Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spurious Relationship of AR(P) Stable Sequences in Presence of Trends Breaks

This paper analyzes spurious regression phenomenon involving AR(p) stable processes with trend breaks. It shows that when those time series are used in ordinary least squares regression, the convenient t-ratios procedures wrongly indicate that the spurious relationship is present as the pair of independent stable series contains trend changes. The spurious relationship becomes stronger as the sample size approaches to infinite. As a result, spurious effects might occur more often than we previously believed as they can arise even between AR(p) stable series in present of trend breaks.
Application of the NCEP Ensemble Prediction System to Medium-Range Forecasting in South Africa: New Products, Benefits, and Challenges

Abstract The National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Ensemble Forecasting System (EFS) is used operationally in South Africa for medium-range forecasts up to 14 days ahead. The use of model-generated probability forecasts has a clear benefit in the skill of the 1–7-day forecasts. This is seen in the forecast probability distribution being more successful in spanning the observed space than a single deterministic forecast and, thus, substantially reducing the instances of missed events in the forecast. In addition, the probability forecasts generated using the EFS are particularly useful in estimating confidence in forecasts. During the second week of the forecast the EFS is used as a heads-up for possible synoptic-scale events and also for predicting average weather conditions and probability density distributions of some elements such as maximum temperature and wind. This paper assesses the medium-range forecast process and the application of the NCEP EFS at the South African Weather Service.
Resistance to Compression of the Capsular Tension Ring over Time

Method: Four samples of 3 different CTR manufacturers were evaluated for resistance to compression over time while being exposed to a constant tension. The 13 millimetres CTRs were placed in a round rigid container with an 11 millimetres diameter and submerged in BSS at body temperature (37 degrees Celsius). CTRs were divided into two groups. Two samples of each model were introduced in the containers and removed and evaluated at 1 month, while the other two samples of each model were introduced in the containers and removed and evaluated at three months. Size and shape of the CTRs were measured at baseline, at 1 month and 3 months. Every measurement was repeated 3 times by two different observers.
4D CITY TRANSFORMATIONS BY TIME SERIES OF AERIAL IMAGES

Abstract. Recent photogrammetric applications, based on dense image matching algorithms, allow to use not only images acquired by digital cameras, amateur or not, but also to recover the vast heritage of analogue photographs. This possibility opens up many possibilities in the use and enhancement of existing photos heritage. The research of the original figuration of old buildings, the virtual reconstruction of disappeared architectures and the study of urban development are some of the application areas that exploit the great cultural heritage of photography. Nevertheless there are some restrictions in the use of historical images for automatic reconstruction of buildings such as image quality, availability of camera parameters and ineffective geometry of image acquisition. These constrains are very hard to solve and it is difficult to discover good dataset in the case of terrestrial close range photogrammetry for the above reasons. Even the photographic archives of museums and superintendence, while retaining a wealth of documentation, have no dataset for a dense image matching approach. Compared to the vast collection of historical photos, the class of aerial photos meets both criteria stated above. In this paper historical aerial photographs are used with dense image matching algorithms to realize 3d models of a city in different years. The models can be used to study the urban development of the city and its changes through time. The application relates to the city centre of Verona, for which some time series of aerial photographs have been retrieved. The models obtained in this way allowed, right away, to observe the urban development of the city, the places of expansion and new urban areas. But a more interesting aspect emerged from the analytical comparison between models. The difference, as the Euclidean distance, between two models gives information about new buildings or demolitions. As considering accuracy it is necessary point out that the quality of final observations from model comparison depends on several aspects such as image quality, image scale and marker accuracy from cartography.
Statistical optimisation of process parameters on the efficiency of N-TiO2 dye sensitised solar cell using response surface methodology (RSM)

In this study, nitrogen doped titanium dioxide-based dye-sensitised solar cell was successfully fabricated using screen printing technique to discover the optimisation of process parameters for the solar cell efficiency using response surface methodology (RSM). Parameter optimisation has been a major concern in solar cell fabrication. The selected parameters were: nitrogen concentration (15-25 mg of urea), the film thickness (25-60 µm) and dye loading time (12-24 hours), the optimum condition which yields the highest efficiency of 3.5% was at 15 mg nitrogen concentration, 25 µm film thickness and 24-hours dye loading time. Film thickness was found to have a significant influence on efficiency while the loading time exceeding 18 hours has the least significant effect.
Seasonal patterns in grazing mortality of bacterioplankton in polar oceans: a bipolar comparison

