Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy-Based Evidence of the Cerebral Oxygenation and Network Characteristics of Upper Limb Fatigue

Objective: The objective of this research is to better understand the effects of upper limb fatigue on the cerebral cortex. The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of cerebral oxygenation and cortical functional connectivity in healthy adults after upper limb fatigue using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Methods: Nineteen healthy adults participated in this study. The participants began exercising on an arm crank ergometer with no load, which was then increased by 0.2 kg per minute, maintaining a speed of at least 90 revolutions per minute during the exercise. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy covering the prefrontal cortex and motor area was used to monitor brain activity during rest and exercise. Heart rate and RPE were monitored during exercise to evaluate the degree of fatigue. Paired-sample t-tests were used to examine differences in the concentration of oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO2) and functional connectivity before and after fatigue. Results: All participants completed the exercise test that induced fatigue. We observed a significant decrease in HbO2 levels in the prefrontal and motor areas after exercise. In addition, brain network features showed a significant decrease in functional connectivity between the left and right motor cortices, between the motor and prefrontal cortices, and between both prefrontal cortices after fatigue. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that, in healthy adults, exercise-induced fatigue in the upper limbs significantly affects brain function. In particular, it leads to reduced functional connectivity between the motor cortex and the prefrontal cortex.
Mathematical Modeling of the Effect of Meanders Removal on Changes in Erosion Rate: A Case Study in Karun River's Gangieh Meander

One of the nonstructural methods of increasing aqueduct and decreasing flood balance in rivers is to create a shortcut to remove steeped arches. With regard to the dynamic system of river, any type of change in the stable structure of the river may lead to possible changes in the river morphology and creates new problems. In this study, after removing Ganjieh meander in downstream Ahvaz with the aim of organizing and increasing Karun River's aqueduct around Ahvaz city, hydraulic changes of flow and erosion and sediment level after removing meander were modeled using Hec-Ras4 mathematic model. This model was conducted in Karun River in an interval of 16 kilometers around Zargan – Farsiat for 25 years. Results of this research showed that, in the first 16 kilometers, in low to medium discharges of Karun in upstream meander, the water surface balance was high and decreases over time and in high water, discharge does not change significantly over time. In downstream meanders, in medium to high water, discharges, after removing meander water level balance increase compared to conditions before remove. Overall, before and after removing meander, in 16 to 18 kilometer as well as 35 to 40 kilometers, the cumulative weight of erosion and or sedimentation has the maximum value and their density increases over time.
REPORTING BIAS IN BIRD STRIKES AT JOHN F KENNEDY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, NEW YORK, 1979-1998

Bird-aircraft strike databases have been used to identify, monitor, and manage bird strike problems in the USA nationally and at individual airports. Up to 75% of all bird strikes that occur in the USA may not be reported by pilots or airport control tower personnel. Recent studies have suggested that individual airports may improve their strike reporting rates by having personnel regularly search runways for the remains of birds struck by aircraft. We analyzed a 20-year dataset of runway searches from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFKIA) in New York to determine the degree of bias in reports of strikes at that airport. At JFKIA from 1979 1998, strikes were under-reported by an average of 86.8% (P < 0.01), and only 33.9 % (P < 0.01) of bird species struck were reported. The addition of unreported strikes to the local strike database also changed the seasonal distribution of strike rates (P < 0.01). The local database was essential for evaluating the effectiveness of bird control and habitat management programs at the airport. We recommend the use of runway carcass searches to establish or augment local bird strike databases at airports. Information from these databases should be used to help guide the development and evaluate the effectiveness of wildlife hazard management programs for airports worldwide.
Hydrologic modeling of soil water storage in landfill cover systems

The accuracy of modeling soil water storage by two hydrologic models, CREAMS and HELP, was tested by comparing simulation results with field measurements of soil moisture in eight experimental landfill cover systems having a range of well-defined soil profiles and vegetative covers. Regression analysis showed that CREAMS generally represented soil moisture more accurately than HELP simulations. Soil profiles that more closely resembled natural agricultural soils were more accurately modeled than highly artificial layered soil profiles. Precautions for determining parameter values for model input and for interpreting simulation results are discussed.
ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY

