Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT PLANTING METHODS FOR OPTIMIZATION OF PLANT POPULATION OF FINE RICE ( Oryza sativa L . ) IN PUNJAB ( PAKISTAN )

Low plant population is the major cause for low rice (Oryza sativa L.) yields in Pakistan which can be optimized using a proper sowing method. For the purpose, an experiment was conducted to determine the effects of different sowing methods on plant population and yield of fine rice cv. Super Basmati. The sowing methods included direct seeding by broadcast at field capacity (DSBFC), direct seeding by broadcast in standing water (DSBSW), direct seeding with drill at field capacity (DSDC), transplanting at 20cm apart rows (TR-20), farmer's practice (FP), transplanting by parachute method (TPM). Data on plant population, number of panicle bearing tillers, plant height, number of grains per panicle, spikelets per panicle, 1000-grain weight and grain yield was recorded. It was also observed that maximum paddy yield (3.06 t ha) was produce by TR-20 while minimum paddy yield (2.52 t ha) was observed in case of DSBSW. TR-20 proved to be the most productive planting method for rice cultivation.
Spatial extent and conservation status of Banj oak ( Quercus leucotrichophora A . Camus ) forests in Uttarakhand , Western Himalaya

We assessed the conservation status of Quercus leucotrichophora (banj oak) forests and identified priority areas for its conservation in Uttarakhand state, India. The methods include mapping by using satellite remote sensing, and phytosociological analysis of dense, open and degraded banj oak forests in different elevational zones in the state. Mapping of banj oak forests was done using IRS P6 AWiFS satellite data in conjunction with altitude information and field knowledge. Canopy density information was generated based on Normalised Vegetation Difference Index (NDVI). Structure, composition and species diversity were quantified within 510 stratified random sample plots distributed in various elevation gradients. The study revealed that banj oak forests constitute 5.24 % (1284 km2) of total forest cover in the state (45.80 %). Of this, 775 km2 area falls within reserve forests while 509 km2 falls in village and private forests. Middle elevation range (1800 2200 m asl) represented maximum area (951.7 km2) under banj oak. Area under dense, open and degraded banj oak forests was estimated at 560.3, 510.62 and 213.68 km2, respectively. The greatest banj oak tree density was found in dense forests (479 ± 22.35 individual ha-1) between 1500 1800 m asl and lowest in degraded banj oak forests (46 ± 19.86 individual ha-1) above 2200 m asl. Mean sapling (585 ± 51 individual ha-1) and seedling (368 ± 37 individual ha-1) density across various forests showed that regeneration is adequate with respect to the mean tree density (337±13.6 individual ha-1) in western Himalaya. Most of the intact banj oak forests in the state occurred between 1800 2200 m elevations.
The Impact of Institutional Investors on Performance of Palestinian Companies listed at the PSE "

Institutional investors have grown substantially in international, mature markets in last two decades parallel with the increase in their impact. They seek to own large proportions of equities; as a result they have become influential on performance of companies in which they invest. Previous studies show no conclusive evidence on the direction in the role of institutional investors on performance. This research attempts to examine the impact of institutional investors' involvement on performance of investee companies. This study relates corporate governance to performance by considering institutional investors' involvement as one of the governance dimensions. This thesis considers two variables for institutional investors' involvement, one is the whole number of institutional investors holding a particular stock, and the other is the institutional investors' representation on boards of investee companies. Performance was measured by using Tobin's q. The study was conducted using regression for three consecutive years, 2005, 2006, & 2007. The results show a statistically significant positive relation between the whole number of institutional investors and corporate performance in 2005 & 2006, but none in 2007. The results also show a statistically significant negative relation between institutional investors represented on board and firm's performance in 2005 & 2006, but none in 2007. These results call for further examination of the ownership by institutional investors and their relations with performance of investee companies.
Evaluation of an ASM 1 model calibration procedure on a municipal – industrial wastewater treatment plant

The purpose of the calibrated model determines how to approach a model calibration, e.g. which information is needed and to which level of detail the model should be calibrated. A systematic model calibration procedure was therefore defined and evaluated for a municipal–industrial wastewater treatment plant. In the case that was studied it was important to have a detailed description of the process dynamics, since the model was to be used as the basis for optimisation scenarios in a later phase. Therefore, a complete model calibration procedure was applied including: (1) a description of the hydraulics in the system via a tracer test, (2) an intensive measuring campaign and (3) supporting lab-scale experiments to obtain and confirm kinetic parameters for the model. In this paper the model calibration procedure for this case study is described step by step, and the importance of the different steps is discussed. The calibrated model was evaluated via a sensitivity analysis on the influence of model parameters and influent component concentrations on the model output. The sensitivity analysis confirmed that the model output was sensitive to the parameters that were modified from the default parameter values. The calibrated model was finally reduced from a 24 tanks-in-series configuration to a 12 tanks-in-series configuration, resulting in a 50% reduction of the simulation time.
Unemployment , Immigration , and Populism : Evidence from Two Quasi-Natural Experiments in the United States GLO Discussion