Despite the relevance of high latitude oceans to models and budgets of biogenic car- bon,and the central role of heterotrophic microbes in global biogeochemical cycles, the patterns of energy flow through the lower food web in polar regions are poorly understood. To assess bacteria- based food webs in polar regions, the distribution, growth, and respiration and grazing losses of bac- teria must be characterized. We report on the results of a seasonal (late winter through late summer) study of protist grazing in both Resolute Bay, Northwest Territories, Canadian Arctic and McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, and summarize the literature on the relations between the growth and grazing mortality of polar bacterioplankton. Bacterial abundance varied 5-fold in the Arctic and 25-fold in the Antarctic. Average bacterial growth rates ranged from 0.1 to 1.1 d -1 . During comparable seasons, bacterial abundance was 2- to 3-fold higher and growth rates were 2- to 3-fold lower in the Antarctic than the Arctic. When grazing occurred, microzooplankton consumed nearly all of the local bacterial production. Grazing losses of bacteria were negligible immediately before and after the phytoplank- ton bloom. We propose that at these times, bacterioplankton were nutrient limited and protists were predominantly herbivorous. Protozoan grazers appear to alternate between bacterivorous and her- bivorous nutritional modes as prey fields change in response to the seasonal progression in subma- rine irradiance and concentration of dissolved nutrients. The timing and magnitude of the phyto- plankton bloom and the duration of the post-bloom period exert a significant influence on the flux of bacterioplankton carbon through microzooplankton and ultimately the coupling of the microbial and metazoan food webs.
Ethnobotany and population structure of Balanites aegyptiaca (L.) Delile in Sahelian zone of Cameroon

Indigenous tree species have multiple functions and the strong pressure exerted on them threatens their populations. The study aims to investigate the main uses of Balanites aegyptiaca and assess its population structure in the Sahelian zone of Cameroon. The study was carried out using ethnobotanical and quantitative ecological methods. The results showed that the species is multipurpose and produces six different products and services. The first three most mentioned were food, firewood and handicraft. The fruits and leaves were the most appreciated parts of the species. In all, 1026 individuals were recorded and it occurred at a density of 114 individuals.ha-1. Individuals belonging to 5-15 cm dbh were most important (49.55%) and the adult trees (>75 cm dbh) represented only 3%. An analysis of population structure showed that the population was essentially young and presented an "L" shape. The absence of old individuals in the area showed that the regeneration and the management of this species were unsustainable. Studies on the forestry of the species are necessary to satisfy the local population needs because the vulgarization of knowledge on the species can lead to its exploitation at a large scale. Key words: Balanites aegyptiaca, regeneration, medicinal plant, Sahelian zone, Cameroon.
Perceptions of the Impact of Non-contact Boxing on Social and Community Engagement for Individuals with Parkinson’s Disease: A qualitative study

Purpose: To explore the perceptions of individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) on their experiences within a community based, non-contact boxing program. Specifically, this study considered how these individuals perceived non-contact boxing to influence their social and community engagement and factors influencing ongoing participation in this program. Method: This was a phenomenological case study that utilized qualitative methods for data collection including semi-structured interviews and observation. Colaizzi’s method was used for data analysis. A convenience sample obtained from a boxing club that offered PD specific boxing classes was used. The sample included 10 participants (3 female, 7 male) ranging in age from 52 to 84 years. Participants typically attended a 75 minute boxing class two to three times per week. Results: The exhaustive description of the phenomenon was that individuals with PD have a strong desire to maintain the life they had prior to their diagnosis and chose activities, such as non-contact boxing, which supported their ability to sustain that lifestyle. Two themes were identified which included 1) “The people I’ve met here and spent time with will be friends forever” and 2) “I don’t have to be Muhammed Ali. It’s not about that. ” Conclusions: This study provided a basic understanding of the subjective experiences of individuals with PD who participated in non-contact boxing. Findings demonstrated that non-contact boxing facilitates the growth of supportive relationship for individuals with PD. The study also found that individuals with PD believe non-contact boxing provided a variety of physical, cognitive, and emotional benefits which facilitated their ability to maintain participation in valued activities. Author Bio(s) Casey E. Humphrey, OTD, MHA, OTR/L is an Assistant Professor at Eastern Kentucky University in the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. Dana M. Howell, PhD, OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA is a Professor at Eastern Kentucky University in the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. Melba Custer, PhD, OT/L is a hand therapist in a private clinic and an Associate Professor at Spalding University. This manuscript is available in Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice: https://nsuworks.nova. edu/ijahsp/vol18/iss1/1
Impact of Financial Liberalization on Financial Depth in Iraq

This paper examines the Mackinnon-Show hypothesis i.e. financial liberalization promotes financial depth in case of Iraq. Iraq launched a comprehensive program of economic and financial liberalization since 2003. Thus, this paper aims to answer the key question that “is financial liberalization stimulated the financial depth in Iraq? ”. By applying the ARDL Autoregressive Distributed Lag model on quarterly data during the period 2005- 2010, the paper finds that the liberalization of interest rates as a proxy of financial liberalization stimulated the financial depthonly in the long-run in the case of Iraq.
STABILIZATION OF HARMONIC INSTABILITY IN AC DISTRIBUTION POWER SYSTEM WITH ACTIVE DAMPING

