Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Systematic client feedback in therapy for children with psychological difficulties: pilot cluster randomised controlled trial

ABSTRACT The use of systematic client feedback tools are known to enhance outcomes in adults psychotherapy clients, but their effects with children have yet to be adequately tested. Hence, we piloted a cluster randomised controlled trial of the Partners for Change Outcome Management System (PCOMS) with children aged 7–11 years old; comparing play-based counselling with, and without, the use of this tool. Ten UK primary schools were randomly allocated to either the intervention or control condition. Data were available for 38 children in total: 20 girls and 18 boys, of predominantly a white ethnic origin (mean age = 8.5 years). Clinical outcomes were the total difficulties scores on the teacher and parent completed Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Fifty percent of the schools left the trial between initial recruitment and end of data collection, but participant dropout was low and recruitment rates were satisfactory. Participants in the PCOMS condition showed significantly greater reductions in parent completed total difficulties than those in the control condition, with small to moderate effect sizes on all outcomes in favour of PCOMS. Overall, our design appeared feasible, but needs to ensure adequate school retention and counsellor adherence.
Effects of climate change on forage quality of grasslands and their use by grazing animals

Atmospheric CO2, global mean temperature and inter-annual variability in temperature and rainfall are expected to be significantly higher by the end of the 21st century. In order to review the effects of these factors on forage quality, we carried out a meta-analysis based on climate manipulation experiments. The outputs are reported in this deliverable.
Exploring local perspectives on the performance of a community-based adaptation project on Aniwa, Vanuatu

ABSTRACT Adaptation has become an unavoidable priority. Failures of historically dominant top-down approaches have prompted a shift towards bottom-up approaches such as community-based adaptation, despite the scholarly lacuna around its effectiveness. This paper has endeavoured to respond to this gap through evaluating how an adaptation project on Aniwa, Vanuatu reduces people’s vulnerability. Drawing from interviews and focus groups conducted across three communities on Aniwa, this study explored local perspectives around the appropriateness, effectiveness, equity and sustainability of the project, as well as impacts on livelihoods assets. Specific nuances and differences in perspectives between women and men were also explored. This study found that there were negative outlooks on sustainability, a lack of improvement in natural assets, as well as issues with exclusion based on religion and timings of activities with the daily schedules of women. Factors that support vulnerability reduction, however, included equal participation and benefit among those of Christian faith, appropriateness of the activities to aspects of the socio-cultural context, as well as improvements in several social and human assets. Two overarching recommendations emerged: (1) ensuring in-depth understandings of underlying contexts, and (2) mainstreaming gender considerations. This paper concludes by encouraging further studies that evaluate adaptation in the longer-term.
Where do gambling problems fit in the structure of psychopathology during emerging adulthood?

ABSTRACT Research suggests major mental disorders co-occur at higher than chance levels. In adult samples, a two factor structure emerges when modeling the higher order structure of psychopathology. Specifically, disorders tend to co-aggregate into two dimensions: Internalizing (depression and anxiety) and Externalizing (acting out, impulsive, and addictive) disorders. Despite this large body of evidence, few studies have integrated problem gambling into this overall model. We used confirmatory factor analysis to model how the symptom count of gambling fits into the structure of psychopathology in a large, community based young adult twin sample of men and women (age 24; N = 1329). Twins were assessed via in-person, structured diagnostic interviews on disorders including: Major Depression, Phobias, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Anxiety Disorders (internalizing) and Substance Use Disorders, Gambling Problems (self-report), and Antisocial Behaviors (externalizing). The data were fit to a two-factor structure, with gambling symptoms loading most highly on externalizing, rather than internalizing. The problem gambling loadings did not differ by sex. Implications of these findings suggest that during emerging adulthood gambling problems are best classified and conceptualized in the realm of externalizing disorders for both males and females. Results also suggest prevention and intervention efforts be aimed at young adults who exhibit commonly co-occurring psychopathology.
The Effects of Urbanization and Retention‐Based Stormwater Management on Coastal Plain Stream Nutrient Export

