Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of TRMM precipitation radar and microwave imager rainfall retrievals in tropical cyclone inner cores and rainbands

Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) rainfall retrieval algorithms are evaluated in tropical cyclone (TC) inner cores (IC), inner bands (IB), and outer rainbands (OB). In total, 1329 IC, 2149 IB, and 4627 OB storm regions are analyzed using data from a 12‐year TRMM Tropical Cyclone Precipitation Feature (TCPF) database containing 1013 TCs viewed from December 1997 to December 2009. Attention is focused on the difference between the Precipitation Radar (PR) 2A25 and the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) 2A12 rainfall algorithms. The PR 2A25 produces larger mean rain rates than the TMI 2A12 in inner cores and inner bands, with the greatest difference occurring in hurricanes. This discrepancy is caused mostly by the TMI 2A12 significantly underestimating regions of moderate to heavy rain >15 mm hour−1 or when the PR reflectivity is greater than 30 dBZ. The TMI 2A12 rain rates are most closely related to the percentage coverage of 85 GHz polarization‐corrected brightness temperature (PCT) <225 K in the IC and 85 GHz PCT <250 K in the IB and OB. These convective parameters are good predictors of the mean TMI 2A12 rain rate, but significant ice scattering is not always present in areas of heavy rain that are often widespread in TC inner regions. As a result, the TMI 2A12 algorithm may poorly measure the rain rate, particularly in the inner core of hurricanes.
A case study of Readers Theatre in a primary Norwegian EFL class

This article presents research on a case study of the use of Readers Theatre (RT), a group reading aloud activity in which a text is divided into small segments, in a sixth grade English as a Foreign Language (EFL) class in Norway. A mixed ability class of 27 readers, divided into groups of five to six pupils, rehearsed and performed fairy tales adapted for RT. The aims were to find out how the teachers and pupils experienced RT and how it influenced the development of the pupils’ reading, motivation and confidence. Data collection was through two teacher interviews, post-project pupil journals, lesson observations and video recordings of the first rehearsals and performances of three of the groups. Gains were recorded in pupils’ pronunciation, word recognition and fluency, especially among the struggling learners in the class. Gains were also recorded in pupils’ motivation and confidence to read. Both the cognitive and affective gains support research on RT among young learners in first language contexts and add to the sparse research on RT among young foreign language learners.
AN ANALYSIS OF CHOICE OF COMMERCIAL BANKS AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN GHANA

Globally banks are faced with keen competition for customers and as a result both banks and non-banks financial institutions are looking for all types of information on consumer behaviour and motivation pertinent to banking activities. This is because the drive to acquire information about customers is reflected in the growth of relationship banking that draws heavily on the experiences of relationship marketing. The current study analyses the factors that University students consider important in their choice of commercial banks. The study used primary data from a survey using self-administered questionnaire as the instrument. Both descriptive and multivariate statistical methods were used to analyse the data. It was found that the most important factors influencing student choice of a commercial bank are recommendation by parents and friends, availability of ATM facility, provision of efficient services, the ease with which an account can be opened and service charges. It is recommended that managers of commercial banks should develop tailor made products and services that would attract, maintain and sustain the interest of younger age group especially university students who constitute potential lucrative future market segment.
Identification of the Healthcare Services with Potential Induced Demand

Background and Objectives: Induced demand in healthcare is referred to as provision of unnecessary services or the patient by health services providers, while the patient is not aware of their unnecessity. Apart from being unethical, this practice can potentially disturb the supply and demand balance in the health market, pose financial load on the patient, thread the patient’s health by imposing possible side-effects, and lead to waste of the limited national health resources. This study, thus, was aimed at investigating the nature of the phenomenon in Iran, as perceived by the healthcare experts. Methods: A qualitative research design was adopted. Data was collected using semi-structure interview. Participations were selected by purposive sampling method. Thematic analysis was used for extracting and categorizing the major domains of induced demand. Findings: Four major categories of health services in which induced demand occurs were extracted from the interview data, including para-clinical services, medical services, surgical services, and pharmaceutical services. These health services domains account for nineteen specific health services with the potential of induced demand. Conclusions: The study identified the health services domains in which induced demand frequently takes place. This information can help policy-makers to devise strategies for alleviating the problem.
Investing in Leaving: The Greek Case of International Migration of Professionals

