Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Comparison of ETKF Targeting Guidance with ECMWF and NRL TE-SVs Targeting Guidance

Ongoing adaptive observing programs strive to improve shortand medium-range forecasts of winter weather over populated areas. Aircraft equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS) dropwindsondes are directed over ordinarily data-sparse regions (oceans) to collect observations to enhance the subsequent operational analysis-forecast cycle. Two objective techniques that have been used to identify optimal “target regions” are the Ensemble Transform Kalman Filter (ET KF) and the Singular Vector technique. The similarities and differences between targeting guidance based on the ET KF and Total Energy Singular Vectors (TESVs) are assessed for 10 cases during the NORPEX experiment. TESVs are computed at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) using their respective global models, and the ET KF uses 25 ECMWF ensemble perturbations. Using measures based on (i) rankings of aircraft flight tracks and (ii) spatial similarities between targeting guidance maps, the main finding is that (a) the ET KF guidance is reasonably correlated with TESV guidance for at least 7 of the 10 NORPEX cases. Other findings include: (b) the ECMWF and NRL TESV targets sometimes differ significantly, (c) the ET KF and TESV guidance maps often display different optimal locations for targeting on smaller scales, but larger scale aspects are usually similar, (d) the ET KF generally identifies larger regions over which useful observations can be taken compared with the SV technique, and (e) regions that are deemed effective for targeting by both techniques often correspond to baroclinic zones. The ET KF and SV techniques may identify similar regions for targeting if locations of large ensemble-based analysis error variance coincide with areas where rapid perturbation growth occurs. On the other hand, they may identify different targeting locations for the following two reasons. First, the ET KF implicitly accounts for error correlation lengthscales in its predictions of forecast error variance reduction produced by any set of targeted observations. Hence, it can identify locations for targeted observations that are distant from the regions of high analysis sensitivity that are selected for targeting by the SV technique. Second, ET KF estimates of analysis error variance are constrained to a subspace of evolved ensemble perturbations and are therefore rank-deficient.
Carcass Characteristics of Tagger Goat Male and Female Kids in Eldalneng Area, South Kordufan State, Sudan

Tagger goats are promising meat breed with excellent conformation and meat quality in Nuba Mountains, but are neglected. The objectives of this study were to study carcass characteristics, body components and wholesale cuts of male and female Tagger kids of about six months old in Eldaleng area, South Kordufan State, Sudan. There were no significant differences between males and females in body components except for heads and skins (P≤0.05). The Slaughter, empty body, hot carcass weights and dressing percentages on live and empty body weight bases were heavier in males compared to females and were highly significantly (P≤0.01) affected by sex, with no significant differences between sexes in slaughter weight and dressing percentage on empty body weight basis. Carcass muscle and fat percentages were significantly higher in males, while carcass bone percentage was significantly higher in females (P≤0.05). Muscle: bone ratio was highly significantly (P≤0.01) higher in males than females and muscle: fat ratio was higher in females with no significant difference. Carcasses were split into six wholesale cuts and best end of neck and breast were significantly (P≤0.05) higher in males than females.
New Approach to High-Fidelity Aerodynamic Design Optimization of a Wind Turbine Blade

A new approach to high-fidelity aerodynamic design optimization of a wind turbine blade configuration is offered. This method combines Blade Element Momentum (BEM) theory with the high fidelity aerodynamic shape optimization of an airfoil. The chord length and the twist angle of the blade at various radiuses have been calculated by BEM. The Navier Stokes equations are solved to simulate both two and three dimensional flows. The Results which are obtained from 2D Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) have been utilized to train a Neural Network (NN). E387Eppler is used as the base cross section of the blade. In the process of airfoil optimization, Genetic Algorithm (GA) is coupled with trained NN to attain the best airfoil shape at each angle of the attack. The simulation and validation of the base wind turbine with calculated pitch angle, twist angle, chord profile and base airfoil have been performed. The comparison of the results of this turbine with optimized one, illustrates a significant improvement in power factor.
Establishment and height development of harvested and naturally regenerated Scots pine near the timberline in North-East Finnish Lapland

