Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Importance of Pre-employment Job Motives in Predicting Voluntary Salesforce Turnover in the Gig Economy

ABSTRACT Purpose Given the considerable visible and hidden costs associated with voluntary job turnover and the fact that independent contract workers (“gig workers”) can change jobs with ease, it is imperative for managers and scholars to understand the reasons why someone joins a company in an effort to hire workers who will stay with the company longer. Method A commercial research panel company, Dynata, was used to collect data from current and former independent contract workers. After a rigorous screening protocol, data were collected retrospectively from 495 current and 456 former direct sellers, since direct selling is one of the oldest forms and largest categories of gig work. A binary logistic regression analysis enabled prediction of voluntary job turnover based on the number of reasons for joining the company. Findings Findings from statistical analysis of the reasons for joining a company showed that the greater the number of reasons given for joining, the greater the likelihood of staying with the company. Additionally, statistically significant differences were observed between the current and former direct sellers for nine of the 12 reasons investigated. Importantly, from a predictive modeling perspective, it was possible to predict whether a direct seller would stay with the company or quit the company based on the number of reasons for joining the company. Implications The research has implications for both theory and practice. Utilizing theoretical underpinnings from organizational and behavioral management literatures, pre- and post-employment variables establish the framework for pursuing a better understanding of pre-employment motives for joining a company. Despite calls for more research on individual differences in joining a company, past research efforts may have been hindered by the failure to explore new approaches, new agendas, and new methodologies. Theoretically, the research shows that there is a need to ensure the inclusion of pre-employment motive constructs in examining the construct of voluntary job turnover. Managerially, the cost of turnover is significant, and this is particularly true for salesforce turnover. Reducing the rate of voluntary salesforce turnover even by a small percentage could (1) lead to greater effectiveness, efficiency, and profitability for companies, (2) result in less time invested in a job for which an individual is not necessarily motivated to pursue successfully long-term, and (3) ensure consistent product and service delivery for customers. Originality Little is known about gig workers, and this research project focuses on one of the original gig workforce cadres, direct selling. Additionally, this research is unique in its approach to collecting data retrospectively from current and former independent contract workers as well as in the predictive abilities offered by the data and subsequent statistical modeling.
A System of Mapping Historical Wildfire Events in the Boreal Forest using Polarimetric Radar

The boreal forest covers 11% of the earth’s land surface and contains 37 percent of the planet’s terrestrial carbon, which is more than the combined total of both the tropical and the temperate forests [1]. This estimate translates to 703 Pg of carbon with the vast majority contained within the organic soils and peat layers [2-4]. The western-north American boreal forest is a fire ecosystem [2, 5-7] where fires typically occur every 50 to 200 years [8, 9], allowing vast quantities of carbon to re-enter the atmosphere. Understanding and estimating past fire history and the related changes in carbon budget [3, 4, 7, 10] in this biome is of significant importance for climate researchers as they attempt to model for future changes in the planet’s climate [2, 4, 11-14]. Many techniques are available to remotely sense wildfires using optical, thermal and passive microwave remote sensors during and immediately after an event although resolution and availability of images due to cloud cover can make these techniques operationally challenging. Radar remote sensing can provide a complement to these optical and passive microwave
The Linkage Between Methane Fluxes and Gross Primary Productivity at Diurnal and Seasonal Scales on a Rice Paddy Field in Eastern China

Carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) are the most important two greenhouse gases in the atmosphere which were closely coupled between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere. However, the relationship between CO2 and CH4 fluxes of rice paddy at different temporal scales is still unclear. Based on 6 years of eddy covariance measurements on a flooded rice paddy field in Eastern China, the relationship between gross primary productivity (GPP) and CH4 fluxes and the effects of biophysical and environmental factors on daily CH4/GPP were investigated. CH4 fluxes and GPP were tightly linked at diurnal and seasonal scales. On average, half‐hourly CH4 fluxes lagged GPP by 1.5 hr while daily GPP lagged CH4 fluxes by 19 days over the growing season. Leaf area index, water table depth (WTD), air temperature, vapor pressure deficit, and canopy conductance significantly affect daily CH4/GPP. A semi‐empirical multiplicative model was able to capture 77% and 84% seasonal variability of daily CH4/GPP for the training data set and testing data set, respectively. WTD is a crucial input affecting the performance of the model. Without WTD included, the agreement between estimated and observed daily CH4/GPP was weakened. Under the condition without WTD data available, separate calibration of the semi‐empirical multiplicative model before and after panicle initiation could improve the estimation of daily CH4/GPP to some extent. The findings in this study enhance our understanding regarding the complex interactions between CH4 fluxes and GPP in the rice paddy and are helpful for better estimation of CH4 fluxes from GPP.
Identifying Secondary Crash Characteristics for California Highway System

