Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PAPER PRESENTED AT INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON INCREASING WHEAT YIELD POTENTIAL, CIMMYT, OBREGON, MEXICO, 20–24 MARCH 2006 Conservation agriculture: what is it and why is it important for future sustainable food production?

Conservation agriculture (CA), defined as minimal soil disturbance (no-till) and permanent soil cover (mulch) combined with rotations, is a more sustainable cultivation system for the future than those presently practised. The present paper first introduces the reasons for tillage in agriculture and discusses how this age-old agricultural practice is responsible for the degradation of natural resources and soils. The paper goes on to introduce conservation tillage (CT), a minimum tillage and surface mulch practice that was developed in response to the severe wind erosion caused by mouldboard tillage of grasslands and referred to as the American dust bowl of the 1930s. CT is then compared with CA, a suggested improvement on CT, where no-till, mulch, and rotations significantly improve soil properties (physical, biological, and chemical) and other biotic factors, enabling more efficient use of natural resources. CA can improve agriculture through improvement in water infiltration and reducing erosion, improving soil surface aggregates, reducing compaction through promotion of biological tillage, increasing surface soil organic matter and carbon content, moderating soil temperatures, and suppressing weeds. CA also helps reduce costs of production, saves time, increases yield through more timely planting, reduces diseases and pests through stimulation of biological diversity, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Availability of suitable equipment is a major constraint to successful CA, but advances in design and manufacture of seed drills by local manufacturers are enabling farmers to experiment and accept this technology in many parts of the world. Estimates of farmer adoption of CA are close to 100 million ha in 2005, indicating that farmers are convinced of the benefits of this technology. The paper concludes that agriculture in the next decade will have to produce more food, sustainably, from less land through more efficient use of natural resources and with minimal impact on the environment in order to meet growing population demands. This will be a significant challenge for agricultural scientists, extension personnel, and farmers. Promoting and adopting CA management systems can help meet this complex goal.
Organizational Resources for Professional Development: A Statewide Longitudinal Survey of Middle School Mathematics Teachers

A statewide longitudinal survey of 923 middle school mathematics teachers in Missouri was conducted from 2009 to 2011 to examine the amount of organizational resources for professional development that teachers received and the relationship between organizational resources and teachers’ participation in high-quality professional development. This study found that teachers who received an increased amount of organizational resources from 2009 to 2011 were more likely to increasingly participate in high-quality professional development activities during the same period. Therefore, it is important for districts and schools to continuously provide organizational resources for professional development to support and encourage their teachers’ participation in high-quality professional development.
The impact of the sandeel fishery closure on seabird food consumption, distribution, and productivity in the northwestern North Sea

In the North Sea, the lesser sandeel (Ammodytes marinus) is the target of an industrial fishery and the principal prey of many top predators. Because of concerns about potential effects on predators, the sandeel fishery off eastern Scot- land was closed in 2000, and local sandeel abundance increased subsequently. To examine whether closure benefitted sandeel-dependent seabirds, we compared summer sandeel consumption, at-sea distributions, and breeding success of seven species with fishery removals and abundance of older (1+ group) and young-of-the-year (0 group) sandeels from 1996 to 2003. Breeding success of black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla), a species that has declined in recent decades, was related to abundance of both 1+ group (the age class targeted by the fishery) and 0 group sandeels. The proportion of 0 group consumed by kittiwakes and proportion of the kittiwake population foraging in the area were linked to 0 group abundance. None of these parameters in the other seabird species were associated with sandeel abundance. Our results suggest that fishery closure can have a beneficial impact on top predators sensitive to variation in abundance of the target species, although environmental conditions before and after closure are also likely to be critically important.
Changes in copepod distributions associated with increased turbulence from wind stress