This thesis presents an examination of the use of anonymous news sources by The Ethiopian Herald (a government daily) and Fortune (a private weekly) newspapers that are in current circulation nationwide. A triangulation of quantitative and qualitative research methods was used to gather the extent and reasons for the application of such sources in their news dispatches. Via quantitative content analysis, the study has procured the frequencies and kinds of anonymous sourcing incorporated by the newspapers. Via the qualitative (individual in-depth discussions with the concerned media practitioners), the study has collected detailed elaborations upon their stands of why, where, and how the news organs operate during the course of news gathering, writing, and printing. The news editions were systematically sampled; and the interviewees purposively. The data from both newspapers and the interviewees were then thematically analyzed. Moreover, although not with a thoroughly critical scrutiny of the agenda setting theory, the media’s role in setting public agenda whilst quoting anonymous tippers is an interspersed framework featured in this research. As well the working legal-cum-ethic grounds under which the aforementioned media organs function is due attended and reflected through the source protection paradigm. The findings in general indicate that there is a significant difference between the uses of news sources by the two media houses in question. Fortune has made a much greater use of anonymous news sourcing exhibiting plentiful and frequent anonymous sourcing than its counterpart in this research. Fortune’s basic rationales turned out to be that relatively the Ethiopian society has an inexplicable reluctance to go on-record at large, apart from fear of retribution. The Ethiopian Herald staff maintains that in-depth and analytical investigative reporting not only takes much more time and researching than what this daily broadsheet is basically designed for, but also would be at odds with the main concern of the newspaper. The Federal Constitution, the press proclamations, and the editorial policies of the two newspapers (i.e., the press statutes and policies regulating news sourcing means) are largely braced by provisions for press freedom; nonetheless they are not sufficiently elaborated. Further, the news and all other media are decreed to enjoy the state press provisions which are, however, followed by intricate verbose of contending enactments that put indirect restrictions on them.
Productivity differences across New South Wales rice farms: Links to resource quality

Productivity indices were calculated for rice farms across New South Wales using data envelopment analysis (DEA) techniques. These revealed distinct geographic patterns. Preliminary work showed these geographic patterns were consistent with differences in resource quality, including depth from watertables, soil types and salinity levels. If differences in measured productivity are influenced by the quality of land and water resources used to produce rice, isolating this influence may provide a way of quantifying the costs associated with resource quality issues such as rising groundwater tables and soil salinity.
The Orthoptera (Insecta) from Middle and Lower Prut River Basin