This paper uses the crash records, which are part of the Highway Safety Information System (HSIS), for the California highway system from 1999 and 2000 to identify the prevailing characteristics of secondary crashes for the aforementioned system. The crash records are aggregated to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) District level for analysis. The study compares differences in the characteristics of secondary crashes and primary crashes with respect to time of day, roadway classification, primary collision factors, severity level and type of accident. This study defines a secondary crash, which is any crash that results from the non-recurring congestion or emergency response associated with a primary crash, as any crash that occurs in the same direction within sixty minutes of a primary crash and no more than two miles upstream. For all comparisons, a proportional test is used to assess the presence of significant differences between secondary crashes and primary crashes. One such comparison is a comparison between rural and urban Caltrans’ Districts. As expected, a higher proportion of crashes in urban Districts are classified as secondary crashes than in rural Districts. The typical secondary crash on the State of California Highway System is a rear-end, property damage only crash on a greater than a four lane urban freeway that occurs during one of the peak periods and is caused by excessive speed.
Characteristics of Arctic Sea Ice From Remote-Sensing Data and Their Relationship to Atmospheric Processes

New data on leads and surface-melt phenomena in the Arctic, based on mapping of DMSP visible images, are presented. Lead orientations in the Beaufort Sea are broadly correlated with geostrophic wind direction and show similar synoptic scale patterns. Preliminary results of airborne 1.06 μm lidar transects over Baffin Bay demonstrate its great potential for high-resolution mapping of open-water areas and, in winter/spring, their ice-crystal plumes. Some of these sub-visible plumes are observed to penetrate the Arctic inversion. Snow-melt maps for the entire Arctic prepared for four summer seasons have been used to derive surface-albedo data. From these data the variability of the surface-energy balance is estimated to be equivalent to 0.6 m of ice melt.
Promoting Student Success in the Flipped Online Classroom: Learning and Accountability Through Homework Strategies

Abstract As online and hybrid classes have become increasingly more prevalent in higher education, the flipped classroom structure has emerged as a viable, evidence-based, option for healthcare programs. In a flipped classroom, students view pre-recorded video lectures and complete reading assignments before class, and synchronous class time can then be used for active learning activities. Class sessions offer opportunities for group work, review of complex content, and access to instructor assistance with assignments. To effectively implement a flipped classroom approach, students must prepare prior to class time. One method for encouraging student accountability is to assign preparatory homework. This experimental study compared two types of accountability homework on measures of achievement, satisfaction, ease of use, and perceived learning from two types of assignments: concept maps or question-and-answer homework. Study participants included 46 first year occupational therapy students attending an online foundational occupational therapy course. Treatment included weekly completion of either a concept map or a set of three question-and-answer homework assignments over a period of three weeks. Findings suggested that accountability homework assignments of either type were helpful in promoting achievement. Results further revealed that satisfaction and perceived learning were greater in the concept map group as compared to the question-and-answer group. It is recommended that occupational therapy and other allied health instructors use accountability homework to reinforce student learning in the flipped classroom. The use of concept map assignments in particular has the potential to improve schema acquisition, critical thinking, and deep learning, which in turn can support educational success.
The Effectiveness of 4MAT Model via Google Classroom in Developing Argumentative Writing Skills among EFL Majors

: The present research aimed at empirically investigating the effectiveness of 4MAT model via Google Classroom in developing argumentative writing skills among EFL majors at the Faculty of Education, Al-Azhar University. To fulfil the purpose of the research, the experimental method was adopted (pretest - posttest control group design). An argumentative writing test with a scoring rubric was developed by the researchers for collecting the target data after assuring its validity and reliability. The participants, totalling 49, were randomly selected form the fourth year EFL majors at the Faculty of Education, Al-Azhar University and assigned into two groups: the experimental group (N= 25) and the control one (N= 24). The statistical analysis of the data elicited using independent samples t - tests revealed that there was a statistically significant difference between the mean scores attained by the experimental group and the control one underscoring the effectiveness of 4MAT model via Google Classroom in developing argumentative writing skills as the effect size was large (Cohen’s d = 1.47). The researchers developed a number of recommendations and suggestions for the future researchers.
COMPARATIVE ECOLOGY OF THE INVASIVE RUBUS PHOENICOLASIUS AND THE NATIVE RUBUS ARGUTUS