Vertical profiles of turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate (e), current velocity, tem- perature, salinity, chlorophyll fluorescence, and copepods were sampled for 4 d at an anchor station on the southern flank of Georges Bank when the water column was stratified in early June 1995. Copepodite stages of Temora spp. , Oithona spp. , Pseudocalanus spp. , and Calanus finmarchicus, and all of their naupliar stages except for Temora spp. , were found deeper in the water column when tur- bulent dissipation rates in the surface mixed layer increased in response to increasing wind stress. Taxa that initially occurred at the bottom of the surface mixed layer at 10 to 15 m depth ( e≤ 10 -8 W kg -1 ) before the wind event were located in the pycnocline at 20 to 25 m depth when dissipation rates at 10 m increased up to 10 -6 W kg -1 . Dissipation rates in the pycnocline were similar to those experi- enced at shallower depths before the wind event. After passage of the wind event and with relaxation of dissipation rates in the surface layer, all stages returned to prior depths above the pycnocline. Temora spp. nauplii did not change depth during this period. Our results indicate that turbulence from a moderate wind event can influence the vertical distribution of copepods in the surface mixed layer. Changes in the vertical distribution of copepods can impact trophic interactions, and move- ments related to turbulence would affect the application of turbulence theory to encounter and feed- ing rates.
Karakterisasi Faktor-faktor Virulensi Staphylococcus aureus Asal Susu Kambing Peranakan Ettawa secara Fenotip dan Genotip Characterization of Virulence Factors of Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Peranakan Ettawa Goat Milk Phenotypic and Genotypically

Staphylococcus aureus is a major cause of mastitis in large or small ruminants, and often manifested by subclinical mastitis in Peranakan Ettawa (PE) goats. Staphylococcus aureus in human can cause food borne disease. The research aimed to characterize the virulence factors of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from milk PE goats, phenotypic- and genotypically. Phenotypically characterization were determined through the pigmen assay as well as hydrophobicity, haemolysin, and hemaglutinin reaction. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis was used to detect 4 virulen genes including coa, clf, fnbA, and fnbB genes. The results of research showed that Staphylococcus aureus abled to produce white pigmen (35,7%), yellow pigmen g (57,1%), and orange pigmen (7,2%). Staphylococcus aureus showed ± -hemolysis zone (35,7%), ² -hemolysis (35,7%), dan ³ - hemolysis (28,9%). Hydrophobicytic test revealed 14,3% Staphylococcus aureu s isolates were hydrophobe and 85,7% hydrophil. Staphylococcus aureus (85,7%) isolates abled to aglutinated sheep blood cells. Based on genotypic analysis of Staphylococcus aureus could be detected coa gene (92,8%), clf gene (64,3%), fnbA gene (78,6%), and fnbB gene (64,3%). Based on the phenotypic and genotypic characters, it can be concluded that Staphylococcus aureus are virulent strains. This information can be used as the basis for control mastitis in PE goats
Knowledge and Attitude to Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder in Korean Preschool Teachers

Purpose: The purpose of study was to describe knowledge and attitude to Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) in preschool teachers in Korea. Methods: Survey methodology using a self administered questionnaire was employed as the research design. Knowledge and attitude were measured with a questionnaire modified from Jerome, Gordon, and Hustler (1994) and Ghanizadeh, Bahredar, and Moeini (2006). Of 223 questionnaires mailed out to 42 daycare centers in one district in Seoul, 164 questionnaires (73.5%) were used for data analysis. Data analysis was done using SPSS.WIN 15.0. Results: The mean score on knowledge for the teachers was 11.27 (59.3%) out of maximum score of 19. For question items, the percentage of correct answers related to etiology of ADHD was under 10% and the correct rate regarding treatment of ADHD was over 90%. Preschool teachers had a mean score on attitude of 20.77 out of 33. Less than 50% of the teachers reported positive attitudes toward the child with ADHD and over 90% agreed that the child with ADHD needs a special environment and specially trained teachers. Age (r=.236, p=.002) and marital status (t=-3.661, p=.000) were significantly related to attitude toward the child with ADHD. Knowledge and attitude had a significant positive correlation (r=.245, p=.001). Conclusion: These results suggest that educational programs and strategies should be developed to increase knowledge of preschool teachers on ADHD. Public health nurses also need to develop and implement education programs for teachers at daycare centers and others involved in child care in the community.
Hubungan Ramalan Persekitaran Pembelajaran Makmal Sains dengan Tahap Kepuasan Pelajar (Predictive Relationship between Science Laboratory Learning Environment and Level of Students' Satisfaction)

