Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of microbial biofertilization on nodulation, nitrogen and phosphorus content and forage yield of lablab bean (Lablab purpureus L.).

A field experiment was carried out at Shambat Research Station farm to study the effect of the symbiotic nitrogen fixing bacteria, Rhizobium and the phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB), Bacillus megatherium var. phosphatcum inoculations on lablab bean (Lablab purpureus L.). Rhizobium inoculation alone significantly increased nodulation, nodule dry weight, shoot dry weight and nitrogen and phosphorus content in shoot. PSB inoculation increased nodulation, nodule dry weight, nitrogen and phosphorus content in shoot and fresh and dry fodder. The results of Rhizobium and PSB co-inoculation compared to uninoculated control increased nodulation, nodule dry weight, shoot dry weight and nitrogen and phosphorus content in shoot.
THE EFFECT OF MOTIVATIONAL FACTORS ON THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE SUCCESS OF STUDENTS AT THE TURKISH MILITARY ACADEMY

This paper aims to find out the effect of motivational factors on the foreign language success of students at the Turkish Military Academy (TMA). The study was applied to 50 3 rd grade male cadets in the first semester of the 2008 - 2009 academic year. The participants of the study are military high school graduates and have been studying English for nearly seven years. As the data collection instrument, a motivational factors questionnaire adapted from Wen's (1997) Motivational Scale was used. The questionnaire consists of three main parts. In Part I, there are questions aiming to collect some background information about the participants. In Part 2 and 3, the questions aim to collect data on the relationship between different types of motivation and the foreign language success. The collected data was analyzed by using SPSS 11.5 statistical package. Frequency, mean, independent t-test, ANOVA and Pearson Correlation analysis were used to analyze the data obtained. Based on the research findings, there is a statistically significant relationship between overall motivation and the foreign language success of the TMA cadets. However, there is no statistically significant difference between the language success and integrative motivation and valence. Also, the results of the study revealed a significant difference between low and high proficient students in terms of their overall motivation and their estimation of ability. Finally, the study showed no significant correlation between the participants' monthly income and their overall motivation and the foreign language success. Similarly, no significant correlation was found out between the participants' parents' possession of English competence and the cadets' overall motivation and language success.
Participatory Videos : A New Media for Promoting Organic Farming in Northern Bangladesh

Organic farming in Bangladesh is still operated by NGOs and private sector due to lack of proper attention from public sector. Thus, use of effective media is very essential in its mass promotion. The present study showed that farmers led participatory videos have the potentials to show the worth of organic farming (i.e., vermi-compost & botanical pesticides) as well as convincing the farmers towards adopting organic farming as these sorts of videos are made on their voices and actors are also their peer groups.
Can survey evidence shed light on spillovers from foreign direct investment

Although some economists remain skeptical of the existence of positive externalities associated with Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), many countries spend large sums attracting foreign investors in the hope of benefiting from knowledge spillovers. Data collected through enterprise surveys conducted in the Czech Republic and Latvia suggest that the entry of multinationals affects domestic enterprises in the same industry or in upstream or downstream sectors through multiple channels. Some of these channels represent true knowledge spillovers while others have positive or negative effects on domestic producers in other ways. The relative magnitudes of these channels depend on host country conditions and the type of FDI inflows, which explains the seemingly inconsistent findings of the literature. The focus of the debate should shift from attempting to generalize about whether or not FDI leads to productivity spillovers to determining under what conditions it can do so.
Discovery and verification of multiple sclerosis candidate biomarkers using iTRAQ and SID-SRM

1 Proteomics Unit (PROBE), Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. 2 Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Norway. 3 Institute of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. 4 Neurology Department UCL, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium. 5 Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, IRCCS, “C. Mondino” Neurological Institute, Pavia, Italy. 6 Department of Clinical Chemistry, Neurological Laboratory and Biobank, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. 7 Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway. 8 Department of Neurology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway. 9 The KG Jebsen Centre for MS-research, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. 10 The Norwegian Multiple Sclerosis Competence Centre, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway. 11 Computational Biology Unit, Uni Computing, University of Bergen, Bergen Norway.
Model Reduction for Discrete-Time Markovian Jump Systems with Deficient Mode Information

This paper investigates the problem of model reduction for a class of discrete-time Markovian jump linear systems (MJLSs) with deficient mode information, which simultaneously involves the exactly known, partially unknown, and uncertain transition probabilities. By fully utilizing the properties of the transition probability matrices, together with the convexification of uncertain domains, a new performance analysis criterion for the underlying MJLSs is first derived, and then two approaches, namely, the convex linearisation approach and iterative approach, for the model reduction synthesis are proposed. Finally, a simulation example is provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed design methods.
Effects of Rhizobia and Mycorrhizae Inoculations on the Growth and Nodulation of Chamaecytisus proliferus

