Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On Voice in English: An Awareness Raising Attempt on Passive Voice

Passive voice is commonly preferred in certain genres such as academic essays and news reports, despite the current trends promoting active voice, it is essential for learners to be fully aware of the meaning, use and form of passive voice to better communicate. This study aims to explore ways to help English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners notice and revise voice in English and raise their awareness of when and how to use active and passive voice to convey meaning in their written and spoken work. The study focuses on a different approach to be taken to teach voice in English, which might help students become more aware of the use of passive voice. The issues related to the use of passive voice are derived from the work of EFL learners who failed to make sensible decisions about when and how to use passive voice partly because the differences between their mother tongue and English and because they were not aware of the fact that active and passive voice would not alternate all the time. Article visualizations:
Population size estimation and metapopulation relationships of Storm Petrels Hydrobates pelagicus in the Gulf of Biscay

2002). The Spanish Storm Petrel population has been estimated at 5,005–7,900 breeding pairs (bp) spread over the Cantabrian Sea (Galicia 10–240 bp, Asturias 412–805 bp, Cantabria 93–325 bp, Bizkaia 63–220 bp), the Mediterranean coast (Alicante 555–685 bp, Murcia 360–544 bp, Baleares 2,912–4,064 bp) and the Canary Islands (595–1,000 bp) (Minguez 2003). The difficulty of reaching many nest sites and of conducting capture–recapture studies on islands has meant that most of these population estimates were based only on nests found on accessible faces (Boersma & Groom 1993, Minguez 1994, Minguez & Vigil 1995). To evaluate the accuracy of these estimates and produce better approximations of population size, we carried out a 16-year (1990–2006) ringing project on Aketx Island, which harbours the largest Storm Petrel population of the area (Azkona
Competition and Growth: Reinterpreting Their Relationship

In this paper we modify a standard quality ladder model by assuming that R&D is driven by outsider firms and the winners of the race sell licenses over their patents, instead of entering directly the inter- mediate good sector. As a reward they get the aggregate profit of the industry. Moreover, in the intermediate good sector firms compete a la Cournot and it is assumed that there are spillovers represented by strategic complementarities on costs. Our goal is to prove that there exists an interval of values of the spillover parameter such that the relationship between competition and growth is an inverted-U-shape.
Population pressure agricultural intensification and the sustainability of cropping systems in Anambra State of Nigeria.

In the absence of modern agricultural inputs growing human populations within constrained land boundaries disrupt the ecological balance. The impact of population and agricultural intensification upon the sustainability of cassava- and yam-based cropping systems in Anambra State Nigeria was assessed in 1994 based upon data gathered from 150 cassava-based farmers and 150 yam-based farmers in the state through field measurements weighings personal interviews and information from government departments. Productivity was found to be low for both cropping systems due to the impact of cropping density population pressure and agricultural intensification upon land. Moderate and severe land degradation affect 40% of agricultural land in Africa. The use of organic manure did however significantly increase productivity. Further analysis using the linear programming technique determined that both cropping systems are sustainable but the cassava-based system is more sustainable as indicated by the objective functions. Extension and training programs designed to expose farmers to better methods of preparation conservation and application of organic manures are recommended.
PLIO-QUATERNARY MAMMAL FOSSILIFEROUS SITES OF UMBRIA (CENTRAL ITALY)

The fossil mammalian fauna in Umbria is rich. The majority of the Plio-Pleistocene mammal faunas, discovered in Umbria, are represented by macromammals. These are more abundant because in the past only large animal remains were collected, as they are easier to discover and to recover them. Only large sized species of rodents (beaver, porcupine) and some lagomorphs were collected. However the fossil faunas of Umbria are represented by five orders of large mammals and four of micromammals. These fossil mammal remains represent all the orders and the majority of the families collected in the Pleistocene sites of Europe. Present day knowledge about terrestrial mammal faunas of the Plio-Pleistocene of Umbria does not allow attempting a detailed biochronology for the whole region. The chronological distribution of the mammalian fossiliferous layers is clear in the central and southern part of Umbria, because of the abundance of the fossils. In the northern part of the region there are instead many gaps due to the scarcity of fossiliferous beds. The distribution of the fossiliferous localities is referred to
Assessment of prolapse by Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification (POPQ) System.

