Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Predicting Atlantic seasonal hurricane activity using outgoing longwave radiation over Africa

Seasonal hurricane activity is a function of the amount of initial disturbances (e.g., easterly waves) and the background environment in which they develop into tropical storms (i.e., the main development region). Focusing on the former, a set of indices based solely upon the meridional structure of satellite‐derived outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) over the African continent are shown to be capable of predicting Atlantic seasonal hurricane activity with very high rates of success. Predictions of named storms based on the July OLR field and trained only on the time period prior to the year being predicted yield a success rate of 87%, compared to the success rate of NOAA's August outlooks of 53% over the same period and with the same average uncertainty range (±2). The resulting OLR indices are statistically robust, highly detectable, physically linked to the predictand, and may account for longer‐term observed trends.
Formulation and Estimation of Floating Tablets of Eclipta alba Extract

Eclipta alba Hassk. (Bhringaraja, Fam: Compositae) is a perennial shrub which grows widely in moist tropical countries. Different uses have been reported for this shrub. It is used as anthelmintic, expectorant, antipyretic, antiasthmatic, tonic, deobstruent in hepatic and spleen enlargement, in skin diseases and as a substitute for Taraxacum (a popular liver tonic). It has been reported to be useful in liver ailments and has been shown to possess hepatoprotective activity against carbon- tetrachloride induced liver cell damage in animals. The aim of the present study was to design and estimate gastro retentive floating tablet of selected hepato-protective herbal drugs to increase the efficacy and stability of the drug. The floating tablet of extract of Eclipta alba was prepared by using kollidon SR as floating and release retarding polymer. The effect of various additive excipient was also studied to alter the floating behaviour and drug release from the floating tablet.
Analgesic and Neuropharmacological Activities of Methanolic Leaf Extract of Clitoria ternatea Linn.

The present study was carried out on methanolic extract of Clitoria ternatea Linn. for pharmacological investigations. In this study, analgesic activities of the methanolic extract of Clitoria ternatea Linn. leaves were examined at the doses of 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg of body weight on mice. The analgesic activities were investigated using acetic acid induced writhing test. The plant extract’s Central Nervous System (CNS) depressant activity was evaluated by using hole cross and open field tests. Acetic acid induced writhing test revealed that the extract at the lower dose inhibited 82.67% and at the higher dose produced a maximum of 87.87% inhibition of writhing that is comparable to the reference drug Diclofenac Sodium. The results of CNS depressant activity showed that the extract decreased the dose dependent motor activity and exploratory behavior of mice in hole cross and open field test. The number of field crossed in open field test and hole crossed in hole cross test decreased as time approached.
Disinfection Performance against Salmonella Typhi in Water 739 2 Material and Methods 2 . 1 Source of Water and Salmonella Typhi

The disinfection performance of the radio frequency inductively coupled plasma (RFICP) system against Salmonella Typhi in water was examined using continuous flow experiments. The evaluation was based on disinfection efficiency, death rate constant, disinfection yield, and energy consumption. For all experiments the electromagnetic flux generated in the plasma reactor varied from 4 to 6 W/cm. The disinfection efficiency and death rate constant of Salmonella Typhi decreased with the increase of the initial number of Salmonella Typhi bacteria. The disinfection yield increased from 784 to 1889 CFU/KWh and the energy consumption decreased from 0.28 to 0.07 KWh/L with the flowrate increasing from 5 to 20 mL/minute. The flowrate is an important parameter in predicting disinfection performance against pathogenic bacteria in water to design drinking water treatment plants.
Introduction: Theories of Governance