ABSTRACT In the last twenty years, the ‘international migration of professionals’ from Greece has increased. This paper is based on an extensive survey of Greek professionals who work or have worked in another country. It is the first ever research on the topic in Greece and the first one in the international literature to include participants who are currently abroad or have repatriated. The aim of the paper is threefold. First, it presents the main characteristics of this phenomenon. Second, to explain why Greece, alongside other peripheral countries, suffers from migration of its professionals: in contrast to a dominant view insisting on an allegedly abundant supply of highly skilled labour, it is argued that the phenomenon is primarily due to their low demand in the Greek labour market. Third, to argue that such migration can have positive implications for a country, not only when these people return but also when they stay abroad.
Morphological modulation of human fibrosarcoma HT-1080 cells by hydroxybenzoate compounds during apoptosis

Hydroxybenzoate (HB) compounds have shown to modulate the morphology in human fibrosarcoma HT-1080 cells. The changes in HT-1080 cells showed marker signs of apoptosis, which included the condensation of nucleus, cell round, blebbing and the formation of apoptotic bodies. The different stages of apoptosis were assessed microscopically using different staining and immunohistochemical techniques, as well as scanning electron microscopy. In addition, HB compounds increased the expression of caspase-3, which is closely associated with the development of the modulation in HT-1080 cells that are undergoing the programmed cell death. Both acetyl salicylic acid (ASA) and HBZn compounds were dose and treatment duration dependent.
EHSAN FATHI AGHDAM OPTIMIZATION OF METHANE PRODUCTION FROM ANAEROBIC CO-DIGESTION OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE AND SEWAGE SLUDGE

TAMPERE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Master’s Degree Programme in Science and Bioengineering FATHI AGHDAM, EHSAN: Optimization of methane production from anaerobic codigestion of municipal solid waste and sewage sludge Master of Science Thesis, 42 pages October 2014 Major subject: Biotechnology Examiner: Professor Jukka Rintala
Physico-chemical and sensory characteristics of chicken (Vanraja spp.) patties substituted with rabbit meat

The present study was undertaken to utilize and popularize the rabbit meat quality nutritionally by substituting it in products e.g. chicken patties. Three variants of rabbit meat at 25%, 50% and 75% was replaced in chicken patties (w/w) and analyzed on the basis of physico-chemical and sensory quality. Replacement of chicken meat with rabbit meat resulted in significantly (p<0.05) higher emulsion stability and protein however significantly (p<0.05) lower ash, moisture and fat. The use of rabbit meat in meat products offers processors the opportunity to improve the nutritional and health qualities of developed designer products.
Review on value chain analysis of medicinal plants and the associated challenges

At present, 80 percent of the populations in developing countries rely largely on plant-based drugs for their health care needs. The present medicinal plants value chain is characterized by the informal nature of its upstream base (producers, gatherers and collectors) and its better organized and more formally structured actors downstream (processors and wholesalers/retailers). Overall, the value chain operates with little vertical integration and almost no horizontal collaboration. The goal of this analysis is to provide a diverse group of stakeholders with the information needed to make sound decisions and plan interventions focused on developing productive and globally competitive industries dependent upon the sustainable management of scarce natural resources that will benefit local people. The collection and marketing of medicinal plants from the wild is an important source of livelihood for many of the poor in developing countries. Value chain strengthening is a potentially powerful tool for promoting NHWP (Nature, Health, Wealth and Power) related development goals, but deliberate interventions are necessary to create opportunities for the rural poor. Medicinal plants can be collected from wild and cultivated areas. The supply chain is often very long with as many as six or seven marketing stages involving primary collectors and producers, local contractors, regional wholesale markets, large wholesale markets and specialized. Medicinal Plants supply chains have varying requirements for their cultivation, resource management in the wild, harvesting, processing, and importantly marketing. In order to become competitive in the medicinal plants global market place, value chain must become more flexible, innovative, and efficient, so it can bring to market new products in a timely fashion.
The Predictive Role of Teaching Styles on Omani Students’ Mathematics Motivation