Abstract The ecological preferences and bioacoustics of bush-crickets, crickets and grasshoppers species were studied in middle and lower Prut River basin, a research conducted in 55 localities from Romania and 33 localities in the Republic of Moldova. A total number of 91 species of Orthoptera were collected in the study area: 85 species encountered on the western side of Prut River basin (9 Phaneropteridae, 24 Tettigoniidae, 1 Bradyporidae, 5 Gryllidae, 1 Gryllotalpidae, 1 Tridactylidae, 5 Tetrigidae, 39 Acrididae) and 76 species found on the eastern side (7 Phaneropteridae, 19 Tettigoniidae, 1 Bradyporidae, 5 Gryllidae, 1 Gryllotalpidae, 1 Tridactylidae, 3 Tetrigidae, 39 Acrididae). Four species are recorded for the first time in the Orthoptera fauna of the Republic of Moldova: Barbitistes constrictus (Fabricius), Poecilimon fussii Brunner von Wattenwyl, Metrioptera roeselii fedtschenkoi (Saussure) and Pholidoptera frivaldskyi (Herman). Résumé Les préférences écologiques et bioacoustique des espèces de sauterelles, grillons et criquets ont été étudiés dans le bassin moyen et inférieur du fleuve Prut, une recherche menée dans 55 localités de la Roumanie et de 33 localités dans la République de Moldova. Un total de 91 espèces d’orthoptères a été recueillis dans la zone d’étude: 85 espèces rencontrées sur le côté d’ouest du bassin de la rivière Prut (9 Phaneropteridae, 24 Tettigoniidae, 1 Bradyporidae, 5 Gryllidae, 1 Gryllotalpidae, 1 Tridactylidae, 5 Tetrigidae, 39 Acrididae) et 76 espèces présentes sur la côte orientale (7 Phaneropteridae, 19 Tettigoniidae, 1 Bradyporidae, 5 Gryllidae, 1 Gryllotalpidae, 1 Tridactylidae, 3 Tetrigidae, 39 Acrididae). Quatre espèces sont enregistrées pour la première fois dans la faune d’Orthoptères de la République de Moldova: Barbitistes constrictus (Fabricius), Poecilimon fussii Brunner von Wattenwyl, Metrioptera roeselii fedtschenkoi (Saussure) et Pholidoptera frivaldskyi (Herman). REZUMAT Au fost studiate preferinţele ecologice şi bioacustica speciilor de cosaşi, greieri şi lăcuste din bazinul mijlociu și inferior al Prutului, cercetări efectuate în 55 localităţi din România şi în 33 localităţi din Republica Moldova. Un număr total de 91 specii de ortoptere au fost colectate în zona de studiu: 85 specii au fost întâlnite în partea vestică a râului Prut (9 Phaneropteridae, 24 Tettigoniidae, 1 Bradyporidae, 5 Gryllidae, 1 Gryllotalpidae, 1 Tridactylidae, 5 Tetrigidae, 39 Acrididae) şi 76 specii au fost găsite pe partea estică (7 Phaneropteridae, 19 Tettigoniidae, 1 Bradyporidae, 5 Gryllidae, 1 Gryllotalpidae, 1 Tridactylidae, 3 Tetrigidae, 39 Acrididae). Patru specii sunt semnalate pentru prima data în Republica Moldova: Barbitistes constrictus (Fabricius), Poecilimon fussii Brunner von Wattenwyl, Metrioptera roeselii fedtschenkoi (Saussure) şi Pholidoptera frivaldskyi (Herman).
Gross Alpha and Beta Radio Activity Concentrations and Estimated Committed Effective dose to the General Public Due to Intake of Groundwater in Mining Areas of Plateau State, North Central Nigeria

Tin mining activities carried out in parts of plateau state from the beginning of this century to the early 1980’s have left behind a post mining environment scarred by numerous mine pond and uncontrolled heaps of mine tailings containing radioactive minerals that have found their way into the natural water resources. In this study the gross activities of the alpha and beta emitting radionuclides present in the naturally occurring water bodies in the mining areas of plateau state covered by Naraguta sheet 168 were determined. Fifty-eight (58) groundwater, comprising of twenty-three (23) borehole and thirty-five (35) locally dug well samples were drawn randomly. The samples were analyzed and counted for gross alpha and beta activities using MPC-2000-DP. The results showed that the range of alpha activity varied from (0.110-1.580)Bq/l with a geometric mean of 0.328 Bq/l for borehole samples and (0.010-12.590)Bq/l with a geometric mean of 0.498 Bq/l for well water samples. The range of beta activity varied from (0.012-2.760) Bq/l with a geometric mean of 0.198 Bq/l for borehole water samples and (0.020-14.640) with the geometric mean of 0.366Bq/l for well water samples. Most of the samples show higher concentration above the WHO guideline value of 0.5Bq/l for alpha activity and 1.0Bq/l for beta activity. The annual committed effective (CED) to infants, children and adults were estimated. The results shared elevated values in most of the location above the ICRP acceptable standard of 0.1mSv/yr. The mean values of CED due to intake of borehole water for alpha activity are 0.240mSv/yr, 0.481mSv/yr and 0.885mSv/yr for infants, children and adult respectively. For beta activity the values are 0.201mSv/yr, 0.410 mSv/yr. and 0.820 mSv/yr. In the well water samples the mean CED value for alpha activity are 0.485 mSv/yr, 0.963 mSv/yr. and 1.938mSv/yr for infants, children and adults respectively and for beta activity the mean values are 0.594 mSv/yr. , 1.187mSv/yr. and 2.375 mSv/yr. respectively. These values show that the general public in these locations are committed to higher dose above the standard values and long term exposure could pose health threat. Keyword s : Gross alpha, gross beta, Mine tailings, water, Radionuclides
Evolution of topography in glaciated mountain ranges

