Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Financial Intermediation and Private Sector Investment in Nigeria

The symbiotic relationship between adequate funds to real sector and speed of economic growth is not in contention. Consequently, the successive Nigerian governments have made several policy attempts in the last three decades at ensuring that funds are channeled to savings deficits. These efforts notwithstanding, the economy at a glance, seems not to have made remarkable progress. What is more, there is dearth of empirical studies specifically targeted at assessing the specific contribution of financial intermediation to economic growth in Nigeria. It is this gap that this study sought to fill. To realize the goal of this study, we adopted Private Investment (PRIVET) as the regressand and Financial Savings as a ratio of Real Gross Domestic Product (FS/RGDP), Credit Extended to Private Sector by deposit money banks (CEPS), Prime Lending Rate (PLR) & Real Gross Domestic Product (RGDP) as the regressors. The study employed econometric method to construct a multiple regression model to analyze the long-run relationships among variables. The results showed that three out of the five coefficients are statistically significant at 5% level. CEPS and PLR conformed to the theoretically expected signs, while FS/RGDP, RGDP and DUM did not. Hetroscedasticity test carried out suggests that OLS assumption of constant variances over time was not violated. Ramsey Reset test indicates that the model is well specified. The findings indicate that although some progress is noted, much is remained to be done to ensure enabling environment conducive for investment growth and expansion of domestic capacity Keywords: Private Sector Investment, Prime Lending Rate, Financial Intermediation, financial system, financial institutions, multiple regression model.
Strengthening of Concrete Beams Using FRP Composites

Finite element analysis (FEA) is used to predict the behavior of reinforced concrete beams strengthened with fiber reinforced polymer (FRP). To verify and measure the accuracy of the FEM model, the current model results were compared with both experimental and theoretical available results. Four beams were studied simulating the Horsetail Creek Bridge, Oregon, USA. The first one is a control beam with no strengthening fiber. The second beam is strengthened with carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) oriented along the length of the beam to reinforce the flexure behavior. The third beam is wrapped with glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) laminates representing the shear beam. The fourth one is strengthened with CFRP and GFRP laminates representing the flexure-shear beam. The load-strain for concrete, steel and fiber as well were represented and compared. In addition, the load deflection curves and crack patterns were developed and represented. The results showed that the modeling process was accurate in simulating the tested beams. It was also clear that using FRP in strengthening reinforced concrete beams is an effective method in improving both shear and flexural behavior of the beams.
Exploration of Benefits of NDDC Road Projects on Household Income in Rivers State

Development projects that support and improve the socio-economic conditions are essential because they motivate innovations, which in turn create jobs, improve quality of life and sustainable development. This belief prompted the need to evaluate the impact of rural roads on household income. This study proceeded to determine the socio-economic circumstances of the beneficiary and non-beneficiary communities of the road projects. A multistage random sampling was used to select 3007 respondents from the study area. Questionnaires were used to collect data from the respondents. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and propensity score matching technique. The study revealed that households in NDDC road project communities experienced increased income of about N 5,768.437 . Based on this, the study recommended that Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) should sustain the infrastructural development particularly road projects by increasing the annual budget provisions. Research efforts need to be carried out in other states of Niger Delta Region to ascertain the benefits of rural development projects. It is therefore important to further ascertain the influences of other development projects on socio-economic conditions in Rivers State. The study provides an empirical analysis of the benefits of rural road projects such as that of NDDC projects across Rivers State on the income of households. It also raised the questions what is a sustainable level of impact on average household income? Could the impact have been higher if adequate needs analysis has been carried out prior to the road construction? Keywords : Propensity Score Matching, Socio-economic Conditions, Rural Road Projects, NDDC, Income
From global complexity to local reality

Introduction The Global Landscapes Forums held in Warsaw (November 2013) and Lima (December 2014), coupled with the CGIAR Development Dialogues (New York, September 2014), have helped position ‘landscape approaches’ at the center of sustainable development initiatives and global discourse. The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and its many partners continue to devise ways to best introduce a holistic and integrated ‘landscapes’ approach to balance trade-offs between conservation and development, including agriculture, with the aim of influencing both policy and practice.
Investigations on Polymeric Nanoparticles for Ocular Delivery