This paper examines how economic insecurity and cultural anxiety have triggered different dimensions of the current populism in the United States. Specifically, I exploit two quasi-natural experiments, the Great Recession and the 2014 Northern Triangle immigrant influx, to investigate the effects of unemployment and unauthorized immigration on attitudes related to populism and populist voting in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election. I discover that recent unemployment during the Great Recession, rather than existing unemployment from before the recession, increased the probability of attitudes forming against wealthy elites by 15 percentage points. Such attitudes are connected with left-wing populism. I identify perceived economic unfairness as a mechanism through which recent unemployment drove left-wing populism. However, cultural anxiety rather than economic insecurity more likely led to the over 10 percentage points rise in the probability of anti-immigration attitudes developing. These attitudes are related to right-wing populism. Furthermore, I obtain evidence that cohorts economically suffering the aftermath of the Great Recession were associated with 40 percentage points higher likelihood of supporting left-wing populist Bernie Sanders, while cohorts residing in regions most intensely impacted by the immigrant influx were associated with 10 percentage points higher possibility to vote for right-wing populist Donald Trump. This study attempts to link distinct economic and cultural driving forces to different types of populism and to contribute to the understanding on the potential interactions of the economic and cultural triggers of the currently surging populism.
Predictors of Mechanical Failure Rate in Reduction of Intertrochanteric Fracture of the Femur Using Proximal Femoral Nail with Helical Blade

Background: The optimal implant for reducing intertrochanteric fracture is unknown. Several bone-related, implant-related and radiological variables seem to play a role in predicting the rate of intraoperative and postoperative mechanical failure. The objective of this study was to evaluate the rate and predictors of mechanical failure and its relationship with quality of reduction through assessing certain radiological parameters. Materials and methods: A retrospective study reviewed patients with stable (AO/OTA Type 3.1A1) and unstable (AO/OTA Type 3.1A2 and A3) intertrochanteric femur fracture who were treated with proximal femoral nail with helical blades (PFNA) between 2011 and 2017. Exclusion criteria were patients with pathologic fractures. Followup was undertaken at 1 day, 4-6 weeks, and 3 months postoperatively by reviewing radiographs and medical charts. The primary outcome was the rate of mechanical failure. Radiologic parameters of Tip apex distance (TAD), neck shaft angle and displacements were evaluated as indicators of reduction quality. All these were compared to each other and baseline patient characteristics to identify any association. Results: We found 69 patients who underwent PFNA procedure. There was no case of intraoperative or postoperative mechanical failure or non-orthopedic complication. The postoperative radiological outcomes revealed variable quality of reduction with: mean TAD of 26.07±3.69° (bimodal), mean neck shaft angle of 133±5.6° (range: 116-140°), 35% of patients having lesser trochanter displacement, 28% having displaced femoral shaft. There was no statistical significant relation between any of the radiological outcomes and patient characteristics except between neck shaft angle and osteoporosis (p=0.03). Conclusion: The radiological outcomes are independent of the patient’s characteristics except for Neck Shaft Angle and Osteoporosis. Absence of mechanical failure despite the variability in reduction quality (optimal/suboptimal) might be explained by the decent implant design. Further studies are needed to confirm that PFNA implant design is the major preventer of mechanical failure. Level of evidence: IV
key concepts in elt Learner autonomy

The idea of learner autonomy isnotnew, but it has beenwidely referred to in the field of ELT only over the last decade. Previously, terms referring more directly to practical interventions or situations of learning were more favoured within ELT: ‘individualization’, then ‘learner independence’ for example. One sign of the shift to ‘learner autonomy’ as a preferred termhas been the recent name change of the IATEFL ‘Learner Independence’ Special Interest Group (SIG) to ‘Learner Autonomy’ SIG.
X 2 0 1 5 ) 0 3 1 Simulation of radiation-induced defects