This thesis examines the response of alpine landscapes to the onset of glaciation. The basic approach is to compare fluvial and glacial laudscapes, since it is the change from the former to the latter that accompanies climatic cooling. This allows a detailed evaluation of hypotheses relating climate change to tectonic processes in glaciated mountain belts. Fieldwork was carried out in the eastern Sierra Nevada, California, and the Sangre de Cristo Range, Colorado, alongside digital elevation model analyses in the western US, the Southern Alps of New Zealand, and the Himalaya of northwestern Pakistan. hypothesis is overstated in its appeal to glacial erosion as a major source of relief production and subsequent peak uplift. Glaciers in the eastern Sierra Nevada and the western Sangre de Cristos have redistributed relief, but have produced only modest relief by enlarging drainage basins at the expense of low-relief topography. Glaciers have lowered valley floors and ridgelines by similar amounts, limiting the amount of "missing mass' that can be generated, and causing a decrease in drainage basin relief. The principal response of glaciated landscapes to rapid rock uplift is the development of towering cirque headwalls. This represents considerable relief production, but is not caused by glacial erosion alone. Large valley glaciers can maintain their low gradient regardless of uplift rate, which supports the "glacial buzzsaw" hypothesis. However, the inability of glaciers to erode steep hillslopes as rapidly can cause mean elevations to rise. Cosmogenic isotope dating is used to show that (i) where plucking is active, the last major glaciation removed sufficient material to reset the cosmogenic clock; and (ii) former glacial valley floors now stranded near the crest of the Sierra Nevada are at varying stages of abandonment, suggesting a cycle of drainage reorganiszation and relief inversion due to glacial erosion similar to that observed in river networks. Glaciated landscapes are quite distinct from their fluvial counterparts in both landforms and processes. Given the scarcity of purely fluvial, active mountain ranges, it is essential that glacial erosion be considered amongst the processes sculpting active orogenic belts.
Scenario-Based Evaluation of Commercially Available Cleaning Robots for Collection of Bacillus Spores from Environmental Surfaces

The cleaning robots, a vacuum-based robot (R2) and a wetted-wipe-based robot (R4), were evaluated in this study to determine their effectiveness for sampling Bacillus atrophaeus spores. The tests were designed to evaluate the benefit of robot sampling on large areas with two different contamination scenarios: a high-concentration, low spatial extent contamination (hot spot) and a low concentration, high spatial extent contamination (widely dispersed). The hot spot tests were conducted with the high spore contamination (approximately 107 colony forming units [CFUs]) on a limited area (30.5 cm × 30.5 cm), 2 percent of the entire test. The widely dispersed tests were conducted with approximately 0.1 CFUs/cm2 for floor laminate and approximately 10 CFUs/cm2 for carpet surfaces. The widely dispersed tests distributed spores across the test surface and covered approximately 40 percent of the entire test area. The test results showed that both robots successfully sampled a large quantity of spores from carpet and floor laminate surfaces for both test scenarios. Robot performance is discussed in the context of currently used surface sampling methods. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.*
A lexicon of Tibetan verb stems as reported by the grammatical tradition

This lexicon systematically presents the primary verb stems of Classical Tibetan as recorded in nine sources spanning the seventeenth to twentieth centuries. The currently available dictionaries frequently and inexplicably differ as to the four stems of the Tibetan verb. This work serves as a first step in reconciling these conflicting reports and also provides a comprehensive survey of modern scholarship on the Tibetan verbal system. An index of every orthographic form appearing in the text facilitates easy access. Not only does the dictionary stand as an important milestone in the study of the Tibetan verbal system, but it is also an invaluable resource for students and readers of Classical Tibetan.
Path coordination for multiple mobile robots: a resolution-complete algorithm

Presents a geometry-based approach for multiple mobile robot motion coordination. The problem is to coordinate the motions of several robots moving along fixed independent paths to avoid mutual collisions. The proposed algorithm is based on a bounding box representation of the obstacles in the so-called coordination diagram. The algorithm is resolution-complete but it is shown to be complete for a large class of inputs. Despite the exponential dependency of the coordination problem, the algorithm efficiently solves problems involving up to ten robots in worst-case situations and more than 100 robots in practical ones.
Fauna de Coleoptera Lamellicornia en las montañas del noreste de Hidalgo, México