Concepts and approaches come and go in the social sciences. Some of them are more than passing moments and become steadily growing research areas that attract increasing scholarly attention. Some of the new research areas are stabilized and consolidated and gradually take the form of new paradigms that signal a scientific turn and give rise to a significant reorientation of the scholarly activities of researchers and the ideas and actions of practitioners. The research on governance has recently evolved into such a paradigm. Although the notion of governance can be traced far back into history, the interest in governance surged in the 1990s and has grown ever since. Today, governance is one of the most frequently used social science concepts in the world, as any internet search will readily confirm. A vast array of researchers, research centers, journals and conferences are devoted to the study of governance, and many new theories of governance have been promulgated over the last two decades. Theories of governance are analytical lenses that help us understand our contemporary world. These theories have different purposes. Some of them bring into focus how different actors, jurisdictions, levels and institutional arenas interact to exchange knowledge and ideas, coordinate action and collaborate in making authoritative decisions that produce collective outcomes. Others help us understand the role played by different public, private and civil society actors in governing processes at different levels and in different countries or parts of the world. Some theories help us analyze how governance is designed, organized and orchestrated, or how it evolves over time and across sectors and domains. Others measure governance, study its impact and effects or help us to understand how different kinds of governance contribute to more effective, democratic or innovative ways of solving societal problems, delivering public services or regulating social and economic life. Still others analyze governance failure or how to improve governance to secure desirable outcomes. Collected together, these theories of governance provide an analytical tool kit for reflecting on and participating in the production of ordered rule in our increasingly complex, fragmented and dynamic society. This Handbook provides an overview of theories of governance. As the individual chapters in this volume suggest, the reach of governance theory is broad and its empirical terms of reference are highly varied—from managing local mental health services to addressing global environmental problems. Governance theory is also a particularly interdisciplinary endeavor—with roots in political science, public administration, sociology, economics and law and with branches that extend into many applied fields. What we hope to make clear with this volume is that governance researchers share—or at least have at their disposal—a rich and powerful set of theories that enable us to address a wide range of issues. By focusing on “theories” of governance, this Handbook celebrates the diversity of ideas that have grown up in this relatively young
Use of Good Agricultural Practices and Attitudes toward On-Farm Food Safety among Niche-Market Producers in Ontario, Canada: A Mixed-Methods Study

Major agri-food commodities in Canada use on-farm food safety (OFFS) programs that include good agricultural practices (GAPs), but niche-market (e.g. organic and small-scale) producers might have limited awareness of these programs or barriers to implementing them. We used a mixed-methods approach to study the reported use of recommended GAPs and factors related to the potential adoption of an OFFS program among niche-market producers in Ontario, Canada. Questionnaires were administered and 23 semi-structured interviews were conducted during 2008–2009. In total, 575 questionnaires were collected. The most commonly-produced commodities among respondents were vegetables (54.4%), fruits (36.7%) and beef cattle (31.1%). Disinfection of food animal drinking water and of post-harvest produce wash water was reported by 19.0% and 39.4% of respondents, respectively. Organic (26.4%) and OFFS program participation status (24.7%) were associated with the use of GAPs. Primary themes identified through interviews included concerns about the food safety of imported products, suggestions that OFFS programs be tailored by farm scale and be user-friendly and cost-recoverable, and the importance of producer education and government support. Future outreach with niche-market producers should focus on water disinfection (where appropriate), and they should be engaged in reviewing OFFS programs directed toward them to ensure their suitability and adoption.
Influence of Facebook Advertisement on the Buying Behaviour of Students of a Nigerian University

The study investigated the influence of Facebook advertisement on young people’s buying behaviour. In doing this, it focused on the undergraduate students of the University of Nigeria, since the Facebook is a veritable platform for advertising youth-oriented products given its popularity among young people. It was aimed at ascertaining whether these young people access advertisements on Facebook and see them as being targeted at the youths as well as to find out whether the advertisements influence them to patronize the product. The survey method was adopted while four research questions guided this study. Questionnaire and personal interview were the instruments for data collection while stratified random sampling technique was used to draw 396 respondents from the population using the Taro Yamene statistical sampling method. For clarity purposes, data obtained was reported using simple percentages and frequencies. Results of the analysis indicated that a majority of the respondents access advertisements on Facebook and see them as being targeted at the youths. The findings also reveal that there was no significant margin between those who patronize the products advertised on Facebook and those who do not, with 54.8% patronizing and 45.2% not patronizing. This calls for more concerted efforts on the part of ad agencies and advertisers to make the advertisements on Facebook more alluring and catchy as well as put all details needed to facilitate more patronage of the advertised product.
Effective Permittivity of Wet Snow Using Strong Fluctuation Theory - Abstract

