Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Automatic detection of ship tracks in ATSR-2 satellite imagery

Abstract. Ships modify cloud microphysics by adding cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) to a developing or existing cloud. These create lines of larger reflectance in cloud fields that are observed in satellite imagery. An algorithm has been developed to automate the detection of ship tracks in Along Track Scanning Radiometer 2 (ATSR-2) imagery. The scheme has been integrated into the Global Retrieval of ATSR Cloud Parameters and Evaluation (GRAPE) processing chain. The algorithm firstly identifies intensity ridgelets in clouds which have the potential to be part of a ship track. This identification is done by comparing each pixel with its surrounding ones. If the intensity of three adjacent pixels is greater than the intensity of their neighbours, then it is classified as a ridgelet. These ridgelets are then connected together, according to a set of connectivity rules, to form tracks which are classed as ship tracks if they are long enough. The algorithm has been applied to two years of ATSR-2 data. Ship tracks are most frequently seen off the west coast of California, and the Atlantic coast of both West Africa and South-Western Europe. The global distribution of ship tracks shows strong seasonality, little inter-annual variability and a similar spatial pattern to the distribution of ship emissions.
An effective method for the detection of trace species demonstrated using the MetOp Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer

Abstract. Fast and reliable methods for the detection of atmospheric trace species are needed for near-real-time applications including volcanic hazard avoidance. One common approach using hyperspectral instruments is to measure the difference in brightness temperature between a small number of target sensitive and background channels to determine the presence of the target species. Although fast and robust, current brightness temperature difference methods do not fully exploit the spectral range and resolution of hyperspectral instruments, and the noise associated with the measurements remains high. In this paper, we describe a way to make full use of the spectral information from hyperspectral sounders allowing the presence of the target species to be determined with much better sensitivity in near-real-time if required. The technique is demonstrated using the MetOp Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer considering two case studies: (a) the detection of sulphur dioxide from the eruption of the Kasatochi volcano in Alaska in August 2008, and (b) the detection of ammonia emissions related to agriculture over Southern Asia in May 2008. The performance of this method is compared against that of existing brightness temperature difference methods. It is found that the sensitivity of the detection of these trace species is improved by up to an order of magnitude.
Surprises for the Chemical Freeze-out Lines from the New Data in $p$+$p$ and $A$+$A$ Collisions

We summarize the surprising results obtained in the ﬁt of the new p + p and updated A + A data on mean multiplicities. The available range of thermal parameters for the NA61/SHINE energy and system-size scan program is squeezed and shifted compared to expectations. The p + p freeze-out line touches the A + A line in the vicinity of the K + /π + horn, although the touching point corresponds to diﬀerent energies in A + A and p + p . It is found that stable ﬁt results for p + p reactions are obtained if particles and antiparticles containing all three conserved charges are measured. It requires at least 6 particles, if strange baryons are not measured, to get the temperature and chemical potential of the freeze-out.
Effect of Different Intertillage Practices on Growth and Yield of Spring Maize

A field study pertaining to different intertillage practices on maize was conducted in spring 1998. Different intertillage practices comprised of no intertillage + no earthing-up, no intertillage + earthing-up, intertillage twice with Tarphali + no earthing up, intertillage twice with Tarphali + earthing-up, manual weeding + no earthing up, intertillage twice with spade + earthing-up. The significant maximum grain yield (4.3 t ha-1) of maize and net income (Rs. 27713) was obtained by intertillage twice with spade and earthing-up as against the minimum grain yield (3.02 t ha-1) with net income of Rs. 20385/- ha-1 in case of no intertillage + no earthing up treatment
SERUM CORTISOL LEVEL AND DEPRESSION AMONG SHIFT-WORKING NURSING STAFF IN A UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

