Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Probabilistic assessment of earthquake-induced sliding displacements of natural slopes

SUMMARY The evaluation of earthquake-induced landslides in natural slopes is often based on an estimate of the permanent sliding displacement due to earthquake shaking. Current procedures for estimating sliding displacement do not rigorously account for the significant uncertainties present in the analysis. This paper presents a probabilistic framework for computing the annual rate of exceedance of different levels of displacement such that a hazard curve for sliding displacement can be developed. The analysis incorporates the uncertainties in the prediction of earthquake ground shaking, in the prediction of sliding displacement, and in the assessment of soil properties. Predictive models for sliding displacement that are appropriate for the probabilistic framework are presented. These models include a scalar model that predicts sliding displacement in terms of a single ground motion parameter (peak ground acceleration) and the earthquake magnitude, as well as a vector model that incorporates two ground motion parameters (peak ground acceleration and peak ground velocity). The addition of a second ground motion parameter results in a significant reduction in the standard deviation of the sliding displacement prediction. Comparisons are made between displacement hazard curves developed from the current scalar and vector models and previously developed scalar models that do not include earthquake magnitude. Additionally, an approximation to the vector hazard assessment is presented and compared with the rigorous vector approach. Finally, the inclusion of the soil property uncertainty is shown to increase the mean hazard at a site.
Acceptance of Influenza Vaccination among Pregnant Women attending the Antenatal Care Clinic, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital

Objectives: To determine the acceptance rate and associated factors of influenza vaccination among Thai pregnant women. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital from November 2014 to March 2015. Pregnant women were asked to complete self-administered questionnaires that collected data on acceptance of vaccination, knowledge, attitude and practice regarding to influenza vaccination during pregnancy. The associated factors were determined by logistic regression analysis. Results: A total of 412 women completed the questionnaires. Acceptance rate of influenza vaccination among the participants was 40.5% (95% CI 35.9-45.3). Most participants (320 women, 77.7%) had good knowledge about influenza and the vaccine. Factors positively associated with the acceptance were ‘advice from physicians’ (adjusted OR 2.61, 95% CI 1.55-4.39), ‘notification about vaccination in current pregnancy’ (adjusted OR 1.84, 95% CI 1.17-2.89), ‘protection of newborn’ (adjusted OR 2.83, 95% CI 1.74-4.62) and ‘cost of vaccination’ (adjusted OR 2.36, 95% CI 1.46-3.82). Negatively associated factors included ‘experience of side effects following past vaccination’ (adjusted OR 0.19, 95% CI 0.05-0.74), ‘belief that vaccination is unnecessary’ (adjusted OR 0.42, 95% CI 0.21-0.86), and ‘unsafe during the first trimester’ (adjusted OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.34-0.90). Conclusion: Acceptance rate of influenza vaccination during pregnancy among women in King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital was 40.5%. To increase vaccination rate, health care providers should advise or mention on influenza vaccination and provide information to support that the immunization can protect their newborns and is safe at any trimester.
Extraction methods effects on composition and toxicity of Eucalyptus essential oil

The current investigation was designed to determine the influence of three extraction methods on the composition and insecticidal activity of essential oils extracted from Eucalyptus globulus and E. camaldulensis. The evaluated extraction methods were steam-distillation, steam water-distillation and hydro-distillation. Fumigant toxicity of the extracted essential oils was evaluated against Sitophilus oryzae. The GC and GC–MS methods were used for analyzing the oil chemical composition. Both E. globulus and E. camaldulensis showed significant differences in oil yield (w/w, based on dry weight) with direct steam distillation resulting in low oil yields (0.8%; 0.35%) compared to water distillation (2.35%; 2.22%) and water + steam distillation (2.03%; 1. 53%). We identified nineteen compounds in the essential oils of these species. 1, 8-Cineol (27.67-82%), α-Pinene (4.67-8.13%) and Limonene (2.49-10.53%) were the major components of the oils and the highest amount of 1, 8-Cineol (82%) was obtained with water distillation, while steam-distillation resulted in the lowest amount of Cineol (27%). The results of the toxicity study of the essential oils demonstrated that the highest toxicity (LC50 = 24.89 µL/L air) was observed against S. oryzae populations treated with oils extracted by water distillation. In conclusion, the extraction of Eucalyptus essential oils by hydro-distillation had some priorities over the oil extractions by the other methods because hydro-distillation extracted oil had the highest fumigant activity, high and fast-oil yields as well as high percentage composition of 1,8-Cineol.
Exploring The Relationship Between Role Ambiguity And Job Performance Among Employees Of The Service Sector Smes In Malaysia

