Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
SEED DISpERSAL OF A USEFUL pALm (astrocaryum chambira bURRET) IN ThREE AmAzONIAN FORESTS wITh DIFFERENT hUmAN INTERVENTION

The young leaves of Astrocaryum chambira are used by the indigenous people in the Amazon as raw material for handicrafts. However, few studies have been made on the natural history of this palm and on the indirect impact caused by the decrease of its dispersal agents. Considering that the loss of animal dispersal vectors due to hunting and lands- cape modification can affect seed dispersal proces - ses of tropical forest plants, the goal of this study was to compare seed dispersal of A. chambira in three terra firme forests of the Colombian Amazon, with different degrees of human intervention. We censused densities of dispersal agents of A. cham- bira, and characterized the seed shadow. We also marked seeds to estimate dispersal distances, and established density and distance-dependent expe- rimental stations to assess their relevance on seed dispersal. The results showed that seed removal was proportional to dispersal agent densities and forest intervention levels. Insects were the main seed predators in all sites but their effect was less pronounced in the low intervened forest site. Seed density did not show any effect on removal, whi- le a higher probability of survival at intermediate distances from the parent palm (10 m) was found. Future studies should focus on seedling establish- ment, recruitment rates and the effects of human intervention on subsequent life stages of the palm.
Ship detection and tracking method for satellite video based on multiscale saliency and surrounding contrast analysis

Abstract. In port surveillance, monitoring based on satellite video is a valuable supplement to a ground monitoring system because of its wide monitoring range. Therefore, automatic ship detection and tracking based on satellite video is an important research field. However, because of the small size of ships without texture and the interference of sea noise, it is also a challenging subject. An approach of automatic detection and tracking moving ships of different sizes using satellite video is presented. First, motion compensation between two frames is realized. Then, saliency maps of multiscale differential image are combined to create dynamic multiscale saliency map (DMSM), which is more suitable for the detection of ships of different sizes. Third, candidate motion regions are segmented from DMSM, and moving ships can be detected after the false alarms are removed based on the surrounding contrast. Fourth, important elements such as centroid distance, area ratio, and histogram distance from moving ships are used to perform ship matching. Finally, ship association and tracking are realized by using the intermediate frame in every three adjacent frames. Experimental results on satellite sequences indicate that our method can effectively detect and track ships and obtain the target track, which is superior in terms of the defined recall and precision compared with other classical target tracking methods.
781 Momentum transport in shallow convection

The vertical transport of horizontal momentum by convection has an important impact on the general circulation of the atmosphere as well as on the life cycle and track of cyclones. So far it has mostly been studied for deep convection, whereas little is known about its properties and importance in shallow convection. In this study convective momentum transport by shallow convection is investigated by analysing both data from large-eddy simulations (LES) and simulations performed with the Integrated Forecasting System (IFS) of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). Thereby the IFS is run in 3D mode as well as in a single column model (SCM) version. In addition, the central terms underlying the bulk mass-flux parametrisation of the IFS convection scheme are evaluated offline. The analysed cases exhibit shallow convective clouds developing within considerable low-level wind shear. Analysis of the momentum fluxes in the LES data reveals significant momentum transport by the convection in both cases, which is directed down-gradient despite substantial organisation of the cloud field. A detailed inspection of the convection parametrisation reveals a very good representation of the underlying entrainment and detrainment rates and an appropriate representation of the convective mass and momentum fluxes. To determine the correct values of mass-flux and in-cloud momentum at the cloud base in the parametrisation yet remains challenging.
Secondary school teachers’ perceptions on selected factors that influence their morale and commitment to work: A case of Nakuru District

This study investigated teachers' perceptions of the factors that influenced their morale and commitment to work in public secondary schools. The target population consisted of teachers in public secondary schools in Nakuru District. A sample of 172 teachers was randomly selected for the study. The research design adopted in this study was descriptive survey. Teachers' questionnaires and head teachers' interview schedules were used to collect information on the respondents' perceptions on factors that influenced their morale. The instruments were based on a 5 point Likert scale. The reliability coefficient was computed using Cronbach alpha and stood at 0.86. This was deemed adequate for the study. Pearson Moments Correlation was used to establish whether there was a statistically significant relationship between teachers' characteristics and morale and commitment to work. The study established that teachers perceived remuneration, opportunity for further training, responsibility, social status, a sense of belonging and job security as impacting on the level of morale and commitment to their duties. The study found out no statistically significant relationship between teachers' gender, age, and experience and commitment to work. However, there was statistically significant relationship between the professional qualifications and commitment to work. The study also established no statistically significant relationship between teachers' characteristics and perception of the factors that influenced their morale and commitment to work. In all cases alpha coefficient was equal to 0.05.
FDI in Central Asia: Uzbekistan