The current study explored the effects of two teaching styles, authoritative and authoritarian, on students’ mathematics motivation. The two motivational constructs examined were intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Data were collected from 425 Omani 8th grade students (males = 202/females = 223, mean age = 13.44, SD = 0.79). Through two questionnaires, students reported their perceptions of their math teachers’ teaching styles, and their own motivational orientation towards mathematics. Multiple regression models were used to analyze the data. The findings suggest the two teaching styles play a role in predicting students’ mathematics motivation. An authoritative teaching style seems to be the better predictor of the two motivational constructs, when compared with an authoritarian style. Eighteen percent of the variance was accounted for in the intrinsic motivation model, compared with only five percent in the extrinsic motivation model. The educational and cultural contexts were discussed in relation to the research results.
TRACKING THE GEYSERS OF ENCELADUS INTO SATURN’S E RING

We examine Cassini Imaging Science Subsystem images of the E ring taken over a period of almost 7 yr, from 2006 September to 2013 July, in which long, sinuous structures dubbed tendrils are present. We model these structures by numerically integrating the trajectories of particles launched from the sources of the most active geysers recently located along the four main fractures crossing the south polar terrain of the moon, and producing from these integrations synthetic images that we then compare to the real ones. We include the effects of charging and the electromagnetic forces on the particles in addition to the gravity of Saturn and Enceladus. We demonstrate that these structures are produced by the highest velocity particles erupting from the most active geysers and entering Saturn’s orbit, and not perturbations of E ring particles by Enceladus. The detailed structures of the tendrils change with the orbital position of Enceladus, a finding likely to be the result of the diurnal variability in the source activity.
Talking up Social Capital: An Analysis of Social Voice

Social capital represents the potential networks open to an individual. But potential does not mean that it is exploited. Social voice is defined as the ability of an individual to make use of their social capital. We analyze a particular aspect of â€˜social voiceâ€™, i.e. the ability to persuade others. Using a Bayesian framework we conclude that this should increase with education and the frequency with which the social network considers new ideas or issues. The impact of age is ambiguous. An individualâ€™s knowledge should increase, but so too should the strength of prior beliefs within their social network. Empirical work based on Eurobarometer data confirms the importance of education and that social voice declines with age. It also finds evidence for a gender gap, which education only partially corrects, but marriage magnifies. Finally we confirm that social voice impacts on individual wellbeing.
Pitch accentuation in adolescent users of cochlear implants

This study examines the perception and production of prosodic elements such as pitch accentuation and intonational rises in a group of adolescent cochlear implant (CI) users. Perceptually, despite performing well on consonant-nucleusconsonant word lists and in an intonational rise task, the CI users could only distinguish between F0-peaks which differed in temporal alignment by at least 160ms. In contrast, their normally-hearing (NH) peers could distinguish between peaks differing by 40ms. Production-wise, the CI users displayed greater variability in their production of rising nuclear bitonal pitch accents, but did not differ significantly from their NH peers.
Glaciological characteristics in the Dome Fuji region and new assessment for “Oldest Ice”