Introduction: Night shift is one of the most frequent reasons for disturbance of circadian rhythm, altering biological functions and can negatively affect physical, psychological well-being and work performance. Aim of work: To evaluate the associations between circadian rhythm differences in shift-working nurses by using serum cortisol level and depression. Materials and Methods: a cross-sectional study was conducted by means of anonymous self-administered questionnaire for one hundred ninety-two nurses working at Menoufiya University Hospital, Shebin Al-Kom City, Egypt. The study involved 96 nurses working night-shifts and 96 in day-shifts. To assess their depression levels, self-rated depression scale (SDS) was used. Serum cortisol level was measured at 8:00 am for all respondents. Results: The response rate was 97%. A significant increase in serum cortisol level was observed among night-shift respondents compared to day-shift ones. Among night-shift workers, older nurses with more years of employment and higher cortisol levels were significantly more prone to develop depression (P<0.001). Conclusion: Nurses working night-shifts need special attention due to the higher risk of depression and possibly other undesirable health effects. Systems for early identification of nurses with depression and for providing environments allowing nurses at work to take rest and relax in the early morning after night shift are necessary.
Susceptibility of endemic and exotic North American ladybirds (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) to endemic fungal entomopathogens

We tested the laboratory susceptibility of four endemic and two exotic species of North American Coccinellidae to a single rate (2.5 × 10 5 conidia/ml) of Beauveria bassiana derived from different sources. The endemic species Olla v-nigrum, Cycloneda munda and Hippodamia convergens were susceptible to B. bassiana Isolate B which was originally isolated from O. v-nigrum and the rate assayed was known to represent the LC50 against O. v-nigrum. However, neither the endemic C. maculata nor the exotic species Harmonia axyridis and Coccinella septempunctata were susceptible to this isolate at this rate. Additionally, all species of endemic and exotic Coccinellidae used in these assays were resistant to B. bassiana strain GHA and BbAR1 at that rate. We discuss the implications of these results in regard to the establishment of exotic species in new habi tats.
Molecular and phenotypic features of Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae isolated during recent epidemics of bacterial canker on yellow kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis) in central Italy.

Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa) was identified as the causal agent of severe epidemics of bacterial canker on Actinidia chinensis (yellow kiwifruit) in central Italy occurring during 2008–9. A total of 101 strains were obtained from infected leaves, twigs, branches and trunks of cvs Hort16A, Jin Tao and CK3. Outbreaks were also found on A. deliciosa cv. Hayward. A representative set of 21 strains were compared with other Psa strains isolated from previous outbreaks in Japan and Italy as well as with P. s. pv. syringae strains obtained from A. chinensis and with strains of genomospecies 8. Repetitive-sequence PCR (rep-PCR) typing using BOX and ERIC primer sets revealed that all Psa strains obtained during 2008–9 showed the same fingerprinting profile. This profile, however, was different from those of strains previously isolated in Japan and Italy. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) of gapA, gltA, gyrB and rpoD revealed a higher genetic variability among the strains than rep-PCR, with some of them showing the same sequence pattern although isolated from different areas, cultivars and years. None of the recently obtained strains possessed genes coding for phaseolotoxin or coronatine, and all had an effector protein, namely hopA1, differentiating them from the strains causing past outbreaks in Japan and Italy. All isolates were inhibited in vitro by copper-based compounds, antibiotics, geraniol, citronellol and by a chitin-based organic compound. The recent epidemics found in central Italy on yellow kiwifruit appear to have been caused by a different Psa population than those previously recorded in Japan, South Korea and Italy.
INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL : TOWARD THE DEVELOPMENT OF CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR ITS STANDARDIZED REPORTING

In recent year there is an increasing awareness of the significance of IC toward increasing the competitive advantage of companies. The subjective nature of IC leads to the diversity in definitions and different way of classifications as developed by researchers in the previous literatures. We are generally in agreement with Choong (2008) who classified IC systematically into four classes, which are human capital, structural capital, customer capital, and intellectual property capital.
Faceted spurs at normal fault scarps: Insights from numerical modeling