Researchers and professionals in practical forestry have faced problems concerning the regeneration success of Scots pine in natural regeneration near the timberline in North-East Lapland. The aim of the study was to analyze the seedling establishment and seedling height development of Scots pine in seed-tree stands in the area. The average number of living pine seedlings in the study stands was about 1000 ha–1, but there was considerable variation between the stands. The seedling density was modelled using a multinomial logistic regression with a random factor. Forest site type and the time since seed-tree cutting were the most significant explanatory variables in the model. The probability of reaching the acceptable seedling density was higher on dry site types than on the more fertile ones. The probability increased with the time elapsed since the regeneration activities. Effective temperature sum and the number of intermediate pines also positively affected the probability, but the presence of residual trees negatively. On northern and eastern slopes the probability was lower than on southern and western ones. Seedling height was modelled using a linear mixed model. The age of a dominant seedling was the most positively effective explanatory variable in the height development model. Other positively affecting significant predictors were time since seed-tree cutting, number of intermediate birches, and distance between a seedling and the nearest seed tree. Degree of paludification had a negative effect. The study suggests that the regeneration of Scots pine in North-East Lapland is a relatively slow process.
Going beyond the service exchange: Investigating an engagement platform for customer learning.

customer learning Current technological and competitive conditions require that firms think about new ways to build relationships with their customers. The impact of the technological (r)evolution has been especially profound for services, which have traditionally relied on close contact and personal interactions between customers and employees. Selfservice technologies, such as ATMs, online banking, and self-check-in, have dramatically changed the way services are developed, delivered and perceived. As a result, service providers face the challenge to explore new and innovative ways to build relationships with their customers in a mutually beneficial way. In light of this challenge, this paper combines theoretical perspectives on value creation, customer learning, and customer engagement in order to investigate engagement platforms for customer learning. However, in order to effectively use such an engagement platform as a relationship-building marketing instrument, there is a clear need to examine the factors influencing customers’ willingness to join this platform. This is the focus of our study.
Relevance of the Circumplex Model to Family Functioning Among Orthodox Jews in Israel

The circumplex model of family functioning, as advanced by Olson (2000), posits that moderate levels of cohesion and flexibility are more adaptive than high or low levels. Research in majority-culture Western samples supports this model, suggesting that families with moderate levels of cohesion and flexibility display more adaptive functioning. However, the crosscultural relevance of the circumplex model is unclear. Since Orthodox Jews view the family as an instrument of religious socialization and a key community organizing structure, it was hypothesized that high cohesion (i.e., enmeshment) and low flexibility (i.e., rigidity) would be normative and adaptive among this population. A sample (N = 1,632) of Orthodox Jewish parents of adolescents completed a measure assessing the circumplex model (Family Adapatability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale, FACES-IV; Olson, 2011) along with other related measures of family functioning. Results indicated that the circumplex model had poor fit, reliability, and validity in this population. A four-factor solution including cohesive-flexibility, chaos, disengagement, and modified enmeshment appeared more appropriate. These findings concur and diverge from findings in other populations, and the theoretical implications are discussed.
A Study on Overweight and Obesity among Rural Adult Populationin West Bengal

Background: Overweight and Obesity is a major public health problem in recent times across the globe. It is related to an increased risk of morbidity and mortality as well as reduced life expectancy. Objectives:1) To study the prevalence of overweight and obesity among rural adult population.2) To find-out the correlates of overweight and obesity among them. Methods:A community-based, cross-sectional study was carried out in a block of West Bengal. Data were collected from 945 adult people(>18 years) with the help of a pre-designed,pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire during one year. Study subjects were selected by Simple Random Sampling method from the available voter-list. Results: Out of 945 study subjects, overall prevalence of overweight was 11.6%(male-9.6%, female-14.3%) and obesity was 9.3%(male-8.1%, female-10.9%). Logistic regression revealedfemale gender [adjusted Odds ratio(OR)=1.764,95% Confidence interval(CI)=1.2672. 456,P=0.005] and associated morbidities like hypertension,diabetes,osteoarthritis,IHD,stroke[adjusted OR=2.014,95% CI=1.433-2.830,P=0.000] were found to be risk factors for overweight and obesity. On the contrary, physical activity[adjusted OR=0.508, 95% CI=0.365-0.706, P=0.000] was a protective factor. Conclusion: It is obvious from this study that prevalence of overweight and obesity was more among females than males, and it is possible to decrease this proportion by increasing physical activity and decreasing comorbidities.
Prevalence of extended spectrum -lactamases in multidrug resistant strains of Gram-negative bacteria

Extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) are enzymes that are now becoming major sources of resistance to β-lactamase antibiotics more especially in enteric bacteria such as Klebsiella pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa and Escherichia coli. Increase in the frequency of the β-lactam resistance in bacteria has become a serious threat for treating bacterial infections caused by enterobacteriaceae. This study aims to determine the prevalence of ESBLs producers among enteric Gram negative bacteria isolated from patients in OAUTHC, Ile-Ife, Osun State. The subject used in this study involved patients presenting with evidence of hospital infections. The collected sputum specimens were processed for the isolation and identification of Gram negative bacilli. Resistance of the isolates to different antibiotics tested was determined using the standard disc diffusion method of Kirby-Bauer. Phenotypic and confirmatory test of the isolates were done for ESBL production using double disc synergy test (DDST) on Mueller Hinton agar according to CLSI 2013 guidelines. Results reveal that the highest occurrence of bacteria was recovered in Klebsiella species (35%), followed by Enterobacter sp. (13%), P. aeruginosa (10%), Escherichia coli and Salmonella sp. (7%) while the least occurs in Proteus sp. All the isolates were 100% resistance to class piperacillin, 76.6% to beta-lactamase inhibitor and 52% resistance to cephalosporins while they were susceptible to carbapenems, nitrofurans, and fluoroquinolones. The prevalence of ESBLs producing isolates was 51.1% while non-ESBL producing strains were 48.8%. Therefore, it can be concluded that extended spectrum beta lactamases are gradually increasing in Nigeria with co-resistance to some other classes of antibiotics which is very alarming. There is a limited number of drugs sensitivity for these bacteria and the drug of choice is imipenem, ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin. Key words: Multidrug resistance, extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs), Gram negative bacteria
CHEMICAL , RHEOLOGICAL AND SENSORY PROPERTIES OF WHEAT-OAT FLOUR COMPOSITE SNACKS AND ITS HEALTHY BENEFICIAL EFFECT

Snacks recipes were prepared; using 100% whole meal wheat flour and100% wheat flour , 25 and 50% replacement levels of whole meal wheat flour (WWF) or wheat flour (WF) by Oat flour (OF). Chemical, rheological and organoleptic characteristics of the prepared snacks were studied. Results indicated that there was a gradual increment in water absorption, dough development time, weakening and mixing tolerance index with increasing OF in the snacks. On the other hand, the stability time and arrival time decreased by adding OF to WWF or WF at two levels replacement. The adding of OF to WWF or WF led to increased rapid viscoanalyzer parameters. Regarding color, flavor and crispiness, it could be noticed that no significant differences between snacks from WWF or WF (control) and snacks from mixtures of WWF with OF or WF with OF at two levels. Significant differences were observed when wheat flour was replaced with OF in snacks for taste, appearance and overall acceptability, in addition to its beneficial effect in improving the criteria of the metabolic syndrome. It can be concluded that OF could be useful for preparation of snacks for those suffering from Metabolic syndrome (Obesity, diabetes and hyperlipidemia).
Extending the Notion of Specialized Content Knowledge: Proposing constructs for SCK

While it is widely believed that Specialized Content Knowledge (SCK) is essential to effective and quality mathematics teaching, the specific constructs that compose SCK remain underspecified. This paper describes the development and use of a new framework that extends the notion of SCK. The framework was trialled with a cohort of 90 first year Bachelor of Education (Primary) pre-service teachers who enrolled in a regional Australian university. The preservice teachers undertook a mathematics test, which required them to address school students’ misconceptions and to explain specific mathematical concepts. Resultant data (i.e., the pre-service teachers’ responses to the written test) provided an empirical basis for the proposed constructs of SCK. The analysis of the data allowed insight into the central question: whether the proposed framework enables researchers to unfold details of SCK. Ultimately, we aim to conceptualise the constructs of SCK through elaborating the theoretical and empirical basis.
Evaluation of Ethiopian isolates of Pseudomonas fluorescens as biocontrol agent against potato bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia (Pseudomonas) solanacearum

A total of 50 fluorescent pseudomonas were collected from different potato growing areas in Ethiopia isolated and characterized, and evaluated on king’s B medium for their antibiosis towards Ralstonia solanacearum the pathogen of bacterial wilt of potato. Out of the 50 isolates only three i.e., Pf S2, Pf Wt3 and PfW1 showed inhibition against the growth of the pathogen. To test their antagonistic effect under greenhouse condition an experiment was conducted using sterilized soil. Tubers of bacterial wilt susceptible potato clone CIP 383031.15 were used. The potato tubers were dipped into 48 hrs old culture suspension of the three isolates i.e., Pf S2, Pf Wt3, PfW1 and Pfri (Indian reference strain) for 1 hr and planted in pots containing sterilized soil. Bacterization of tubers with isolates Pf S2, Pf Wt3, and PfW1, significantly reduced by 59.83% the incidence of bacterial wilt compared to the pathogen-inoculated control and increased plant growth (plant height and dry weight) by 59.83%, 76.89% and 28.44%, respectively. This suggests the importance of the studied isolates as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria.
Estimation of crown coverage using airborne laser scanning