Abstract. A key objective in palaeo-climatology is the retrieval of a continuous Antarctic ice-core record dating back 1.5 Ma. The identification of a suitable Antarctic site requires sufficient knowledge of the subglacial landscape beneath the Antarctic Ice Sheet. Here, we present new ice thickness information from the Dome Fuji region, East Antarctica, based on airborne radar surveys conducted during the 2014/15 and 2016/17 southern summers. Compared to previous maps of the region, the new dataset shows a more complex landscape with networks of valleys and mountain plateaus. We use the new dataset as input in a thermokinematic model that incorporates uncertainties in geothermal heat flux values in order to improve the predictions of potential ice-core sites. Our results show that especially the region immediately south of Dome Fuji station persists as a good candidate site for obtaining an old ice core. An initial assessment of basal conditions revealed the existence of what appears to be subglacial lakes. Further radar data analysis shows overall high continuity of layer stratigraphy in the region. This indicates that extending the age–depth information from the Dome Fuji ice core to a new ice-core drill site is a viable option.
Introduction to: 1- and 2-Level Densities for Families of Elliptic Curves: Evidence for the Underlying Group Symmetries

Following Rubinstein [Ru], Iwaniec-Luo-Sarnak [ILS], and Katz-Sarnak [KS1], [KS2], we use the 1and 2-level densities to study the distribution of low lying zeros for families of elliptic curves. For any automorphic cupsidal L-function, the n-level correlations of the high zeros (for test functions of suitable support) equal the GUE’s. While the classical compact groups have identical n-level correlations over all the eigenvalues of a typical matrix, they have distinguishable n-level densities for their eigenvalues near 1. To any geometric family, the philosophy of Katz and Sarnak ([KS1], [KS2]) states the n-level density depends only on a symmetry group attached to the family. For typical elliptic curve families they predict orthogonal symmetries. One can further analyze the distributions depending on the signs of the functional equations. As our families of elliptic curves are self-dual, we expect the densities to be controlled by the distribution of signs (all even: SO(even); all odd: SO(odd); equidistributed: O). Previous 1-level density investigations of elliptic curve families were for test functions supported in (−1, 1), where the orthogonal groups’ densities are identical. The orthogonal groups have distinguishable (from each other and the other classical compact groups) 2-level densities for functions of arbitrarily small support. Consider a rational elliptic surface of rank r over Q(t). Assume GRH (and ABC or the SquareFree Sieve conjecture if ∆(t) has an irreducible factor of degree ≥ 4). The Birch and SwinnertonDyer conjecture and Silverman’s Specialization Theorem imply for t large, each curve has r zeros at the critical point. We prove removing these zeros’ contributions yield modified densities depending only on the distribution of signs. For all even, odd, and equidistributed, we obtain SO(even), SO(odd) and O as predicted. We verify this for several families of known constant sign. Let M(t) be the product of the irreducible polynomials dividing ∆(t) but not c4(t). Helfgott [Hel] has shown, assuming standard conjectures, j(t) and M(t) non-constant imply the signs are equidistributed. Thus, for rational elliptic surfaces, the 2-level density provides conditional evidence that the underlying group (in general) is O and not SO(even) or SO(odd). Nevertheless, for small support, we unconditionally verify Katz and Sarnak’s conjecture for the 1-level density of a rational elliptic surface and the 2-level density for some families of constant sign. Finally, we use the 2-level density to obtain better upper bounds on the percent of curves in a family of rank r with rank r+2 or higher, and we explore potential lower order corrections to the densities for several families.
Efficiency in European Railways: Not as Inefficient as One Might Think

The paper studies technical inefficiency in the railway systems of ten countries of the European Union. A new approach is used which permits the disaggregation of inefficiency by factor of production to result in estimates of input-specific technical inefficiency. The cost structure is represented using a generalized McFadden flexible functional form. Policy implications and guidelines for rational decision making in the railway sector, are discussed in detail.
H0LiCOW - V. New COSMOGRAIL time delays of HE 0435-1223: H0 to 3.8 per cent precision from strong lensing in a flat ΛCDM model

