Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
When Professional Identity Meets Praxis: A Qualitative Study of Child and Youth Care Students

A critical issue in Child and Youth Care (CYC) education is the development of a professional CYC identity. Students are often caught between the potentially conflicting roles of fitting into a perceived CYC identity archetype and developing their personal approach to CYC praxis. This qualitative study examined the ways in which CYC students perceive and experience constructs of identity in the field of CYC as well as the ways that they respond internally to such constructs. The research design utilized creative modes of inquiry both in the processes by which the research was conducted and in the methods used to represent research data. The combination of traditional data collection strategies with arts-based presentation methods provided the participants a powerful learning experience by opening up a meaning-making space. This meaning making generated important insights into and understandings of the politics of identity in relation to the development of the participants? unique sense of CYC praxis.
Local Angle Domain (LAD) Common Image Gathers (CIG) for Reflection Tomography and AVA(Z) in Complex Geological Areas

In this study we refer to reflection tomography, where traveltime errors are computed from depth domain RMOs which are automatically picked along different types of CIGs. It is well known that rich or wide azimuth data are essential for resolving the isotropic/anisotropic velocity model parameters in complex subsurface models, especially below and in the vicinity of salt bodies. We therefore concentrate on the use of 3D CIGs that contain imaging information from wide angles and azimuths. These have the potential to provide optimal data for the extraction of accurate RMOs for the tomography. In particular, we show the advantages of using amplitude- reserved CIGs in the Local Angle Domain (LAD) to provide the most reliable information for angle/azimuth dependent RMOs, which are then uniquely transformed into traveltime errors along the specular rays.
No . 0 , pp . 000 – 000 ε − Contaminated Priors in Contingency Tables

The r × s table is used for discussing different approaches to statistical inference. We develop a Bayesian procedure to test simple null hypotheses versus bilateral alternatives in contingency tables. We consider testing equality of proportions of independent multinomial distributions when the common proportions are known. A lower bound of the posterior probabilities of the null hypothesis is calculated with respect to a mixture of point prior on the null and a ε−contaminated prior on the proportions under the alternative. The resulting Bayes tests are compared numerically to Pearson’s χ in a number of examples. For the examined examples the lower bound and the p-value can be made close. The obtained results are generalized when the common proportions vector under the null is unknown or with known functional form.
Are Artificial Media Valid For Root Analysis? A Case Study Comparing Root Traits of Five Lentil Genotypes in Artificial Media versus Soil

Background: Interest in plant root systems by plant physiologists and breeders has grown in recent years as challenges compounded by global warming further increases the complexity of crop production systems. Given the difficulties of assessing roots under field conditions, work or roots are increasingly being carried out using artificial media in containers indoors. This study addresses the question of which media to use by comparing above and below ground plant growth characteristics of lentil genotypes grown under fully watered and drought conditions in both inorganic and organic media compared to soil.Methods: Five lentil genotypes were grown indoors until flowering in these media. Above/below ground biomass was assessed in each media. Root traits were evaluated with the aid of the root program, WinRhizoTM.Results: This study demonstrated that under fully watered and drought conditions, lentil genotypes partitioned resources to above and below ground structures differently in soil as opposed to artificial media indoors. The organic compared to the inorganic medium, had similar root traits as soil for most lentil genotypes under both moisturelevels.Conclusions: The inorganic media cannot be recommended for lentils cultivation because plants were stunted with large root systems. Secondly, preliminary projects on below ground parameters should be carried out in artificial media to see how they compared to soil before plants are grown in artificial media.
Anomaly Detection Combined with Spectral Function Analysis in Hyperspectral Imagery

To improve the time performance of hyperspectral imagery anomaly detection, this paper proposes the conception of spectral function. Using the features of spectral function such as the area under spectral profile (AUSP), potential target pixels can be separated from background pixels. Then use the data of background area to carry out anomaly detection. In this way can we save time, increase algorithm running speed, and increase the performance of original detection algorithm. At last experiment is carried to verifying the efficiency of the method proposed in this paper.
Normalized difference vegetation index relationships with rainfall patterns and yield in small plantings of rain-fed sugarcane

