Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Personal Factors Associated with Sickness Absence: A Study of 194 Men with Contrasting Sickness Absence Experience in a Refinery Population1

Men with different patterns of sickness absence behaviour have been identified from a refinery population by simple epidemiological techniques. A detailed clinical study is described of four groups: 56 men with five or more sickness spells in 1964 and a matched control of 56 men; 35 men who had 60 or more days of sickness absence in 1964; and finally 47 men who had not had one day off sick for at least eight years. Whereas the men who were frequently sick tended to be younger and mostly on day work, those with long periods of sickness were reasonably representative of the whole population, and the men without any sickness absence were older and mostly on shift work. An analysis of records both before and since 1964 showed that the groups had maintained a consistent pattern of sickness absence, but when individuals were considered their behaviour was less consistent. Nevertheless there appeared to be states of sickness absence `liability' and also `resistance' which persisted for a variable length of time from a year or two up to many years. The pre-employment medical examination proved in retrospect to have been of little predictive value. Absenteeism, lateness, and also occupational injuries were all strongly associated with sickness spells, although the level of overtime was not. Previous episodes of neurotic illness, peptic ulceration, and loss of work due to back pain were also associated with frequent sickness spells, so also were frequent colds and troublesome constipation. An unexpected finding from the physical examination was that over one quarter of those who were never sick had some organic disease. Although neither the social nor economic circumstances differed between the groups, the attitude of the men towards themselves and their work proved to be of major importance. A memory of an unhappy childhood was more common in both groups with a lot of sickness absence, whilst dislike of the job or frustrated ambition was common in men with frequent spells. Those who were never sick denied all such problems as they denied illness. Personality testing revealed that extroversion was more marked in the frequently sick group, neuroticism in the long sick, and introversion in the never sick. The validity and significance of the results are discussed and suggestions are made for further investigation.
Funding higher education in Nigeria: crucial issues.

This paper examines the trend of financing higher education in Nigeria, from the resource abundant period following the attainment of political independence to the present. It notes that the phenomenal expansion in the number of students enrolled in Higher Education Institutions has not been matched by expansions in government funding, which has impinged on the quality of higher education. It, therefore, recommends alternative ways of financing higher education in the country.
Do increases in resource productivity improve environmental quality and sustainability

Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Ecological Abstract Resource Productivity is increasingly seen as an important aspect of sustainability by governments worldwide. Making more with less seems to be intuitive in terms of reducing the burden on the environment while allowing for economic development. In the UK policy context there appears to be an acceptance that enhanced resource productivity is " good for the environment ". However, there is a debate in the literature concerning the possibility that any beneficial impact on the environment may be partially (" rebound ") or even more than wholly (" backfire ") offset. This paper clarifies the theoretical conditions under which such effects would occur and explores their likely significance using a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model of the Scottish economy. We find that an improvement in energy efficiency ultimately increases energy use and results in a worsening of the GDP to CO2 emissions ratio. The time interval of analysis proves significant, with rebound effects eventually growing into backfire. The reason is simple: energy efficiency improvements result in an effective cut in energy prices, which produces output and substitution effects that stimulate energy demands. However, the presence of backfire effects does not imply irrelevance of efficiency-enhancing policies: rather it implies that such policies alone are insufficient to improve the environment. The implication is that energy policies need to be coordinated .
Innovation, Differentiation, and the Choice of an Underwriter: Evidence from Equity Linked Securities

Investment banks imitate other bank's innovative corporate securities and compete with the innovator to underwrite new issues. This article uses data of all the corporate offerings of equity-linked and derivative securities in the Securities Data Company (SDC) to estimate the issuer's demand of underwriting services provided by investment banks across different varieties of securities. It finds that the demand for the innovator's variety is larger than the imitators'. This demand advantage decreases with time and faster for securities that appear later in a sequence of innovations. Imitation becomes less attractive later in the sequence as information from earlier deals spills-over to all banks. Copyright 2006, Oxford University Press.
Teacher Perceptions of the Mentoring Component of the Louisiana Teacher Assistance and Assessment Program.

