Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spatial Interpolation and Assimilation Methods for Satellite and Ground Meteorological Data in Vietnam

This paper presents the applications of spatial interpolation and assimilation methods for satellite and ground meteorological data, including temperature, relative humidity, and precipitation in regions of Vietnam. In this work, Universal Kriging is used for spatially interpolating ground data and its interpolated results are assimilated with corresponding satellite data to anticipate better gridded data. The input meteorological data was collected from 98 ground weather stations located all over Vietnam; whereas, the satellite data consists of the MODIS Atmospheric Profiles product (MOD07), the ASTER Global Digital Elevation Map (ASTER DEM), and the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) in six years. The outputs are gridded fields of temperature, relative humidity, and precipitation. The empirical results were evaluated by using the Root mean square error (RMSE) and the mean percent error (MPE), which illustrate that Universal Kriging interpolation obtains higher accuracy than other forms of Kriging; whereas, the assimilation for precipitation gradually reduces RMSE and significantly MPE. It also reveals that the accuracy of temperature and humidity when employing assimilation that is not significantly improved because of low MODIS retrieval due to cloud contamination.
Sectoral Inflation Dynamics, Idiosyncratic Shocks and Monetary Policy

This paper disentangles fluctuations in disaggregate prices into macroeconomic and idiosyncratic components using a factor-augmented vector autoregression (FAVAR) in order to shed light on sectoral inflation dynamics in Switzerland. We find that disaggregated prices react only slowly to monetary policy and other macroeconomic shocks, but relatively quickly to idiosyncratic shocks. We document that there is a large heterogeneity across sectors in the reaction to monetary policy shocks and show that sectors with larger volatility of idiosyncratic shocks react more readily to monetary policy. This finding stands in contrast to the rational inattention model of price setting. We also find that sectors, which change prices infrequently, react less strongly but if they do change their prices, they adjust them by a large amount. This suggests that the source of sluggish response to aggregate shocks is heterogeneity in menu costs rather than rational inattention. Furthermore, even though prices respond with a significant delay to identified monetary policy shocks, we find no evidence of a price puzzle on average. For single sectors, however, we still find a hump-shaped response which can partially be explained by the fact that, by law, rents are tied to interest rates in Switzerland.
Inhibition of Improgan Antinociception by the Cannabinoid (CB)1 AntagonistN-(Piperidin-1-yl)-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-4-methyl-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxamide (SR141716A): Lack of Obligatory Role for Endocannabinoids Acting at CB1 Receptors

Improgan, a nonopioid antinociceptive agent, activates descending, pain-relieving mechanisms in the brain stem, but the receptor for this compound has not been identified. Because cannabinoids also activate nonopioid analgesia by a brain stem action, experiments were performed to assess the significance of cannabinoid mechanisms in improgan antinociception. The cannabinoid CB1 antagonistN-(piperidin-1-yl)-5-(4-chloro phenyl)-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-4-methyl-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxamide (SR141716A) induced dose-dependent inhibition of improgan antinociception on the tail-flick test after i.c. v. administration in rats. The same treatments yielded comparable inhibition of cannabinoid {R-(+)-(2,3-dihydro-5-methyl-3-[(4-mor pholinyl)methyl]pyrol[1,2,3-de]-1,4-benzoxazin-6-yl)(1-naphthalenyl)methanone monomethanesulfonate, WIN 55,212-2} analgesia. Inhibition of improgan and WIN 55,212-2 antinociception by SR141716A was also observed in Swiss-Webster mice. Radioligand binding studies showed no appreciable affinity of improgan on rat brain, mouse brain, and human recombinant CB1 receptors, ruling out a direct action at these sites. To test the hypothesis that CB1 receptors indirectly participate in improgan signaling, the effects of improgan were assessed in mice with a null mutation of the CB1 gene with and without SR141716A pretreatment. Surprisingly, improgan induced complete antinociception in both CB1 (−/−) and wild-type control [CB1 (+/+)] mice. Furthermore, SR141716A inhibited improgan antinociception in CB1 (+/+) mice, but not in CB1 (−/−) mice. Taken together, the results show that SR141716A reduces improgan antinociception, but neither cannabinoids nor CB1 receptors seem to play an obligatory role in improgan signaling. Present and previous studies suggest that Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol may act at both CB1 and other receptors to relieve pain, but no evidence was found indicating that improgan uses either of these mechanisms. SR141716A will facilitate the study of improgan-like analgesics.
The Rules of the Game Called Psychological Science