Small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) play a crucial role in the economic development of Malaysia. The service sector forms the largest sector of the SMEs establishments. Employees of the service sector SMEs have often been associated with low level of job performance and past research have shown that there are many factors that can contribute to employee poor performance. One of the factors that often been associated with poor job performance is when employees experiences role ambiguity. Thus the main aim of this conceptual paper is to present a conceptual understanding on the relationship that exists between role ambiguity and job performance.
Relationships between leaf traits and morphological attributes in one-year bareroot Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl . seedlings

Leaf traits were investigated as morphological attributes for quality estimation of one-year-old bareroot seedlings of Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl. Leaf traits (number of simple – NSL and compound leaves – NCL, leaf average – ALA and total area – TLA and leaf area ratio – LAR) show similar relations to morphological attributes, the strongest to shoot growth (height – HT, root collar diameter – DIA and shoot dry weight – SDW). Increases of seedling morphological attributes are strongly related to increases of ALA. Given to strong positive correlations with other morphological attributes, ALA (R = 0.68-0.88) and TLA (R = 0.46-0.92) are suitable for seedlings quality testing. TLA explained a larger proportion of the variation of SDW (R2 = 0.85) and ALA explained a large proportion of the variation of DIA (R2 = 0.81). Leaf traits can be considered as valuable morphological attributes of seedling quality, in addition to strong correlation with other morphological attributes.
MODELING THE EFFECTS OF THE ANDES ON THE SOUTH AMERICAN SUMMER CLIMATE

To investigate the effects of the Andes on the South American summer climate, a mountain/no-mountain experiment was performed with an early version of the NCEP Eta model nested in simulations of the R40L18 COLA GCM. The Eta model resolution was 80 km in the horizontal plane and 38 vertical levels. The experiment simulated the period December 1, 1991-February 29, 1992. The control run with realistic topography produced reasonable simulation of precipitation distribution and tropospheric circulation. In the absence of the Andes, negligible precipitation was obtained in the southern part of South America, and a new precipitation maximum was produced over Ecuador. The lower- and upper-level circulation were affected, and a drier and colder summer was produced in southern South America. The bulk of the tropical precipitation remained unchanged, and the Bolivian High was well developed. The Bolivian High and the regional upward branch of the Hadley circulation were displaced few degrees north. The subtropical jet was also shifted to the north and weakened. The SACZ was not substantially affected in the no-mountain run. These results are limited by a single experiment, and additional experiments are needed to better explore the effects of the Andes on the South American climate.
Optimal Financial Key Performance Indicators: Evidence from the Airline Industry

Selecting relevant Key Performance Indicators involves an assessment of both cost- and revenue-driven measures. Cost driven allocation usually predominates, due primarily to a traditional accounting mindset coupled with the need for cost savings in the current economic environment. Using data from the airline industry in all of the major markets in the world, this paper demonstrates that revenue- or profit-driven KPIs, consistently applied, will more likely lead to better financial performance than â€˜flyingâ€™ the business based on cost-driven metrics or those representing a mixture of revenue target and cost-driven metrics. Specifically it examines the effectiveness of models that characterize performance based on two performance indicators, in particular â€“ seats and passenger-kilometers. We document strong evidence indicating that Operating Profit per Passenger or per Passenger-Kilometer is the most significant variable when it comes to explaining the variation in airline profitability. Our conclusion is that despite the traditional belief that measuring performance per seat is only appropriate for point-to-point destination services, typically provided by Low Cost Carriers, the same model also fits Full Service Network Carriers and thus, can be used by them as a meaningful tool for financial targeting and strategic decision-making.
Pelagic Fish Surveys In The California Current Permalink

The California Department of Fish and Game started routinely acoustically surveying the smaller schooling pelagic fish resources in the California Current System in 1966. This report covers the first 6.5 years of these surveys (1966–1973). The purpose of these surveys was to determine the abundance, distribution, availability, and other pertinent biological information of the commercially important northern anchovy, jack mackerel, Pacific sardine, and Pacific mackerel. Latent resource species including Pacific saury, Pacific hake, squid, and pelagic red crab also were surveyed. The principal technique consisted of running acoustic transects with a horizontal ranging sonar and vertical echo sounder during daylight hours and fishing a midwater trawl at night. Results show the northern anchovy grossly dominates all other species in terms of biomass and abundance with the southern California-northern Baja California region containing most of the total population. Although it was not possible to determine absolute population size, results indicate the estimates of 2 to 6 million tons made from egg and larvae surveys are reasonable. Behavior and availability studies indicate that although the anchovy population is large, its vulnerability to harvest by the present commercial fishery varies considerably from year to year as well as seasonally. Most of the common schooling behaviors are unfavorable for effective harvest by roundhaul net. Only a small portion of the population is harvestable during any particular time period. Acoustic surveys were much less effective for estimating abundance of Pacific sardines, Pacific mackerel, and jack mackerel. The distribution of jack mackerel was patchy with nearly all significant concentrations located at a limited number of rocky banks and island coasts. Pacific sardine and Pacific mackerel population levels in California were apparently too low to assess. There were indications of larger populations of both species in Baja California. Of the latent resource species under survey, pelagic red crabs and market squid appear to be the most favorable for future exploitation. However, the crabs are located almost entirely within Mexican territorial waters and the vulnerability of squid for large scale harvest is uncertain.
Self-Reported Combat Stress among Troops Deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan: An Epidemiological Study