ABSTRAK Untuk membolehkan pengajaran dan pembelajaran berlaku dengan berkesan, persekitaran pembelajaran perlu disesuaikan dengan matlamat dan strategi pengajaran serta memenuhi keperluan guru dan pelajar. Oleh itu, penilaian tentang persekitaran pembelajaran pelajar adalah penting kerana ia bukan sahaja dapat memberikan maklumat untuk mengukur pencapaian pelajar, tetapi juga memberikan maklumat tentang kecekapan guru dalam menyediakan hasil pembelajaran yang positif. Dalam masa yang sama, persepsi pelajar terhadap persekitaran pembelajaran juga dapat memberi maklumat berguna untuk meningkatkan kualiti persekitaran pembelajaran. Kertas kerja ini melaporkan satu tinjauan yang telah dijalankan untuk mengenal pasti apakah pandangan pelajar tentang persekitaran pembelajaran makmal sains di sekolah-sekolah menengah di negeri Selangor dan hubungannya dengan tahap kepuasan pelajar. Persepsi pelajar berhubung persekitaran pembelajaran makmal sains diukur dengan menggunakan adaptasi Science Laboratory Environment Inventory (SLEI), manakala kepuasan pelajar diukur menggunakan domain keseronokan belajar yang diambil daripada Test of Related Science Attitudes (TOSRA). Analisis dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa pelajar menunjukkan persepsi yang positif terhadap semua skala dalam SLEI kecuali skala kebebasan menjana idea. Dari segi tahap kepuasan mereka turut menunjukkan persepsi yang baik terhadap pengajaran dan pembelajaran sains di makmal. Analisis susulan mendapati terdapat hubungan ramalan yang signifikan antara aspek-aspek dalam SLEI dengan tahap kepuasan pelajar seperti mana yang diukur dalam kajian. Kata kunci: Persekitaran pembelajaran, makmal sains, kepuasan pelajar, pengajaran sains, pembelajaran sains
FISH-APATITE FROM HOLE 913B: AN INDICATOR OF THE EARLY NORWEGIAN-GREENLAND SEA PALEOSALINITY

Fish-apatite (teeth and bone fragments) of early Eocene age from Ocean Drilling Program Hole 913B (Greenland Basin) was analyzed, in the absence of biogenic calcite, for stable isotopic (δ 1 8 θco, 2 ~, δC) composition to determine paleosalinity. Comparisons are made with isotopic results for early Eocene fish-apatite from Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) Hole 550 (northeastern Atlantic) and the R0snaεs Clay Formation (Denmark). These two sites represent fully marine and semimarine conditions, respectively. The δ^Ocα, 2 values of the fish-apatite from Hole 913B are 4.3%o to 8.1%c more negative than the fish-apatite values from DSDP Hole 550, and 1.9%o to 6.1%o more negative than the values from the R0snses Clay Formation. The results indicate reduced salinity in the early Eocene Greenland Basin relative to the open ocean. Using the present salinity/ δ'O relationship in the North Atlantic, the salinity in the Greenland Basin was 22 ppt to 28 ppt. The reduced salinity is in agreement with an isolated early Eocene Greenland Basin, as suggested in earlier geophysical and paleontological studies. It is also likely that other parts of the Norwegian-Greenland Sea, such as the Lofoten Basin, exhibited brackish water conditions. Because of similar oxygen-isotopic composition of fish-apatite and excellently preserved foraminifer tests in the samples from the R0snaεs Clay Formation as well as DSDP Hole 550, we consider the fish-apatite δ 1 8 θ c o , 2 t o be a reliable instrument for paleosalinity determination. It is possible that the fish-apatite was exposed to diagenesis and isotopic reequilibration shortly after deposition on the seafloor. This should not, however, reduce the possibility of using δ 1 8 θ c o , 2 as an indicator of paleosalinity, because both δ 1 8 θ and salinity usually are very similar in the uppermost pore water and the overlying water mass. The fish-apatite δ C values may support that early diagenesis has affected the original isotopic signal. The values seem to be related to the organic carbon content of the sediment as the lowest δ C values, -4.6%c to -10.5%o, are found in the fish-apatite from the very dark sediment of Hole 913B, whereas the highest δ C values, +0.6‰ to -1.7%o, are found in the pale, oxidized sediment of DSDP Hole 550.
On The Valuation of Infiltration towards Meeting Residential Ventilation Needs

