Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The role of "rural" in comparisons of observed suburban-rural flux differences

Simultaneous measurements of surface energy balance fluxes and other climate variables were made at suburban, wet rural and dry rural sites in the Sacramento region, California, during late August 1991. The rural sites have "classic" energy partitioning; with average Bowen ratios much greater than 10 at the dry site and 0.18 at the wet site during the daytime. These values remain reasonably constant from day-to-day. In the suburban area the partitioning between sensible, latent and storage heat fluxes is more equal (average daytime Bowen ratio 1.39). Unlike the rural sites the predominant flux is more variable from day-to-day; changing through the twelve day period between storage heat flux and sensible heat flux. The marked difference in energy partitioning between the two rural areas means that the site used as the "rural" reference for the definition of suburban-rura l flux differences and urban heat islands is significant.
Model Development and Model-Based Control Design for High Performance Nonlinear Smart Systems

Abstract : We have developed a unified energy-based framework for quantifying hysteresis and constitutive nonlinearities inherent to piezoelectric, magnetic, and shape memory compounds which is amenable to inversion and subsequent use as an inverse filter for linear control designs. We have also developed stochastic modeling techniques which quantify the highly complex stiffness properties of ionic polymers in a manner which facilitates design in applications ranging from biological/chemical detection to robotic design for aerospace structures. The control component has focused on the development of robust linear designs exploiting nonlinear filters and fully nonlinear algorithms which incorporate modeled physics directly into the control design. Open loop control experiments have been performed and present investigations are focused on closed loop experimental validation of the control theories.
The Impact of Early Discharged of Stable Preterm Neonates with Home Gavage Feeding; A Case Control Study

Background: Premature neonates are hospitalized until they can get full mouth feeding and this often leads to increasing the hospitalization period. This study compared two neonatal care policies: early discharge of stable preterm infants with home gavage feeding and discharge when they reached to full oral feeding. Materials and Methods: By a case-control study, all stable premature neonates admitted in Alzahra teaching hospital, Tabriz, Iran, who were not able to feed orally, were divided into two groups. Study group included 48 neonates who achieved full oral feeding through oro-gastric tube and were discharged for outpatient follow-up. Control group included 50 neonates with the same feeding conditions who remained hospitalized and fed up by their mothers. Within one month, early clinical criteria were compared between both groups. Results: The mean gestational age for the control group was (30.6 +/- 2.5 weeks), study group was (30.2 +/- 1.8 weeks) and average admission weights for control and study groups were 1409.0 +/- 363.6gr and 1352.7 +/- 272.3gr, respectively. Infants at the early discharge program, spent less time to reach the full oral feeding (13 days vs. 16 days) than the control group (p = 0.025), and had lower risk of sepsis and feeding intolerance compared to those in the control group and their difference for feeding intolerance was significant (p = 0.03). Conclusion: This study showed that after an appropriate education for parents the early discharge of stable preterm neonates with home gavage feeding not only revealed a positive impact on their feeding and sucking improvement but also did not show any complication or negative impact on their growth parameters.
War, Livelihoods, and Vulnerability in Sri Lanka

Empfohlene Zitierung / Suggested Citation: Korf, B. (2003). Conflict threat or opportunity? War, livelihoods, and vulnerability in Sri Lanka (Institutional Change in Agriculture and Natural Resources (ICAR) : Discussion Papers, 1). Berlin: Humboldt-Universität Berlin, Institut für Wirtschaftsund Sozialwissenschaften des Landbaus, Fachgebiet Ressourcenökonomie. https://nbn-resolving.org/ urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-112179
Multi-Temporal Remote Sensing of Landuse Dynamics in Zaria, Nigeria

This study assesses the impact of growth of Zaria town on the changing pattern of the different landuse/land cover types within and around the town, using Remote Sensing and GIS techniques. Zaria is witnessing rapid rate of urbanization as a consequence of the establishment of the Ahmadu Bello University at Zaria in 1962. It is one of the fastest growing settlements in northern Nigeria. The increasing population from the University community has led to serious competition for land among different landuse types. Multi-temporal satellite imageries for three and half decades (1973, 1990, 1999 and 2006) were used to assess the impact of the growth of Zaria town on the changing pattern of the different landuse/land cover (LULC) types using Remote Sensing GIS techniques. The images were transformed, enhanced, sampled and re-sampled, classified and crossed for change detection. Results of the analysis showed that although there are year to year variations in area under each landuse type, net change detection showed that built up area has been on the increase each year encroaching on scrubland, farmlands and fadama to shrink. Keywords: change detection, image crossing, multi-temporal, multi-spectral,
Political competition and rural welfare: evidence from Pakistan