In the present investigation, an attempt was made to formulate timolol maleate (TML) loaded polymeric nanoparticles of flax seed gum (FX) and chitosan (CH) for ocular delivery using ionic gelation method. The process of nanoparticle preparation was optimized using 2-factor, 3-level central composite experimental design. The optimal concentration of FX and CH that yielded nanoparticles with minimum particle size (267.06 ± 8.65 nm) and maximum encapsulation efficiency (74.96 ± 4.78%) was found to be 0.10% w/v and 0.08% w/v, respectively. The formulated nanoparticles revealed considerable bioadhesive strength and exhibited sustained release of drug in in vitro diffusion studies. The ex vivo transcorneal penetration study revealed higher corneal penetration of TML compared to marketed eye drops. The confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM) studies also confirmed the ability of nanoparticles to penetrate into deeper layers of cornea. The histopathological studies revealed corneal biocompatibility of nanoparticles. The nanoparticles were found to reduce the intra ocular pressure (IOP) in rabbits for prolonged period when compared to conventional eye drops. The results of the present study suggested a promising role of polymeric nanoparticles for ocular drug delivery in treatment of glaucoma.
HIV Exposed Uninfected Children at School Age: Developing Country Context

C l i n M e d International Library Citation: Kandawasvika GQ, Gumbo FZ, Kuona P (2016) HIV Exposed Uninfected Children at School Age: Developing Country Context. Int J Virol AIDS 3:024 Received: December 01, 2015: Accepted: July 09, 2016: Published: July 14, 2016 Copyright: © 2016 Kandawasvika GQ, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Kandawasvika et al. Int J Virol AIDS 2016, 3:024
Bioactive lignans from the seeds of Centaurea macrocephala

The essential oil from flowering aerial parts of Nepeta depauperata Benth. , an endemic Iranian plant, obtained by steam distillation was analyzed by GC/MS. The constituents were identified by their mass spectra and Kovats’ indices. Thirty-three compounds consisting 82.52% of the total components were identified from the oil obtained with a yield of 0.3%v/w. Among them, spathulenol (31.84%), beta caryophyllene (12.93%) and caryophyllene oxide (10.27%) were the major components of the oil.
DEVELOPING WATER QUALITY MAPS OF A HYPER-SALINE LAKE USING SPATIAL INTERPOLATION METHODS

Urmia Lake, the second largest hyper-saline lake in the world, has experienced a significant drop in water level during the last decade. This study was designed to examine the water quality of Urmia Lake and to characterize the spatial heterogeneity and temporal changes of the physico-chemical parameters between October 2009 and July 2010. Two spatial interpolation methods, Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) and Ordinary Kriging (OK), were used and compared with each other to derive the spatial distribution of ionic constituents as well as TDS and density along the lake. Results showed that the main dominant cations and anions in Urmia Lake were Na+, Mg++, K+, Ca++, Cl- , SO4--, and HCO3-, respectively. Although water quality of the lake is homogeneous with depth, it differs between the northern and southern parts. Water quality also varies seasonally, determined by river inflows and the lake bathymetry. Moreover, with the present salinity level, salt precipitation is likely in Urmia Lake and is becoming one of the principal factors determining the distribution of solutes within the lake. This study shows that the combined use of temporal and spatial water quality data improves our understanding of complex, large aquatic systems like Urmia Lake.
The Effects of Privatization on the Financial Performance of Kenya Airways

The study set to establish the effect of privatization on the financial performance of the Kenyan aviation industry, with specific reference to the Kenya Airways Limited. The study has explored literature on the financial performance of Kenya Airways before and after it was privatized by analyzing financial statements throughout this period. The target populations were financial experts, senior and middle-level management staff at Kenya Airways. The study used a sample of 37 staff, chosen using the stratified random sampling technique. Questionnaires were used to collect data from the respondents and analyzed using the SPSS statistical tool. The results showed that to a larger extent, privatization has had a positive impact on the financial performance of the aviation industry. The researcher provided a set of recommendations and suggested areas for future research.
Transition to second birth - the case of Russia