FDI inflows are a significant form of capital flows mostly towards the developing countries and they decisively affect the host country’s economic growth, the macroeconomic stability, the infrastructure and the governmental policy. The present paper focuses on the FDI inflows absorbed by the Central Asian countries, studying the case of Uzbekistan that attracts limited amount of FDI contrary to other countries of the region. It is argued that Uzbekistan attracts FDI mostly because of its market size and its adequacy on natural resources; however, the transformations performed failed to further increase the country’s attractiveness to foreign investors.
Evaluation of Adherence to Nevirapine for Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission amongst Infants of HIV Positive Mothers in the First 6 Weeks of Life in Lagos Nigeria

Background: Over 90% of infection in children is acquired through mother to child transmission (MTCT). Nevirapine’s efficacy, safety and affordable cost make it the most preferred non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) for paediatric prophylactic use in resource limited settings. There are very few studies on pediatric adherence to antiretroviral prophylaxis, especially in very young infants. The objective of the study was to evaluate the adherence to nevirapine for prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) amongst infants of HIV positive mothers in the first 6 weeks of life. Methods: This was a questionnaire based prospective cross-sectional multicenter study initiated in July 2015 and concluded in December 2017. The study was carried out at the Aids Prevention in Nigeria (APIN/HIV) human immunodeficiency paediatric clinics of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos State, 68 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital Yaba (68NARHY) Lagos, Nigeria and the Holy Family Catholic Hospital, Festac Town, Amuwo Odofin, Lagos State. Nevirapine adherence, in infants of 0 - 6 weeks was measured by maternal verbal reports. Results: Eighty-one (81) infants receiving nevirapine within the age of 0 - 6 weeks completed the study. Majority of the infants started treatment at birth (32%) and after 4 weeks (31%). 54% of the 81 respondents do not miss or skip their doses while 46% of respondents skip doses. Majority of the respondents 18 (49%) missed their doses for 24 - 48 hours while 25% missed their doses because they were away from home and 23% ran out of pills. 85.2% took ≥95% of the prescribed medications (good or high adherence ), 8.2% took 80% - 95% of doses (moderate adherence) while 6.2% took 0.05). Conclusions: The adherence rates found in this study are comparable to other studies in developing countries. But these rates are still low for good clinical outcomes. Different levels of adherence were documented with the majority having good or high adherence. Not all of the infants started treatment at birth and Institutional delivery should be encouraged to improve early initiation of prophylaxis. The finding of patients with low adherence rates among the study population calls for intensification of counselling on adherence and should continue to be an integral part of prevention of mother to child transmission. Improved access to antiretroviral agents and improved care delivery systems are important.
Childhood obesity: An epidemic in waiting?

Progress of a country comes at a price. With the booming economy, Indians have now more food stuff to eat. Most of the time what we eat and give our children to eat is not healthy. Consequently, a lot more Indian children are becoming overweight like their western counterparts. Approximately 22 million children, under five years of age, are overweight across the world. The worst part is that we do not know for sure what proportion of Indian children are overweight. Different studies in India have shown a wide range of prevalence of childhood obesity. Recent studies have proved beyond doubt that this impending epidemic is not only restricted to the elite children in our country, but has crossed the socioeconomic divide and childhood obesity is on the rise even among the less privileged ones. Recent findings have shown that the propensity to become obese is evident as early as someone is in the uterus. Obesity is the root cause of many chronic diseases. The best way to tackle the obesity epidemic is to lessen its burden in children. The earlier we intervene in a person's life; the better will be the results, not only for the individual, but for the country as well. Population-based prevention strategies are the best to tackle this epidemic. It seeks to change the social norm by encouraging an increase in healthy behaviour and a reduction in health risk. They involve shifting the responsibility of tackling health risks from the individual to governments and health ministries.
Statiscal evaluation of the user-specified input parameters in an adaptive weight depth map algorithm

In depth map generation, the settings of the algorithm parameters to yield an accurate disparity estimation are usually chosen empirically or based on unplanned experiments. A structured statistical approach including classical and exploratory data analyses on over 14000 images to measure the relative influence of the parameters allows their tuning based on the number of bad pixels. The implemented methodology improves the performance of dense depth map algorithms. As a result of the statistical based tuning, the algorithm improves from 16.78% to 14.48% bad pixels rising 7 spots as per the Middlebury Stereo Evaluation Ranking Table. The performance is measured based on the distance of the algorithm results vs. the Ground Truth by Middlebury. Future work aims to achieve the tuning by using significantly smaller data sets on fractional factorial and response surface design of experiments.
The Role of Surface Oxides in NOx Storage Reduction Catalysts