Can stronger political competition improve rural livelihoods in developing countries? We explore this question in rural Pakistan, showing that greater political competition in a Provincial Assembly (PA) constituency predicts significantly better access to publicly-provided infrastructure and amenities, but no changes in other public goods including perceived access to justice and security. Nonetheless, overall welfare effects appear to be positive: higher political competition predicts higher expenditures per capita, especially among land-poor households. It also predicts higher land values, greater land wealth, and lower land wealth inequality. Further, political competition increases land rental, possibly indicating improved functionality of land markets. Sensitivity analyses suggest that our estimates are unlikely to be substantially affected by omitted variable bias, and they are further similar to instrumental variables estimates. The findings are also robust to use of alternate measures of political competition. Greater provision of both public and private goods appears to explain welfare improvements.
Identification of factors influencing building initial trust in e-commerce

Nowadays, consumer trust is identified as one of the most important factors in electronic commerce (e-commerce) growth. This has led much research to investigate the role of trust in e-commerce and determine the factors which influence trust in this area. This paper explores factors which are engaged in building initial consumer trust in online shopping when a consumer wants to buy from a website for the first time. For developing the model and determining factors, data collection is conducted using questionnaire distribution for 325 respondents. After that, the validity of the proposed model is confirmed with Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). In EFA, variables are categorized into 6 factors and then using CFA which is based on Structural Equations Model (SEM) the relationship between variables and factors is investigated. The results of research show that factors of Product Characteristics, Security & Reputation, Website Design Quality, Support, Purchase Characteristic, and Advertising are effective factors for building initial trust. In this study the statistical population is students of Damghan University.
Evaluation the helicobacter pylori infection in asthmatic children compared to control group

Background: Asthma is a highly prevalent chronic respiratory disease in children. Moreover, the underlying causes of asthma exacerbation are important because they are effective in controlling and preventing asthma. The aim of this study was to evaluate the helicobacter pylori infection in controlled and uncontrolled asthmatic children compared to healthy children. Methods: This casecontrol study was done on 120 children aged 6-14 years with moderate to severe asthma. Diagnosis of asthma was performed according to GINA criteria with respect to the history and clinical examination. In addition, 120 healthy children without asthma were considered as the control group. Helicobacter pylori stool antigen test was evaluated for all patients. In addition to the above information, age, sex, duration of asthma and gastrointestinal symptoms were also recorded for each patient. Data were analyzed using SPSS15, Chi-square and Fisher's exact test and T-test. Results: The mean age of children in the asthmatic and healthy children was 8.3±2 and 8.5±2.3, respectively (p=0.479). Totally, 57.5% and 58.3% of children were boys in the control group, and in asthmatic group, respectively. Thirty percent of children in the control group and 8.3% of children with asthma were H. pylori positive (p=0.000). Mean duration of asthma in children with H. pylori positive (3.3±1.55) and H. pylori negative (3.33±1.56) stool antigen showed no significant difference (p=0.944). Conclusions: The results of this study indicated that there was an inverse relation between helicobacter pylori infection and asthma.
Characterization of Hydroxy-Interlayered Vermiculite and Illite/Smectite Interstratified Minerals from the Weathering of Chlorite in a Cryorthod

X-ray diffraction, FTIR, and chemical analyses were performed on clay fractions (1–2 µm, <0.1 µm), separated by means of size fractionations and high-gradient magnetic separation techniques, from a Cryorthod developed in a chlorite-mica schist saprolite. Weathering of large phyllosilicates pre-existing in the saprolite involves physical fragmentation and mineralogical transformations. Chloritic minerals in the coarse fractions were the most affected by physical breakdown, while micas were generally preserved. As a consequence, a concentration of mica layers occurred in the coarse clay fraction, while chloritic residues accumulated in the fine clays. These residues exhibited the typical XRD pattern of hydroxy-interlayered intergrade minerals, but the interlayered contaminants were found to be mainly hydroxy-Mg cations. Further mineralogical transformations of the intergrade minerals involved the progressive removal of the hydroxide interlayered sheet and dissolution of chloritic layers. Illite/smectite mixed-layers were formed in the surface horizon of the soil profile. These processes were associated with a strong decrease in Fe and Mg contents in the clay fractions.
Identification of bacterial pathogens and determination of their antibacterial resistance profiles in some cultured fish in Turkey