The strong fluctuation theory is applied to calculate the effective permittivity of wet snow by a two-phase model with nonsymmetrical inclusions. In the two-phase model, wet snow is assumed to consist of dry snow (host) and liquid water (inclusions). Numerical results for the effective permittivity of wet snow are illustrated for random media with isotropic and anisotropic correlation functions. A three-phase strong fluctuation theory model with symmetrical inclusions is also presented for theoretical comparison. In the three-phase model, wet snow is assumed to consist of air (host), ice (inclusions) and water (inclusions) and the shape of the inclusions is spherical. The results are compared with the Debye-like semi-empirical model and a comparison with experimental data at 6, 18 and 37 GHz is also presented. The results indicate that (a) the shape and the size of inclusions are important, and (b) the two-phase model with non-symmetrical inclusions provides the good results to the effective permittivity of wet snow.
Effect of capture date on nest-attempt rate of translocated sharp-tailed grouse Tympanuchus phasianellus

Abstract Attempts to establish functioning populations of prairie grouse by translocation often are unsuccessful due to low reproduction following release. We examined the relationship between capture date and nest attempts of Columbian sharp-tailed grouse Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus during an effort to restore them by translocation to their historic range in northeastern Nevada, USA, during 1999–2000. After observing that females captured relatively early in the trapping period did not attempt to nest, we hypothesized that the likelihood of female insemination is positively correlated to capture date. If females captured at source leks later in the breeding season are more likely to be inseminated, then they may be more likely to nest following release than females that are not inseminated prior to capture. We found that female grouse that were captured from source leks at later dates during the lek-visitation period were more likely to nest following translocation than were females captured during the initial days of female visitation to leks (LogXact Test: P = 0.001). Of 40 radio-marked female grouse, 19 (48%) were observed nesting and nest success was 44%. During 2001, we tested the effect of capture date on the presence of spermatozoa in live female grouse captured from leks. Females trapped later in the lek-visitation period were more likely inseminated than females captured early in the lek-visitation period (LogXact Test: P = 0.036). We recommend that wildlife managers consider capturing females from source leks several days following the onset of the lek-visitation period to increase the frequency of female nest attempts and increase the probability of establishing a new population during reintroductions.
BABYCARE ALERT SYSTEM FOR PREVENTION OF CHILD LEFT IN A PARKED VEHICLE

As science and technology has advancing to be part of our lives, most of everyday applications are now connected to each other virtually. By incorporating the IoT technology into child safety division, this part is worth investigating into. With hectic lifestyle, some parents have a tendency to leave their children inside the parked vehicle. The research is to design a notification or an alert to parents by using the most essential device that everyone has at least have one, smartphone. The design consists of two main parts which are safety pad and keychain alarm device. For the first part, the safety pad consists of load sensor to sense the presence of child inside the child car seat and notify parents through smartphone. For the second part, the keychain alarm devices use Radio Frequency (RF) transceiver that will act as backup safety features for children in case when the parents’ smartphone is missing or run out of battery. This device will activate the warning alarm when parents walking outside the RF signal range of the safety pad. The system was successfully used the most important tech gear and indirectly adds this BabyCare safety function to the smartphone.
Effects of Poverty on Urban Residents’ Living and Housing Conditions in Nigeria