Cane growth in rain-fed sugarcane production, with an abrupt end to rainfall months before harvest, could differ from what is known in better-studied systems. Therefore, we evaluated the relationship between the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) obtained for 2,854 sugarcane farmers’ fields and rainfall patterns in northeastern Thailand. Temporal changes of NDVI were related to rainfall patterns. The regional monthly average NDVI and the regional monthly average rainfall, calculated by averaging weather station data representing four individual provinces in the region were linearly related (r 2 = 0.867, p<0.001) during the rainy season. Similarly, the average monthly MODIS NDVI for farmers’ fields situated within a five km radius of the weather stations representing sugarcane management zones, was significantly related to monthly rainfall for both individual weather stations and average weather station data. Neither average rainfall nor average MODIS NDVI was related to the average sugarcane yield of the farmers’ fields situated within the five km radius of the nine weather stations. On a larger scale, MODIS NDVI had a positive correlation (r = 0.565) with yield when averaged across all nine management zones, but only for the rainy-season planting. Commercial pre-harvest yield prediction would likely need to be made between the end of the rainy season (mid-October) and mid-January. Our results showed that NDVI is a confounded measurement during this evaluation period which is associated with the differences in both plant biomass and cane maturity. Once the rainy season ends, NDVI declines while stalk weight increases. Therefore, NDVI-based yield predictions may be difficult even with higher quality imagery.
Characteristics of Two General Circulation Patterns During Floods over the Changjiang-Huaihe River Valley

Characteristics of the atmospheric general circulation during the catastrophic floods over the Changjiang- Huaihe River Valley(CHRV)are investigated.There are two precipitation patterns over China in the CHRV flood years:the CHRV flood-whole country-wet(P1)pattern and the CHRV flood-south(north)side-dry (P2)pattern.The circulation analysis results show that there are obvious differences between the NH 500- hPa geopotential height fields of P1 and P2 precipitation patterns.The establishment of East Asia-Atlantic (EAA)correlation chain(the South China Sea(SCS)high-the Meiyu trough-the Okhotsk Sea high over East Asia)is a critical condition for excessive summer precipitation over the CHRV,while the European blocking high plays an important role in determining the precipitation pattern over China in the CHRV flood years.Besides,the relation between the EAA correlation chain and the sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA)in the North Pacific is also studied.
Equivalence Scales Based on Stochastic Indifference Criterion: The Case of Poland

The paper presents the concept of the stochastic equivalence scale (SES), which is based on the stochastic indifference criterion. The SES is any function that transforms the expenditure distribution of a specific group of households in such a way that the resulting distribution is stochastically indifferent from the expenditure distribution of a reference group of households. The stochastic indifference criteria are also used in developing the method of the estimation of the SES. Non-parametric and parametric SESs are estimated using the Polish Household Budget Survey for the years 2005–2010.
Development of Rutting Damage Ratios of Heavy Vehicles Operating in the Northern Part of Peninsular Malaysia

Heavy vehicles loaded beyond load limits are found to form a considerable percentage of heavy vehicles traffic in the Northern Part of Malaysian Peninsula. This study uses the actual weights of heavy vehicles to develop rutting damage ratios for each heavy vehicle type to be used in flexible pavement and overlay design. Traffic volume and heavy vehicles weights were collected by five survey stations spread along the northern part of Malaysian peninsula, namely: Alor Setar, Gurun, Bertam, Bukit Merah, and Taiping. Via the analysis, rutting damage ratios were developed for each heavy vehicle classes and an average rutting damage ratio was developed to represent all types of heavy vehicles running in the northern part of Malaysian peninsula.
THE RISE OF THE BIG DATA : WHY SHOULD STATISTICIANS EMBRACE COLLABORATIONS WITH COMPUTER SCIENTISTS by XIAO