If science were a game, a dominant rule would probably be to collect results that are statistically significant. Several reviews of the psychological literature have shown that around 96% of papers involving the use of null hypothesis significance testing report significant outcomes for their main results but that the typical studies are insufficiently powerful for such a track record. We explain this paradox by showing that the use of several small underpowered samples often represents a more efficient research strategy (in terms of finding p < .05) than does the use of one larger (more powerful) sample. Publication bias and the most efficient strategy lead to inflated effects and high rates of false positives, especially when researchers also resorted to questionable research practices, such as adding participants after intermediate testing. We provide simulations that highlight the severity of such biases in meta-analyses. We consider 13 meta-analyses covering 281 primary studies in various fields of psychology and find indications of biases and/or an excess of significant results in seven. These results highlight the need for sufficiently powerful replications and changes in journal policies.
Improving the accuracy of DEA efficiency analysis: a bootstrap application to the health care foodservice industry

This article analyses the efficiency of health care foodservice operations and its determinants using a Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) bootstrapping approach. The purpose of using the bootstrapping approach is two-fold: first, to obtain the bias corrected estimates and the confidence intervals of DEA-efficiency scores and second, to overcome the correlation problem of DEA-efficiency scores and to provide consistent inferences in explaining the determinants of health care foodservice efficiency. The approach was implemented on a sample of 89 health care foodservice operations. The results showed the presence of inefficiency in the sample, with an average efficiency level of 72.6%. Further, the results from analysing the determinants of health care foodservice operations provided policy implication regarding the factors that might improve the efficiency of health care foodservice operations.
Infrastructure Constraints and Development in Kenya

Undoubtedly, reliable, efficient infrastructure is crucial to economic and social development and the promotion of pro-poor growth. Poor infrastructure impedes a nationâ€™s economic growth and international competitiveness. In fact, it has long been recognised that an adequate supply of infrastructure services is an essential ingredient for productivity and growth. Moreover, improvements in productivity lead to increased trade and can foster regional integration through improved intra-regional trade and industrial relocation. This article analytically reviews and assesses infrastructure constraints and development in Kenya within the context of the way forward for meeting the outcomes of the countryâ€™s Vision 2030 and its long-term development prospects.
Are BPR practitioners really addressing business processes

Business process re‐engineering (BPR), a management tool that initially advocated a revolution in the way businesses are driven, now carries the stigma of being a major cause of job elimination. This study reveals the depth of involvement of BPR practitioners in what, advocates claim, are the fundamental ingredients of BPR – business processes. The data alert the reader to the different understandings and practices related to business process analysis held by several UK and Brazilian companies. Possible reasons are given, accounting for why some of the companies investigated seemed to lose a BPR focus in favour of more urgent restructuring matters. The authors conclude that companies often lack a basic awareness of the business process concept, and that misconceptions about these issues can lead to unrealised expectations at various levels in the organization.
Interest Rates and Credit Spread Dynamics

Corporate credit spreads narrow when the general level of rates is high, but the effect appears to go well beyond what can be justified by firm-specific and marketwide credit conditions. In this article, the authors argue that the phenomenon is largely a statistical artifact caused by failure to take account of cointegration between Treasury and corporate yields. Using a generalized impulse-response approach and conditioning on the current level of rates, they find that large shocks to the Treasury curve do not produce significant changes in credit spreads, either contemporaneously or out to three years in the future. Among other things, this empirical result calls into question assumptions commonly made in theoretical models of corporate credit risk.
Contingent self-esteem, stressors and burnout in working women and men.

OBJECTIVE A high work involvement is considered central in the burnout process. Yet, research investigating how high work involvement and psychosocial stressors relate to burnout is scarce. High involvement in terms of performance-based self-esteem (PBSE) refers to individuals' strivings to validate self-worth by achievements, a disposition linked to poor health. The aim of the present study was to examine longitudinally PBSE in relation to burnout while also taking into account work- and private life stressors. PARTICIPANTS The sample consisted of 2121 working women and men. METHODS Main- and mediation effects were investigated using hierarchical regression analysis. RESULTS The results showed performance-based self-esteem mediated partially between the stressors and burnout. Performance-based self-esteem was the strongest predictor of burnout over time, followed by private life stressors. Women experienced more work stress than did men. Men had stronger associations between work stressors and burnout, while women had stronger associations between performance-based self-esteem and burnout. CONCLUSIONS Individual characteristics along with both private life and work stressors are important predictors of burnout. Factors associated with burnout differ somewhat between women and men.
Positive psychology in context: Effects of expressing gratitude in ongoing relationships depend on perceptions of enactor responsiveness