The present study aims to assess the effect of rhizobia and /or mycorrhizae inoculations on the growth and nodulation of Tagasaste "Chamaecytisus proliferus subsp. Palmensis". Three strains of mycorrhizae and twelve rhizobia strains were used. The mycorrhizal inoculation was done at the time of the seedling, mixing the spores of three arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi with a sterile peat. The rhizobial inoculation was performed twice by applying the inoculum that contained a mixture of 12 strains of Rhizobium multiplied before in the Yeast Mannitol Broth medium. The biomass and nodulation were evaluated under different treatments. The essay was realized at the greenhouse the Faculty of Sciences, Moulay Ismail University. The Inoculation with these root symbionts, separate or combined, increased the biomass accumulation of the Tagasaste treated compared to the absolute control. However, the best response result was that of the simple rhizobial inoculation which showed a very good growth as well as an important root infection assisted by the number and weight nodule compared to the single mycorrhizal inoculation and to the dual inoculation. Finally, the symbiosis with rhizobia and mycorrhizae is an important biological technology to improve the sustainable production of leguminous plant in different agro-ecological regions.
IN-SITU COAL PIT LAKE TREATMENT OF ACIDITY WHEN SULFATE CONCENTRATIONS ARE LOW 1

Pit lakes (abandoned flooded mine pits) represent a potentially valuable resource to mining companies, the environment and community, if appropriate water quality can be achieved. However, the water is often of low pH with high dissolved metal concentrations. In Western Australia coal pit lakes are acidic (pH 3-5) but with low concentrations of sulfate and metals. Low sulfate concentrations prevent microbial sulfate reduction from reducing acidity in these lakes. However, stimulation of primary production and associated alkalinity generating processes may provide a cost effective and sustainable solution to the acidity problems. A field-scale experiment (with control) involving the treatment of in-situ macrocosms (~600 m 3 ) in a small south-west, Western Australian coal mine lake with municipal mulch and phosphorus additions to enhance primary production was undertaken between June 2003 and June 2004. One macrocosm was treated with P additions, another with mulch, a third with mulch and P, and the untreated lake formed the control. Physico-chemical and algal (chlorophyll a) sampling of the macrocosms and lake occurred at monthly intervals. The decomposition of mulch reduced nitrogen concentrations in the macrocosms to very low levels and necessitated supplementation with urea fertilizer. Phosphorus concentrations dropped rapidly after addition as it became bound to iron, organic matter and sediment. Although there was virtually no difference between treatments and control for most physico-chemical parameters measured (including pH), a PCA of the data showed that the addition of mulch sent the macrocosms on a different trajectory to the control. This difference was reflected in observations of increased abundance and diversity of biofilms and macroinvertebrates within the treated macrocosms. In conclusion, the addition of mulch and phosphorus alone was not sufficient to increase the pH of Collie mine lakes, although it does provide a number of benefits for biota in the water. We therefore recommend that liming be used to increase pH, followed by organic matter and nutrient additions to stimulate primary production.
“Site Fights”: Explaining Opposition to Pipeline Projects in the Developing World1

Fifty years ago, the main challenges to large infrastructure projects were technical or scientific. Today, the greatest hurdles faced by such projects are almost always social and/ or political. Whether constructing large dams in the developing world or siting liquefied natural gas terminals in the United States, the onset of these projects often triggers intense popular opposition. But not always, and therein lays the animating aim of this project. We undertake a systematic comparative case analysis of mobilization efforts against 11 oil and gas pipeline projects spanning 16 countries in the developing world. Using theories from the social movement and facility siting literatures and the technique of fuzzy set/ qualitative comparative analysis (fs/QCA) , we examine the "causal conditions" linked to 1 We owe the clever phrase, "site fights," to Daniel P. Aldrich, who recently published a book entitled Site Fights: Divisive Facilities and Civil Society in Japan and the West (2008, Cornell University Press). No piece of published scholarship ever depends on the authors alone, but in this case, our debt to others is much greater than normal. This article is only a small part of a much larger, ongoing project that has drawn on the labors of a large number of faculty and graduate students at Stanford University. Our first and largest debt of gratitude goes to all the graduate students (and a few courageous undergraduates) who have participated in the project.
ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORK BASIS FOR LONG-TERM VIABILITY PREDICTION OF VASCULAR ACCESS IN HEMODIALYSED POPULATION