[1] We present a combined surface processes and tectonic model which allows us to determine the climatic and tectonic parameters that control the development of faceted spurs at normal fault scarps. Sensitivity tests to climatic parameter values are performed. For a given precipitation rate, when hillslope diffusion is high and channel bedrock is highly resistant to erosion, the scarp is smooth and undissected. When, instead, the bedrock is easily eroded and diffusion is limited, numerous channels develop and the scarp becomes deeply incised. Between these two end-member states, diffusion and incision compete to produce a range of scarp morphologies, including faceted spurs. The sensitivity tests allow us to determine a dimensionless ratio of erosion, f, for which faceted spurs can develop. This study evidences a strong dependence of facet slope angle on throw rate for throw rates between 0.4 and 0.7 mm/a. Facet height is also shown to be a linear function of fault throw rate. Model performance is tested on the Wasatch Fault, Utah, using topographic, geologic, and seismologic data. A Monte Carlo inversion on the topography of a portion of the Weber segment shows that the 5 Ma long development of this scarp has been dominated by a low effective precipitation rate (∼1.1 m/a) and a moderate diffusion coefficient (0.13 m2/a). Results demonstrate the ability of our model to estimate normal fault throw rates from the height of triangular facets and to retrieve the average long-term diffusion and incision parameters that prevailed during scarp evolution using an accurate 2-D misfit criterion.
Platelet Indices in Male and Female German Shepherd Dogs in the Sudan

The objectives of this study are to find reference values for German shepherd dog reared in Sudan, evaluate the effects of sex on platelet parameters, correlations between platelets indices. Thirty three healthy dogs aged between 2 to 4 years of the breed German shepherd in the Sudan were categorized into two sex groups (14males, 19 females) were used in this study.Five ml Blood samples were taken from cephalic vein and analysis was performed using the Sysmex KX2 hematology analyzer. The following parameters were evaluated: platelet count (PLT), mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet crit (PCT), and platelet distribution width (PDW), along with parallel red blood cell parameters. The overall mean values of platelet parameter were: PLT 183.52± 59.97 (×10 9 /L), MPV 9.19±0. 96ƒl, PCT 0.13±0.09% and PDW15.61±0.90%. Significant sex differences were observed for platelet count and red cell distribution width (P≤0.05) between male and female. Significant (P≤0.01) correlation was found between PLT and PCT in female and the over all, No significant correlations between PLT and MPV, PDW in the two sexes, moreover, significant correlations (P≤0.01) were observed between PDW and RBC, MCV, and RDW in the over all. However, no significant correlations were detected between RBC and PLT, PCT, and PCV in all dogs. Effect of sex should be considered in clinical interpretation of dog platelet variables. Determined reference values may be useful information for an increasing clinical use
Prevalence of genetic polymorphisms of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T and angiotensin I-converting enzyme (insertion/deletion) in Sétif population, Algeria

A B S T R A C T The aim of the present study was to assess the frequencies of angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE; OMIM: 106180) and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR; OMIM: 607093) polymorphisms in the Algerian population to further facilitate investigations on possible associations with various pathologies. The study was carried out on 146 apparently healthy individuals (65 males, 81 females) who were randomly selected from an Algerian population of the Setif region (north-eastern Algeria). Their age ranged from 24 to 48 years. Using polymerase chain reaction based methods, genotypic frequencies of MTHFR C677T (rs. 1801133) and ACE I/D (rs. 1799752) polymorphisms were determined. No significant difference was found between genders regarding the distribution of ACE I/D and MTHFR C677T polymorphisms. In general, the prevalence of the D allele of the ACE polymorphism was 70.5%. The study population was in the HardyWeinberg equilibrium (￻χ 2 =0.55, df=1, P=0.758). The allelic frequency of the 677T allele (for MTHFR C677T polymorphism) was 35.3%. The study population was in the HardyWeinberg equilibrium (￻χ 2 =1.05, df=1, P=0.304). The surprisingly high incidence of minor
Pseudamnicola Paulucci, 1878 (Gastropoda: Hydrobiidae) in the Balkans