This paper deals stabilizing method of the interaction problems among the interconnected power electronics based power devices in a power distribution system. Even if each of the inverters in the network is stable individually, the combined network stability cannot be assured unless holistic stability assessment is performed. The impedance based stability criterion is used to study the effect of the active damping on the system stability. A benchmark of a Cigre power distribution network is modeled under the impedance based stability criterion and validated using the PSCAD/EMTDC simulation. The result shows that not all inverters need to have active damping for stabilizing the network but some of inverters can effectively change the impedance of the network, thus overall network becomes stable.
Is the island rule general? Turtles disagree

Aim The island rule describes a trend toward dwarfism of large animals and gigantism of small animals on islands. Studies of vertebrates, including reptiles, report conflicting results regarding the generality of this evolutionary pattern. We studied the size evolution of insular turtles at the intra- and interspecific levels, as well as the clade level. We examined the evolutionary patterns, the relationship of habitat preferences and insular turtle size and whether the island rule extends to turtles. Location Islands world-wide and adjacent continents. Methods We collected data from the literature and expanded our database by measuring turtle specimens in museum collections. We used reduced major axis regression to test the island rule at the inter- and intraspecific levels, after accounting for phylogenetic effects. In addition, we compared body size frequency distributions of insular versus mainland turtles at the clade level. Results Our analyses revealed no support for the island rule in turtles. Intraspecifically, we found no systematic pattern of body size evolution. Interspecifically, large turtle species tend to become larger on islands, in contrast to the island rule predictions. Islands generally harbour larger turtles than mainland regions. This pattern is especially apparent when recently extinct species are considered. We found no impact of habitat preferences on the evolution of body size on islands. Main conclusions Turtles on islands do not follow the island rule. We suggest that both physiological and ecological factors drive turtle body size evolution on islands, and their tendency for insular gigantism. Large turtles can survive longer periods of water or food shortage on small oceanic islands. Increased intraspecific competition and reduced interspecific competition and predation on islands may favour large body size. A non-mutually exclusive explanation is that the presence of giant tortoises on islands may reflect founder effects rather than evolution – large turtles are better island colonizers.
Depressive symptom in the first-episode schizophrenic patients is related to the reduction of grey matter volume in the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex - a pilot study

Approximately 25–75% of patients with schizophrenia also present major depressive systems. Investigations into the pathological features associated with depressive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia would provide important information for the development of treatments for depressive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. In present study, we enrolled 17 first-episode schizophrenic patients with depressive symptoms and 17 well-matched first-episode schizophrenic patients without depressive symptoms and compared differences in their grey mater volume (GMV) using voxel-based morphometry (VBM). We observed significantly decreased GMV in the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC) in the first episode schizophrenic patients with depressive symptoms compared to the first episode schizophrenic patients without depressive symptoms. However, we did not observe a correlation between the severity of the decreased GMV and the severity of depressive symptoms. Although convincing evidence supporting this postulation is lacking and requires further study for confirmation, to some extent, our findings provide indirect evidence for the suggestion that the reduction of the GMV in the sgACC may play a key role in the depressive symptoms in the first episode schizophrenic patients.
Ocean‐floor hydrothermal metamorphism in the Limousin ophiolites (western French Massif Central): evidence of a rare preserved Variscan oceanic marker

The Limousin ophiolite is located at the suture zone between two major thrust sheets in the western French Massif Central. This ophiolitic section comprises mantle‐harzburgite, mantle‐dunite, wehrlites, troctolites and layered gabbros. It has recorded a static metamorphic event transforming the gabbros into undeformed amphibolites and the magmatic ultramafites into serpentinites and/or pargasite‐bearing chloritites. With various thermobarometric methods, it is possible to show that the different varieties of amphibole have registered low‐P (c. 0.2 GPa) conditions with temperature ranging from high‐T, late‐magmatic conditions to greenschist–zeolite metamorphic facies. The abundance of undeformed metamorphic rocks (which is typical of the lower oceanic crust), the occurrence of Ca–Al (–Mg) metasomatism illustrated by the growth of Ca–Al silicates in veins or replacing the primary magmatic minerals, the P–T conditions of the metamorphism and the numerous similarities with oceanic crustal rocks from Ocean Drilling Program and worldwide ophiolites are the main arguments for an ocean‐floor hydrothermal metamorphism in the vicinity of a palaeo‐ridge. Among the West‐European Variscan ophiolites, the Limousin ophiolites constitute an extremely rare occurrence that has not been involved in any HP (subduction‐related) or MP (orogenic) metamorphism as observed in other ophiolite occurrences (i.e. France, Spain and Germany).
Arti¢cial chromosome libraries of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) and Planobispora rosea 1

