Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of three remote sensing techniques to measure biomass on CRP pastureland

Biomass from land enrolled into CRP is being considered as a biofuel feedstock source. For sustainable production, harvesting, and soil protection, technology is needed that can quickly, accurately and non-destructively measure biomass. Remote sensing of vegetation spectral responses, which tend to be highly responsive to changes in biomass, may provide a means for inexpensive, frequent, and non-destructive measurements of biomass at management relevant scales. A valuable resource for land managers would be a biomass measurement model that could non-destructively measure biomass at different phenological growth stages across multiple growing seasons. The objective of this study was to compare remote sensing-based biomass measurement models using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and bandwise regression remote sensing techniques to determine which model best measures biomass at different phenological growth stages over multiple growing seasons on CRP pastureland in central Montana. Biomass and plant spectral response measurements were collected over the 2011 (n = 108) and 2012 (n = 108) growing seasons on an 8.1 ha CRP pasture. Measurements were stratified by phenological growth stage and growing season. Half of the data was used to build each measurement model and the other half was used to test the power of each model to measure biomass. Remote sensing-based biomass measurement models were constructed using NDVI measurements from an active ground-based sensor, NDVI measurements from Landsat images, and band combination measurements from Landsat images. All biomass measurement models showed no difference between actual and estimated biomass values (p-value > 0.05). The biomass measurement model using NDVI measurements from Landsat images had the smallest margin of difference between estimated biomass and actual biomass (22 kg/ha + 96 kg/ha), followed by the combination of individual spectral bands from Landsat images (128 kg/ha + 71 kg/ha), and NDVI measurements from a ground based sensor (182 kg/ha + 94 kg/ha). Results indicate remote sensing-based biomass measurement models are accurate at measuring biomass at different phenological growth stages across multiple growing seasons. Land managers can implement remote sensing-based biomass measurement models into their land management strategies to quickly, accurately, and non-destructively measure biomass across a landscape.
Age Segmentation for Predicting Behavioural Intention of Using Railway Services in Indonesia

Manuscript type: Research paper. Research aims: This study aims to examine the predictors of passengers’ behavioural intention in using railway services. It also attempts to identify whether these predictors differ among consumers of different age groups. Design/ Methodology/ Approach: A survey is conducted to collect data from the passengers using the KA Commuter Line (KRL) Jabodetabek. The 213 respondents are divided into two age segmentations comprising young and old. Data are analysed separately. The proposed model is tested quantitatively through multiple regression analysis and the independent sample t-test. Research findings: The results show that different age groups have different evaluations and they use different determinants for gauging the railway services. Perceived value emerges as an impor- tant determinant of customer satisfaction among the younger age group whereas service quality is the determinant for the older age group. Both groups, however, consider corporate image and customer satisfaction as determinants of behavioural intention. Theoretical contributions/ Originality: This paper contributes to existing research on public transportation from a marketing pers- pective. It extends on previous works by adopting age segmentation to examine passengers’ perception, evaluation and behavioural intention of using the railway services in Jakarta. Practitioner/ Policy implications: The findings of this study suggest that the Indonesian Railway Company should take age segmentation as a meaningful and useful social categorisation. It should not treat the entire population of passengers to be the same. Different age groups have different responsiveness and expectations of the railway services thus, the Indonesian Railway Company needs to put in more efforts in maintaining and improving its corporate image so as to encourage more people to use its services thereby reducing traffic congestion in Jakarta. Research limitation: This study is limited by its sample size. Therefore, it is not possible to perform structural equation modelling (SEM). Keywords: Behavioural Intention, Railway Services, Age Segmenta- tion, Customer Satisfaction, Corporate Image. JEL Classification: M3
Efficient aerobic denitrification in the treatment of leather industry wastewater containing high nitrogen concentration

To treat leather industry wastewater (LIW) containing high nitrogen concentration, eight aerobic denitrifiers were isolated from sludge existing in an LIW-treatment aeration tank. Among them, one strain named as KH8 had showed the great ability in denitrification under an aerobic condition, and it was identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa R12. The aerobic denitrification ability of the strain KH8 was almost comparable to its anaerobic denitrification ability. In lab-scale aerobic denitrifications performed in 1-L five-neck flasks for 48 hr, denitrification efficiency was found to be much improved as the strain KH8 held a great majority in the seeded cells. From the nitrogen balance at the cell-combination ratio of 10:1 (the strain KH8 to the other seven isolates) within the seeded cells, the percentage of nitrogen loss during the aerobic denitrification process was estimated to be 58.4, which was presumed to be converted to N2 gas. When these seeded cells with lactose were applied to plant-scale aeration tank for 56 day to treat high-strength nitrogen in LIW, the removal efficiencies of CODCr and TN were achieved to be 97.0% and 89.8%, respectively. Under this treatment, the final water quality of the effluent leaving the treatment plant was good enough to meet the water-quality standards. Consequently, the isolated aerobic denitrifiers could be suitable for the additional requirement of nitrogen removal in a limited aeration-tank capacity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of aerobic denitrifiers applied to plant-scale LIW treatment.
Evaluation of a clinical auditory profile in hearing-aid candidates-DTU Orbit (10/12/2018)

