles on a TiO2 nanotube array photoelectrode. The Ag particle size and loading were controlled by the pulse deposition time. The Ag/TiO2 nanotube arrays were characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, XPS and UV-vis diffuse reflection absorption. The resulting electrode contained intimately coupled, three-dimensional Ag/TiO2 structures with greatly improved photocurrent generation and charge transfer compared to a two-dimensional random Ag particle layer deposited directly on top of the nanotube array by the regular photoinduction method. A model mechanism is proposed to illustrate the uniform Ag nanoparticle deposition via the new deposition technique developed in the current work that promotes the uniform distribution of the Ag particles whilst minimizing their deposition at tube entrances, thus effectively preventing the pores from becoming clogged.
Loughborough University Institutional Repository Facilitating healthy ageing in construction : stakeholder views

The objective of this paper is to demonstrate how the experience and knowledge of construction workers can be utilised to encourage healthy ageing and facilitate healthy working behaviours.The population is ageing globally leading to an increasingly ageing workforce and with the abolishment of an official retirement age working into later life is becoming commonplace. Natural age-related declines such as reduced vision, hearing and muscle strength make it difficult to remain in industries such as construction where heavy manual labour is commonplace. A previous study by the authors found that construction workers have good ideas for both maintaining and improving their health and well-being at work. Workers suggested solutions which could facilitate healthy ageing such as improving facilities and personal protective equipment and wanting better knowledge transfer systems such as more apprentices to pass their knowledge on to. This paper discusses how these findings could be used in the construction industry to improve health, well-being and healthy ageing.Focus groups with industry stakeholders presented them with these ideas; they were asked about their perceptions of older workers and how they thought the ideas suggested by their workforce could be used to improve health, well-being and ageing. Barriers and opportunities to change were investigated and stakeholders were encouraged to consider how they could encourage involvement of their workers using participatory ergonomics techniques.Stakeholders were positive about the older workforce and were keen to promote change within their companies. This research forms part of a larger study, sponsored by Age UK’s Research into Ageing Fund, which aims to produce a resource for dissemination across the industry, encouraging engagement of the workforce to facilitate healthy working behaviours. It is essential that ideas from workers are harnessed and utilised to ensure that all workers can age healthily at work. © 2015 The Authors.Published by Elsevier B.V. Peer-review under responsibility of AHFE Conference.
The Impact of Aid on Economic Growth in Transition Economies: An Empirical Study

This paper assesses econometrically the contribution of aid to output growth in a panel of twenty transition countries over nine years (1989-1997). The study finds a positive and statistically significant relationship between foreign aid and growth. A second result is that the positive effect of aid seems to be stronger when associated with economic liberalisation. The above findings are important, particularly in light of recent scepticism on the role of aid on developing country economic growth and the recent declining trend in aid commitments from industrialized countries.
The Influence of Biographical Factors on Adult Learner Self-Directedness in an Open Distance Learning Environment

This study investigated the relationship between self-directedness (as measured by the Adult Learner Self-Directedness Scale) and biographical factors such as age, race, and gender of adult learners enrolled at a South African open distance learning (ODL) higher education institution. Correlational and inferential statistical analyses were used. A stratified random sample of 1,102 mainly black and female learners participated in the study. The Adult Learner Self-Directedness Scale (ALSDS) identified four constructs of adult learner self-directedness in an Open Distance Learning Higher Education (ODLHE) milieu, namely the strategic utilisation of officially provided resources, engaged academic activity, success orientation for ODLHE, and academically motivated behaviour. The research indicated that significant differences exist between the gender, race and age groups with regard to self-directedness. With regard to gender, males scored significantly higher than females on success orientation for ODLHE and engaged academic activity. With regard to race, Indian participants scored significantly higher than the other race groups on strategic utilisation of officially provided resources and engaged academic activity. The white participants scored significantly higher than the other race groups on success orientation for ODLHE. In terms of age, the age group >50 scored significantly higher than the other age groups on success orientation for ODLHE and self-efficacy. In terms of success orientation, the means for the age groups seem to increase as the ages of participants increase. The age group 18-25 scored significantly higher than the other age groups on engaged academic activity.
Evolution of the South Philippine Sea: Deep Sea Drilling Project Leg 59 Results

