Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparing the Horizontal and Vertical Individualism and Collectivism Scale and the Auckland Individualism and Collectivism Scale in Two Cultures

This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Horizontal and Vertical Individualism and Collectivism Scale (HVIC) and the Auckland Individualism and Collectivism Scale (AICS). The sample consisted of 1,403 working individuals from Switzerland (N = 585) and from South Africa (N = 818). Principal component factor analyses indicated that a two-factor structure replicated well across the two countries for both scales. In addition, the HVIC four-factor structure replicated well across countries, whereas the responsibility dimension of individualism of the AICS replicated poorly. Confirmatory factor analyses provided satisfactory support to the original theoretical models for both the HVIC and the AICS. Equivalence measurement indices indicated that the cross-cultural replicability properties of both instruments are generally acceptable. However, canonical correlations and correlations between the HVIC and AICS dimensions confirm that these two instruments differ in their underlying meaning of the individualism and collectivism constructs, suggesting that these two instruments assess individualism and collectivism differently.
Using Community-based Participatory Research to Assess Health Needs among Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers

Abstract Principles of community-based participatory research (CBPR) were applied among migrant and seasonal farmworkers (MSFWs) in a seven-county region of east Texas. The study purpose was to establish community-based partnerships for CBPR and conduct a preliminary qualitative assessment of perceived health needs and capacities. Key informant interviews and a snowballing technique were used to identify gatekeepers and recruit participants from three stakeholder groups: health care providers, social service providers, and MSFWs. A modified nominal group technique (NGT) was applied in a series of five qualitative group interviews: one group of health care providers (n=9), one group of social service providers (n=11), and three groups of MSFWs (one all male, n=4; one all female, n=8; one gender-balanced, n=8). To enhance response validity, the protocols used in each NGT session were adapted to the communication and problem-solving styles of each stakeholder group. The participants collectively identified behavioral, psychological, environmental, social/economic, and health service access/treatment factors believed to contribute to the health status of the MSFW community. A preliminary comparison of responses across stakeholder groups, known as heterogeneity sampling, revealed differing perspectives related to contributing factors and potential solutions. A discussion of the CBPR process and results, and specific intervention recommendations are provided.
Case studies on dairy-based innovators contributing at grassrootsvis-à-vis ascertainment of their intelligence level

The study was conducted to have knowledge about intelligence level vis-a-vis dairy-based innovations development process at grassroots level. For this particular study, the ‘case study’ method was adopted. Further, in order to measure the intelligence level of innovators, the Revised Bhatia’s Short Battery of Performance Tests of Intelligence for Adults” was used. In all, a total of nine innovators, especially those who had developed dairy-based innovations at grassroot, across different parts of India were selected, purposively, for this study. The results of this study revealed that majority of respondents had average level of intelligence. Thereby indicating that development of innovations may be undertaken by people possessing an average level of I.Q.
Impact of resistive-wall wake fields generated by low-gap chambers on the beam at the ESRF

The observation and analysis of betatron tune shifts with current mode at the ESRF are presented. The concerned tune shifts are supposed to arise from the mean quadrupolar wake field induced by the resistive low-gap chambers, which are distributed around the ring for insertion devices. By employing the scheme developed by K. Yokoya (1993), fields are computed for the actual low-gap chambers of the ESRF machine. Effective focusing strengths are then deduced to compute the tune shifts of individual bunches in an arbitrary filling. It is found that the multi-turn effect plays a key role in reproducing the observed tune shift in multibunch fillings. Tune shifts are also expected to be significant in single bunch due to the strong short-range resistive-wall wake field. Experimental evidence of the numerical finding is pursued. The impact to the coherent single bunch tune shifts and hence to the modelling of the broadband impedance is also discussed.
Some physicochemical analyses of kefir produced under different fermentation conditions

This study presents physicochemical attributes of kefir under different cultural conditions. Maximum values of kefirbiomass and kefiran were achieved when 100 ml of skimmed cows’ milk (pH 6)/250 ml glass container was fermented with 5 gfresh kefir grains after stationary incubation at 30°C for 120 h. Amino acids profile in kefir included most types of amino acidsexcept asparagine, glutamine and tryptophan. Analysis of kefir or ganic acids indicated that lactic acid had highest concentration(7.30 mg/ml), followed by acetic acid (6.50 mg/ml) and maleic acid (4.00 mg/ml). Production of ethanol was high, reaching aconcentration value of 0.22% (w/w). Highest kefir biomass and kefiran concentration were maintained when fermentation processwas carried out using a medium formulation composed of: lactose, 40; ammonium chloride, 4.0; KH
The impact of standard preparation practice on the runoff and soilerosion rates under laboratory conditions