Using an Escherichia coli ^ Streptomyces shuttle vector derived from a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC), we developed methodologies for the construction of BAC libraries of filamentous actinomycetes. Libraries of Streptomyces coelicolor , the model actinomycete, and Planobispora rosea , a genetically intractable strain, were constructed. Both libraries have an average insert size of 60 kb, with maximal insert larger than 150 kb. The S. coelicolor library was evaluated by selected hybridisations to Dra I fragments and by end sequencing of a few clones. Hybridisation of the P. rosea library to selected probes indicates a good representation of the P. rosea genome and that the library can be used to facilitate the genomic analysis of this actinomycete.
Knowledge, attitude and practice of complementary and alternative medicine: A patient's perspective

Background: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), includes a wide range of approaches such as herbal medicine, traditional therapies, mind-body intervention, etc. Although CAM is a common practice in India, it is not being integrated into the conventional medical system. There is a paucity of data regarding the usage and acceptance of CAM by patients. Objective: The aim was to determine the knowledge, attitudes, and practice toward CAM among patients and to correlate these findings with their demographic and professional characteristics. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey conducted in 100 patients attending out-patient department of a tertiary care teaching hospital. Results: Among the respondents, 79.0% were aware of CAM and 46.0 used it. Most common system used was Ayurveda (71.73%), and most common ailment for which it is used was arthritis (30.43%). Majority consulted quacks (43.47%); physicians (23.91%), friends and relatives (19.56%), and 15.21% took CAM as a self-medication. Thirty percent felt that CAM was based on scientific evidence, 25% felt it was safer than modern medicine that is significantly more in women when compared to men. Twenty-five percentage opined that CAM is more efficacious than modern medicine that is significantly more in respondents >40 years age. The most common advantages reported were complete cure, easy availability and no side-effects, whereas disadvantages include food restriction, expensive medication, symptomatic relief and effective for limited diseases. Conclusion: Majority of patients use CAM along with modern medicine without physician's advice. Hence, healthcare professionals should be aware of this while taking clinical history and treating patients that may reduce drug interactions due to use of CAM particularly in the elderly population.
Use of ephippial morphology to assess richness of anomopods: potentials and pitfalls

Zooplankton species richness is typically assessed through analysis of active community samples. These samples ought to be collected at many different locations in the lake and at multiple occasions throughout the year so as to cover the spatial and temporal heterogeneity in active community structure. A number of studies have shown that high numbers of species can be retrieved with a limited effort through hatching of dormant eggs isolated from lake sediments. However, dormant eggs of different species differ in their propensities to hatch, resulting in biased assessments of species composition, abundance and richness. In this paper, we explore the potentials and pitfalls of a third method to assess cladoceran species richness. For twenty European lakes, we identified the number of ephippium morphotypes in sediment samples taken on a single occasion. The morphotype richness was well correlated with species richness as assessed through hatching of dormant forms and through analysis of active community samples covering a six month period. However, not all species had a species-specific ephippial morphotype, consequently resulting in an underestimation of true species richness.
Competitive Screening of Customers with Non-Common Priors

This paper provides an explanation for the variety of contracts ofiered by competitive flrms for seemingly identical products or services, e.g. mobile communication. I show that two competing flrms ofiering menus of non-linear price schedules to customers with mistaken priors will be able to screen these customers on the basis of their priors. Hence flrms’ menus can be understood as screening devices for boundedly rational consumers.
Muslims and the New Media: Historical and Contemporary Debates

Contents: Preface Introduction The print revolution Muslim conflicts over images, photography and the representational arts 'Ulama' and the motion picture: the transformative effect of information and communication technologies From airwaves to satellite television 'The invisible caller': Islamic opinions on the use of the telephone 'Do not engage in unnecessary chatting': fatwas on internet etiquette for Muslims The ultimate test: the Qura (TM)an and information and communication technologies Conclusions References Index.
Financial Valuation and Risk Management Working Paper No . 830 Smooth and Bid-Offer Compliant Volatility Surfaces under General Dividend Streams

Given bid-offer quotes for a set of listed vanilla options, a fundamental need of option market makers is to interpolate and extrapolate the available quotes to a full arbitrage-free surface. We propose a methodology which directly controls the trade-off between smoothness and bid-offer compliance of the resulting volatility surface. Unlike previous literature, the method applies simultaneously to all listed maturities and aims to smooth the implied risk neutral densities. Additionally, we consider asset dynamics which allow for general dividend streams – continuous, discrete yield and discrete cash – a modeling aspect of key importance in option markets. keywords: implied volatility surface, risk neutral density, discrete dividends. jel: C63, G13.