This study examined new teacher perceptions of the impact of mentoring as evidenced through their experiences in the Louisiana Teacher Assistance and Assessment Program. Primary questions were whether participants experience mentoring as an aid in successful completion of their certification and whether the mentoring component increased teachers' sense of their capacity to teach effectively. Data were gathered through 5 focus group interviews, in which 35 new teachers participated. Themes from the focus groups were organized into conditions associated with mentoring, relationships between mentors and mentees, and processes associated with mentoring. Issues related to each of these areas were identified. Many participants were not aware of how mentors are assigned, and thought that the assignment process should receive more attention. Time and location were considered necessary for a mentoring relationship. All participants thought a good relationship was vital to a successful mentoring experience. When mentoring was working, respondents thought it aided them in improving their teaching practice, as the mentor did things like modeling effective practice, conducting sample lessons, and acting as a critical friend. (SLD) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.
OSCILLATORY CHEMICALLY-REACTING MHD FREE CONVECTION HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER IN A POROUS MEDIUM WITH SORET AND DUFOUR EFFECTS: FINITE ELEMENT MODELING

The effects of thermo-diffusion (Soret effect) and diffuso-thermal gradients (Dufour effect) on the unsteady incompressible magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) free convection flow with mass transfer past a semi-infinite vertical plate in a Darcian porous medium in the presence of significant thermal radiation, first order homogenous chemical reaction and viscous heating are analyzed. The governing differential equations are non-dimensionalized using a similarity transformation rendering a system of coupled, nonlinear partial differential equations which are solved numerically using the robust, extensively-validated finite element method. Dimensionless velocity ( U) is decreased with increasing magnetic parameter (M). An increase in Eckert number ( Ec ) causes greater mechanical energy to be dissipated as thermal energy and enhances fluid temperatures ( θ). An increase in chemical reaction parameter ( γ) increases velocity ( U), temperature ( θ) and also concentration value ( φ). Temperatures ( θ) are elevated substantially with decreasing Soret number ( Sr ) and simultaneous increasing Dufour number (Du ). Concentration values ( φ) are conversely enhanced with increasing Soret number ( Sr ) and a concurrent decrease in Dufour number ( Du ). Both temperature and velocity are suppressed with a rise in heat absorption parameter ( Φ ); On the other hand an increase in thermal radiation absorption parameter ( Q1) generates an increase in both velocity and temperature fields. Increasing Schmidt number (Sc) is found to cause a decrease in both temperature and concentration profiles. Finally, the numerical values of local skin friction, local rate of heat transfer parameter and local mass transfer parameter are also presented in tabular form. The present problem has significant applications in chemical engineering materials processing, solar porous wafer absorber systems and metallurgy.
Entropic lattice Boltzmann simulation of three-dimensional binary gas mixture flow in packed beds using graphics processors

The lattice Boltzmann method is employed for simulating the binary flow of oxygen/nitrogen mixture passing through a highly dense bed of spherical particles. Simulations are performed based on the latest proposed entropic lattice Boltzmann model for multi-component flows, using the D3Q27 lattice stencil. The curved solid boundary of the particles is accurately treated via a linear interpolation. To lower the total computational cost and time of the simulations, implementation on graphics processing units GPU is also presented. Since the workload associated with each iteration is relatively higher than that of conventional 3D LBM simulations, special emphasis is paid in order to obtain the best computational performance on GPUs. Performance gains of one order of magnitude over optimised multi-core CPUs are achieved for the complex flow of interest on Fermi generation GPUs. Moreover, the numerical results for a three-dimensional benchmark flow show excellent agreements with the available analytical data.
SDIFF(2) KP HIERARCHY

An analogue of the KP hierarchy, the SDiff(2) KP hierarchy, related to the group of area-preserving diffeomorphisms on a cylinder is proposed. An improved Lax formalism of the KP hierarchy is shown to give a prototype of this new hierarchy. Two important potentials, S and τ, are introduced. The latter is a counterpart of the tau function of the ordinary KP hierarchy. A Riemann-Hilbert problem relative to the group of area-diffeomorphisms gives a twistor theoretical description (nonlinear gravition construction) of general solutions. A special family of solutions related to topological minimal models are identified in the framework of the Riemann-Hilbert problem. Further, infinitesimal symmetries of the hierarchy are constructed. At the level of the tau function, these symmetries obey anomalous commutation relations, hence leads to a central extension of the algebra of infinitesimal area-preserving diffeomorphisms (or of the associated Poisson algebra).
The Impact of Corporate Governance and Ownership Structure on Earnings Management Practices: Evidence from Listed Companies in Pakistan

This study analyzes the impact of corporate governance and ownership structure on earnings management for a sample of 372 firms listed on the Karachi Stock Exchange over the period 2003–10. We estimate discretionary accruals using four well-known models: Jones (1991); Dechow, Sloan, and Sweeney (1995); Kasznik (1999); and Kothari, Leone, and Wasley (2005). The results indicate that discretionary accruals increase monotonically with the ownership percentage of a firm’s directors, their spouses, children, and other family members. This supports the view that managers who are more entrenched in a firm can more easily influence corporate decisions and accounting figures in a way that may serve their interests. This finding is consistent with prior research evidence on the role of dominant directors in expropriating external minority shareholders in Pakistan. Further, our results indicate that institutional investors play a significant role in constraining earnings management practices. We do not find any evidence that CEO duality, the size of the auditing firm, the number of members on the board of directors, and ownership concentration influence discretionary accruals. Among the control variables, we find that firms that are more profitable, are growing, or have higher leverage actively manage their earnings, while earnings management decreases with the age of the firm. The results are robust to several alternative specifications.
On-Line Coloring and Recursive Graph Theory