Mainly due to their outstanding performance the position sensitive silicon detectors are widely used in the tracking systems of High Energy Physics experiments such as the ALICE, ATLAS, CMS and LHCb at LHC, the world’s largest particle physics accelerator at CERN, Geneva. The foreseen upgrade of the LHC to its high luminosity (HL) phase (HL-LHC scheduled for 2023), will enable the use of maximal physics potential of the facility. After 10 years of operation the expected fluence will expose the tracking systems at HL-LHC to a radiation environment that is beyond the capacity of the present system design. Thus, for the required upgrade of the all-silicon central trackers extensive measurements and simulation studies for silicon sensors of different designs and materials with sufficient radiation tolerance have been initiated within the RD50 Collaboration. Supplementing measurements, simulations are in vital role for e.g. device structure optimization or predicting the electric fields and trapping in the silicon sensors. The main objective of the device simulations in the RD50 Collaboration is to develop an approach to model and predict the performance of the irradiated silicon detectors using professional software. The first successfully developed quantitative models for radiation damage, based on two effective midgap levels, are able to reproduce the experimentally observed detector characteristics like leakage current, full depletion voltage and charge collection efficiency (CCE). Recent implementations of additional traps at the SiO2/Si interface or close to it have expanded the scope of the experimentally agreeing simulations to such surface properties as the interstrip resistance and capacitance, and the position dependency of CCE for strip sensors irradiated up to ∼1.5×1015 neqcm. Insights to the development processes of the defect models as well as a review of the recent results from TCAD simulations of several detector technologies and silicon materials at radiation levels expected for HL-LHC will be presented.
Thermodynamic formalism and integral means spectrum of logarithmic tracts for transcendental entire functions

We provide an entirely new approach to the theory of thermodynamic formalism for entire functions of bounded type. The key point is that we introduce an integral means spectrum for logarithmic tracts which takes care of the fractal behavior of the boundary of the tract near infinity. It turns out that this spectrum behaves well as soon as the tracts have some sufficiently nice geometry which, for example, is the case for quasidisk, John or Hölder tracts. In these cases we get a good control of the corresponding transfer operators, leading to full thermodynamic formalism along with its applications such as exponential decay of correlations, central limit theorem and a Bowen’s formula for the Hausdorff dimension of radial Julia sets. This approach covers all entire functions for which thermodynamic formalism has been so far established and goes far beyond. It applies in particular to every hyperbolic function from any Eremenko-Lyubich analytic family of Speiser class S provided this family contains at least one function with Hölder tracts. The latter is, for example, the case if the family contains a Poincaré linearizer.
The Impact of Personal Control over Office Workspace on Environmental Satisfaction and Performance

The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the background information regarding to personal control over the physical aspects of the workspace and the impact of that on individual satisfaction with work environment and performance. Today’s work environment considerably vastly different to what it was several centuries ago; man-made objects dominate the physical surroundings. In today’s workplace development the tendency to move from private offices to open layout is increasing which is affect the ability of control ambient conditions in workspace such as lighting, room temperature, privacy and so on. This situation may affect employees’ reaction, behaviour and outcome. In fact while individuals are working in open layout workspaces the distractions from uncontrollable ambient conditions happen again and again which reduce their satisfaction with work environment and overall work outcome. It is therefore important to emphasize the significance of personal control over the environmental features and the effect of that on individual’s environmental satisfaction and performance based on the conflict results in the literature. Consequently, the outcome of reviewing literatures will contribute to understand that part of existing knowledge of ergonomics and designing workplaces could be applied to promote individuals outcomes by focusing more on their office design and they ability to control their workspace and environmental satisfaction.
Significance of air movement for thermal comfort in warm climates : A discussion in Indian context

Thermal comfort research is yet to gain momentum in India. Indian designers follow verbatim the ASHRAE standard when designing the indoor environments. This only leads to over design/ energy wastage and in environments inappropriate to the local climates and customs. Our earlier study in 2008 highlighted the wide gulf between the actual comfort temperature recorded on field and that specified in the National Building Code2005. Therefore, comfort studies are exigent in India. Addressing this need, the authors are conducting a field study in warm-humid and composite climates of India from January 2012. The current paper highlights the significance of air movement for comfort at elevated temperatures as observed in our Hyderabad study. Subjects using fans had higher comfort temperature than those without. The occupants successfully achieved higher air velocities through the use of various personal environmental controls in order to comfortably offset the discomfort during the warm-humid months.
BEHAVIOR OF STIFFENED DEEP CEMENT MIXING ( SDCM ) AND DEEP CEMENT MIXING ( DCM ) PILES ON SOFT BANGKOK