Abstract : Evident mental health needs among combat veterans following their return from operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have been described. To our knowledge, no data are available describing the mental health status of military personnel during these deployments. We report data collected from personnel systematically selected from current combat regions participating in a rest & recuperation (R&R) program in Doha, Qatar. During R&R in-briefs, mandatory completion of a clinic screening survey designed to identify individuals who may need medical treatment was conducted. Incidence of combat stress indicators are described and evaluated for relative differences by country, rank and calendar time. Overall, 40,620 troops completed a clinic screening form between October 2003 and January 2005. Of these, active duty military personnel from Iraq accounted for 60.1% of the population, and 13.7% were from Afghanistan. The remainder of troops which reported their unit of assignment were from Uzbekistan or other various countries in the region. Rates of self-reported depression among those in Afghanistan were lower than those of troops from Iraq. Feelings of depression and self-harm were inversely correlated with rank. Preference for seeing a chaplain trended towards a positive correlation with rank.
Plasma radio emission from inhomogeneous collisional plasma of a flaring loop

The evolution of a solar flare accelerated non-thermal electron population and associated plasma emission is considered in collisional inhomogeneous plasma. Non-thermal electrons collisionally evolve to become unstable and generate Langmuir waves, which may lead to intense radio emission. We self-consistently simulated the collisional relaxation of electrons, wave-particle interactions, and non-linear Langmuir wave evolution in plasma with density fluctuations. Additionally, we simulated the scattering, decay, and coalescence of the Langmuir waves which produce radio emission at the fundamental or the harmonic of the plasma frequency, using an angle-averaged emission model. Long-wavelength density fluctuations, such as are observed in the corona, are seen to strongly suppress the levels of radio emission, meaning that a high level of Langmuir waves can be present without visible radio emission. Additionally, in homogeneous plasma, the emission shows time and frequency variations that could be smoothed out by density inhomogeneities.
Physiological Responses of Calystegia soldanella under Drought Stress

This study was conducted to determine the extent of drought resistance based on physiological responses of Calystegia soldanella under water deficit. In order to investigate the changes of plant growth, stomatal density, photosynthesis, chlo - rophyll fluorescence, the contents of chlorophyll and carotenoid, osmolality, total ion contents, the contents of carbohy - drate and proline, C. soldanella was grown under well watered and drought stressed conditions for 12 days. In this study, water-deficit resulted in remarkable growth inhibition of C. soldanella. The effect of water-deficit on plant growth was associated with low osmotic potential of soil. On day 12 after drought treatment, dry weight, relative water contents, num- ber and area of leaves and stem length were lower than those of control. The stomatal conductance and net photosyn- thetic rate were significantly reduced in water stressed plant to regulate inner water contents and CO 2 exchange through the stomatal pore. Chlorophyll fluorescence and chlorophyll contents were not different in comparison with the control, indicating that the efficiency of photosystem II was not affected by drought stress. This results could be explained that water-deficit in C. soldanella limits the photosynthetic rate and reduces the plant's ability to convert energy to biomass. A significant increase in total ion contents and osmolality was observed on day 7 and day 12. Accumulation of proline in leaves is associated with the osmotic adjustment in C. soldanella to soil water-deficit. Consequently, this increase in osmolality in water stressed plant can be a result in the increase of ion contents and proline.
Repeat UAV photogrammetry to assess calving front dynamics at a large outlet glacier draining the Greenland Ice Sheet

To quantify the ice-ocean processes which drive dynamic and geometric change at calving outlet glaciers, detailed measurements beyond the capability of present satellites are required. This study presents the application of a cost-e ﬀ ective ( < USD 2000), unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to investigate frontal dynamics at a major outlet draining 5 the western sector of the Greenland Ice Sheet. The UAV was ﬂown over Store Glacier on three sorties during summer 2013 and acquired over 2000 overlapping, geo-tagged images of the calving front at ∼ 40 cm resolution. Stereo-photogrammetry applied to these images enabled the extraction of high-resolution digital elevation models with an accuracy of ± 1.9 m which we used to quantify glaciological processes from early July 10 to August 2013. The central zone of the calving front advanced by ∼ 500 m whilst the lateral margins remained stable. In addition, the ice surface thinned by 3.5 m m − 1 during the melt-season in association with dynamic thinning. Ice ﬂux through the calving front is calculated at 2.96 × 10 7 m 3 d − 1 , equivalent to 11 Gta − 1 , which is comparable to ﬂux-gate estimates of Store Glacier’s annual discharge. Water-ﬁlled crevasses 15 were observed throughout the observation period, but covered a limited area (1200 to 12 000 m 2 of the ∼ 5 × 10 6 m 2 surveyed area) and did not appear to exert any signiﬁ-cant control over calving. We conclude that the use of repeat UAV surveys coupled with the processing techniques outlined in this
Influence of Various Biochars on the Survival, Growth, and Oxidative DNA Damage in the Earthworm Eisenia Fetida