Stormwater nutrient pollution can be more effectively managed if there is a predictable link between urbanization and pollutant export. The goal of this study was to determine the effects of increased watershed impervious surface cover (ISC) and retention‐based stormwater management on stream discharge and nutrient export from coastal plain streams in the southeastern United States. To quantify coastal plain stream nutrient export, measurements of stream discharge and concentrations of dissolved nutrients, particulate nitrogen, and algal biomass (as chlorophyll a) were collected during baseflow and stormflow for four years from five streams on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune near Jacksonville, North Carolina. The study streams had watersheds that spanned a range of ISC (1–38%) and included an urban watershed drained extensively by stormwater ponds. Urban streams had higher rates of annual discharge than less impacted streams due to elevated discharge at all rates of flow, more cumulative discharge at high flows, and dampened seasonal patterns. Streams with higher watershed ISC had higher rates of annual export of all measured nutrients due to increased stream discharge and concentrations of inorganic and particulate nitrogen. The relative importance of dissolved organic nitrogen decreased with watershed ISC, but it was still the dominant form of nitrogen export in every study stream except the stream that was dominated by particulate nitrogen export from stormwater pond algal production. Based on these findings, this study suggests that stormwater management emphasizing stormwater harvesting and evapotranspiration, increased wetland area, and decreased anthropogenic nutrient sources could reduce nutrient export from urban coastal plain streams.
Knowledge capital in biotechnology industry: impacts on Canadian firm performance

Knowledge has become the main driver of economic growth. This is true both at the level of the macro-economy, where emerging countries make efforts to capture knowledge from more advanced countries and at the level of the firm, as companies make efforts to acquire complementary knowledge from other firms. The specific types of knowledge associated with performance differ from one industry to another, and on company maturity. A number of studies demonstrated that biotechnology performance and the geographical concentration of US firms are related to the recruitment of star researchers. This paper confirms these results for Canadian companies and goes further in accounting for the specific roles played by these highly productive university researchers and their impact on the performance of biotechnology enterprises. This discovery points to a new stage in the birth of biotechnology companies, and is associated with the selection of venture capitalists and major pharmaceutical companies who finance these specialised biotechnology firms.
Testing the Level of Compliance of International Accounting Standard IAS 38: Evidence from Bahrain

This research aims to examine the level of compliance of International Accounting Standard 38 (IAS 38, intangible assets) among the listed companies of Bahrain Bourse. This paper employs the method of equal weighted disclosure index to determine if the listed firms are complying with the disclosure requirements of the IAS 38. The required data for the year 2016 has been obtained from Bloomberg. The research found that firms have a compliance of 35.4%. The regression analysis results showed that there is a correlation between IAS 38 disclosure and the size of audit firms, leverage, profitability and industry type. There is a lack of relationship between IAS 38 disclosure and age & size of the company. This research serves as the basis of a future study on IAS 38 in different countries in emerging markets.In order to assure high performance and implementation of IAS 38, all firms listed in Bahrain Bourse ought to increase the level of compliance.
An exploration of resilience in adolescents facing maternal cancer

Research findings on the impact of parental cancer on adolescents are inconsistent, some studies identifying negative psychosocial impact but others identifying positive impact; however, there is not enough understanding on the underlying factors that may lead to differences in outcomes. Research has found that resilience has a role in adolescents' adaptation to maternal cancer; however, the nature of this requires further exploration.
Strategic approaches in Australian SMEs: Deliberate or emergent?

The aim of this paper is to determine whether Australian SMEs could be characterised as 'deliberate' or 'emergent' in their strategic approaches. More specifically, surveying 1230 Australian SMEs, this paper focuses on answers to the following questions: What is the nature and prevalence of strategic practices in Australian SMEs? and to what extent does firm size differentiate the patterning and prevalence of strategic practices? The findings add to the little empirical research showing the principal activities and tools that comprise the strategic practices undertaken in Australian SMEs. Overall, and in both small and medium enterprises respectively, strategic thinking and action seem to be undertaken with the use of a framework of a written business plan which is in line with the 'deliberate' approach; however few sophisticated strategy making techniques were employed. Researchers and practitioners may find it valuable to develop tools that will naturally suit SME firms so that these tools can be of more value. Academics and tertiary institutions will be well advised to develop strategic management courses which also specifically focus on more emergent approaches designed for smaller firms including specially developed techniques and tools that are less time-consuming and expensive to use and more suited to smaller firms. This would enable SMEs to expand the range of strategy making tools they employ.
Application of high-purity zeolite a synthesized from different coal combustion by-products in carbon dioxide capture

High-purity zeolites A were synthesized from different coal combustion by-products (baghouse filter fly ash, cyclone filter ash, and bottom ash) and characterized in terms of morphology, chemical, and mineralogical composition. The products were tested for carbon dioxide capture by using a continuous CO 2 flow system passing through a column packed with the adsorbent material, which was connected to an analyser that directly measures the concentration of CO 2 . The values of CO 2 adsorption capacities calculated for the unmodified Na-A zeolites (ZABF, ZACF, and ZABA) were 556.48, 494.29 and 654.82 mg g, respectively. These values were higher than those achieved by the calcium-modified zeolite samples. ZABA adsorbent presented the best performance in CO 2 capture when compared to the other adsorbent material and achieved an adsorption capacity 32% higher than a 4A commercial zeolite. In the adsorption cycles study, the percentage of CO 2 desorption by ZABA at the second and third cycles reached 93%, showing that zeolite A can be regenerated by heating at 150 oC. The use of coal ashes to obtain zeolites and the application of these products for the CO 2 adsorption can be an important strategy to mitigate both the problem of waste management and the greenhouse gases emission in coal-fired power plants.
Effect of different surface treatments on the repair bond strength of resin composites with titanium