Big Data has been the new trend in businesses. As technology advances, the ability to collect large amount of data and learn insights from them became more important. We will analyze a dataset provided by the Heritage Provider Network. The goal is to predict the number of days a patient stays in the hospital based on previous year’s insurance claim records. The tools used include logistic regression, Classification and Regression Trees, and Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM). We will compare two techniques of analyzing the data. The first method will use GBM to predict the outcome variable. While in the second method, we will use a sequential modeling method, where we partition the dataset into risky and non-risky groups, and then use GBM to predict the outcome for the risky patients and assign no-stay for the non-risky group. We also discuss Big Data topics such as More Data Beats Better Algorithm. INDEX WORDS: Big Data, Machine Learning, Decision Trees THE RISE OF THE BIG DATA: WHY SHOULD STATISTICIANS EMBRACE COLLABORATIONS WITH COMPUTER SCIENTISTS
Effect of Stabilizers and Process Parameters for Budesonide Loaded PLGA-Nanoparticles

The present work is aimed at investigations of the effects of various stabilizers and process parameters on the properties of budesonide (glucocorticoid steroid) loaded PLGA (Poly-dl-lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticles. Budesonide loaded PLGA nanoparticles were prepared following high pressure emulsification- solvent evaporation technique. The effects of three different stabilizers like polyvinylalcohol (PVA), carbomer (Carbopol 980) and poloxamer (Lutrol F-68) are used during emulsification process were studied. Investigations were also carried out regarding influences of different homogenization parameters (pressure and number of cycles) on the properties of various nanoparticles. For comparison, nanoparticles were prepared without the treatment of high pressure also. Various properties of nanoparticles subjected to investigations include, particle size, polydispersity index, drug loading, encapsulation efficiency and the drug release profile. These properties were found to be strongly influenced by the type of stabilizer, homogenization pressure and the number of cycles. Amongst three stabilizers, PVA found to produce comparatively smallest nanoparticles than poloxamer and carbomer. The nanoparticles prepared without high pressure homogenization found to posse’s larger size and high values of polydispersity index especially with the stabilizers carbomer and poloxamer. The low drug loading of nanoparticles found, could be resulted due to high pressure promoted drug diffusion from the protoparticles during the emulsification process and the characteristics of the outer water phase of emulsion. Faster drug release was observed from the nanoparticles obtained after high pressure emulsification as compared to those prepared without pressure homogenization of emulsion. keywords: Budesonide, nanoparticles, polyvinylalcohol, carbomer, poloxamer, homogenization.
'A rattling good experience': the development of children's thinking in design and technology lessons in English and Finnish primary schools

The purpose of the project, and resultant study reported herein, was to provide insights into the development of children's learning within the design and technology curriculum. The study was based on the assumption that constructivistic driven, open-ended problem solving and pupil centred approaches are especially suitable for design and technology education. This study aims to reveal what kind of thinking occurred in children during a project which involved designing, making and using 'rattles'. It demonstrates what the outcome of this thinking was, with respect to children's learning about designing their unique version of a rattle. The context and purpose of a rattle is seen as a vital component of the information worked upon by children. This is an analysis of what the children intended their rattles to do, with respect to the design of components, which, when assembled, form a whole rattle. Creating a rattle is concerned with both the 'means - ends in view' thinking, as the product is designed and made, and the holistic purpose of the artefact in a socio-cultural setting. Such a teaching approach provides many opportunities for children to interact with design problems and other people, especially their peers.
Fiscal Fragility and Sovereign Risk in the Euro Area

We study the relative weight of macroeconomic (i.e., scal policy, banking exposure, growth perspectives, etc.) and nancial (i.e., aggregate and idiosyncratic risk, and sovereign bond markets liquidity) conditions as determinants of movements of 10-years sovereign bond spreads (over the Bund benchmark) in the Eurozone from 2000 to 2009, relying on cross-country quarterly data panel analysis. We nd that aggregate and idiosyncratic risk factors are fundamental drivers of sovereign spreads, both directly and interacting with structural conditions. With respect to the literature, we nd a wider set of macroeconomic conditions scal policy stance (i.e., level and maturity structure of outstanding debt, and scal balance), banking sector exposure (namely, level and structure of assets by borrowing sector), and short and medium-term growth perspectives - driving sovereign default risk. In line with the literature, we nd strong evidence of regime switching in parame
Waterborne Diseases: Linking Public Health And Watershed Data