The shell, protoconch, radula, head, penis, and female reproductive organs are described and illustrated for Greek Pseudamnicola macrostoma (Kuster) from two localities in Attica, P. negropontina (Clessin) from Evvia Island, and Adrioinsulana conovula (Frauenfeld) from Pag Island in Croatia. The two populations of P. macrostoma were sampled in 1985, and both were later destroyed. P. negropontina was sampled again in 2003, and the material was used for extraction of DNA. Four sequences of mitochondrial CO1 gene were obtained. The parsimony-based molecular phylogeny (with eight sequences from the GenBank, including P. lucensis (Issel) and Adrioinsulana conovula) showed that the Greek P. negropontina actually belongs to the genus Pseudamnicola, and that the molecular differences between P. negropontina and Italian P. lucensis are twice greater than between the latter and A. conovula, thus distinguishing the genus Adrioinsulana is not justified: all the species belong to Pseudamnicola.
The Economics of Exchange Rates

Reviews the literature on exchange rate economics over the last two decades, with particular reference to recent developments. Topics surveyed include the evidence on foreign exchange market efficiency and forward discount bias, chewed interest parity and purchasing power parity, the theory and evidence relating to the determination of exchange rates (the flexible-price monetary model, the stickyprice monetary model, the equilibrium models and the portfolio balance model), recent work on the effectiveness of foreign exchange intervention, and the recent literature on exchange rate behavior within target zones. The emerging literature on foreign exchange market microstructure is also briefly discussed.
Validity of realized vs. fundamental host range of insects used as biocontrol agents of invasive alien weeds: Eucalyptus weevil (Gonipterus scutellatus) as a test case

The conservative method of host specificity testing dictates that a potential biological control agent which shows polyphagous behaviour in the laboratory will be rejected, even though in a natural situation it may be monophagous or nearly so. To distinguish one from the other the performance of eucalyptus weevil, (Gonipterus scutellatus) was tested on 14 Eucalyptus and one Syzygium species in the laboratory, and the field. The weevil revealed different levels of polyphagy, depending on how the host plants were presented; as cut leaves, bouquets or sleeved-branches; or in choice or no-choice combinations. However, the fundamental host range was broader than the realized host range. Eucalyptus smithii and E. urophylla were the most preferred hosts (contrary to the literature), while E. saligna and Syzygium myrtifolia were immune to feeding and oviposition. Nevertheless, adult feeding and oviposition was more selective in the field, and the larvae are less discriminating than the adults. Finally, the weevil is shown to have a narrow host range within two sections of the subgenus Eucalyptus, sufficiently restricted if it was ever to be considered as a biocontrol agent.
Üniversite Psikolojik Danişma Merkezine Başvuran Öğrencilerin Yalnizlik ve Depresyon Düzeyleri

The present study investigated loneliness and depression levels of university students who use the counseling center. The participants of the study were 550 university students who came to the counseling center of a university. Findings indicated that students who came to the counseling center had an average level of loneliness and that their depression level mean was high in general. In the study, it was also revealed that male students had higher levels of loneliness and depression than female students and that the loneliness and depression levels of the first-grade students were higher than those of others significantly. Moreover, a moderately significant relationship was found between the loneliness and depression levels of students.
BINARY PROPERTIES FROM CEPHEID RADIAL VELOCITIES (CRaV)

We have examined high accuracy radial velocities of Cepheids to determine the binary frequency. The data are largely from the CORAVEL spectrophotometer and the Moscow version, with a typical uncertainty of ≤ 1 ? > km s−1, and a time span from 1 to 20 years. A systemic velocity was obtained by removing the pulsation component using a high order Fourier series. From this data we have developed a list of stars showing no orbital velocity larger than ±1 km s−1. The binary fraction was analyzed as a function of magnitude, and yields an apparent decrease in this fraction for fainter stars. We interpret this as incompleteness at fainter magnitudes, and derive the preferred binary fraction of 29% ± 8% (20% ± 6% per decade of orbital period) from the brightest 40 stars. A comparison of this fraction in this period range (1–20 years) implies a large fraction for the full period range. This is reasonable in that the high accuracy velocities are sensitive to the longer periods and smaller orbital velocity amplitudes in the period range sampled here. Thus the Cepheid velocity sample provides a sensitive detection in the period range between short period spectroscopic binaries and resolved companions. The recent identification of δ Cep as a binary with very low amplitude and high eccentricity underscores the fact that the binary fractions we derive are lower limits, to which other low amplitude systems will probably be added. The mass ratio (q) distribution derived from ultraviolet observations of the secondary is consistent with a flat distribution for the applicable period range (1–20 years).
An Investigation into the Motivational Practice of Teachers of Albanian and Japanese