Received: 21 October 2014 / Revised: 28 November 2014 / Accepted: 23 December 2014 Copyright c 2014 The Korean Society of Environmental Agriculture This is an Open-Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Predator-specific growth-selective predation on larval Japanese anchovy Engraulis japonicus

Predator-specific growth-selective predation on larval Japanese anchovy Engraulis japonicus was demonstrated by comparing growth rates between the larvae ingested by predators and the larvae from the corresponding original populations through otolith microstructure analysis, based on original data and reanalyzed data from previous studies. Ingested larvae from the stomachs of small pelagic predators (juvenile Japanese anchovy, round herring Etrumeus teres, jack mackerel Trachurus japonicus and white croaker Pennahia argentatus) had significantly lower growth rates than the larvae from the original populations in general. For large piscivorous predators (sea bass Lateolabrax japonicus, greater amberjack Seriola dumerili and skipjack tuna Katsuwonus pelamis), no measurable differences in the growth rates were observed between ingested larvae and larvae from the original populations. Small pelagic fish were therefore identified as growth-selective preda- tors, whereas large piscivorous fish were identified as non-growth-selective predators. Exponential declines in the relative predation mortalities of larvae with higher growth rates suggest the potential for growth rate to exert a great effect on recruitment variability. However, the predator field would regulate selection for growth characteristics of survivors.
Partisan Selective Exposure: The Role of Party, Ideology and Ideological Extremity Over Time

The preference for media that confirms prior attitudes and beliefs is problematic in democratic societies based on dialogue and joint deliberation. Over the last decades, partisan selective exposure (PSE) is argued to have increased along with other indices of polarization. We address the question of the increase in PSE, and possible differences by party, ideology and ideological extremity. Using data from the Pew Research Survey, we analyzed self-reported media consumption in 8 nationally representative surveys from the period 2000–2012 (n = 23,381). We relied on previous research on ideological classification of media outlets to conduct confirmatory factor analyses establishing the existence of 2 different variables, conservative and liberal media consumption. We predicted latent variables of media consumption using Item Response Theory models and analyzed the trajectories running latent growth curve models. An unconditional growth model revealed a general and sustained increase in PSE across ideological groups over time. Republicans showed a greater increase over time than did Democrats, after controlling for demographics. Introducing ideological extremity in the model revealed no differences in the trajectories of PSE between liberals and extreme liberals, whereas subjects identified as “very conservative” show a much steeper increase in PSE than any other group, whereas conservatives showed the lowest growth over time. We discuss theoretical implications for ongoing debates about political polarization and ideological asymmetry.
Total carbon stocks and carbon accumulation in living tree biomass in forest ecosystems of Turkey

In this study, the carbon stocks of forests of Turkey were examined by taking the national forest inventory completed in 2004 as a basis. Furthermore, the annual accumulations of carbon in the above- and below-ground biomass of Turkey were also investigated according to the gain-loss methods of "Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use" (AFOLU), published in 2006. The results of estimates showed that the total stock in all carbon pools (above- and below-ground, dead wood, litter, and soil) in the forests of Turkey was 2251.26 Tg C in 2004. Of that total carbon stock, 74.78% was in soil, 21.32% in living tree biomass, and 3.90% in litter and dead wood. It was also found that the annual biomass carbon accumulation increased from 2.20 Tg C year-1 in 1990 to 6.82 Tg C year-1 in 2005 (an average increase of 4.50 Tg C year-1), according to the gain-loss method. In the productive forests of Turkey, the carbon density in above- and below-ground biomass is 41.66 Mg ha-1, and this is slightly lower than that in the forests of Europe, which is 43.90 Mg ha-1 according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (UN-ECE/FAO). The forests in Turkey absorbed 7.99% of anthropogenic CO2 emissions, which was 312.31 Tg CO2 year-1 in 2005. In order to increase the amount of carbon accumulated in the forest biomass of Turkey, first of all, the illegal cuttings need to be reduced. Furthermore, the degraded forests, making up about half of the forest area in Turkey, must be rehabilitated, and to increase carbon stock, the concept of carbon management must be adapted to the forestry sector.