Recent correlational evidence implicates gratitude in personal and relational growth, for both members of ongoing relationships. From these observations, it would be tempting to prescribe interpersonal gratitude exercises to improve relationships. In this experiment, couples were randomly assigned to express gratitude over a month, or to a relationally active control condition. Results showed modest effects of condition on personal and relational well-being. However, those whose partners were perceived as being particularly responsive when expressing gratitude at the initial lab session showed greater well-being across a range of outcomes, whereas this was not so for people in the control condition. Notably, evidence raises concerns about the effectiveness of artificial injections of gratitude when the partner is perceived to be low in responsiveness. Given the importance of close relationships, this work highlights the need for more theory-driven basic research tested in context before assuming what appears to work naturally will also work artificially.
Dentinal tubule occluding capability of nano‐hydroxyapatite; The in‐vitro evaluation

In this in‐vitro study, the effectiveness of experimental pure nano‐hydroxyapatite (nHAP) and 1%, 2%, and 3% F¯ doped nano‐HAp on dentine tubule occlusion was investigated. And also, the cytotoxicity of materials used in the experiment was evaluated. Nano‐HAp types were synthesized by the precipitation method. Forty dentin specimens were randomly divided into five groups of; 1—no treatment (control), 2—specimens treated with 10% pure nano‐HAp and 3, 4, 5 specimens treated with 1%, 2%, and 3% F−doped 10% nano‐HAp, respectively. To evaluate the effectiveness of the materials used; pH, FTIR, and scanning electron microscopy evaluations were performed before and after degredation in simulated body fluid. To determine cytotoxicity of the materials, MTT assay was performed. Statistical evaluations were performed with F and t tests. All of the nano‐HAp materials used in this study built up an effective covering layer on the dentin surfaces even with plugs in tubules. It was found that this layer had also a resistance to degradation. None of the evaluated nano‐HAp types were have toxicity. Fluoride doping showed a positive effect on physical and chemical stability until a critical value of 1% F−. The all evaluated nano‐HAp types may be effectively used in dentin hypersensitivity treatment. The formed nano‐HAp layers were seem to resistant to hydrolic deletion. The pure and 1% F−doped nano‐HAp showed the highest biocompatibility thus it was assessed that pure and 1% F−doped materials may be used as an active ingredient in dentin hypersensitivity agents.
The Birthright Lottery: Citizenship and Global Inequality

* Preface * Introduction: The Puzzle of Birthright Citizenship Part I: Birthright Citizenship and Global Inequality * Re-conceptualizing Membership: Citizenship as Inherited Property * Abolishing vs. Resurrecting Borders: Moving Beyond the Binary Options * A New Basis for Global Redistribution: The Birthright Privilege Levy Part II: From Global to Local: Over-Inclusion, Under-Inclusion, and Democratic Legitimacy * Blood and Soil: Birthright Citizenship in the Domestic Arena * Popular Defenses of Birthright Citizenship and Their Limitations * Curtailing Inheritance: Towards a Jus Nexi Membership Allocation Principle * Notes * References * Index
Factors Influencing Registered Nurses' Perceptions of Their Professional Identity: An Integrative Literature Review.

BACKGROUND This review synthesizes contemporary research investigating the factors influencing RNs' perceptions of their professional identity. METHOD The method used was an integrative literature review. RESULTS Factors influencing RNs' perceptions of their professional identity were synthesized into three categories: the self, the role, and the context. The self is the nurse who enacts the role in practice, and the context is the practice setting. Poor alignment of these categories leads to stress, tension, and uncertainty affecting work-force retention. Strong alignment leads to satisfaction with the nursing role, increased staff retention, and improved quality of care and patient outcomes. These three categories should be considered when planning nursing professional development activities. CONCLUSION This integrative review identified a lack of research addressing how nurses' perceptions of their professional identity change over time. A deeper understanding of their perspective is needed to establish whether career longevity and continued professional development are influences. J Contin Educ Nurs. 2018;49(5):225-232.
Managing Channel Partner Relationships: A Cross-National Study

With cross-border channel partnerships increasingly being forged in global markets, manifest conflict between international partners has become a serious problem leading to potentially deleterious effects on overall channel performance. Using data drawn from a cross-national study of distribution practices in three countries, we investigate whether national culture moderates the relationship between leadership style and channel partner conflict, which, in turn, may impact overall channel performance. Based on the empirical results, a standardized “one size fits all” leadership strategy for conflict management in international channels is unlikely to be successful. Cross-cultural channel management implications are discussed, study limitations are described, avenues for future research are identified, and recommendations are offered for managing cross-national channel partner relationships.
Need for improved public health protection of young people wanting body piercing: evidence from a look-back exercise at a piercing and tattooing premises with poor hygiene practices, Wales (UK) 2015