Several prominent inactive and active arcs and marginal basins lie within the confines of the South Philippine Sea (Fig. 1). These are, from west to east, the inactive West Philippine Basin, Palau-Kyushu Ridge, Parece Vela Basin, and West Mariana Ridge and the active Mariana Trough and Mariana Ridge. The two most acceptable hypotheses suggested for the origin of these marginal basins are (1) the entrapment of preexisting oceanic crust and (2) the formation of new oceanic crust by back-arc sea-floor spreading. The former hypothesis—entrapment of old oceanic crust during initiation of subduction and island-arc formation,—was advocated by Hilde et al. (1977) for the West Philippine Basin. They suggested that the eastern boundary of the West Philippine Basin was a major transform fault that changed to a convergent plate boundary when Pacific plate motion shifted to a more westerly direction about 45 m.y. ago, creating the Palau-Kyushu arc and entrapping the West Philippine Basin. The latter hypothesis—the generation of new crust by sea-floor spreading behind migrating arcs—was proposed by Karig (1975) for all the marginal basins of the South Philippine Sea. Essential to Karig's thesis is the proposal that throughout the evolution of the arcs and marginal basins of the South Philippine Sea, the Mariana Ridge has retained its role as the fore-arc region; that is, each time the arcs sundered, the same fore-arc region was displaced toward the east as the leading edge of the next-active island arc. If this thesis is correct, then the fragments of the geological record preserved in the fore-arc of the modern Mariana Ridge should indicate past volcanic activity of this fore-arc when it was part of the previously active Palau-Kyushu Ridge. Thus much of the deeply buried early volcanism on the Palau-Kyushu and West Mariana ridges may also be recorded in the Mariana Ridge. Summaries of the events on the Mariana arc have been extracted from the work of Cloud et al. (1956), Schmidt (1957), Stark (1963), Tracey et al. (1964), and Ingle (1975), and from the results of DSDP Leg 60
THERMAL PROCESSING OF DICTYONEMA ARGILLITE AND KUKERSITE OIL SHALE: TRANSFORMATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF SULFUR COMPOUNDS IN PILOT-SCALE GALOTER PROCESS

Transformation and distribution of sulfur compounds in fossil fuel thermal processing depends on the bonding forms of sulfur in the specific feed-stock, thermal processing conditions and the technology used. This paper is focused on oil shale semicoking in a pilot-scale solid heat carrier retort (Galoter process) where oil shale is heated by means of mixing with ash from retorted shale combustion. The effect of out-burning conditions of the solid semicoking residue in the technological regeneration furnace on transformation and distribution of sulfur in retorting products is shown for two types of Estonian oil shales – dictyonema argillite and kukersite oil shale. These oil shales used differ significantly in their sulfur composition (total sulfur and sulfur bonding forms present) and mineral matter content.
A bootstrap method for estimating bias and variance in statistical fisheries modelling frameworks using highly disparate datasets

Statistical models of marine ecosystems use a variety of data sources to estimate parameters using composite or weighted likelihood functions with associated weighting issues and questions on how to obtain variance estimates. Regardless of the method used to obtain point estimates, a method is required for variance estimation. A bootstrap technique is introduced for the evaluation of uncertainty in such models, taking into account inherent spatial and temporal correlations in the datasets, which are commonly transferred as assumptions from a likelihood estimation procedure into Hessian-based variance estimation procedures. The technique is demonstrated on a real dataset and the effects of the number of bootstrap samples on estimation bias and variance estimates are studied. Although the modelling framework and bootstrap method can be applied to multispecies and multiarea models, for clarity the case study described is of a single-species and single-area model.
Resource Use Efficiency in Soybean Production in Rwanda

Even though soybean (Glycine Max) is currently a minor crop in Rwanda, it is one of the crops that the government of Rwanda is promoting because of its high nutritional value, adaptability to the climate of the country, and its good response to organic and mineral fertilizer inputs. Since farm resources are limited in Rwanda, it is critical to devise ways of improving their productivity and use efficiency even in soybean production. This study used on-farm data from Kamonyi district collected during two agricultural seasons from September 2007 to July 2008 and identified key factors determining soybean production and resource use efficiency in soybean production. Cobb-Douglas production function was fitted. Results indicate that, with an elasticity of 0.46, plot size was the most important factor of soybean production. It was closely followed by intermediate inputs (fertilizers, pesticides and seeds), with a coefficient of 0.44. When intermediate inputs were decomposed, fertilizers with an elasticity of 0.062 appears to contribute more to soybean production than pesticides (0.057) and seeds (0.034). Technical inefficiency was responsible for at least 93% of total variation in soybean output among the survey farmers. The relative efficiency (allocative efficiency) of resource use, expressed as the ratio of marginal value product (MVP) to marginal factor cost (MFC), were 1.73 for soybean plot size, 1.36 for fertilizers, and 1.92 for pesticides. These indicate that too little of these inputs are being used in relation to the prevailing market conditions. Keywords: Soybean, Resource use, Efficiency, Cobb-Douglass production models, Rwanda
Government involvement in high performance sport: an Australian national sporting organisation perspective

ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) and Summer Olympic National Sporting Organisations (NSOs) to determine the effect the relationship has on Olympic performance outcomes. Five Olympic NSOs were examined: Athletics Australia, Cycling Australia, Rowing Australia, Swimming Australia and Yachting Australia. All five NSOs represent sports in which Australia has consistently achieved strong results at previous Olympic Games. These NSOs receive significant funding from the ASC and, as such, are expected to achieve success at the Olympic Games. The ASC–NSO relationship was examined through an agency theory framework whereby the ‘contracts’ between the ASC (principal) and the NSOs (agents) were investigated through a survey, interviews and document analysis to identify potential management issues that may affect Olympic performance outcomes, such as agent or principal opportunism. The findings identified a lack of a collaborative high performance sport system in Australia, with the findings emphasising concerns over the ASC’s management of NSO programmes. While the ASC staff identified their organisation as the leader of high performance sport in Australia, the study’s NSO participants did not believe that the ASC had the capacity, capability and knowledge to fulfil this role.