Abstract The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of different surface treatment combinations on the bonding of composite resins to NiCr and titanium alloys after thermal cycling. Square-shaped specimens (10 mm x 10 mm x 2 mm) were made from NiCr and titanium alloys. The specimens were divided into 6 pretreatment groups (n = 11): (1) machined titanium (control, no treatment); (2) CoJet sand application; (3) grinding with a diamond bur; (4) metal primer application; (5) CoJet sand + metal primer application; and (6) grinding with a diamond bur + metal primer application. The surface roughness of the mechanically treated specimens (control, grinding, CoJet sand) was evaluated. The surface morphology of both metals and elemental composition were examined with SEM and EDS. The composite resin was applied to the specimens. Shear bond strength (SBS) was tested after thermal cycling (5000 cycles, 5 °C to 55 °C). Failure modes were determined. The data were analyzed using the Shapiro-Wilk test, two-way ANOVA and post hoc Fisher’s LSD test (p = .05). For titanium specimens, the grinding + metal primer exhibited higher values than the other groups, and all groups showed higher SBS values than the control group. Combined use of CoJet sand, grinding with a diamond bur, and metal primer application would be useful for enhancing the bond strength of composite resin to titanium. The grinding of the NiCr surface with a diamond bur is the only method that could improve the bond strength of a composite resin compared to the other methods.
Psychometric Properties of Scale to Assess the Therapeutic Relationship—JapaneseVersion (STAR-J)

Background: A good therapeutic relationship between patient and psychiatrist is vital for effective mental health care. However, no instruments to assess this relationship are available in Japan. This study aimed to develop a Japanese version of a Scale To Assess Therapeutic Relationship (STAR-J), which measures such relationships from the viewpoints of both the patient (STAR-J-P) and clinician (STAR-J-C). We examined the tool’s psychometric properties, including factor structure, internal consistency, convergent validity, and test-retest reliability among psychiatric outpatients and psychiatrists. Methods: Study participants comprised 139 outpatients and 10 psychiatrists. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to investigate factor structure; to confirm cross-validity, confirmatory factor analysis was conducted using a different sample constituting 195 participants in an assertive community treatment program and their 91 case managers. Cronbach’s alpha was used to assess internal consistency. For STAR-J-P only, the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was computed for 17 patients to determine test-retest reliability. Spearman’s correlation coefficients were calculated to examine convergent validity with service satisfaction, empowerment, and medication adherence. Results: We identified a two-factor structure for STAR-J-P and a one-factor structure for STAR-J-C. Cronbach’s alphas for the two STAR-J-P factors were 0.897 and 0.645, and that for the STAR-J-C factor was 0.949. The ICCs for STAR-J-P factors 1 and 2 were 0.765 and 0.630, respectively. STAR-J-P and STAR-J-C were not significantly correlated. STAR-J-P factors 1 and 2 showed significant correlations with service satisfaction (factor 1: ρ = 0.648, p < 0.001; factor 2: ρ = 0.238, p = 0.005) and medication adherence (factor 1: ρ = 0.508, p < 0.001; factor 2: ρ = 0.347, p < 0.001), but only factor 1 showed a significant relationship with empowerment (ρ = 0.283, p = 0.001). STAR-J-C was significantly correlated only with empowerment (ρ = 0.207, p = 0.017). Conclusions: STAR-J appears to be a useful instrument for assessing therapeutic relationships in the Japanese psychiatric outpatient setting. Further studies should test its validity and applicability in different mental health service settings.
Building Resilience in Developing Countries Vulnerable to Large Natural Disasters

This paper discusses how countries vulnerable to natural disasters can reduce the associated human and economic cost. Building on earlier work by IMF staff, the paper views disaster risk management through the lens of a three-pillar strategy for building structural, financial, and post-disaster (including social) resilience. A coherent disaster resilience strategy, based on a diagnostic of risks and cost-effective responses, can provide a road map for how to tackle disaster related vulnerabilities. It can also help mobilize much-needed support from the international community.
Examining gender effects in different types of undergraduate science assessment