Title of Dissertation: COMPARATIVE ECOLOGY OF THE INVASIVE RUBUS PHOENICOLASIUS AND THE NATIVE RUBUS ARGUTUS. Anne Foss Innis, Doctor of Philosophy, 2005 Dissertation directed by: Associate Professor Irwin N. Forseth Department of Biology Invasive species are one of the most significant factors in human influenced global change. Management actions that prevent the spread and impacts of invasive species require knowledge of their ecological characteristics. The characteristics of the invasive wine raspberry (Rubus phoenicolasius Maxim.) and the native sawtooth blackberry (Rubus argutus Link) were examined in two forest habitats on the Maryland Coastal Plain. The invasive had greater negative effects on a common herbaceous plant (Duchesnea indica Andr. Focke) than the native. The invasive, R. phoenicolasius had higher leaf nitrogen concentrations (Nleaf), greater specific leaf areas (SLA) and higher maximal rates of photosynthesis (Amax) for a given dark respiration rate (Rd) than R. argutus. R. phoenicolasius depended less upon pollinators for fruit development and had higher fruiting rates with more seeds per fruit than the native species. In addition, seeds of R. phoenicolasius had higher germination rates. Survival of invasive seedlings was negatively affected by leaf litter additions, but seedling growth was not negatively influenced by shading. R. phoenicolasius seedlings grown in a greenhouse and inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi produced less biomass than seedlings that were not inoculated. The distribution of R. phoenicolasius may be affected by leaf litter, but presence of AMF is probably not necessary for seedling success. A three year demographic study showed that both species were negatively impacted by drought, but the invasive recovered faster than the native species in the higher light forest. Overall, results of these studies indicate that the invasive R. phoenicolasius was more likely to competitively exclude understory herbs which can coexist with the native R. argutus. The ability of R. phoenicolasius to adapt physiologically to different light levels helps explain its ability to form dense populations under varying environmental conditions. The combination of high fruit production, plasticity and lower mortality in high light habitats is in agreement with previous studies on invasive species. The combined characteristics demonstrated by R. phoenicolasius allow this invader to spread, expand and persist in mid-successional forests in the Coastal Plain of Maryland. COMPARATIVE ECOLOGY OF THE INVASIVE RUBUS PHOENICOLASIUS AND THE NATIVE RUBUS ARGUTUS
The Impact of Observed Drag Reduction Over Land on Typhoon Forecasting

The surface drag coefficient plays a crucial role in determining the momentum exchange between the Earth's surface and the atmosphere. Previous studies have observed a tendency for the drag coefficient to decrease at high wind speeds over land, primarily due to the inverse energy cascade. This study aims to examine the impacts of the reduced drag coefficient on the typhoon forecasting skills in terms of the track, the central pressure, and the 10‐m maximum wind speed. Drag reduction is approached through the logarithmic wind profile and a new formula that considers the reduction in roughness length. The results show that the track and the 10‐m maximum wind speed forecasts are improved, but these improvements are primarily evident over plain areas, as the typhoon structure is significantly disrupted by the topography over mountainous areas. Additionally, the reduced drag coefficient results in less dissipation of the typhoon's wind fields over land. As the wind speeds at coastal areas are enhanced compared with those in operational model, the changes in the Coriolis force are responsible for the track prediction improvement. These findings highlight the importance of parameterizing coherent processes in current numerical models.
Molecular Identification of Sarcocystis Species in Sheep (Ovis aries) and Goats (Capra hircus) of Duhok Province, Iraq

monophyletic cluster to the sequences of S. capracanis . As the 18S rRNA sequences of S. tenella and S. capracanis showed high similarity with each other, further molecular studies based on the cox1 and ITS1 regions are required for the exact characterization of species identified in the present study. Due to cross-infection and high incidence of Sarcocystis spp. in both sheep and goats in the world and in Iraq, development of disease control and prevention measures would be essential.
THE EFFECT OF IRRIGATION AND OTHER AGRONOMIC TREATMENTS ON THE YIELD OF POTATOES GROWN ON TEMPLETON SILT LOAM