A comparative analysis of the scarab beetle fauna of the humid mountains of Zacualtipan, Molango, Atezca, Otongo and Tlanchinol, NE Hidalgo, Mexico is presented. Data were obtained during 1975- 1981 with 1,360 days of collecting effort in pine forest, oak forest, cloud forest, tropical rain forest, induced pasture land and secondary vegetation, between 630-2100 m. Records of 12 subfamilies, 27 subtribes, 68 genera and 180 species are presented. The greatest specific diversity corresponds to Melolonthinae (40 spp,), Rutelinae (32 spp.), Scarabaeinae (29 spp.), Dynastinae (28 spp.) and Aphodinae (1 8 spp.). About 50 % of the specific diversity is concentrated m nine genera: Phyllophaga (24 spp.l. Anomala (12 spp.), Cyclocephala (9 spp.), Diplotaxis (8 spp.), Euphoria (8 spp.), Onthophagus (8 spp ), Aphodius (8 spp.), Plusiotis (7 spp.) and Ataenius (7 spp. ]. Phyllophaga ravida. Ph. obsoleta, Polyphylla hammondi, Plusiotis adelaida, Chrysma rnacropus. Anomala aff. meonstans, Cyclocephala jalapensis, C. lurida, Strategus aloeus, Deltochilum gibbosum, Onthophagus cyanellus, Odontotaenius zodiacos and Heliscus tropicus were the rnost abundant species in the samples, The moniane scarab beetle fauna of Hidalgo shows 35 % of specific similarity and 65 % of genenc similarity with The area of Los Tuxilas Biological Station, Veracruz, and represen! 12.3 % of the Lamellicornian species recordad in Mexico. Nine endemic species are considered as endangered: Plesiosternus seiosus, Plusiofis terroni. P. taylori, P. aurofoveata. Orizabus endrodianus, Peltotrichius linea, Cotinis onenrahs, Spurius halfften and Olieus nonstriatus. A key to the taxa found in these mountains is included.
Coupling spectral unmixing and multiseasonal remote sensing for temperate dryland land-use/land-cover mapping in Minqin County, China

Temperate dryland ecosystems in China are undergoing accelerated changes due to natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Using the Minqin oasis as a case study area, this article examined linear spectral mixture analysis (LSMA) with the fixed four-image endmember (EM) model comprising sand, green vegetation, saline land, and dark materials (i.e. the degraded symptoms/EMs) for temperate dryland land-use and land-cover mapping. Dryland covers defined by landscape seasonality of the four EMs at the subpixel level are more easily interpreted to achieve acceptable accuracy, and allow better understanding of the processes of land degradation, such as two distinct salt/water movements were found in the study area. The Minqin oasis faces a significant challenge that requires a long-term monitoring system to understand the relationship between land-use decisions and ecological consequences. The approach developed with the mutiseasonal LSMA, representing dryland land-cover seasonality with the common surface degradation types (i.e. the four EMs) in a tree-structure framework, promises a robust and operative tool for land degradation assessment and monitoring and would be applied in a more different dryland environment in the future.
The Rise and Fall of Urban Economies

The Rise and Fall of Urban Economies challenges many of the conventional notions about economic development and sheds new light on its workings. The authors argue that it is essential to understand the interactions of three major components—economic specialization, human capital formation, and institutional factors—to determine how well a regional economy will cope with new opportunities and challenges. Drawing on economics, sociology, political science, and geography, they argue that the economic development of metropolitan regions hinges on previously underexplored capacities for organizational change in firms, networks of people, and networks of leaders. By studying San Francisco and Los Angeles in unprecedented levels of depth, this book extracts lessons for the field of economic development studies and urban regions around the world
Pregnancy‐induced hypertension and infant mortality: roles of birthweight centiles and gestational age

Objective To assess the effect of pregnancy‐induced hypertension (PIH) on infant mortality in different birthweight centiles (small for gestational age [SGA], appropriate for gestational age [AGA], and large for gestational age [LGA]) and gestational ages (early preterm, late preterm, and full term).