This study examines the determinants of second births in Russia before and during the economic and political transition. Using data from the Generations and Gender Survey and apply the method of hazard regression, we find a strong period effect: whereas the second birth risk increased in the 1980s, it decreased significantly after 1992. This effect remains even after controlling for individual characteristics. We argue that the dramatic increase in economic and social uncertainties after the collapse of the communist system in Russia is responsible for the fertility reduction.
The Effect of Concept Formulation on Concept Test Scores

While concept testing is a mainstay of the new product development process, there is little empirical evidence on the variation in consumer responses due to alternative concept formulations, particularly for those tests undertaken early in the product development process. The present study addressed this gap in the literature by using a split sample mail survey to compare stripped, embellished, and visual concept formulations for five heterogeneous product concepts. It was found that respondents' answers to attitude and purchase intention questions showed only minor variation with different formulations of the concept test statement. It also was found that the ranking of the concepts showed no substantial changes across the different formulations. Therefore, the type of concept statement formulation may not be that important, at least for early ranking tasks performed before experiential prototypes are available. Early concept tests therefore may be carried out using stripped concept statements. This may reduce costs, allowing organizations to undertake early concept testing more frequently across a wider range of products.
THE EFFECTS OF ELECTROCONVULSIVE THERAPY OR REPETITIVE TRANSCRANIAL MAGNETIC STIMULATION ON OLFACTORY SENSITIVITY AND IDENTIFICATION IN INDIVIDUALS WITH DEPRESSION

ii! Co-Authorship . iii! Acknowledgements . iv! List of Figures . vii! List of Tables . viii! List of Abbreviations . ix! Chapter 1 : Introduction . 1! 1.1 General Overview . 1! 1.2 Thesis Organization . 2! Chapter 2 : A Review of Depression and Olfaction . 3! 2.
Grain-size effects on properties of some ferroelectric ceramics

Hot-pressed ceramics of the lead titanate zirconate system with different grain sizes were prepared and some of their electrical properties measured. The values of the dielectric and piezoelectric properties were analysed together with information on barium titanate ceramics already published in the literature. Many similarities were found between both systems. There are two main contributions to the properties; the single-crystal single-domain intrinsic effect and the contribution of the wall motion. The intrinsic effect is analysed considering the grains as monodomains. A model is developed which proposes that each grain has a different transition temperature Tc. The Tc values are taken as following a Gaussian distribution and the behaviour of the dielectric constant against temperature is computed and checked with experimental results. All the results can be explained qualitatively with the model; a connection between findings and the idea of diffuse phase transitions is outlined.
Radiative forcing of the direct aerosol effect using a multi-observation approach

G. Myhre, T. F. Berglen, M. Johnsrud, C. R. Hoyle, T. K. Berntsen, S. A. Christopher, D. W. Fahey, I. S. A. Isaksen, T. A. Jones, R. A. Kahn, N. Loeb, P. Quinn, L. Remer, J. P. Schwarz, and K. E. Yttri Center for International Climate and Environmental Research-Oslo, Oslo, Norway Dept. of Geosciences, University of Oslo, Norway Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU), Kjeller, Norway Dept. of Atmospheric Science, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL, USA Chemical Sciences Division, Earth System Research Laboratory, NOAA, Boulder, CO, USA Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA Lab. for Atmospheres, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA NASA Langley Atmospheric Research Center (LaRC), Hampton, VA, USA NOAA PMEL, Seattle, USA Lab. for Atmospheres, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Greenbelt, MD, USA
Community structure and ecology of snakes in fields of oil palm trees (Elaeis guineensis) in the Niger Delta, southern Nigeria