The important number of end-stage renal disease population and subsequently, the modality of performing an optimal vascular access adequate for dialysis represent important healthcare problems that are on continuous debate. Additionally, considering that only half of the newly created arteriovenous fistula are well-developed and even a smaller number is free of related complications, there is an increased interest in achieving a suitable vascular access. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to create a computational model to monitor hemodialysed patients and to predict arteriovenous fistula evolution. The research included 52 newly initiated hemodialysed patients on central venous catheter or arteriovenous fistula, followed along 1 year. The statistically analyzed data and also the described artificial neural models related to this particular category of individuals emphasized a correlation between various bioumoral factors, such as hemoglobin, creatinine, urea, uric acid, serum albumin, erythrocytes sedimentation rate, serum iron, and the future growth rate of the vein diameter, implicated in creating a patency fistula. Although the findings were promising, more complex researches are needed in the future designed to take into account several other aspects related to the underlying pathology or to the dialysis procedure itself and to study a larger number of hemodialysis patients to be followed for a longer period long.
Spatiotemporal distribution of four species of cestodes in a Fandscape of mid-altitude mountains (Jura, France)

L'infestation des rongeurs par Taenia taeniaeformis, Taenia mustelae, et Cladotaenia sp. , a ete etudiee dans les regions montagneuses de l'est de la France (Jura) a l'echelle d'un site d'environ 1 000 ha. Des gradients d'infestation ont ete observes, fonction de l'espace et du temps. Ces gradients s'etablissent des milieux ouverts vers les milieux fermes; dans un sens croissant pour Taenia mustelae et Cladotaenia sp. , decroissant pour Taenia taeniaeformis. En fonction du temps, l'infestation des rongeurs varie; d'une annee a l'autre pour Taenia mustelae, d'une saison a la suivante pour Taenia taeniaeformis et Cladotaenia sp. , les periodes printanieres et estivales etant les plus critiques pour la transmission. Les resultats sont compares a ceux obtenus precedemment pour Echinococcus multilocularis sur le meme site
Generic Object Regions Matching Based VLAD Model for Image Retrieval

In the popularly used BoVW and VLAD models for image retrieval, feature extraction is easily affected by the color and textures of images. Also, the clustering results of K-means algorithm used in these two models is usually affected by the initial cluster centroids. In order to solve these problems, a generic object regions matching based VLAD model for image retrieval is proposed. In this model, multi-threshold for image segmentation is proposed for the extraction of SURF features. Then the location information of SURF features are utilized for the Gaussian Mixture Model clustering instead of K-means algorithm. Finally, VLAD descriptors are calculated according to the features in each cluster and used for similar image searching. Our proposed Multi-Threshold Segmentation and SURF Feature Location based Clustering algorithm can improve the matching accuracy of features and obtain a better codebook such that the feature distribution can be better expressed. Experimental results on the Holidays dataset show that the mAP of our algorithm is higher than the 5 mainstream image retrieval algorithms, which efficiently improves the image retrieval accuracy.
Agricultural Insurance and Intensification Investment: Case Study of Khorasan Razavi Province

Maize is the most important staple food for 96 percent of Kenya’s population. However, maize productivity in Kenya is low averaging 1800kg/ha compared to a yield potential of over 6000kg/ha. Weed management has been attributed as one of the key factors affecting Maize yields. Among the weeds, striga (Striga hermonthica) is perhaps the most critical due to its ability to retard maize growth by competing for its nutrients with farmers reporting yield losses of up to 80 percent in infested fields. In recent times, the ‘push-pull’ biological method of striga weed control has been developed. The innovation controls striga and stem borers by using repellent (push) and traps (pull) plants. Although there is evidence showing that this method is effective and environmentally friendly, few farmers have adopted it in striga infested areas of Homa Bay, in Kenya. This article assesses factors that influence farmers’ choice towards adoption of this push-pull innovation. A random sample of 96 smallholder farmers from Mbita and Homa Bay sub-counties were interviewed. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, and probit regression model. Results show that the probability of adopting push-pull biological control increases with access to extension services (p<0.01); household size (p<0.05); returns from maize but decreases with limited access to markets (p<0.05). The findings suggest that addressing labour sourcing arrangements, enhancing the profitability of maize farming and putting in place the right institutional arrangements for extension and access to markets would enhance the adoption of the push-pull innovation.
A relationship‐mediated theory of internal marketing

This article explores the structural relationships through which internal marketing can create value for an organisation, its customers and its employees. It is argued that internal marketing requires a relationship‐mediated approach, where planned phases of learning activity in volunteer groups generate new internally valid knowledge critical to the improvement of external market performance. Thus internal marketing is defined as a relationship development strategy for the purpose of knowledge renewal. First, the author presents a typology of knowledge exchange patterns within organisations on which internal marketing is based. Second, a four‐phase internal marketing process grounded in case research is presented. Next, the structure of relationship development for internal marketing is described, one which mediates knowledge transfer between the individuals involved and to their organisation as a whole. Finally, the paper offers five propositional statements in support of a relationship‐mediated theory of internal marketing.
Hepatoprotective and antioxidant properties of extract of Carmellia sinensis (black tea) in rats