A new kind of reinforced Deep Cement Mixing (DCM) pile, namely: Stiffened Deep Cement Mixing (SDCM) pile is introduced to mitigate the problems due to the low flexural resistance, lack of quality control in the field and unexpected failure of DCM pile. The SDCM pile consists of DCM pile reinforced with precast concrete core pile. Previously, the full scale embankment loading test on soft Bangkok clay improved by SDCM and DCM piles was successfully conducted and monitored. The parameters were also derived from an earlier full scale load tests to failures and subsequent simulations. To continue the study on the behavior of SDCM and DCM piles, the 3D finite element simulations and parametric study have been done. The simulation results of the full scale embankment loading test indicated that the surface settlements decreased with increasing lengths of the concrete core piles from 4 to 6 m but slightly reduced from 6 to 7 m as well as slightly decreased with increasing sectional areas in the SDCM piles. In addition, the lateral movements of the embankment decreased by increasing the lengths (longer than 4 m) and, to a lesser degree, the sectional areas of the concrete core piles in the SDCM piles. The results of the numerical simulations closely agreed with the observed data from full scale field tests and successfully verified the parameters affecting the performances and behavior of both SDCM and DCM piles.
DATA MINING TECHNIQUES FOR IDENTIFICATION OF SPECTRALLY HOMOGENEOUS AREAS USING NDVI TEMPORAL PROFILES OF SOYBEAN CROP

The aim of this study was to group temporal profiles of 10-day composites NDVI product by similarity, which was obtained by the SPOT Vegetation sensor, for municipalities with high soybean production in the state of Paraná, Brazil, in the 2005/2006 cropping season. Data mining is a valuable tool that allows extracting knowledge from a database, identifying valid, new, potentially useful and understandable patterns. Therefore, it was used the methods for clusters generation by means of the algorithms K-Means, MAXVER and DBSCAN, implemented in the WEKA software package. Clusters were created based on the average temporal profiles of NDVI of the 277 municipalities with high soybean production in the state and the best results were found with the K-Means algorithm, grouping the municipalities into six clusters, considering the period from the beginning of October until the end of March, which is equivalent to the crop vegetative cycle. Half of the generated clusters presented spectro-temporal pattern, a characteristic of soybeans and were mostly under the soybean belt in the state of Paraná, which shows good results that were obtained with the proposed methodology as for identification of homogeneous areas. These results will be useful for the creation of regional soybean “masks” to estimate the planted area for this crop.
PLS-SEM : THE HOLY GRAIL FOR ADVANCED ANALYSIS

For many researchers, keeping up with advanced methods can seem daunting. Learning new software along with the application and interpretation guidelines can sometimes be overwhelming. That is not the case, however, with partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), particularly using SmartPLS 3.0 (Ringle, Wende, & Becker, 2015). The recent rise in popularity of PLSSEM can be attributed, at least in part, to the ease of understanding and applying the basic analytical tools of the method (Hair, Ringle, & Sarstedt, 2011). But learning to apply advanced methods such as mediation, moderation, multigroup analysis and more, is also relatively straightforward.
Towards Incremental End-to-End Privacy Preserving Data Classification

Nowadays, machine learning algorithms are used in a myriad of domains, such as medical diagnosis, fraud detection and user behavior analysis. However, in some of these cases, it is important that the data manipulated by these algorithms remain confidential. In order to address this paradox, the domain of privacy preserving machine learning has emerged. In this work, we describe the design principles of an outsourced incremental data classification scheme that satisfies this privacy constraint, while maintaining good classification accuracy and computational performance. 1 Context and Research Problem Statement With the pervasiveness of computer devices and digital services, huge amounts of data are nowadays continuously generated and collected. Machine learning is an increasingly popular set of tools which are used to extract hidden yet valuable knowledge from this data. These tools can be quite beneficial in many application domains, such as medical diagnosis, fraud detection, user behavior analysis and many others. However, using its conventional methods over sensitive data may lead to serious individual or collective privacy breaches by leaking sensitive information about data owners. In this paper, we are interested in privacy preserving machine learning methods that aim to efficiently extract useful knowledge from encrypted data.
Fundamental Studies of Linting in Offset Printing of Newsprint

Linting is the removal of material from the surface of uncoated grades of paper during offset printing. Excessive linting reduces image quality and can reduce press productivity. In this paper, web-fed and sheet-fed linting trials have been used to investigate the effect of important press and paper variables on linting. Two of the most important printing parameters affecting linting were the take-off angle from the nip and the printing tone. From analysis of the effects of take-off angle and printing tone, two forces were identiﬁed as being especially important to linting: a ﬁlm ﬂow force in the nip and a tack force from the splitting of the ink ﬁlm. A simple model was presented that could qualitatively explain why printing press speed, printing pressure and ink tack all had smaller effects on linting than would be expected from consideration of tack force alone. Laboratory printing tack tests and other measurements of paper properties were compared with lint measured in the sheet-fed trials. The tack force measured in laboratory printing was found to be lower for improved newsprint compared to newsprint, while the lint in both sheet-fed and web-fed trials was higher for the improved newsprint. Differences in the ﬁlm ﬂow in the nip were suggested to be responsible for both effects. The improved newsprint was also found to have a lower surface strength, as measured by delamination.