The purpose of ventilation is dilute or remove indoor contaminants that an occupant is exposed to. It can be provided by mechanical or natural means. In most homes, especially existing homes, infiltration provides the dominant fraction of the ventilation. As we seek to provide acceptable indoor air quality at minimum energy cost, it is important to neither over-ventilate nor under-ventilate. Thus, it becomes critically important to correctly evaluate the contribution infiltration makes to both energy consumption and equivalent ventilation. ASHRAE Standards including standards 62, 119, and 136 have all considered the contribution of infiltration in various ways, using methods and data from 20 years ago.
Evaluation of Spatial Presentation in Sonification for Identifying Concurrent Audio Streams

The ultimate goal of sonification is to transfer information effectively to listeners. While there is a large amount of multidisciplinary investigation in the field of psychoacoustic, psychology, cognition and human computer interaction, sonification design still lacks empirical evidence on which to base design decisions [1]. This paper presents an empirical investigation of spatialization, which can provide one or more dimensions for auditory display. It focuses, in particular, on evaluating spatial presentation in sonification so as to enhance pattern identification when two audio streams are played simultaneously. Hence it aims to develop design decisions that benefit from effective information representation. The sounds were created for binaural reproduction using nonindividual head-related transfer functions. The results reported are based on the listeners’ performance within two display modes: (i) two co-located streams and (ii) two streams spatially separated at static locations. It concludes with ideas for future improvements and developments for this type of sonification. [
The Role of sensory experience on Spanish consumer’s willingness to pay for sustainable produced food

For a variety of reasons, Spanish growth in demand for organic and integrated products has not kept up with supply. This work focused on the effect of information and sensory issues on purchase behaviour in relation to sustainable agricultural production. Using experimental auctions and results from (trained and untrained) sensory Panels, we studied the preferences for attributes related to food sustainability. Spanish consumers have a positive attitude towards sustainable food due to environmental concerns, health concerns, and trust in certification and market agents. However, the premium they are willing to pay for these products is lower than the current market price. Furthermore, “search” and sensory “experience” influence consumers’ purchase behavior.
Surface Modification of Cobalt doped Hydroxyapatite Thick Films via Swift Heavy Ion Irradiations for CO and CO2 Gas Sensing Application

In the present investigation, Swift Heavy Ion irradiation (SHI) has been successfully utilized to modify the structure and surface morphology of cobalt doped Hydroxyapatite (HAp) thick films for CO and CO2 gas sensing application. Nano-crystalline Co-HAp powder is used to prepare sensor matrix in the form of thick films by means of screen printing technique. Furthermore, Co-HAp thick films are irradiated using Ag ions (100 MeV) with ion fluence of 3x10 and 3x10 ions/cm. Structural evolutions are investigated by means of X-ray analysis and surface morphology is visualized by means of SEM analysis. A detail gas sensing study is carried out to determine operating temperature, response recovery time and gas uptake capacity to assess the stable performance of sensor. This investigation reveals that the SHI irradiated Co-HAp (3x10 ions/cm) film showed enhancement in gas sensing characteristics in comparison to pristine film. The study is remarkable to note that Co-HAp (3x10 ions/cm) film shows enhancement in CO & CO2 gas sensing behavior at lower operating temperature 150C and 135C respectively.
Designing and Fabricating MEMS Cantilever Switches