Abstract. The use of laboratory methods in soil erosion studies, rainfall simulation experiments, Gerlach troughs, and other measurements such as ring infiltrometer has been recently considered more and more because of many advantages in controlling rainfall properties and high accuracy of sampling and measurements. However, different stages of soil removal, transfer, preparation and placement in laboratory plots cause significant changes in soil structure and, subsequently, the results of runoff, sediment concentration and soil loss. Knowing the rate of changes in sediment concentration and soil loss variables with respect to the soil preparation for laboratory studies is therefore inevitable to generalize the laboratory results to field conditions. However, there has been little attention given to evaluate the effects of soil preparation on sediment variables. The present study was therefore conducted to compare sediment concentration and soil loss in natural and prepared soil. To achieve the study purposes, 18 field 1 × 1 m plots were adopted in an 18 % gradient slope with sandy–clay–loam soil in the Kojour watershed, northern Iran. A portable rainfall simulator was then used to simulate rainfall events using one or two nozzles of BEX: 3/8 S24W for various rainfall intensities with a constant height of 3 m above the soil surface. Three rainfall intensities of 40, 60 and 80 mm h−1 were simulated on both prepared and natural soil treatments with three replications. The sediment concentration and soil loss at five 3 min intervals after time to runoff were then measured. The results showed the significant increasing effects of soil preparation (p ≤ 0.01) on the average sediment concentration and soil loss. The increasing rates of runoff coefficient, sediment concentration and soil loss due to the study soil preparation method for laboratory soil erosion plots were 179, 183 and 1050 % (2.79, 2.83 and 11.50 times), respectively.
Herbivory in arid and semi - arid regions in argentina

Terrestrial herbivory in the Chaco, Monte and Patagonia natural regions of Argentina shows similar patterns to equivalent regions of North America, as well as distinctive features. Peculiarities include the near absence of native large herbivores, the high diversity and abundance of leaf-cuting ants, and a considerable number of plants showing adaptations against predation and for dispersion by large herbivores. All these features might be linked to evolutionary interactions with the diverse fauna of large herbivores which became extinct during the Pleistocene. Overgrazing from domestic ungulates in the Chaco has transformed the original parkland landscape provoking widespread encroachment of woody vegetation, the near extinction of grasslands and some of their largest herbivores, and an increment of medium-sized rodents, which, in tum, can keep the system in a new "disclimaxic" equilibrium. In the Monte and Patagonia the results of overgrazing on the natural vegetation have also been dramatic, although less spectacular in terms of landscape alteration. These characteristics suggest lines along which future research efforts could be focused.
Using Models of the Ocean's Mean Dynamic Topography to Identify Errors in Coastal Geodetic Levelling

Identifying errors (blunders and systematic errors) in coastal geodetic levelling networks has often been problematic, primarily for two reasons. First, mean sea level (MSL) at tide gauges cannot be directly compared to height differences from levelling because the geoid/quasigeoid and MSL are not parallel, being separated by the ocean's mean dynamic topography (MDT). Second, there is a the lack of redundancy at the edge of the levelling network. This article sets out a methodology to independently identify blunders and/or systematic errors (over long distances) in geodetic levelling using MDT models to account for the separation between the geoid/quasigeoid and MSL at tide gauges. This method is then tested in a case study using an oceanographic MDT model, MSL observations, GNSS data, and a quasigeoid model. The results are significant because the errors found could not be detected by standard levelling misclosure checks alone, with supplementary data from an MDT model, with cross-validation from GNSS-quasigeoid allowing their detection. In addition, it appears that an oceanographic-only MDT is as effective as GNSS and a quasigeoid model for detecting levelling errors, which could be particularly useful for countries with coastal levelling errors in their levelling networks that cannot be identified by conventional levelling closure checks.
Application of Delphi method for determining the affecting factors upon audit risk model

The assessment of risks in an audit work could directly influence the costs, timing, and strategies as well as audit quality. The purpose of this paper is to identify the critical affecting factors on risks proposed in Audit Risk Model (ARM), in audit environment of Iran. In the present research, the Delphi Method consists of 60 audit partners and managers is employed. The panel consists of two equally divided groups, one from audit organization, a governmental organization, and the other from private audit firms. We employ two rounds of Delphi and 58 critical risk factors extracted from auditing literature and Iranian auditing standards and present them to the experts. There are 43 factors categorized as important factors to assess the risks in ARM. The results are considerable in an Iranian audit environment, findings show the most important factors are in inherent risk factors. Finally, we made a comparison with a similar study in Taiwan. Differences indicate that in professional judgment issues like risk assessment, the consideration of particular culture and environment could help enhance the precision of assessments, especially in assessing control risk factors.
USING ALE-FEM TO SIMULATE THE INSTABILITY OF BEAM-TYPE NANO-ACTUATOR IN THE PRESENCE OF ELECTROSTATIC FIELD AND DISPERSION FORCES