An on-line vertex coloring algorithm receives the vertices ofa graph in some externally determined order, and, whenever a new vertex is presented, the algorithm also learns to which of the previously presented vertices the new vertex is adjacent. As each vertex is received, the algorithm must make an irrevocable choice of a color to assign the new vertex, and it makes this choice without knowledge of future vertices. A class of graphs $r$ is said to be on-line $\chi$-bounded if there exists an on-line algorithm $A$ and a function $f$ such that $A$ uses at most $f(\omega(G))$ colors to properly color any graph $G$ in \Gamma. If $H$ is a graph, let Forb($H$) denote the class of graphs that do not induce $H$. The goal of this paper is to establish that Forb($T$) is on-line $\chi$-bounded for every radius-2 tree $T$. As a corollary, the authors answer a question of Schmerl's; the authors show that every recursive cocomparability graph can be recursively colored with a number of colors that depends only on its clique number.
Performance Comparison of Four Unicast Routing Schemes in DTNs

Disruption tolerant network(DTN)s have been proposed to provide data communications in challenging network scenarios where an instantaneous end-to-end path between a source and destination may not exist. In this paper, we focus on comparing the performance of four recently proposed unicast routing schemes, namely (i) Multihop Routing with Custody Transfer (MRCT), (ii) Two-Hop Relay with Erasure-Coding (THEC), (iii) MaxProp, and (iv) Prophet. We conduct performance studies for different DTN scenarios, e.g., DTNs with different node densities, DTNs with different mobility models, networks with different percentage of nodes supporting DTN functionality, etc. Our results indicate that (i) the custody transfer concept significantly improves the delivery ratio in a sparsely connected network for all four schemes, (ii) multihop routing approach achieves higher delivery ratio with lower message delivery latency than the two-hop routing approach but incurs higher transmission overhead, (iii) MRCT scheme provides the best delivery performance by achieving high delivery ratio and low average delay, (iv) both MRCT and THEC schemes perform better with Zebranet than with the random waypoint (RWP) mobility model but MaxProp and Prophet performs worse with Zebranet than with the RWP model, (v) among the three multihop schemes, the transmission overhead for MaxProp and Prophet is higher than that incurred using the MRCT scheme. All these four schemes do not perform well when the network is very sparse (when each node has fewer than 1.5 neighbors within its transmission range) and hence an adaptive scheme that allows nodes to act as message ferries when its local neighborhood is very sparse is needed for such scenarios.
An implemented of H.264 video decoder using hardware and software

In this paper, we present a design of video single chip decoder for portable multimedia application. The single- chip called as A-MoVa (advanced mobile video ASIC). This chip has mixed hardware/software architecture to combine performance and flexibility. We designed by using the partition between hardware and software block. We developed the architecture of H.264 decoder based on SoC platform. This chip contains 290,000 gates of logics, 670,000 gates of memories and the chip size was 7.5 mm times 7.5 mm which was fabricated using 0.25 micron 4-layers metal CMOS technology
An algorithm for electing cluster heads based on maximum residual energy

One of the main challenges in wireless sensor networks is to obtain long system lifetime. We propose an algorithm for electing the cluster head node based on the maximum residual energy for the purpose of even distribution of energy consumption in the overall network and obtaining the longest network lifetime. To maintain the original performance of the network, the lifetime is suggested to be expressed as to both the maximum last node dying time and the minimum time difference between the last node dying and the first node dying. The key parameter — the electing coefficient (θ) was obtained and evaluated. The optimal θ value is related to number of nodes, energy consumption of cluster members (ECCM), and energy consumption of the cluster head (ECCH). θ descends when number of nodes and ECCM decrease, and when ECCH increases. However, when energy consumptions of the cluster head and cluster members change proportionally, θ seems to be affected slightly. Results show that network lifetime can be prolonged when cluster heads are elected with the optimal θ value.
Value sensitive design of interactions with urbansim indicators