Introduction: The present study was planned to studying Preoperative & Postoperative assessment of prolapse by POPQ System. Material and Methods : Fifty cases of prolapse were assessed by POPQ system preoperatively, immediately postoperatively and after 3 months using engraved ring forceps. Results : The average age and parity of include cases were 59 yrs and 4 respectively. The average preoperative scoring was (Aa+1.7, B+3.5, C+4, GH 5.1, PB 2, TVL 8.9, Ap+0.5, Bp+2.2, D+4.1). The average postoperative scoring was (Aa-2.94, B -3.2, C-6, GH 3.1, PB 4.2, TVL 6.9, Ap -2.9, Bp -3.2, D-6(6). The average postoperative scoring at 3 months (Aa-2.7, B -2.7, C-5.7, GH 3.7, PB 3.76, TVL 6, Ap -2.9, Bp-2.9, D-7(6) ). Conclusion : Assessment of prolapse by POPQ system is easy to learn and practice. It provided accurate, precise and objective assessment of pelvic organ prolapse. This method makes possible comparison of results of surgery in a quantitative way. We
Intransparent Markets and Intra-Industry Trade

Buyers are typically unaware of the full set of offers when making a purchase. This paper examines how international trade interacts with this problem of market intransparency. Sellers must communicate their offers through costly advertising, but cannot reach all buyers. Consequently, no market clearing price exists, and sellers randomize over an equilibrium price distribution. Sellers will wish to spread advertisement costs across markets, leading to international trade, which would not take place under complete information. Buyers then receive more offers, leading to lower prices and buyer surplus gains. Sellers in the model are identical, but appear heterogeneous due to their price randomization. If sellers differ slightly, these differences will be greatly magnified. Finally, the model rationalizes very infrequent exporters as firms offering disadvantageous, but profitable, deals to foreign buyers.
Acoustic relaxation in sedimentary rocks; dependence on grain contacts and fluid saturation

Partial fluid saturation affects absorption and dispersion in sandstones. The proposed theoretical model describes acoustic relaxation due to local fluid flow. Previously proposed models of local flow were based on microgeometries not representative of sedimentary rocks; they were unable to describe the behavior of partially saturated sandstones. The new model is based upon observed microstructures in sandstones. A fraction of the grain contacts in sandstones are permeated by sheet‐like gaps. The incomplete solid‐solid contact allows an interconnected fluid film to exist between the grain surfaces. The model consists of a narrow gap connected to a finite annular pore. An acoustic stress wave drives the film out of the narrow contact region and into the adjacent pore. The viscous flow results in a dissipation of energy. The model predicts the real and imaginary parts of the complex frame moduli as a function of frequency and fluid saturation. The predictions agree well with experimental results.
ARIMA forecasting as a genetic inheritance operator in floating-point genetic algorithms

In this paper, a new operator is developed for the floating-point genetic algorithms (FPGAs). The operator records the family tree of chromosomes, searches a convenient time series model on it and forecasts offspring which will possibly be generated by usual genetic algorithm operators in future generations. A software package is developed as an implementation and it is freely available for downloading. The results of a suite of simulation study show that the proposed operator has a statistically significant effect on reaching the global optima of test functions in many dimensions of search spaces. The results of simulation study also show that the developed operator increases the search capabilities of GAs when the number of function parameters increase by means of obtaining the global optimum more precisely.
International Commodity Taxation under Monopolistic Competition *

Opinions expressed in this paper are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect views of the Institute. Abstract We analyze non-cooperative commodity taxation in a two-country trade model characterized by monopolistic competition and international firm and capital mobility. In this setting, taxes in one country affect foreign welfare through the relocation of mobile firms and through changes in the rents accruing to capital owners. With consumption-based taxation, these fiscal ex-ternalities exactly offset each other and the non-cooperative tax equilibrium is Pareto efficient. With production-based taxation, however, there are additional externalities on the foreign tax base and the foreign price level which lead non-cooperative tax rates to exceed their Pareto efficient levels. useful comments and suggestions. Special thanks to an anonymous referee for an exceptionally helpful and detailed report.
Rock-magnetic properties of multicomponent natural remanent magnetization in alluvial red beds (NE Spain)

SUMMARY An earlier study of the cyclic Miocene red bed sequence of La Gloria (Spain) by Krijgsman et al. indicated complicated behaviour of the natural remanent magnetization (NRM) in parts of the section, particularly close to reversal boundaries. We resampled part of the section with high resolution and used extensive rock-magnetic analyses to characterize the magnetic remanence carriers. Below a conspicuous hydromorphous layer, the magnetic contributions of haematite and magnetite are approximately equal, while in the brown layers on top of the hydromorphous layer the contribution of magnetite is drastically reduced. This is probably related to a change in hydrological conditions. The NRM is characterized by: (1) a low-temperature (200‐360 ◦ C) overprint of unknown age, (2) a medium-temperature (360‐580 ◦ C) component, interpreted as the characteristic remanent magnetization (ChRM); and (3) a high-temperature haematite component (600‐ 680 ◦ C), carrying the same directions as the medium-temperature component. There is no perceivable delay in NRM acquisition between the medium- and the high-temperature components; they are both regarded as primary. The behaviour of the NRM seems to be similar in the cyclic lithologies. The acquisition of NRM thus seems to be independent of lithology in the cyclic part of the section. The higher sampling resolution yielded the detection of a new polarity zone, which probably represents a geomagnetic feature according to rock-magnetic properties. However, the more detailed magnetostratigraphy of the resampled part of the section indicates that the earlier correlation to the geomagnetic polarity timescale is no longer tenable. Therefore, the La Gloria section should no longer be used as a magnetostratigraphic dating tool of mammal biochronology.
The Diffusion of Online Banking: Research Trends from 1998 to 2006