The ability of mesh design in arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian finite element method (ALE-FEM) makes it a generally efficient device for simulating engineering problems. In this paper, ALE-FEM is used to model the static deflection and instability of beam-type cantilever nano-actuators using plain element. Effects of electrostatic fields are taken into account through first-order fringing field corrected model. In addition, the influence of quantum vacuum fluctuations is considered via attractive Casimir and van der Waals force depending on the range of application. The instability parameters, i.e. pull-in voltage and deflection of the nano-actuator are computed. The obtained results are compared with those reported in literature using numerical method as well as Lagrangian FEM. The findings indicate that ALE method can be used as a powerful technique for modeling beam type nano-actuator. Keywords– Cantilever nano-actuator, arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian finite element method (ALE-FEM), pull-in instability, Casimir force, van der Waals force, electrostatic force
Effect of Filler Content on the Performance of Epoxy/PTW Composites

This paper presents the mechanical and tribological characteristics of potassium titanate whisker (PTW) reinforced epoxy composites. The effect of various test variables and material parameters on the friction and wear behavior of epoxy/PTW composites has been studied systematically. Tribological tests were conducted on a pin-on-disc apparatus under dry sliding conditions. Addition of PTW was found to improve the wear resistance of the composites and 15 wt% PTW filled epoxy exhibited lowest specific wear rate and highest friction coefficient compared to other test samples. PTW additions showed beneficiary effect on density, hardness, and stiffness properties of composites; however, strength properties and ductility were found to decrease with the increasing content of PTW. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of tensile fractured surfaces and worn-out surfaces of selected samples revealed different fracture mechanisms.
Simplest little Higgs model revisited: Hidden mass relation, unitarity, and naturalness

We analyze the scalar potential of the Simplest Little Higgs (SLH) model in an approach consistent with the spirit of continuum effective field theory (CEFT). By requiring correct electroweak symmetry breaking (EWSB) with the $125\,\text{GeV}$ Higgs boson, we are able to derive a relation between the pseudo-axion mass $m_\eta$ and the heavy top mass $m_T$, which serves as a crucial test of the SLH mechanism. By requiring $m_\eta^2>0$ an upper bound on $m_T$ can be obtained for any fixed SLH global symmetry breaking scale $f$. We also point out that an absolute upper bound on $f$ can be obtained by imposing partial wave unitarity constraint, which in turn leads to absolute upper bounds of $m_T\lesssim 19\,\text{TeV}, m_\eta\lesssim 1.5\,\text{TeV}$ and $m_{Z'}\lesssim 48\,\text{TeV}$. We present the allowed region in the three-dimensional parameter space characterized by $f,t_\beta,m_T$, taking into account the requirement of valid EWSB and the constraint from perturbative unitarity. We also propose a strategy of analyzing the fine-tuning problem consistent with the spirit of CEFT and apply it to the SLH. We suggest that the scalar potential and fine-tuning analysis strategies adopted here should also be applicable to a wide class of Little Higgs and Twin Higgs models, which may reveal interesting relations as crucial tests of the related EWSB mechanism and provide a new perspective on assessing their degree of fine-tuning.
Corporate Governance and Real Investment Decisions

Within a broad sample of US manufacturing firms, we find that, controlling for investment opportunities and financial constraints, increased governance quality is associated with higher levels of investment. Increased governance quality is also associated with greater responsiveness of investment to investment opportunities, better firm performance and higher marginal product of capital. Our evidence suggests that better corporate governance drives managers to invest more, and to exert more effort in finding highly productive investment projects and in managing their investment efficiently. Poorly governed firms invest less, implying that they underinvest rather than overinvest. Their low marginal product of capital implies that they invest in less productive assets. Overall, our evidence is consistent with governance mechanisms mitigating problems stemming from managers seeking the 'quiet life'. We find no indication that the firm's governance quality is endogenous to its growth opportunities in our sample. Overall, the results suggests that better governance quality improves the efficiency of capital allocation within firms, and that lax governance produces underinvestment rather than overinvestment.
Scientific Discovery With Law-Encoding Diagrams