Around the United States and around the world, people grapple with issues such as traffic jams, affordable housing, and urban sprawl. Decisions such as whether to build a new freeway, expand transit service, or change land use regulations interact in complex ways and have long-term consequences. At the same time, stakeholders have strongly held, often conflicting views about what will make the city a better place. I present my contributions to work an developing interfaces for UrbanSim, a large-scale simulation system that projects patterns of urban development for periods of twenty years or more under different scenarios, to inform deliberation about the consequences of these decisions. My specific focus is an the design of interactions with indicators, which portray key results from UrbanSim. I and my colleagues draw an the Value Sensitive Design theory and methodology to proactively account for human values in the design of interactions with indicators. In designing with an eye towards the explicitly supported values of representativeness, fairness, and support for a democratic society, we face several challenges, including responding to the values and interests of diverse stakeholders, providing ready-to-hand documentation that supports the system's legitimation, balancing this relatively neutral information with a range of advocacy positions, and engaging and informing citizens who may have different interests and less expertise than urban planners who use UrbanSim in their work. We address these challenges in the development of these new tools for interacting with UrbanSim indicators: (1) ready-to-hand Technical Documentation providing factual information about indicators for urban planners and other stakeholders; (2) Indicator Perspectives intended to provide a platform for political advocacy and civic discourse; and (3) Household Indicators intended to help citizens explore the question, "How could this decision affect me? " Our work contributes to Value Sensitive Design as an example of designing a system for effective use in a highly political environment with multiple stakeholders having conflicting interests and differing expertise.
Fourier-Mukai transforms for K3 and elliptic fibrations

Given a non-singular variety with a K3 fibration π : X → S we construct dual fibrations π : Y → S by replacing each fibre Xs of π by a two-dimensional moduli space of stable sheaves on Xs. In certain cases we prove that the resulting scheme Y is a non-singular variety and construct an equivalence of derived categories of coherent sheaves Φ: D(Y ) → D(X). Our methods also apply to elliptic and abelian surface fibrations. As an application we use the equivalences Φ to relate moduli spaces of stable bundles on elliptic threefolds to Hilbert schemes of curves.
Providing awareness through situated process maps: the hospital care case

Clinical Pathways (CPs) are artifacts that clinicians are increasingly introducing in their practices in order to deal with health problems in the most effective, efficient and agreed way. As a result of an observational study at a Neonatology Intensive Care Unit, we found that most CPs are still paper-based. Although perceived useful even on paper, the physicians advocated a system integrating CPs with the clinical record. Based on their requirements, we present a proposal on how to conceive a computational system that can promote awareness in order to achieve better coordination and committed inclusion of pathways in daily clinical practice.
Anti-NDV activity of baicalin from a traditional Chinese medicine in vitro

The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-Newcastle disease virus (NDV) activities of baicalin from Scutellaria baicalensis, a Traditional Chinese Medicine in vitro. Chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEFs) were infected with NDV, and quantitative analysis of apoptotic cells was performed using flow cytometry. Cytotoxicity and anti-viral activities of baicalin were studied using the MTT method. The results showed that the maximal safe concentrations of baicalin to CEFs was 1 × 2−2 mg/ml. Baicalin could directly kill NDV, inhibit the infectivity of NDV to CEF and block intracellular NDV. It inhibited the apoptosis of NDV-infected CEFs and suppressed the spread of NDV. These results indicate that baicalin has strong anti-NDV activity and has the potential for use as components of an antiviral drug.
The Effect of High Dose Melatonin on Cardiac Ischemia-reperfusion Injury

Purpose Melatonin, the most potent scavenger of toxic free radicals, has been found to be effective in protecting against pathological states due to the release of reactive oxygen species. This study was performed to establish the effect of high dose melatonin on protection against ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in rat hearts. Materials and Methods Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were used in this study. They were separated into four groups of ten rats each. A left coronary artery occlusion was induced in the rats by ligating the artery for 20 minutes and then releasing the ligation (reperfusion) afterwards. The control group was Group A. Group B was subjected to myocardial ischemia-reperfusion without any treatment, while Group C underwent myocardial ischemia-reperfusion with a melatonin treatment before the ischemia. Group D was subjected to myocardial ischemia-reperfusion with a melatonin treatment before the reperfusion. After 20 minutes of reperfusion, blood samples were obtained from each group for biochemical studies, and the animals were sacrificed for histological and, immunohistochemical examinations of the myocardial tissue. Results We found that the cardiac troponin T(cTn-T) levels were significantly increased in Group B when all groups were compared. In the Group C rats treated with melatonin, the cTn-T values were significantly lower than those in Groups B and D. In addition, malondialdehyde (MDA) and antioxidant enzymes including, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) were lower than those in Group B in the melatonin treated groups. The differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Histopathologic and immunohistopathologic studies also supported the effectiveness of melatonin. Conclusion Our study suggests that high dose melatonin, appears to offer protection against cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injuries in rats by scavenging the free radicals and could have a potential clinical use in the management of myocardial ischemia.