Abstract Introduction: In the present study, some of the commercial fish farms located in the Black Sea region of Turkey, were screened for bacteria between 2012 and 2014. Material and Methods: The bacterial agents isolated from fish were identified by classical biochemical tests and the rapid diagnostic tests (API 20 E and API 20 Strep). All strains were further identified by sequencing of the 16S rRNA genes. The strains were also investigated for resistance to different antimicrobials by the disc diffusion method. Antibiotic resistance genes, including tetracycline (B), β-lactam (ampC, blaTEM, blaPSE), florfenicol (floR), erythromycine (ereA, ereB), sulphonamide (sulI, sulII), and trimethoprim (dhfr1) genes, were determined by the PCR method. Results: Vibrio anguillarum, Vibrio fluvialis, Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida, Pseudomonas luteola, Lactococcus garvieae, Streptococcus iniae, Aeromonas hydrophila, and Yersinia ruckeri were isolated from marine and freshwater cultured fish. According to the results of disc diffusion, all isolates were sensitive to florfenicol, trimethoprim+sulfamethoxazole, oxitetracycline, and enrofloxacin, and resistant to lincomycin, penicillin G, and amoxicillin. Also, sulI, sulII, and floR resistance genes were detected in the bacteria. Conclusion: The results of the study open up the opportunity to perform further investigations which could determine the possible role of ARGs in fish pathogens.
Particle Trajectories in Linearized Irrotational Shallow Water Flows

Abstract We investigate the particle trajectories in an irrotational shallow water flow over a flat bed as periodic waves propagate on the water’s free surface. Within the linear water wave theory, we show that there are no closed orbits for the water particles beneath the irrotational shallow water waves. Depending on the strength of underlying uniform current, we obtain that some particle trajectories are undulating path to the right or to the left, some are looping curves with a drift to the right and others are parabolic curves or curves which have only one loop.
EXPLORING POLITICAL BRAND IDENTITY AND POLITICAL BRAND IMAGE IN NON-PARTY CONTEXTS FROM A MULTI-STAKEHOLDER PERSPECTIVE

Understanding political brands is a pertinent concern for the British Crown Dependency of Guernsey. Guernsey is a Channel Island, part of the British Isles yet not a member of the European Union. In addition, Guernsey currently has a non-political party system and all thirtyeight Members of Parliament [otherwise known as Deputies] are independent figures. Further, deputies stand as individuals, and members often form informal alliances repeatedly referred to as collections of constantly changing coalitions of support or ‘quasi-political parties’ Guernsey is set to hold an island-wide referendum by March 2018 on the island’s electoral process, moving from seven constituencies to one island-wide constituency. The Guernsey Government believe the 2018 referendum will impact the way Members of Parliament are elected and envisage the creation and introduction of ‘political parties’, or formal alliances in anticipation for the 2020 General Election. The creation and introduction of political parties [political brands] on Guernsey would be unprecedented to the current-historic political environment of a non-party system structured by independent, individual politicians. Further, it is unknown whether the creation and introduction of political ‘party’ brands would have the same appeal, benefits and success compared with independent ‘individual’ political brands. This presents a unique opportunity for the proposed piece of research, which will have an impact as to whether political parties [political party brands] are desired by Guernsey’s elected representatives and Guernsey citizens-voters, and if so, how will new political parties be created and conceptualised. However, in order to address this we need to frame the study within the sub-discipline of political branding.
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE IN ISLAMIC BANKS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF CONSERVATIVES, MODERATES, AND LIBERALS

This study seeks to fill the gap in the current literature on corporate governance in Islamic banks. A major limitation of these studies, leading to skewed results when analyzing corporate governance and other issues, is their treatment of all the Islamic banks in one category. This study addresses this issue with results showing that corporate governance is not uniform across various categories of Islamic banks. The study analyzes various aspects of corporate governance in Islamic banks by first classifying them into three categories (i.e., Liberals, Moderates, and Conservatives). A comparison of four important variables of corporate governance (i.e., size of SSB, size of audit committee, size of board of directors, and board composition) within these three categories was expected to yield some new findings. The study uses a sample of 80 fully Islamic banks for the years 2009-2014, from the countries of the GCC, Yemen, Egypt, Sudan, Tunisia, Syria, Turkey, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the UK, and South Africa. The study aims to strengthen and enhance our knowledge of some relevant corporate governance mechanisms in Islamic banks. The results of this study are expected to be useful to practitioners of corporate governance in Islamic banks, customers, and financial regulators including central banks and other relevant stakeholders. In addition, it may allow further research to bring necessary reforms to the corporate governance of Islamic banking and thus generally strengthen
Effect of panel density on major properties of oriented strandboard.