Three experiments were carried out over two seasons to investigate the effect of irrigation, fertilizer, seed size spacing and cultivar on potatoes grown on Templeton silt loam. In the 1976-77 season yields were low and yield responses only occurred with furrow irrigation after flowering and with increased nitrogen fertilizer rates. Irrigation before flowering, increased phosphate rates, potash and dipping seed tubers in sodium hypochlorite solution had no effect on total yield. In the 1977-78 season, considerably drier than 1976-77, two trials were undertaken. In one, using sprinkler irrigation, which added 20 mm water each time the soil moisture fell to 22% gave similar yields to adding 40 mm water at 22% soil moisture. Altering the distance between plants in the row, and reducing seed size had no effect on yield. In the second trial, yields when furrow irrigation was applied at 16% soil moisture were not significantly different to yields when furrow irrigation was applied at 22%. Ilam Hardy out-yielded Kennebec, Wha and Whitu.
Isolation and identification of Helicobacter pylori by PCR from drinking water supplies in Erbil city

Out of the 200 samples of drinking water, which were collected from different source in Erbil city, from the period November 2014 until April 2015 . In this study, 36 isolates of Helicobacter pylori were isolated from samples as well as from biofilms, this study directed for the isolation of Helicobacter pylori by culturing in different media and identified by biochemical tests and PCR technique, in order to evaluate the potential role of drinking water in transmission of H. pylori. Water samples cultured on Brain heart infusion agar with supplement, Colombia agar base with supplement and Brucella agar; the results showed that The total number and percentage of the isolates of H. pylori from all tested water samples were 36 (18%), and these distributed as follow: 12 (24%), 11(22%), 8(16%) and 5(10%) from biofilms, reservoir, groundwater and tap water respectively. All H. pylori isolates were identified by using cultural , morphological , biochemical characteristics, from all(36) of isolates:30(83%) gave positive reaction for urease indicates that the isolates had the ability to produce the urease as well as 24(67%) of the total isolates; oxidase and catalase gave positive reaction while 17(61%) of the total isolates are motile. 35(97%) of the total samples confirmed by using primers for identification of H. pylori based on 16SrRNA this was the first report on using 16SrRNA amplification and confirmation of H. pylori isolates from water samples in Iraq. The ureA genotype was expected to be present in nearly all 34(94%) Helicobacter positive isolates. The PCR assay employed in this work specifically targets a region of the ureC (glmM) gene which has been shown to be unique and essential for the growth of H. pylori and the results appeared that 28(78%) of the total isolates have this gene This study was succeeding to detect the ureA and C gene in most of the isolates which was already confirmed by16SrRNA.
Cause, Classification of Voltage Sag, and Voltage Sag Emulators and Applications A Comprehensive Overview

Background: Plantar heel pain is a common source of pain and disability. Evidence-based treatment decisions for people with plantar heel pain should be guided by the best available evidence, expert clinical reasoning, and consider the needs of the patient. Education is a key component of care for any patient and needs to be tailored to the patient and their condition. However, no previous work has identified, far less evaluated, the approaches and content required for optimal education for people with plantar heel pain. The aim of this study was to gather the patients ’ perspective regarding their lived experience, attitudes and educational needs in order to inform the content and provision of meaningful education delivery approaches. Methods: Using a qualitative descriptive design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants with a clinical diagnosis of plantar heel pain. A topic guide was utilised that focused on the experience of living with plantar heel pain and attitudes regarding treatment and educational needs. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using the Framework approach. Each transcription, and the initial findings, were reported back to participants to invite respondent validation. Results: Eighteen people with plantar heel pain were interviewed. Descriptive analysis revealed eight themes including perceptions of plantar heel pain, impact on self, dealing with plantar heel pain, source of information, patient needs, patient unmet needs, advice to others and interest in online education. Participants revealed doubt about the cause, treatment and prognosis of plantar heel pain. They also expressed a desire to have their pain eliminated and education individually tailored to their condition and needs. Respondent validation revealed that the transcripts were accurate, and participants were able to recognise their own experiences in the synthesised themes. Conclusion: Plantar heel pain has a negative impact on health-related quality of life. Participants wanted their pain eliminated and reported that their expectations and needs were frequently unmet. Health professionals have an important role to be responsive to the needs of the patient to improve their knowledge and influence pain and behaviour. Our study informs the content needed to help educate people with plantar heel pain.