The need for greater fuel economy in automotive vehicles has driven a surge in the development of diesel and lean-burn gasoline engines. Coupled with the increase in fuel efficiency, an increase in the air to fuel ratio also results in heightened production of NOx. [1] Several different strategies have been proposed for the handling of the higher NOx levels in lean-burn automotive emissions. One such strategy is the NOx storage reduction (NSR) system whereby excess NO is further oxidized to NO2 over the exhaust catalyst, which is typically platinum, and then NO2 is stored on a carrier material, such as BaO. [2] The catalyst system operates in this fashion for some minutes until the storage material has been fully converted. The system then cycles to a rich mode, during which a reductant is injected into the exhaust stream and reacts with the stored NOx, possibly at the interface between the carrier material and the metal particle, to produce the traditional exhaust products of N2, H2O, and CO2, all in a matter of seconds. Therefore, a requirement of a successful NSR catalyst is that the catalyst must be active for both NO oxidation and NOx reduction. In recent years, a debate has emerged as to the role of metal oxides in oxidation catalysis. [3–6] Although there have been some indications that oxide surfaces may be more active in simple oxidation reactions such as CO oxidation, [7] platinum catalysts have been preferred as the metal component in the NOx storage reduction system for their combination of high activity and ability to resist deactivation through oxidation. Ribeiro et al. have studied Pt NO-oxidation catalysts for NSR applications in considerable detail. They determined that large Pt particles are more active and that single crystal Pt(111) and Pt(100) outperform disperse Pt particles. [8, 9] One possible explanation for the higher activity of the single crystal surfaces is that oxygen is bound less strongly and that the catalysts do not deactivate due to oxide formation. Reports of platinum deactivation as a NO oxidation catalyst, however, concern catalysts that have been exposed to oxygen (and NO) for long periods. [9] As NSR systems operate under a cyclic operation
L G ] 1 2 Ju n 20 19 Adaptively Preconditioned Stochastic Gradient Langevin Dynamics

Stochastic Gradient Langevin Dynamics infuses isotropic gradient noise to SGD to help navigate pathological curvature in the loss landscape for deep networks. Isotropic nature of the noise leads to poor scaling, and adaptive methods based on higher order curvature information such as Fisher Scoring have been proposed to precondition the noise in order to achieve better convergence. In this paper, we describe an adaptive method to estimate the parameters of the noise and conduct experiments on well-known model architectures to show that the adaptively preconditioned SGLD method achieves convergence with the speed of adaptive first order methods such as Adam, AdaGrad etc. and achieves generalization equivalent of SGD in the test set.
Application of WEB Service Composition in Intelligent Distribution

In 2014, Premier Keqiang Li chaired a State Council executive meeting, discussed and adopted the "long-term development of the logistics industry planning", which proposed that by 2020 there will essencially establish modern logistics service system, enhancing logistics industry standards, information, intelligence, intensive level, improving the overall economic efficiency and benefit [1]. A series of modern information technologies like the Internet of things, cloud computing, big data, smart logistics, Internet plus, these promote Chinese intelligent logistics transformation [2]. The development of modern society can not work without information technology, and how to realize information sharing is one of the problem that must be resolve in the modern supply chain management. Only the various companies of supply chain share a variety of information with each others, it can manage effectively and improve ability of the decision-making about the ration of resources. However, due to the change of business, the isomeric change of enterprise information systems, changes in the structure of the supply chain and others, it hinders the information sharing in most cases. This article with the purpose of designing an intelligent distribution system based on WEB service combination, building a WEB service composition model that can make fast reaction to the market. Taking intelligent distribution system as an example to solve the obstacles that affect the information sharing in supply chain.
Optimization of character coding and a stepwise execution of cladistic analyses

The absence/presence routine of character coding is examined in regard to minimizing its inherent redundancy effects with the purpose of optimizing the structuring of a comprehensive, binary datamatrix. Cladistic analytical procedures are next evaluated with respect to the successive use of such a datamatrix at different hierarchical levels. It is concluded that performing a stepwise analysis has various advantages over the more oft en employed techniques, i.e., the ‘total analysis’ routines and the ‘partitioned’ approaches.
SVPWM Based STATCOM for Power Quality Improvement

This paper describes the modeling & analysis of Static Synchronous compensator based on Space vector pulse width modulation (SVPWM). STACOM is prepared by with VSC. Mostly voltage source converter use for such aspects: Harmonic components , dc link voltage & switching frequency of semiconductor devices. The simulation is done in MATLAB/SIMULINK environment.
Measuring, modeling and mapping ecosystem services in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania

In light of the significance that ecosystem service research is likely to play in linking conservation activities and human welfare, systematic approaches to measuring, modeling and mapping ecosystem services (and their value to society) are sorely needed. In this paper we outline one such approach, which we developed in order to understand the links between the functioning of the ecosystems of Tanzania’s Eastern Arc Mountains and their impact on human welfare at local, regional and global scales. The essence of our approach is the creation of a series of maps created using field-based or remotely sourced data, data-driven models, and socio-economic scenarios coupled with rule-based assumptions. Here we describe the construction of this spatial information and how it can help to shed light on the complex relationships between ecological and social systems. There are obvious difficulties in operationalizing this approach, but by highlighting those which we have encountered in our own case-study work, we have also been able to suggest some routes to overcoming these impediments.
Seismic design and shake table tests of a steel post‐tensioned self‐centering moment frame with a slab accommodating frame expansion

Post‐tensioned (PT) self‐centering moment frames were developed as an alternative to welded moment‐resisting frames (MRFs). Lateral deformation of a PT frame opens gaps between beams and columns. The use of a composite slab in welded MRFs limits the opening of gaps at the beam‐to‐column interfaces but cannot be adopted in PT self‐centering frames. In this study, a sliding slab is used to minimize restraints to the expansion of the PT frame. A composite slab is rigidly connected to the beams in a single bay of the PT frame. A sliding device is installed between the floor beams and the beams in other bays, wherever the slab is allowed to slide. Many shaking table tests were conducted on a reduced‐scale, two‐by‐two bay one‐story specimen, which comprised one PT frame and two gravitational frames (GFs). The PT frame and GFs were self‐centering throughout the tests, responding in phase with only minor differences in peak drifts that were caused by the expansion of the PT frame. When the specimen was excited by the 1999 Chi‐Chi earthquake with a peak ground acceleration of 1.87g, the maximum interstory drift was 7.2% and the maximum lateral force was 270 kN, equal to 2.2 times the yield force of the specimen. Buckling of the beam bottom flange was observed near the column face, and the initial post‐tensioning force in the columns and beams decreased by 50 and 22%, respectively. However, the specimen remained self‐centering and its residual drift was 0.01%. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Importance of Nonlinear Wave Representation for Nonlinear Froude-Krylov Force Calculations for Wave Energy Devices

Due to their computational convenience, mathematical models for wave energy converters are usually linear. Including nonlinearities may improve the accuracy of the results, but often at the price of an additional computational and complexity burden, which can be justified only if nonlinearities are significant. One of the sources of nonlinearity in fluid-body interactions is the wave field itself. Different wave models exist, among which are linear Airy’s theory, the Wheeler stretching approach, and the nonlinear Rienecker-Fenton method, which achieve a different compromise of accuracy and complexity. The impact of the accuracy of such wave theories strongly depends on the specific device (operating principle, power production region and survivability mode), and installation site (water depth, occurrences of each sea state in the scatter diagram of the installation site). This paper evaluates the performance of different wave field representations, firstly in absolute terms, and secondly in relation to the associated computation of nonlinear Froude-Krylov forces for different wave energy devices.
Secure Data Transmission by using Steganography

Steganography is the efficient technique to provide secure data transmission over the network, as the number of users increases effectively. The cryptography is also used to provide security to data over network, but transmission of secured message may be detectable to third party. From security point of view, steganography does not allow to detect the presence of hidden secret other than indeed user, over the communication channel. In this paper, we design a system, which uses features of both cryptography as well as steganography, where TCP/IP header is used as a steganographic carrier to hide encrypted data. Steganography is a useful tool that allows covert transmission of information over the communications channel. Â Copyright Â© www.iiste. org Keywords : Steganography, Cryptography, Encryption, TCP/IP
Evaluation of the Statistical Machine Translation Service for Croatian-English

Much thought has been given in an endeavour to formalize the translation process. As a result, various approaches to MT (machine translation) were taken. With the exception of statistical translation, all approaches require cooperation between language and computer science experts. Most of the models use various hybrid approaches. Statistical translation approach is completely language independent if we disregard the fact that it requires huge parallel corpus that needs to be split into sentences and words. This paper compares and discusses state-of-the-art statistical machine translation (SMT) models and evaluation methods. Results of statistically-based Google Translate tool for Croatian-English translations are presented and multilevel analysis is given. Three different types of texts are manually evaluated and results are analysed by the χ2-test.
Review on Different Components of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Solid oxide fuel cell is useful other than fuel cells due to its high efficiency, fuel flexibility, less pollution and less operating temperatures. Ceria based oxides and are earth oxide doped ceria (RDC) shows outstanding properties compared with yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ), which is conventional oxide ion conductor used as electrolyte material for SOFC. In this paper mainly concentrate on different novel materials were presented.