The importance of housing has made it received much attention worldwide among scholars and policy makers as a potential tool for man’s productivity. However, little is known about the poverty implications on the living and housing condition among Nigerian residents. This study aims at examining the effects of poverty among urban residents on their living and housing conditions in Nigeria. Questionnaires administration was made among 400 residents to assess residential attributes. Qualitatively supported with the aid of personal interview, observation and photographs. Correlation analysis was drawn between the residents’ socio-economic status and housing condition. Results through descriptive analysis established that majority of the housing exhibit deterioration condition. This resulted from the socio-economic situation and high poverty level of the residents. The result also showed robust and positive relationship between residents socio-economic and urban housing condition. This positive relationship demonstrates support for the negative impacts on the welfare of the residents. Urban housing attributes are of importance for residents’ safety, comfort and convenience to enhance productivity. In view of this, the authors are of opinion that, urgent attention is highly necessary if the residents are to live in an environment that is safe, convenience and comfortable in order to enhance their productivity.
The effect of voluntary environmental disclosure on firm value : a study of Nordic listed firms

This paper empirically investigates the relationship between voluntary environmental disclosure and firm value. The analysis is based on a sample consisting of Nordic listed firms disclosing environmental information to the Carbon Disclosure Project in 2007 -2011. We investigate the impact of disclosure on firm value from both an accounting and a market perspective. We provide evidence of a significant, positive association between the level of voluntary environmental disclosure and Tobin’s Q. Furthermore, we find that firms with improved disclosure from one year to the next experience abnormal excess return. Firms with stable or aggravated disclosure do not yield the same result. This implies that voluntary environmental disclosure is value-relevant for stakeholders, and has a positive impact on firm value.
A Rain Removal Method Using Chromatic Property for Image Sequence

Raindrops degrade the performance of outdoor vision system, and bring difficulties for objects detection and analysis in image sequence. In this paper, we propose an algorithm for raindrop removal using chromatic based properties in order to improve the data quality and vision effect of image sequence. The raindrops detection method, considering the chromatic properties of image sequence, is induced, which is not affected by the velocity and time information of raindrops. Therefore, this function is suitable for all the blur effects caused by raindrops. Moreover the algorithm is effectual both for removing raindrops at background and foreground. The experiment results show that the proposal algorithm is able to remove the raindrops and improve the quality of image sequence remarkable.
Exponential convergence of Markovian semigroups and their spectra on $L^{p}$-spaces

Markovian semigroups on L 2 -space with suitable conditions can be regarded as Markovian semigroups on L p -spaces for p ∈ [1; ∞). When we additionally assume the ergodicity of the Markovian semigroups, the rate of convergence on L p -space for each p is considerable. However, the rate of convergence depends on the norm of the space. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relation between the rates on L p -spaces for different p, to obtain some sufficient condition for the rates to be independent of p, and to give an example that the rates depend on p. We also consider spectra of Markovian semigroups on L p -spaces, because the rate of convergence is closely related to the spectra.
New Dispatching Rules to Minimize the Total Weighted Tardiness on the Single Machine

number:025-0010 Abstract Tile: New Dispatching Rules to Minimize the Total Weighted Tardiness on the Single Machine Author Information: Yue Xi Industrial Manufacturing Engineering Department University of Wisconsin Milwaukee 2200 E Kenwood Blvd Milwaukee, WI, U.S.A53202 Yuexi@uwm.edu Tel: 414-426-8959 Jaejin Jang Industrial Manufacturing Engineering Department University of Wisconsin Milwaukee 2200 E Kenwood Blvd Milwaukee, WI, U.S.A. 53202 Jang@uwm.edu Tel: 414-229-2978 POMS 23 rd Annual Conference Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A April 20 to April 23, 2012 New Dispatching Rules to Minimize the Total Weighted Tardiness on the Single Machine
Effects of ascorbic acid, translutaminase and margarine amounts on the quality of puff pastry made from spelt flour