WATERBORNE DISEASES: LINKING PUBLIC HEALTH AND WATERSHED DATA February 2009 DEBALINA DAS, MSc. , VIDYASAGAR UNIVERSITY, INDIA M.S., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Directed by: Dr. Sarah Dorner Microbial contaminants in water are a major public health concern. Pathogens have been identified as a primary threat to river water quality in the United States, potentially impacting drinking and irrigation water sources and recreational waters. Agricultural runoff, feedlot operations, wastewater effluents, swimming activities, domestic and wild animals are potential sources of microbial contamination. This thesis presents Massachusetts as a case study for linking public health data of waterborne gastrointestinal diseases with sources of drinking water, potential recreational exposures, as well as hydrologic, climatic, and land use data. Giardia sp. has been chosen as a model organism. Information of reported human Giardiasis cases has been synthesized. Using Geological Information system and statistical software (SPSS and SAS) relationships of confirmed Giardiasis have been compared with available climate and hydrologic data. In this thesis the research finding suggest that there is no visible difference in disease occurrence related with amount of precipitation or extreme rain event. However human giardiasis in Massachusetts has been found related with temperature thus shows a seasonal trend in disease occurrence. Seasonal water related human activity likely have played a role in disease occurrence.
Anaemia Association with Intestinal Parasitic Infection in Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Clinic at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital

Anaemia is the common problem during pregnancy in developing countries like Nepal. A total of 200 stool samples for parasitic infection and their haemoglobin level data were collected from the pregnant women visiting TUTH. The overall prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection and anaemic rate among pregnant women was found to be 35% and 50%. Among 100 anaemic pregnant women 58 women were infected with intestinal parasites. The association of anaemia with intestinal parasitic infection was statistically significant (P > 0.05). The most dominant parasite among anaemic pregnant women was A. lumbricoides followed by H. nana . Total five different types of intestinal parasites were identified in this study. Among them A. lumbricoides (30.5%), H. nana 6(3%), E. histolytica 5(2.5%), T. trichiura 2(%) and S. stercoralis 2(1%) respectively. Pregnant women with single parasitic infection were found to be 64(32%) and multiple infection were 6(3%). Intensity of parasitic infection found to be 17(8.8%), 34 (17.0%) and 17 (9.5%) for light, moderate and heavy infection. Journal of Advanced College of Engineering and Management , Vol. 3, 2017, Page: 41-47
An Optimization Technique for CRC Generation

In networking environments, the cyclic redundancy check (CRC) is widely utilized to determine whether errors have been introduced during transmissions over physical links. In this paper, we present a fast cyclic redundancy check (CRC) algorithm that performs CRC computation for an arbitrary length of message in parallel. This paper proposes 64 bits parallel CRC architecture based on F matrix with order of generator polynomial is 32 and showed CRC-64 is having less latency and high throughput compared to CRC-32 parallel architecture through Xilinx Simulator.
Visualizing Internet-Measurements Data for Research Purposes: the NeuViz Data Visualization Tool

In this paper we present NeuViz, a data processing and visualization architecture for network measurement experiments. NeuViz has been tailored to work on the data produced by Neubot (Net Neutrality Bot), an Internet bot that performs periodic, active network performance tests. We show that NeuViz is an effective tool to navigate Neubot data to identify cases (to be investigated with more specific network tests) in which a protocol seems discriminated. Also, we suggest how the information provided by the NeuViz Web API can help to automatically detect cases in which a protocol seems discriminated, to raise warnings or trigger more specific tests
Asymmetric GARCH and the Financial Crisis: A Preliminary Study