In this thesis, MEMS switches actuated using electrostatic actuation is explored. MEMS switches that are lateral switches and clamped-clamped switches are designed, fabricated, and tested in this thesis. This thesis extensively explains the process by which the MEMS Switches were designed and fabricated. In addition, it explains the changes in the switches when issues called for a modification to devices. Contact resistances were extensively studied, in this thesis. There has been a trade-off between the reliability of switches and their contact resistances. Many actions were taken to mitigate this trade-off and to allow both reliable devices with low contact resistances. The efforts to do so ranged from thermal oxidation to reduce the scalloping on the sidewalls, to modifying the dry etching recipe, to modifying the sputtering recipe, to electroplating, and many more. However, reliability of the MEMS Lateral switches was accomplished independent to the contact resistances. In addition, low contact resistances were accomplished independent to reliability. A novel approach to designing clamped-clamped MEMS switches is also showcased in this thesis. These devices experienced unique challenges compared to those faced with lateral switches. Both lateral and clamped-clamped switches are discussed in-depth in this thesis.
Evaluation of the Repeatability and Reproducibility of Network-Level Pavement Macrotexture Measuring Devices

The purpose of this thesis was to assess the repeatability and reproducibility of two high-speed macrotexture measuring systems. The first portion of the study collected macrotexture measurements using the two highspeed systems on the Virginia Smart Road facility and validated the reproducibility of the mean profile depth (MPD) measurements with reference CT Meter measurements. The various data sets were then compared with each other. The objective was to determine whether the two systems are collecting repeatable and reproducible data. The analysis showed that the two high-speed systems investigated have good repeatability (approximately 0.11 mm) when measuring the average MPD of the sections investigated. The two systems produce measurements that are highly correlated with the reference ones obtained with the CT Meter. While the Ames systems, with the data processed using the Virginia Tech filter, measures MPD values that are very close to those of the CT Meter, with a virtually zero systematic bias, the SCRIM measure slightly lower readings. The differences are thought to be due to the filtering of the data used by the SCRIM processing software to eliminate dropout and spikes in the laser measurements Evaluation of the Repeatability and Reproducibility of Network-Level Pavement Macrotexture Measuring Devices
Improving Query Results with Automatic Duplicate Detection

Ontology-based data integration poses significant challenges. One is that an ontology used as a global reference model during the ontology-based data integration can contain duplicated attributes, which can easily lead to improper query results. This problem arises when merging similar or overlapping information from ontologies extracted from distributed digital libraries into a single global ontology. To solve the problem, we propose a novel context-based approach that analyzes a workload of queries over the single global ontology to automatically calculate (semantic) distances between attributes, which are then used for duplicate detection. We present experimental results to demonstrate the quality of our approach.
Re-appraising the influence of location advantages in the political risk and foreign direct investment relationship: A conception

This paper takes a conceptual step to analyze the link between Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and political risk by extending to include location and its potential advantages as possible risk mitigating factors earlier neglected by international investors and international business scholars.Where location factors are beneficial they are expected to override the mounting political risks as the best risk hedging mechanism. We re-appraised this relationship by supporting the existing literature on location dynamics, its determinants and decisions on international investment.The paper further contribute to literature by supporting the clamor for moving away from region or country analysis to within country assessment in order to favor available location benefits considered crucial in mitigating political risk.The growing relevance of within country analysis can lead to finding how best to minimize political risk impact on FDI inflow.