Proceedings of ISAAR 2015: Individual Hearing Loss – Characterization, Modelling, Compensation Strategies. 5th symposium on Auditory and Audiological Research. August 2015, Nyborg, Denmark. Edited by S. Santurette, T. Dau, J. C. Dalsgaard, L. Tranebjærg, and T. Andersen. ISBN: 978-87-990013-5-4. The Danavox Jubilee Foundation, 2015. Evaluation of a clinical auditory profile in hearing-aid candidates
Reflection to the Development of Criticality: An Empirical Study of Beginners' Japanese Language Courses at a British University

This article investigates the role of reflection in the development of criticality through action research conducted in beginners’ Japanese language courses at a British university. “Focused lessons” with activities which target critical thinking stimulation were inserted in the existing grammar-based language course framework. The analysis revealed the effect of conscious teaching design guiding students to reflection leading to the development of criticality. Students also demonstrated the ability to critically examine stereotypes and general beliefs instead of simply accepting them without being guided. So it is assumed that foreign language education itself, even if it is at the beginners’ stage, has the potential to lead to reflection which can contribute to the development of criticality and it can be promoted further by conscious teaching design. If the aims of the language education take the development of criticality into consideration, reflection as an approach can be worth investigating.
Optimization and Validation of a New Method for the Production of Lipid Nanoparticles for Ophthalmic Application

Within a wider research project aimed at the pre-industrial development of nanotechnology platforms for the treatment of eye diseases, this work exploited the possibility of obtaining solid lipid nanocarriers (SLN) using ingredients and operating conditions that could be compatible with the technological requirements of medical formulations used for ophthalmic therapies and, above all, capable of an easy industrial scale-up. In particular, we tested the possibility of adapting a production method known as Quasi-emulsion Solvent Diffusion (QESD), which already shows a number of operational advantages, such as use of low temperatures and reduced concentrations of surfactants, also to very small production volumes, compatible with expensive and/or poorly available drugs. Cationic SLN (cSLN) were produced using a commercial lipid matrix (Softisan® S100), loaded with a lipophilic probe compound. These cationic carriers could be advantageous in ensuring a prolonged retention onto the negatively charged mucous surface of the cornea. Depending on their composition, cSLN systems with a mean size around 170-250 nm, a good size distribution profile, and a net positive charge (+30/+50 mV) were produced by the QESD technique. Only highly biocompatible, ICH-class 3 solvents, such as ethanol and acetone, were used. Most nanocarriers showed a good physical stability upon storage and could be produced respecting some formulation requirements, such as pH close to neutrality and an osmolarity compatible with the eye surface.
Financial Integration and Real Exchange Rate Volatility: Evidence from South and South East Asia

Real exchange rate fluctuations take a central place in the discussions over the choices of economic policies in developing economies. It is essentially the dependence with respect to imports and the specialization in exports that account for real exchange rate fluctuations on the economic performances of developing countries. The accessibility to the world financial market also plays an important role in helping to smooth out consumption in financing trade balance disequilibrium. Identifying the sources of real exchange rate fluctuations enables one to measure, on the one hand, the consequences of economic policies implemented by the government on the real exchange rates, and on the other, the room policy makers have at their disposal to deal with possible real exchange rate movements harmful to economic activity. In this perspective, we address in the paper the main question: does financial liberalization contribute to real exchange rate fluctuations in South and South East Asia? Our study suggests that openness helps to reduce real exchange rate fluctuations but financial integration increases real exchange rate volatility. We encourage the countries of South and South East Asia to improve the flexibility of their exchange system and to pursue the sequential liberalization policy.
The Determinants of Reservation Wages in Germany Does a Motivation Gap Exist

This paper investigates the reservation wages of unemployed persons on the basis of a job-search model with non-static reservation wages using panel data from Germany from 1987 to 1998. The results suggest that reservation wages are relatively high in Germany compared to other countries. Furthermore, pooled regression results show that most recent wages and personal characteristics of the unemployed are the most important determinants of reservation wages. In contrast neither unemployment duration nor different kinds of unemployment benefits influence reservation wages. Hence the findings corroborate the hypothesis that unemployed persons are not subject to strong financial pressure and thus have no significant motivation to find a new job.
Relating variance in feedback effectiveness to learning styles