This paper provides a detailed picture of research trends and rigorousness in online banking research. Through content analysis, it examines the frequency, occurrence patterns, research topics, and methodological status of all previous online banking articles (N = 54). The findings of this study reveal a dominance of articles dealing with the attributes of online banking and the characteristics of adopters. The findings also show an obvious unbalance in publication sources, research perspective, research methods, and sampling techniques in online banking research. It is thus concluded that more diversified topical coverage and better methodological rigors are needed in future online banking studies. As the only trend research on online banking, this paper offers useful trend information as well as insightful directions for future research.
Disparities in Access to Kidney Transplantation Between Donor Service Areas in Texas

We examined the current status of pronounced disparities in waiting times to kidney transplantation (KTx) within the state of Texas first documented more than a decade ago. The state's three, geographically contiguous donor service areas (DSAs) were compared for rates of deceased donor KTx within 3 years of listing as well as population base; waiting list size; number of dialysis patients; annual eligible deaths; number and size of acute care hospitals; organ procurement organization performance; correspondence between DSA of residence versus DSA of listing; and distribution of alternative local units (ALUs). The data show that significant inequities of access to KTx are persistent, localized to one of the state's three DSAs and disproportionately affect Hispanics as well as counties with lower median family incomes. Imbalances in determinants of supply and demand, discordance between DSAs of residence versus listing and ALU dispositions dating to the 1990s were identified as underlying causes. Parity will not be established by upcoming revisions in national allocation policies that call for regionalizing initial offers of kidneys with the worst 15% of donor profile index scores and elimination of ALUs. Potential remedies include adopting more equitable maximums in waiting time differentials between DSAs within single states.
Robust Combining of Disparate Classifiers through Order Statistics *

Integrating the outputs of multiple classifiers via combiners or meta-learners has led to substantial improvements in several difficult pattern recognition problems. In this article we investigate a family of combiners based on order statistics, for robust handling of situations where there are large discrepancies in performance of individual classifiers. Based on a mathematical modeling of how the decision boundaries are affected by order statistic combiners, we derive expressions for the reductions in error expected when simple output combination methods based on the the median, the maximum and in general, the i th order statistic, are used. Furthermore, we analyze the trim and spread combiners, both based on linear combinations of the ordered classifier outputs, and show that in the presence of uneven classifier performance, they often provide substantial gains over both linear and simple order statistics combiners. Experimental results on both real world data and standard public domain data sets corroborate these findings.
Durability of Output and Expected Stock Returns Durability of Output and Expected Stock Returns *

The demand for durable goods is more cyclical than that for nondurable goods and services. Consequently, the cash flow and stock returns of durable-good producers are exposed to higher systematic risk. Using the NIPA input-output tables, we construct portfolios of durable-good, nondurable-good, and service producers. In the cross-section, a strategy that is long on durables and short on services earns a sizable risk premium. In the time series, a strategy that is long on durables and short on the market portfolio earns a countercyclical risk premium. We develop an equilibrium asset-pricing model that explains these empirical findings.
Nearshore circulation and synthetic aperture radar : an exploratory study

Abstract We use a sequence of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images to map differences in the flood and ebb tidal currents in a cove along the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. The asymmetry in the tidal flow determines the flushing rate of the cove which, in turn, has a significant effect on biological production within the cove and its potential for aquaculture. We find significant differences in the SAR images collected on flood and ebb tides. Specifically there are well-defined lines on the flood images and large whorls on the ebb. A three-dimensional hydrodynamic model of the tidal currents is used to interpret the SAR images. In particular we use the model flow fields to wind back the SAR images to an earlier stage of the tide in an attempt to determine the physical origin of the features in the images. We conclude that the most likely explanation for the ebb-tide whorls is the advection of surface slicks.
An Investigation of the Important Factors Influence Web Trust in Online Shopping