We present a new measurement of the Hubble Constant H-0 and other cosmological parameters based on the joint analysis of three multiply imaged quasar systems with measured gravitational time delays. First, we measure the time delay of HE 0435-1223 from 13-yr light curves obtained as part of the COSMOGRAIL project. Companion papers detail the modelling of the main deflectors and line-of-sight effects, and how these data are combined to determine the time-delay distance of HE 0435-1223. Crucially, the measurements are carried out blindly with respect to cosmological parameters in order to avoid confirmation bias. We then combine the time-delay distance of HE 0435-1223 with previous measurements from systems B1608+656 and RXJ1131-1231 to create a Time Delay Strong Lensing probe (IDSL). In flat A cold dark matter (ACDM) with free matter and energy density, we find H-0 = 71.9(-3.0)(+2.4) km s(-1) Mpc(-1) and Omega(Lambda) = 0.62(-0.35)(+0.24) This measurement is completely independent of, and in agreement with, the local distance ladder measurements of H-0. We explore more general cosmological models combining TDSL with other probes, illustrating its power to break degeneracies inherent to other methods. The joint constraints from IDSL and Planck are H-0 = 69.2(-2.2)(+1.4) km s(-1) Mpc(-1), Omega(Lambda) = 0.70(-0.01)(+0.01) and Omega(k) = 0.003(-0.006)(+0.004) in open ACDM and H-0 = 79.0(-4.2)(+4.4) km s(-1) Mpc(-1), Omega(de) = 0.77(-0.03)(+0.02) and w = -1.38(-0.16)(+0.14) in flat wCDM. In combination with Planck and baryon acoustic oscillation data, when relaxing the constraints on the numbers of relativistic species we find N-eff = 3.34(-0.21)(+0.21) in N-eff Lambda CDM and when relaxing the total mass of neutrinos we find Sigma rn(nu) <= 0.182 eV in m(nu) Lambda CDM. Finally, in an open wCDM in combination with Planck and cosmic microwave background lensing, we find H-0 = 77.9(-4.2)(+5.0) km s(-1) Mpc(-1), Omega(de) = 0.77(-0.03)(+0.03), Omega(k) = -0.003(-0.004)(+0.004) and w = -1.37(-0.23)(+0.18).
Productivity Loss in Performance Groups : People Who See Themselves as Average Do Not Engage in ' Social Loafing

The authors predicted that individuals who see themselves as average (e.g., who have a generalized belief in being no better or worse than others) do not engage in social loafing, unlike those who see themselves as generally superior to others. As expected, study participants who felt uniquely superior expended less effort when working collectively than when working coactively on an easy task, but they actually worked harder collectively than coactively on a more challenging task. Such effects did not occur in participants who perceived themselves as average. Taken together, these findings provide further support for S. J. Karau and K. D. Williams's (1993) collective effort model. They also suggest that what people come to believe about the relation between the self and others is a crucial factor in collective work contexts.
Size and Concentration Effects on Surface Plasmon Resonance and Maxwell-Garnett Absorption in RF-Magnetron Sputtered Au/Al 2 O 3 Nanocomposite Films

Au/Al 2 O 3 nanocomposite films, studied in this work, were prepared by RF-magnetron sputtering technique on glass substrate at room temperature under two different argon pressures, and subsequent heat treatment. Formation of gold nanoparticles was confirmed by X-ray diffraction patterns and UV-visible absorption spectroscopy. Au fill fraction f, changed from f=10.78% to f=25.45%, when argon pressure increased from 2x10 -3 mbar to 10x10 -3 mbar. For the as-deposited samples, reduction in volume fraction of gold particles causes a decrease in particle size, a lattice expansion and a blue-shift of the SPR peak position. An opposite trend is observed in the lattice parameter with respect to the gold volume fraction for the annealed samples. A small change in the sizes is observed and no significant shift of band absorption peak in samples of low Au content. However, at higher Au concentration, an appreciable red shift of the surface plasmon resonance with increasing temperature is observed. Experimental optical absorption spectra of all the samples were theoretically simulated by Maxwell–Garnett effective medium theory.