The paper deals with estimation of both general GARCH as well as asymmetric EGARCH and TGARCH models, used to model the leverage effect of good news and bad news on market volatility. We estimate the models using daily returns of S&P 500 stock index and describe the news impact curves (NICs) for these models. When estimating the crisis series, we show the possibility of using a news impact surface to describe the results from models of higher orders.
Sensorized Garments for Biomedical Monitoring: Design Issues

This paper discusses the user and technical requirements in designing smart garments for biomedical monitoring in several and very different applications: in hospital settings, during activities of daily living (ADL), sport and fitness, home care, working environments. Anthropometric and gender considerations are to be included into design as well as textile requirements like elasticity, washability and chemical agents effects for preserving sensors' efficacy and reliability, and assuring the proper duration of the product for the complete life cycle. Physiological issues are mainly due to skin conductance (and related operations: cleaning, scrubbing the external layer of dead skin cells, the presence of hair - especially in male subjects), skin tolerance and irritation, and the effect of sweat and perspiration. All these factors strongly affect the design and technical choices (materials in particular) but aesthetical requirements are proved to be crucial as well as comfort and wearability. For this aspect, user's age, target application, and fashion trend could not be ignored, because they determine the final success of the wearable monitoring approach.
Efficiency optimization of the high-power isolated DC/DC converters through THD and losses reduction in isolation transformers

This paper describes a method of improving efficiency of the high-power transformer-isolated DC/DC converters by means of proper selection of an inverter switch duty cycle. The paper revises old suggestions and recommendations for choosing the maximal duty cycle value on the basis of physical limits imposed by new solid-state devices. The resulting improved efficiency of the converter is described considering losses in separate energy conversion stages.
Aerosol distribution and efficacy in a commercial food warehouse

A series of field trials were conducted in a commercial food storage facility to evaluate exposure of stored‐product insects to aerosol formulations of synergized pyrethrins and the insect growth regulator methoprene. When adults of Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), the red flour beetle, and Tribolium confusum (Jacqueline DuVal), the confused flour beetle were exposed with and without a food source to synergized pyrethrin aerosol, there was no difference in adult mortality with respect to availability of food at either 7 or 14 days after exposure (P≥ 0.05). However, mortality was lower in T. confusum (40.4% and 79.3% with flour at 7 and 14 days, 38.9% and 84.8% without flour at 7 and 14 days) compared to T. castaneum (96.5% and 99.8% with flour at 7 and 14 days, 91.0% and 98.7% without flour at 7 and 14 days). Few late‐stage larvae and pupae of either species exposed to the pyrethrin aerosol emerged as adults. In tests with methoprene aerosol, adult emergence of exposed 3‐and 4‐week‐old larvae of T. confusum was less than 2%. Only 0.3% of 4‐week‐old larvae of T. castaneum exposed in open and obstructed areas emerged as adults. Emergence of adults from eggs of Plodia interpunctella (Hübner), the Indianmeal moth, embedded in culture media and exposed to the methoprene aerosol was 13.2%± 3.5%. Results show that the aerosols evaluated in our study could give effective control of some of the major stored‐product insect pests in commercial food storage facilities, and may offer an alternative to fumigation.
Equivariant Gauge Theory and Four-Manifolds by Nima Anvari

Let p > 5 be a prime and X0 a simply-connected 4-manifold with boundary the Poincaré homology sphere Σ(2, 3, 5) and even negative-definite intersection form QX0 = E8 . We obtain restrictions on extending a free Z/paction on Σ(2, 3, 5) to a smooth, homologically-trivial action on X0 with isolated fixed points. It is shown that for p = 7 there is no such smooth extension. As a corollary, we obtain that there does not exist a smooth, homologically-trivial Z/7-equivariant splitting of #S×S = E8∪Σ(2,3,5)E8 with isolated fixed points. The approach is to study the equivariant version of Donaldson-Floer instanton-one moduli spaces for 4-manifolds with cylindrical ends. These are L-finite anti-self dual connections which asymptotically limit to the trivial product connection.