Introduction: Students consider feedback to be an important aspect of good teaching, and meta-analyses confirm its influence on academic achievement. Anecdotal observations in pharmacy practice workshops at our institution suggested variance in students’ perceptions regarding the effectiveness of feedback. Aim: To explore reasons students perceive the effectiveness of feedback differently from each other. Methodology: As a conceptual paper, this article does not conform to the standard format of empirical research papers. Instead, it develops an argument by drawing on two established theories about the learning process, Vygotsky’s theory of Social Constructivism and Learning Style theory. Results: The effectiveness of feedback may be influenced by factors other than quality. We propose an original model that links feedback preferences with learning styles, and make recommendations to pharmacy educators grounded in research findings. Conclusion: The Matched-Mismatched Feedback Model may account for some of the variation in feedback effectiveness. Further empirical research to explore the validity of our model is recommended.
POLITICAL BUSINESS CYCLES THEORIES: EVIDENCE FROM TURKEY

The studies that have been conducted in recent years suggest that incumbent governments manipulate the economy for political reasons, in particular, with the aim of re-election. In new political economy literature, this situation is known as the Political Business Cycle; a macroeconomic cycle induced by the political cycle. The theory of PBC is studied under four theories called “The Traditional Opportunistic PBC Theory”, “The Traditional Partisan PBC Theory”, “The Rational Opportunistic PBC Theory” and “The Rational Partisan PBC Theory”. From these theories, the assumptions of the “The Rational Opportunistic PBC Theory”, “The Traditional Partisan PBC Theory” and “The Rational Partisan PBC Theory” do not seem to be valid in the Turkish context; hence testing of these models would not be meaningful. Therefore, in this study, “The Traditional Opportunistic PBC Model” is examined. In the study, the quarterly series of GDP, inflation, money in circulation (M0), money supply (M1) for the period of 1987- 2012 are analyzed with “Seasonal Box-Jenkins Models”. According to the results obtained from this study, political business cycles hasn’t been observed in any series. This means that The Traditional Opportunistic PBC Theory isn’t valid for Turkish context.
Insights into rootstock biology under low oxygen

The use of rootstocks by the fruit industry is essential nowadays because of their ability to effectively improve yield, induce tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses, increase water and mineral use efficiency, modify plant growth and canopy architecture, and facilitate renewal of old plantations. Rootstocks are also important to increase mechanization and reduce labor costs in modern fruit orchards and help growers cope with the effects of global climate change. This last aspect is becoming an important issue in cultivated areas where environmental stresses such as frost, drought, and flooding are unpredictable. Changes in temperature and rainfall regimes are also obliging growers to look for new plantation areas. This also implies the use of new types of soils which generate different edaphic conditions for the roots. In Chile, temperature increases have caused the boundary of fruit production to move south where volcanic soils prevail. The edaphic conditions of these soils are different from those of traditional fruit cultivation areas located in the central and northern parts of the country. All of the above aspects increase the interest for new rootstocks better adapted to new climatic and soil conditions. This represents a new challenge for breeders (Gainza et al., 2015a) who need to obtain rootstocks with increased tolerance to biotic stresses (pests and diseases) and environmental stresses such as drought, frost, salinity, high temperature, and flooding. In this special issue, stress caused by low oxygen concentration at the root level, referred to as hypoxia, will be analyzed. Hypoxia is common in heavy soils and is exacerbated by soil compaction and excess water, which are important in the new areas being incorporated for new plantations in southern Chile.
Optimal synthesis of the worm-lever mechanism for humanoid robots shrug

Emotions represent a significant means of nonverbal communication and their expression represents an important aspect of social robots functionality. There are two basic ways of expressing emotions. The first one is based on facial expressions that can be realized by moving a particular part of face or by displaying a picture on the screen that represents a face with characteristic features such as eyebrows, eyes, nose and mouth. Combining them is also possible. The second way of nonverbal communication is based on gestures, especially using arms. This paper presents an optimal synthesis of shrug mechanism for humanoid robots. Based on the set requirements the worm-lever mechanism is proposed. It has 1 DOF and enables simultaneous shrug of both shoulders. It consists of a worm which is meshed with two worm gears having different directions of rotation and two four-bar lever mechanisms whose input links are rigidly connected to the worm gears. Based on the kinematic-dynamic analysis the dynamic model is formed, the objective function is defined, the constraints are prescribed and the optimal synthesis is performed. The maximum torque on the input link of the lever mechanism, the driving torque of the complete worm-lever mechanism, the range of transmission angle and the rotation range of the worm gears are determined. The lever mechanism has high efficiency in all positions because the transmission angle has a high value during the whole movement. The worm mechanism enables a significant reduction of driving torque and has acceptable efficiency. The rotation range of the worm gear is small – the mechanism movement is very quick and therefore the shrug speed is large, which was the basic requirement for realization.
Effects of side subsurface defects induced by CNC machine on the gain spatial distribution in neodymium phosphate glass