Aspects of community structure and ecology of snakes were studied in the years 2004–2006 in fields of oil palm trees (Elaeis guineensis) of three study areas in Southern Nigeria. A total of 284 individual snakes, belonging to twelve species of three families (seven Colubridae, four Elapidae, one Viperidae), were recorded, including both sighted and captured individuals (not including in this count the individuals that escaped before identification to species level could be made). All the study areas were nearly identical in terms of species composition. Most snakes (about 67%) were recorded during the dry season months, when the fruits of the oil palm ripe, thus attracting lots of organisms that are potential prey for snakes. The most important food items for oil palm snakes were Agama lizards, birds and rodents, but they also fed on skinks, geckos, fruit bats and tree frogs. Snakes were spotted climbing with peak frequencies occurring in the range of 16–18 m above the ground level. In general, oil palm trees within the range of 16–27 m high harboured higher number of snakes. Climbing snakes were nonrandomly positioned on the trees: the highest percentage of snakes (68%) was lodged between the leaf bases and oil palm fruit bunches. The general implications of the given data are discussed.
Measuring the bioenergetic cost of fish activity in situ using a globally dispersed radiotracer (137Cs)

The energetic cost of activity is an important component of the bioenergetic budget of fish, yet this parameter has rarely been quantified for wild populations. Using a 137 Cs mass balance approach, we estimated the annual bioenergetic budgets for individual age-classes of 19 species of North American freshwater fish. Immature fish have low activity-related metabolic costs that agree with estimates based on swimming speed or integer multipliers. Mature fish have 2- to 4-fold higher activity than immature fish and 2- to 4-fold higher activity than estimates based on swimming speed or integer multipliers. The higher activity in mature fish may be due to reproductive efforts. Underestimation of activity in conventional bioenergetics models leads to underestimation of consumption rates. Thus, our in situ and age-specific estimates of activity costs provide a means to improve bioenergetic predictions. Although our analysis was done on an annual basis, it is possible to use the 137 Cs technique over shorter intervals (weeks). The 137 Cs method has general applicability to aquatic systems because 137 Cs is globally dispersed and can be accurately measured in all aquatic organisms using gamma spectrometry. Resume : Le cout energetique de l'activite du poisson est une composante importante de son bilan bioenergetique; or, ce parametre a rarement ete mesure dans les populations naturelles. Au moyen de la methode du bilan du 137 Cs, nous avons estime les bilans bioenergetiques annuels des diverses classes d'âge de 19 especes de poisson d'eau douce d'Amerique du Nord. Le poisson immature presente de faible couts metaboliques relies a son activite, qui correspondent aux estimations basees sur des multiples de sa vitesse de nage ou de nombres entiers. Le poisson mature est de 2 a 4 fois plus actif que le poisson immature, et de 2 a 4 fois plus actif qu'il est estime d'apres des multiples de sa vitesse de nage ou de nombres entiers. La plus grande activite du poisson mature pourrait tenir a ses efforts de reproduction. Sous-estimer l'activite dans les bilans bioenergetiques classiques entraine une sous-estimation des taux de consommation. Nos estimations in situ et par classe d'âge des couts de l'activite du poisson constituent donc un moyen d'ameliorer les previsions bioenergetiques. Meme si notre analyse a ete effectuee sur une base annuelle, il est possible d'appliquer la technique du 137 Cs a des periodes plus courtes (semaines). La methode du 137 Cs est applicable en general aux systemes aquatiques, parce que le 137 Cs est disperse partout dans le monde et peut etre mesure avec precision dans tous les organismes aquatiques par spectrometrie gamma. (Traduit par la Redaction)
X-RAY PHOTOELECTRON DIFFRACTION AND LOW ENERGY ELECTRON DIFFRACTION STUDY OF THE INTERACTION OF OXYGEN WITH THE Ni(OOl) SURFACE: c(2X2) TO SATURATED OXIDE