Abstract Following a cluster of serious pseudomonas skin infections linked to a body piercing and tattooing premises, a look-back exercise was carried out to offer clients a screen for blood-borne viruses. Of those attending for screening 72% (581/809) had a piercing procedure in the premises of interest: 94 (16%) were under 16 years of age at the time of screening. The most common site of piercing was ear (34%), followed by nose (27%), nipple (21%) and navel (21%). A small number (<5) tested positive for hepatitis B and C, with no evidence this was linked to the premises. However, 36% (211/581) of clients reported a skin infection associated with their piercing. Using data from client forms, 36% provided a false age. Those aged under 16 years (OR 4.5, 95% CI 2.7–7.7) and those receiving a piercing at an intimate site (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.3–3.6) were more likely to provide a false age. The findings from this exercise were used to support the drafting of the Public Health (Wales) Bill which proposed better regulation of piercing premises and the need to provide proof of being 18 years of age or over before having a piercing of an intimate site.
Coping with structural change in construction: experiences gained from advanced economies

As an economy approaches maturity, the relative importance of the construction sector would gradually decline. Without effective policies and strategies, the construction industry will suffer irreversably and this may trigger a knock‐on effect to the overall economy. The experiences of selected advanced economies are examined, including Australia, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and the UK in coping with structural changes in construction. Strategies employed by the government and the construction industry of these advanced economies to reinvent the construction industry were captured through an extensive literature review and a series of interviews with indigenous industry practitioners. In order to revitalize the construction industry, governments would accelerate publicly funded projects; provide financial support to ease the burden of industry stakeholders; and stimulate the market demand. In contrast, the industry would explore various market alternatives while companies would sharpen their competitive advantage locally and internationally through merger and acquisition. The identified strategies are corresponded to a construction industry development framework, which could therefore serve as a valuable reference for policy makers and practitioners to rejuvenate construction demand when a country approaches an urban service economy.
When Managers Cover Their Posteriors: Making the Decisions the Market Wants to See

The stock market has opinions as to what choices firms should make. We show that concern for current share prices may lead managers to make these choices rather than those suggested by their own superior information. Even when arbitrarily many privately informed firms have to make a similar decision, the market's "prejudices" may still prevail. We compare the distortions that arise from share-price maximization with those due to herd behavior among profit-maximizing firms, and show that the former results in strictly less efficient use of information.
Educational mentoring: Is it worth the effort?

In this review of 159 articles relating to educational mentoring, an endeavour has been made to clarify the benefits and negative outcomes of mentoring programs for mentors, mentees and the educational organization. Although there was found to be a higher incidence of positive outcomes associated with mentoring programs, sufficient evidence suggested that the 'dark side' of mentoring does exist. While numerous positive and negative impacts of mentoring on mentors and mentees were noted, impacts on theorganisation (frequently schools) were rarely addressed It should be noted that the reported outcomes are based on studies as the unit of analysis rather than the number of subjects in a study. In many cases wherementoring programs were reported to bave negative outcomes, program success appeared to bave been jeopardised by lack offunding, lack of time, or poor matching of mentors and mentees. Researchers interested in the field of mentoring are aware that many studies investigating the effects of mentoring have reported positive outcomes. For decades now, mentoring has been linked to a range of consequences ranging from career advancement and heightened self­ confidence, to an increased sense of belonging. Indeed) literature exists which suggests that mentoring is a panacea for a variety of personal and societal ills. Torrance (1984) for instance, suggested that individuals who remained mentorless were more vulnerable than mentared individuals to a range of problems such as educational failure, lack of career goals or focus, lack of enthusiasm, frustrated creativity, unfulfilling jobs, emotional problems, alcoholism and drug abuse. Many would have us believe that within educational contexts, the impact of mentoring has been no less pervasive. A precursory investigation of research into mentoring in educational contexts had revealed that there were benefits to be gained from mentoring, not only
The Effect Of Parental Employment On Child Schooling

SUMMARY This paper presents a model that provides conditions under which a causal interpretation can be given to the association between childhood parental employment and subsequent educational attainments of children. The key parameter comes from theconditional demand function for children's future earning capacity. Its identification rests on having data on siblings and assumptions about the timing of parents' knowledge of their children's endowments. In addition to sibling differences, the useof a fixed-effects instrumental-variables estimator identifies the parameter under weaker conditions. Empirical analysis informed by the model reveals a negative and significant effect on the child's educational attainment of the months of the mother's full-time employment when the child was aged 0–5. The effect of the mother's part-time employment is smaller and less well determined, but again negative. These results suggest that the substitution effect of the mother's employment dominates the income effects. Stronger adverse effects are found for children of less-educated mothers. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.