Hepatoprotective and antioxidant effects of water extracts of black tea (Camellia sinensis) were studied in sodium oxalate treated rats. Lipid peroxidation was induced in rats by administration of 100 mg/kg body weight sodium oxalate. The protective effect of black tea was assessed by monitoring the serum and tissue levels of malondialdehyde, catalase activity, aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) as well as serum vitamin C content in the normal, control and experimental rats after 10 and 20 days of tea administration. It was observed that tea administration lowers significantly (p<0.05) the serum and tissue levels of malondialdehyde, as well as AST and ALT activities in a dose dependent manner. The serum level of vitamin C and activity of catalase in the serum and tissues were however shown to be significantly elevated (p<0.05). After 10 days of administration of 200 mg/kg bodyweight of tea extract, serum level of malondialdehyde was reduced from 47.855±1.050 to 32.186±0.882 nm/h, AST activity from 59±2.95 to 31±1.40 IU and ALT activity from 39±2.51 to 25±1.25 IU. Moreover, administration of 200 mg/Kg body weight of tea for 10 days caused an increase in serum catalase activity from 7 to 10% and serum vitamin C level was increased from 45.39±9.75 to 79.11±5.13 mg/100 ml. In the tissues, the same trend was observed. The result also indicated that prolonged tea administration (for 20 days) significantly increased serum vitamin C level and the activity of catalase in both the serum, liver and the kidney (p<0.05). Also, the serum and tissue levels of malondialdehyde and transaminase activities (AST and ALT) were significantly reduced (p<0.05).
Mobilizing the young vote: Direct mail voter guides in the 2015 Chicago mayoral election*

Previous studies have shown nonpartisan direct mail interventions have a small turnout effect. It is less clear, however, what effect these interventions have with regard to cognitive mobilization of young voters. We report the results of a large (N=52,324) experiment conducted during the February 2015 mayoral election in Chicago. A random sample of 22,179 registrants between 18 and 30 were sent a voter guide containing two sets of orienting political information for the five candidates: a list of their endorsements and their policy positions on five issues in the campaign. We find turnout among the treated group was 0.9 points higher than the control group which did not receive a guide (33.6% compared with 32.7%; SE is 0.003). We find, however, that treated registrants in above-median household income census tracts are significantly more likely to vote than treated registrants in lower-income census tracts.
Congruence of teaching beliefs and teaching behaviors in adult educators

approved: _____________________________________________________________________ Darlene F. Russ-Eft The purpose of this study was to determine the congruency between the teaching beliefs and the teaching behaviors of adult educators as well as the factors that may affect this congruency. A qualitative study was conducted using seven adult educators. The participants were interviewed, observed, and then interviewed again. The study found that six out of the seven participants had at least one incongruence between their behaviors and beliefs. These incongruities fell into one of three categories. These categories included their beliefs and behaviors in regards to instructional strategies and methods that they used, how they interacted with their learners, and the role of the adult educator. Also, eight factors that affected the participants‟ congruency were identified. Implications for future research and practice are also discussed. ©Copyright by Benjamin M. Howe April 4, 2011 All Rights Reserved Congruence of Teaching Beliefs and Teaching Behaviors in Adult Educators
Tourist adoption of mapping apps: a UTAUT2 perspective of smart travellers

Purpose – Mapping apps are location based travel apps used for navigation and routing. These apps are gaining worldwide popularity because of its enormous potential. Despite of the growing popularity and utility of the mapping apps, the published literature in this area is scarce, leaving an unexplored area of research. Thus, the current study aims to identify factors affecting tourist’s intentions to use mapping apps while travelling. Design – The Extended Unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT2) was applied as the basis of the present study Methodology – The data was collected from 284 travellers in India using a structured questionnaire. The data was analyzed using Partial Least Square approach. Findings – The results indicated that the most significant antecedents of behavioral intentions are habit, facilitating conditions, performance expectancy and hedonic motivation. It was observed that the actual usage behavior was influenced by traveler’s intentions and habit to use the technology (mapping apps). However it was noted that effort expectancy, social influence and price value had no significant effects on the tourist’s intentions to use mapping apps while travelling. Originality of the research – Till date limited empirical studies have explored the adoption of mapping apps by travelers. This study is unique as it explores the adoption intentions using a relevant theoretical framework in the developing economy context wherein the use of mapping apps is still in the nascent stage. This research contributes to the literature of innovation adoption and provides an interesting perspective to companies developing location based travel mobile apps.