Puff pastry has delicate and flaky texture which comes from unique combination of fat and dough. These bakery products are made from many thin layers of dough which are separated by alternate fat layers because of which they are considered to be high fat food. Properties of puff pastry depend mostly on the quality of flour, which must be specifically tailored for this purpose. The most commonly used flour in the production of puff pastry is refined wheat flour. Lately, the requirements of consumers for healthy bakery products have a great response in the baking industry. On the market there are new products made with ingredients which have high nutritional value. This paper presents an optimization of the composition of puff pastry made of spelt flour by varying the amount of ingredients such as: margarine, ascorbic acid and enzyme transglutaminase. The optimal ratio of these ingredients has been based on the consideration of their major and interaction effects. During the optimization of spelt puff pastry quality, the following goals were set: maximum volume, minimum firmness and maximum overall acceptability. The optimal solutions were in the concentration range from 3.60 mg/kg to 10 mg/kg for ascorbic acid, from 0.03 mg/kg to 3 mg/kg for transglutaminase and from 29.84 to 30% for margarine on dough basis. It is recommended that the composition of spelt puff pastry involve: 10 mg/kg ascorbic acid, 0.03 mg/kg transglutaminase and 30 % margarine on dough basis to provide the desired product characteristics.
Identification of Spoilage Bacteria Present in Laboratory Heat- Treated and Commercially Pasteurized Milk: A Case Study Involving Milk Production Chain in Nebraska

Dairy processing facilities need to control spoilage microorganisms in fluid milk in order to reach markets and increase their profits. The major contributors for early spoilage on fluid milk are sporeforming bacteria capable of growing under refrigeration temperature and Post- Pasteurization Contamination (PPC) organism. Since these two groups of organisms have different survival characteristics, strategies to control them may require different approaches. Therefore, identification of bacteria contributing to spoilage becomes essential. The objective of this research was to identify the spoilage bacteria, mainly sporeformers, associated with laboratory heat-treated milk (80°C for 12 min) and commercially-pasteurized fluid milk, throughout a production chain in Nebraska. Identification was done using the rpoB gene and/or partial 16S rDNA sequences. Raw and pasteurized milk samples were collected from different locations (farm, trucks, processing plant, and packaged products) during three periods (Spring-2012, Fall- 2012 and Spring-2013). All raw and some pasteurized milk samples (Spring-2013) were heat-treated in the laboratory (80°C, 12 minutes) to eliminate vegetative cells allowing the exclusive survival of spores. All milk samples were stored at refrigeration conditions (5 ± 1°C) during 21 days. Bacterial isolates were collected at different shelf-life time points and identified using rpoB and/or 16S rRNA sequencing. A total number of 207 bacterial isolates were identified. The isolates obtained from laboratory heat-treated raw milk samples included Bacillus spp. (84%), Paenibacillus spp. (11%) and other sporeforming bacteria (5%); while the ones from commercially pasteurized milk samples were identified as Bacillus spp. (54%), PPC (29%), Paenibacillus spp. (12%), and other sporeforming bacteria (5%). Although most of the isolates were identified as sporeforming bacteria, PPC is still a concern in commercially pasteurized milk, especially during the filling stage. Psychrotrophic sporeformers were detected in samples from different locations throughout the production chain, thus strategies to control them would need to encompass the entire production chain.
A Physical De-embedding Method for Silicon-based Device Applications

In the recent years, de-embedding method of \open-short", and \open-thru" with dummy DUTs are mostly used for on-wafer devices. This paper shows a method, called L-2L, with two metal lines or transmission lines. One is two times the length of the other one. Based on the measurement data of two lines, PAD parasitics and scalable length model with certain width are obtained by L2L. Furthermore, the tape-out DUT numbers for the de-embedding are extremely minimized to 2. The applications for inductors by 65nm Low-K Si-based process and 0.18"m FSG Si-based process, and for 0.13"m transmission lines are also shown for benchmark in this paper.