An Investigation into the Motivational Practice of Teachers of Albanian and Japanese Ana-Lisa Clark Mullen Department of the Center for Language Studies, BYU Master of Arts This study explores the use and effectiveness of motivational strategies with teachers and learners of Albanian and Japanese at the Missionary Training Center (MTC) in Provo, UT. Each teacher was observed three times using a modified version of the Motivation Orientation of Language Teaching (MOLT) observation scheme that was first used by Guilloteaux & Dornyei (2008). Learners were surveyed using an instrument from that same study. Teachers were surveyed using a modified version of the instrument created by Cheng & Dornyei (2007). Data collected from these three instruments provide insight into (a) the relationship between teacher motivational practice and learner motivated behavior in this context and (b) teachers’ awareness and use of motivational strategies. The significant relationship found between teacher motivational practice and learner motivated behavior indicates that teachers’ use of motivational strategies does influence learner engagement in this context, similar to results from previous studies. Although teachers were observed using some motivational strategies, they underused many other strategies because they lacked confidence, forgot to use them, or did not see how the strategies support the MTC curriculum. Training teachers to use strategies within the framework of MTC principles may help increase teachers’ confidence in using motivational strategies, thus improving the teachers’ motivational practice.
A connection between extremely strong damped Lyman-α systems and Lyman-α emitting galaxies at small impact parameters

We present a study of ~100 high redshift (z~2-4) extremely strong damped Lyman-alpha systems (ESDLA, with N(HI)>0.5x10^22 cm^-2) detected in quasar spectra from the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey SDSS-III DR11. We study the neutral hydrogen, metal, and dust content of this elusive population of absorbers and confirm our previous finding that the high column density end of the N(HI) frequency distribution has a relatively shallow slope with power-law index -3.6, similar to what is seen from 21-cm maps in nearby galaxies. The stacked absorption spectrum indicates a typical metallicity ~1/20th solar, similar to the mean metallicity of the overall DLA population. The relatively small velocity extent of the low-ionisation lines suggests that ESDLAs do not arise from large-scale flows of neutral gas. The high column densities involved are in turn more similar to what is seen in DLAs associated with gamma-ray burst afterglows (GRB-DLAs), which are known to occur close to star forming regions. This indicates that ESDLAs arise from lines of sight passing at very small impact parameters from the host galaxy, as observed in nearby galaxies. This is also supported by simple theoretical considerations and recent high-z hydrodynamical simulations. We strongly substantiate this picture by the first statistical detection of Lya emission with ~(0.6+/-0.2)x10^42 erg/s in the core of ESDLAs (corresponding to about 0.1 L* at z~2-3), obtained through stacking the fibre spectra (of radius 1" corresponding to ~8 kpc at z~2.5). [truncated]
The effect of children on women's wages

The author uses data from the 1968-1988 National Longitudinal Survey of Young Women to investigate the lower wages of mothers. In pooled cross-sectional models, difference models, and fixed-effects models, the negative effect of children on women's wages is not entirely explained by differences in labor market experience. He considers two alternative explanations for the residual penalties associated with having children : unobserved pay-relevant differences between mothers and non-mothers, which fixed-effects models show do not account for the child penalty; and part-time employment, which does account for some of the child penalty. However even after controlling for part-time employment, a negative effect of children on women's pay remain