The processing method applied to the side surface is different from the method applied to the light pass surface in neodymium phosphate glass (Nd:glass), and thus subsurface defects remain after processing. The subsurface defects in the side surface influence the gain uniformity of Nd:glass, which is a key factor to evaluate the performance of amplifiers. The scattering characteristics of side subsurface defects were simulated by finite difference time domain (FDTD) Solutions software. The scattering powers of the glass fabricated by a computer numerical control (CNC) machine without cladding were tested at different incident angles. The trend of the curve was similar to the simulated result, while the smallest point was different with the complex true morphology. The simulation showed that the equivalent residual reflectivity of the cladding glass can be more than 0.1% when the number of defects in a single gridding is greater than 50.
EXPERIMENTAL VALIDATION OF AN ALTITUDE CONTROL FOR QUADCOPTER

This paper discusses on the experimental validation of an Altitude control for quadcopter. The paper describes the analysis of automated altitude control for quadcopter in real time. The controller was designed by considering all the physical parameter that required in the mathematical model. The autonomous altitude controller has been designed using Mat-lab Simulink. The paper examines PID controller in implementation of automated altitude control for quadcopter. On the other hand, for the real time application, the PCI-1711 data acquisition card is used as an interface for controller design which routes from Simulink to hardware. This experiment showed the controller designs are implemented and tuned to the real system using Real Time Windows Target approach by Mat-Lab Simulink. The proximity sensor is required to detect the height in the control system, and it requires some filter to stabilize the signal and make it reliable for their maximum distance measurement. Therefore a low pass filter will be designed for this purpose. All the result will be discussed.
Leaves of Vallisneria Finds Source to Anti Dermatitis: Enriching WetlandEcosystem

The renaissances of phyto-medicines lead to a resolute search of potential medicinal plants worldwide. In this perspective, predominantly, terrestrial allelochemistry has been an imperative tool to evaluate the drug potentiality of a plant. However, in aquatic ecosphere, the pharmaceutical evaluation of the aquatic macrophytes is an emerging aspect. Our study seeks to explore the curative traits of the exotic macrophyte, Vallisneria spiralis L. (Hydrocharitaceae), a perennial stoloniferous species and a key ecological community in freshwater wetland ecosystem. It is commonly used as aquarium plant and inhabits both in lentic and lotic environment of tropical and sub-tropical regions worldwide. Being rapid colonizers of aquatic ecosystem, literature study states the leaves of the macrophyte can excrete special function groups that can absorb, filter and precipitate chemical compound of water and through the auxiliary function of the microorganism. Considering these significances, we have extracted the leaf leachates of Vallisneria in 80% ethanol which had been purified by solid-liquid extraction process and further crystallized and subjected to biochemical analysis viz; phenols, flavonoids and tannins followed by antioxidant scavenging and microbial screening. Further the isolated compound was subjected to Mass and Fourier Infra-red Spectrometry. Comprehensively, all the experimental assays infer that Vallisneria leaves contain bioactive compound with mol wt. m/z 359 structured with microbial growth inhibiting functional groups which were found fungicidal against Malassezia globosa - the dandruff causing dermatitis fungus.
Watchstrap-Embedded Four-Element Multiple-Input–Multiple-Output Antenna Design for a Smartwatch in 5.2–5.8 GHz Wireless Applications

This paper presents a compact four-element multiple-input–multiple-output (MIMO) antenna design operating within the WiFi 802.11 ac bands (5.2–5.84 GHz) for a smartwatch. The antenna is fabricated using a polyamide substrate and embedded into the strap of a smartwatch model; the strap is created using three-dimensional etching of plastic materials. The four-element MIMO antenna is formed by four monopole antennas, has a simple structure, and is connected to the system ground plane of the smartwatch. Due to the stub and notched block between two antennas and the slit in the system ground, the four-element MIMO antenna exhibits favorable isolation. Moreover, the envelope correlation coefficient of the antennas is considerably lower than 0.005 in the operating band. The measured −6 dB impedance bandwidths of the four elements of the antenna (Ant1–Ant4) with the human wrist encompass the WiFi 802.11 ac range of 5.2–5.84 GHz; moreover, an isolation of more than 20 dB is achieved. The measured antenna efficiency with and without a phantom hand are 45%–55% and 93%–97%, respectively.