We have carried out a combined x-ray photoelectron diffraction (XPD) and lowenergy electron diffraction (LEED) study 'of the interaction of oxygen with Ni(001) at ambient temperature from the c(2x2) structure up to the saturated oxide. Several new conclusions are possible based on an R-factor comparison of an extensive series of azimuthaland polar0 ls XPD data to theoretical simulations based on a single-scattering cluster (SSC) model with spherical wave scattering. A new method for normalizing experimental and theoretical intensities for XPD R-factor analyses is also used. For the c(2x2) structure, we find that the oxygen sits in the fourfold hollow site, at a vertical distance (z) of approximately 0.75 A above the first Ni plane, in excellent agreement with several prior studies. There is also strong evidence from the XPD results that oxide nucleation occurs very early in the chemisorption region and this effect could explain the proposals for in-plane bonding or pseudobridge bonding previously reported in the literature. The saturated oxide that forms at ambient temperatures is found from LEED and XPD to form a highly strained superlattice that is expanded by 1/6 with respect to the 1
Spring Wheat Breeding: Evaluation of Selected Adapted Spring Wheat Germplasm in Eastern Canada

Twenty-five hard red spring wheat (Triticum aestivum) lines, including three known cultivars used as checks, were grown in seven locations across Eastern Canada. The objective of this multi-location experiment was to evaluate selected Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre advanced lines (ECAD lines) from the Spring Wheat Breeding Program in order to identify the best lines for performance and grower trials. The lines from this trial performed very well compared to the check varieties, especially at the Ontario locations. Overall, the ECAD lines were on a par with or superior to the checks in terms of several attributes, including yield, protein content, and Fusarium head blight resistance.
Investigations of Cylindrical Ferrite Coupled Line Junction Using Hybrid Technique

In this paper, a novel longitudinally magnetized cylindrical ferrite coupled line (CFCL) junction is proposed. In comparison to planar ferrite coupled line (FCL) conflgurations, which are well known in literature, in such structure the higher gyromagnetic coupling occurs. This allows to obtain the required in FCL devices Faraday rotation angle …=4 for the ferrite with shorter length and lower value of magnetization. As a result the total insertion losses in the ferrite section can be reduced using the proposed topology. In the analysis of the proposed CFCL junction a hybrid technique combining method of moments and coupled mode method (MoM/CMM) is applied. The results are compared with the ones obtained from commercial software HFSS and a good agreement is obtained.
Examining handedness and sex-related effects on line-bisection in childhood

Eighty-eight Bulgarian children (range 5 – 7 years old), 40 left handers (18 boys) and 48 right handers (26 boys), completed line-bisection test one time with each hand. In accordance with previous studies the results show that the majority of children demonstrated deviation to the left of the true center with the left hand and to the right with the right hand, suggesting symmetrical neglect. Sex, handedness and their interaction had no main effect on mean percentage deviation scores at the group level, but only sex had a significant impact on the frequency of symmetrical neglect (p < .05), with higher one in girls than in boys.
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) information disclosure by annual reports of public companies listed at Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX)

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to provide empirical proof concerning the social focus of responsibility information disclosure – dominant in annual reports of basic and chemical industries groups – and how the company's group type affects the amount and focus of social disclosure in a company's annual report. Design/methodology/approach - This paper explains and describes data characteristics employed in the research. Annual reports are analyzed by content analysis method. Findings - The results show that the main foci of social disclosure from companies registered at the Indonesia Stock Exchange are labor theme (51.60 percent), followed by customer theme (19.40 percent), society theme (14.70 percent) and environmental theme (14.30 percent), respectively. Hypothesis test proved that there is no significant difference in the presentation of social disclosure amount in all themes between companies in the basic and chemical industries group or in the variety industries group. Research limitations/implications - The composing of a social disclosure list tends to be subjective and it is possible to omit certain items that are supposed to be disclosed by the company. Practical implications - The paper shows that it is necessary to pay increased attention to the social environment, considering that companies and society are equally important. Originality/value - This paper describes the importance of amount, manner, and the reason behind a company's social responsibility disclosure.