An extensive experimental study was carried out to systematically investigate the influence of panel density on oriented strandboard (OSB) properties. Nine sets of 711 × 711 × 11.1-mm aspen OSB panels with a target density varying 449-705 kg/m 3 were manufactured. The panels were tested for major properties, including modulus of rupture (MOR), modulus of elasticity (MOE), internal bond strength (IB), water absorption (WA), and thickness swell (TS) after 24-h soaking and rolling shear strength (RS). The results indicated that, in general, panel density positively affected the properties of the OSB panels. Effects of panel density on parallel MOR and MOE, IB, and RS were nonlinear and could be described with convex quadratic curves. TS and WA linearly decreased with increasing panel density.
Frequency of non-motor symptoms in parkinson disease: experience from Pakistan

Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of non-motor symptoms (NMS) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and to compare frequency in mild and severe disease. Materials and methods: This descriptive observational study was done from January 2015 to June 2015 at Department of Neurology, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad. We used Non-Motor Symptom Questionnaire (NMS-Q); a validated scale using 30 questions related to 9 different domains of symptoms. Results: 62 patients were enrolled in the final data set of study (male 46, Female 16) with average age of 62.4 years (range=33-80). Non-motor symptoms were reported very commonly in all stages of PD including urinary urgency (74%), dizziness (71%), memory problems (71%), sexual difficulty (69%), constipation (67%) and depression (62%). Only non-motor symptom that was statistically significantly higher in the severe stages was “reported falls” (Mild 39%, severe 61%, p < 0.01). Some were more common (lightheadedness, falls, sexual difficulty) while others were less (hyposmia). Conclusion: Non-motor symptoms are very common in Pakistani population of PD and are seen equally in mild and severe PD with exception of “reported falls”. The high prevalence of non-motor symptoms (especially in mild stages) should be kept in mind while managing PD. Furthermore, there may be the likely need for a culturally appropriate screening scale for our population.
Individual Differences in Human Reliability Analysis

While human reliability analysis (HRA) methods include uncertainty in quantification, the nominal model of human error in HRA typically assumes that operator performance does not vary significantly when they are given the same initiating event, indicators, procedures, and training, and that any differences in operator performance are simply aleatory (i.e., random). While this assumption generally holds true when performing routine actions, variability in operator response has been observed in multiple studies, especially in complex situations that go beyond training and procedures. As such, complexity can lead to differences in operator performance (e.g., operator understanding and decision-making). Furthermore, psychological research has shown that there are a number of known antecedents (i.e., attributable causes) that consistently contribute to observable and systematically measurable (i.e., not random) differences in behavior. This paper reviews examples of individual differences taken from operational experience and the psychological literature. The impact of these differences in human behavior and their implications for HRA are then discussed. We propose that individual differences should not be treated as aleatory, but rather as epistemic. Ultimately, by understanding the sources of individual differences, it is possible to remove some epistemic uncertainty from analyses.
Improving a spectral bin microphysical scheme using TRMM satellite observations

TRMM‐observed mature‐stage squall lines during late spring and early summer in the central USA over a 9‐year period are compiled and compared with a case simulation by the Goddard Cumulus Ensemble (GCE) model with a spectral bin microphysical scheme. During the quasi‐steady state of the simulation, a forward radiative transfer model calculates TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR) reflectivity and 85 GHz brightness temperatures from simulated particle size distributions. Comparisons between model and TRMM observations using radar Contoured Frequency with Altitude Diagrams (CFADs) and 85 GHz brightness temperature probability density distributions are performed, in addition to CFADs from a surface C‐band radar for the same case. Radar CFADs comparisons reveal that the model overestimates sizes of snow/aggregates in the stratiform region.
Monetary Policy and Macroeconomic Instability in Nigeria : A Rational Expectation Approach

Generally, both fiscal and monetary policies seek at achieving relative macroeconomic stability. Based on countries’ experience on the role of monetary policy in controlling economics instability, this study examines the efficacy of monetary policy in controlling inflation rate and exchange rate instability. The analysis performed is based on a rational expectation framework that incorporates the fiscal role of exchange rate. Using quarterly data spanning over 1980: 1 to 2000: 4, and applying time series test on the data used, the paper shows that the effort of monetary policy at influencing the finance of government fiscal deficit through the determination of the inflation-tax rate affects both the rate of inflation and the real exchange rate, thereby causing volatility in their rates. The paper reveals that inflation affects volatility of its own rate, as well as the rate of real exchange. The policy import of the paper is that monetary policy should be set in such a way that the objective it is to achieve is well defined.
Optical Properties and Raman Studies of Amorphous Se-Bi Thin Films

Flash evaporated amorphous Se Bi (x = 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 at.%) thin films of 350 ± 10 thickness have been investigated in the wavelength range of 200nm− 3000nm. It is found that the effect of increasing bismuth content on the as deposited films led to increased absorption coefficient, reflectance, refractive index and extinction coefficient while transmittance and optical band gap energy decreased. The Raman spectra showed peaks at 238.8 ,248.3 , 249.5 , 250.7 , 251.9 , 488.1 , and 489.3 due to selenium rings and chains at various bismuth concentrations.