Vegetation mapping for environmental monitoring is today conducted by manual photo-interpretation combined with field surveys. This study is the first attempt in Sweden to investigate the potential of using Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) for the estimation of crown coverage of tree crowns and shrubs. Thirty field plots were randomly allocated within a 1×1 km 2 area in southern Sweden. All plants with any part inside the 10 m radius and with a height greater than 0.3 m were measured. The field data were used to derive crown coverage for each plot. Proportions of laser returns within height intervals were derived from ALS data and used as explanatory variables in simple linear regression models for estimation of crown coverage of trees and shrubs. For estimation of tree crown coverage (> 3.0 m height) the root-mean-square-error (RMSE) was 4.9%. For estimation of total (trees and scrubs) crown coverage (> 0.3 m height) the RMSE was 6.3%. These RMSE values were achieved despite a mixture of tree species on the field plots. However, the analysis was not sufficient for high accuracy estimations of the amount crown coverage from shrubs (0.3-3.0 m height interval) below a tree canopy.
Detailed Model and Investigation of Gain Saturation and Carrier Spatial Hole Burning for a Semiconductor Optical Amplifier With Gain Clamping by a Vertical Laser Field

A detailed model for semiconductor linear optical amplifiers (LOAs) with gain clamping by a vertical laser field is presented, which accounts the carrier and photon density distribution in the longitudinal direction as well as the facet reflectivity. The photon iterative method is used in the simulation with output amplified spontaneous emission spectrum in the wide band as iterative variables. The gain saturation behaviors and the noise figure are numerically simulated, and the variation of longitudinal carrier density with the input power is presented which is associated with the ON–OFF state of the vertical lasers. The results show that the LOA can have a gain spectrum clamped in a wide wavelength range and have almost the same value of noise figure as that of conventional semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs). Numerical results also show that an LOA can have a noise figure about 2 dB less than that of the SOA gain clamped by a distributed Bragg reflector laser.
Optimization of variables in fixed-bed column using the response surface methodology

Heavy metal removal technologies in industrial wastewater bodies are being implemented more frequently, due to the increasing demand for treatment of water contaminated with metals. Adsorption becomes important due to its profitability and use of organic waste. The objective of this research was to optimize the most incidental variables of the cadmium biosorption process with cocoa shell (Theobroma cacao L.) in fixed-bed column with the response surface methodology. The hypothesis of the study was that bed height is the most influential variable in the continuous adsorption process. The experimental design was 3 multilevel factorial , the information corresponds to the behavior of the bed and influence of feed flow, initial metal concentration in the solution and the height of the packed bed. A second-order polynomial model was generated with a correlation coefficient of 0.9072, which indicates that this makes a good adjustment of the experimental data. The theoretical and operational optimal conditions were determined. The optimal configuration of the actual and theoretical bed operating parameters were: 5 g biomass, 4.5 mL min flow rate and 100 mg L initial metal concentration for real conditions and 10.79 g, 4.50 mL min flow rate and 40 mg L for theoretical flow rate. It concluded that the height of the bed had a proportional influence on the removal rate, while the initial metal concentration in the synthetic solution and the increase in flow rate did not have a significant effect on the system. 1122 Candelaria Tejada-Tovar et al.
Teachers’ professional learning goals in relation to teaching experience*

Abstract In this study, we explored the relationships between teachers’ self-articulated professional learning goals and their teaching experience. Although those relationships seem self-evident, in programmes for teachers’ professional development years of teaching experience are hardly taken into account. Sixteen teachers with varying years of experience and subjects were interviewed. The results show different learning goals, related to communication and organisation, curriculum and instruction, innovation, responsibilities, and themselves as professional. Various relationships between learning goals and teaching experience emerged, which clearly reflect the development from early- to mid- and late-career teachers. Issues related to curriculum and instruction appeared to be learning goals for early- and mid-career teachers. This implies that regardless of increasing teaching expertise, curriculum and instruction remain central to teachers’ continuous learning. Late-career teachers were interested in learning about extra-curricular tasks and innovations. Models of professional life phases have been used to interpret these results.
Wage inequality in Indian manufacturing: Is it trade, technology or labour regulations?

This paper investigates the question of wage inequality in Indian manufacturing in the years of trade and investment liberalization. The objective is to test the hypothesis of skill biased technological change (SBTC) due to capital-skill complementarity and the impact of labour regulations on wage inequality between skilled and unskilled labour. The skill-wage bill share equation is estimated for a panel of 46 three-digit industries spanning the period 1981-2004 followed by 113 four-digit industries panel covering the period 1993 to 2004.The econometric results suggest the positive contribution of change in output (scale effect), capital-output ratio and contract-worker intensity to wage inequality in Indian manufacturing.