The optimum assessment structure measures student knowledge accurately and without bias. In this study, the performance of the first-year undergraduate science students from the University College Dublin was evaluated to test the gender equality of the assessment structure in place. Results of male and female students taking three life science modules were analysed, for two academic years, with assessment structure based on a combination of three types of evaluation: continuous assessment and multiple choice questions (MCQ) exam scored with/without negative marking. We found no significant gender effect associated with performance in continuous assessment, or MCQ exams scored without negative marking. However, a significant bias against females was consistently observed for the same cohort of students in the MCQ exams with negative marking of 0.25 points. This bias was at least partially linked to a gender difference in willingness to guess and preliminary data suggest that it disappears after removal of negative marking from the MCQ exams. Our results support the view of a diverse assessment structure being fairer to the students. Moreover, caution is advised while using negative marking, and regular reviews of assessment strategy should be implemented by higher education institutions to ensure gender-bias free evaluation of students’ performance.
Investigating Factors Impelling the Adoption of e-Health: A Perspective of African Expats in China

The purpose of the study was to analyze the factors affecting the acceptance and adoption of e-Health applications among African expats in China from the patient’s perspective. This research used extended technology acceptance model (TAM) with the addition of privacy and trust. The survey method with the structured questionnaire was used to collect data from more than 300 African expats in three Tier 1 cities of China. Hypotheses were tested using partial least squares (PLS) method, a structural equation modeling (SEM) based statistical technique. The results show that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use (PEU), and privacy have significant effects on intention to use (INT) e-Health technologies. Moreover, PEU endorses positive impact on perceived usefulness. The results also revealed that gender was partially associated with the acceptance and use of e-Health technologies. However, surprisingly, trust had an insignificant effect on INT of e-Health. The results of the current research provide the foundation for the development of policies and strategies for the enhancement of e-Health services to African expats in China. Moreover, the acceptance model of current study can be modified easily because of its generic approach for the investigation of adoption of e-Health services among other developing countries’ expats in China.
American Empire and the Politics of Meaning

When the United States took control of the Philippines and Puerto Rico in the wake of the Spanish-American War, it declared that it would transform its new colonies through lessons in self-government and the ways of American-style democracy. In both territories, U.S. colonial officials built extensive public school systems, and they set up American-style elections and governmental institutions. The officials aimed their lessons in democratic government at the political elite: the relatively small class of the wealthy, educated, and politically powerful within each colony. While they retained ultimate control for themselves, the Americans let the elite vote, hold local office, and formulate legislation in national assemblies. American Empire and the Politics of Meaning is an examination of how these efforts to provide the elite of Puerto Rico and the Philippines a practical education in self-government played out on the ground in the early years of American colonial rule, from 1898 until 1912. It is the first systematic comparative analysis of these early exercises in American imperial power. The sociologist Julian Go unravels how American authorities used “culture” as both a tool and a target of rule, and how the Puerto Rican and Philippine elite received, creatively engaged, and sometimes silently subverted the Americans’ ostensibly benign intentions. Rather than finding that the attempt to transplant American-style democracy led to incommensurable “culture clashes,” Go assesses complex processes of cultural accommodation and transformation. By combining rich historical detail with broader theories of meaning, culture, and colonialism, he provides an innovative study of the hidden intersections of political power and cultural meaning-making in America’s earliest overseas empire.
Pecunia non olet but Does Rose Money Smell? On Rose Oil Prices and Moral Economy in Isparta, Turkey

This paper investigates rose and rose oil production in the province of Isparta, Turkey, with reference to the discourses on and procedures of price formation. Farmers have been engaging in rose cultivation for over a century and rose oil production is considered to be a traditional industry. The market actors for rose oil are global cosmetic and local processing firms and almost all rose oil from Isparta is exported. Prices and production have been steadily increasing since 2010. Although prices are seen as good, there are concerns about overproduction and fierce competition between the rose oil firms to buy the harvest, hence pushing up rose prices and, leading to a crash in rose oil prices on the world market. Through careful observation of payment and price formation procedures, the paper raises issues concerning the moral economy of price formation. Findings are provisional and the research is on-going, but the discourse on just prices clearly suggests that value judgments are embedded in and implicitly critical of capitalist markets.
Propuesta de organización y aprovechamiento de Agave cupreata para productores de mezcal en el ejido de Mochitlán, Guerrero, para la Certificación Agroecológica Participativa

El proyecto de grado se llevo a cabo de septiembre de 2015 a julio de 2017, con las y los ejidatarios de Mochitlan, Guerrero, quienes actualmente son productores de Agave cupreata y aprovechan este recurso forestal no maderable para la fabricacion de mezcal bajo sistema de produccion artesanal. Se utilizaron algunas de las herramientas de intervencion comunitaria del Diagnostico Rural Participativo, como los grupos focales, arbol de problemas, entrevistas, mapas comunitarios, calendarios socio-agricolas, principalmente.