The proportion and importance of online shopping rises day after day all over the world even though it contains some risks. The primary purpose of this study is to examine important factors that influence web trust and online shopping. By taking advantage of literature studies, four factors (web security, consumer reviews of website, availability, and experiences) have been determined and face-to-face survey method was conducted. 392 participants involved in the research and the data have been collected in Antalya and Burdur provinces of Turkey. The relationship between these four factors and web trust has been tested within the scope on online shopping by using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) analysis method. The obtained findings show that web trust has an significant impact on online shopping that is influenced by web security, availability, and experiences, whereas consumer reviews of website have no impact.
Measurement of current changes in land levels as input to long‐term planning for flood risk management along the Thames estuary

Long‐term planning for flood risk management in coastal and estuarine areas requires timely and reliable information on changes in land and sea levels. In this paper we describe how we have produced a detailed, high‐resolution map of current changes in land levels for the Thames region, and carried out a new assessment of the changes in sea level relative to the land along the Thames Estuary over the past few decades/past century. We conclude the paper by considering the potential benefits of extended monitoring for the long‐term planning of flood and coastal defences in that region.
Accuracy analysis of multi-axis machines by 3D length measurements

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HYDROUS SULFIDE MELTING: EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE FOR THE SOLUBILITY OF H2OIN SULFIDE MELTS

The effect of H 2 O on sulfide melting temperatures has been investigated in the FeS-PbS-ZnS system at 1.5 GPa, revealing that the addition of H 2 O results in a 35°C drop in melting temperature from 900° to 865°C. In addition to the melting point depression, the solubility of H 2 O is confirmed by the presence of vesicles in the quenched melt. No oxide phases were present in any of the run products, ruling out oxidation as a cause of the melting point depression. Confirmation of the solubility of H 2 O in sulfide melts is consistent with the recent suggestion by Mungall and Brenan (2003) of a magmatic origin for halogen-rich alteration associated with magmatic sulfide ore deposits, as the hydrous component of the alteration may similarly originate in the fractionating sulfide melt. Anatectic sulfide melts could be expected to contain more H 2 O than magmatic sulfide melts, owing to the lack of a parental silicate melt that buffers the H 2 O content of magmatic sulfide melts. Fluids expelled from the cooling anatectic melts, such as that present during granulite facies metamorphism of sulfide deposits at Broken Hill, Australia, may have been responsible for associated retrograde hydrothermal alteration.
Lithostratigraphy, Biostratigraphy, and Magnetostratigraphy of Arikareean Strata West of The Continental Divide in Montana

Abstract Arikareean strata exposed in several intermontane basins of western Montana are composed mostly of aeolian derived tuffaceous material deposited in fluviatile, lacustrine, and paludal environments. Streams were principally aggrading; lakes were shallow, ephemeral and confined mainly to two adjoining basins; and swamps were very local with abundant plant material and occasional lignites. Bedded gypsum and gypsum cement in lacustrine strata indicate periods of dryness. Locally abundant invertebrate and vertebrate fossils are found mainly in fine-grained fluviatile overbank, lacustrine, and lacustrine delta-fill deposits; logs, branches, and other large pieces of wood are found in fluviatile channel deposits; leaves, wood, fusain, and other plant fragments are common in paludal deposits; and root traces and burrows are very common in all fluviatile and paludal deposits and some lacustrine deposits. The Arikareean strata are bounded by unconformities and have been subdivided into three biostratigraphic intervals using diagnostic mammalian and molluscan fossil assemblages. Mammalian assemblages and magnetostratigraphy data allow important correlations with Arikareean strata in the northern Great Plains and in the Columbia Plateau. The lithostratigraphy and fossil assemblages indicate climatic conditions with mild winters and alternating humid and semiarid seasons.
Automated road network extraction from high spatial resolution multi-spectral imagery

In this paper, a new approach to road network extraction from multi-spectral (MS) imagery is presented. The proposed approach begins with an image segmentation using a spectral clustering algorithm. This step focuses on the exploitation of the spectral information for feature extraction. The road cluster(s) is automatically identified using a fuzzy classifier based on a set of predefined membership functions for road surfaces and the corresponding normalized digital numbers in each multi-spectral band. A number of shape descriptors from the refined Angular Texture Signature are defined and used to reduce the misclassifications between roads and other spectrally similar objects such as parking lots, buildings or crop fields. An iterative and localized Radon transform is then performed on the classified and refined road pixels to extract road centerline segments. The detected road segments are further grouped to form the final road network, which is evaluated against a reference dataset. Our experiments on Ikonos MS, Quickbird MS, and color aerial imagery show that the proposed approach is effective in automating road network extraction from high resolution multi-spectral imagery. Results from two different evaluation schemes also indicated that the proposed approach has achieves a performance comparable to other methods.