This article introduces the concept of law-encoding diagrams (LEDs) and presents the argument that they have had a role in scientific discovery that has not been previously recognized. An LED is a representation that correctly encodes the underlying relations of a law, or a system of simultaneous laws, in the structure of a diagram by the means of geometric, topological, and spatial constraints, such that the instantiation of a particular diagram represents a single instance of the phenomena or a particular case of the law(s). Examples of LEDs in the history of science are discussed, and the benefits of using LEDs in discovery are considered. LEDs are distinguished from other forms of diagrammatic representation. Previous work on the computational modeling of diagrammatic law induction is reinterpreted in terms of the search for diagrammatic constraints of LEDs. A general characterization of the role of LEDs in discovery is considered, and a framework for classifying processes of discovery based on LEDs i.
Occurrence of Bacillus cereus in raw milk and some dairy products in Egypt

A total of 160 samples (20 each of raw cow's milk and seven dairy products; pasteurized milk, small and large scales-manufactured ice cream, infant formulas, full-fat milk powder, rice pudding and yoghurt) were investigated for the presence of B. cereus. Biochemical tests followed by PCR were carried out to confirm the suspected B. cereus isolates. Overall 44 samples yielded Bacillus-like growth of which 34 were positive for B. cereus. The highest occurrence % of B. cereus was detected in raw cow's milk (60 %), and rice pudding (55 %). Non-B. cereus isolates were identified based on 16S rRNA GS and 7 isolates of B. licheniformis and 3 isolates of B. subtilis were obtained. No psychrotolerant B. cereus strains were detected in all samples. Evidence evolved from our results confirms the need for authorities and producers to adopt B. cereus as a reference in microbiological hazard control, particularly for dairy products.
COMPUTATIONAL SIMULATION OF VISUAL DISTRACTION EFFECTS ON CAR DRIVERS' SITUATION AWARENESS

This paper presents a computational modeling approach for negative effects simulation of visual distraction while driving a car. In order to investigate these effects, an experiment was firstly implemented on a driving simulator. Twenty participants were invited to perform a car following task in different driving conditions (12 driving scenarios), with or without a secondary task of visual distraction. Empirical data collected through this experiment show that visual distraction negatively impacts the driving performance at both perceptive and behavioral levels, and then increase the risk having a crash. Beyond these effects on the observable performance, the aim of this study is also to investigate and simulate such distractive effects on mental models of the road environment. Indeed, driver's decisions and behaviors are based on a temporal-spatial mental model, corresponding to the driver's situational awareness (SA). This mental representation must be permanently updated by perceptive information extracted in the road scene to be efficient. In case of visual distraction requiring off-road scanning, mental model updating is un-perfectly done and driver's actions are thus based on a mental representation that can dramatically differ of the situational reality, in case of a critical change in the traffic conditions (e.g. sudden braking in the lead car). From these empirical results, a computational model (named COSMODRIVE for COgnitive Simulation MOdel of the DRIVEr) was implemented for simulating visual distraction effects and human errors risks at perceptive (visual scanning changes) cognitive (erroneous Situational Awareness) and behavioral levels (late reaction time and crash risk increasing).
ATTITUDINAL RESEARCH ISSUES IN INTEGRATION OF CHILDREN WITH MENTAL HANDICAPS

Attitudinal research in the integration of mentally handicapped children into regular schools has tended to ignore the ecological validity and meaningfulness of its results and interpretations. Yet an ethnographic approach to such research has the potential to capture the culture of the school site in relation to integration practices especially when as many relevant school groups as possible are included in the study. Educational researchers need to transcend the idea of the school as an isolated setting and draw on the theoretical and empirical knowledge of the sociology of education when interpreting their results. The methodological and interpretative issues of such an approach are discussed in relation to a pilot integration project of children with Down's syndrome. RESUME Les recherches d'attitude sur l'integration des enfants handicapes mentaux dans les ecoles ordinaires ont laisse de cote la validite ecologique et l'importance des resultats et interpretations de cette formule. Or, l'approche ethnographique est capable de saisir la culture de l'ecole par rapport aux pratiques d'integration, d'autant plus qu'on integre le plus grand nombre de groupes scolaires dans l'etude. Les chercheurs en pedagogie doivent transcender l'idee de l'ecole comme cadre isole et s'appuyer sur les connaissances theoriques et empiriques de la sociologie de l'education lorsqu'ils interpretent leurs resultats. Les problemes methodologiques et interpretatifs de cette approche sont analyses par rapport a un projet pilote d'integration d'enfants atteints du syndrome de Down.
Brief cognitive‐behavioural treatment for anxiety‐disordered children exhibiting school refusal

This study evaluated the efficacy of a brief intervention programme for 20 anxiety-disordered children exhibiting school refusal. Treatment consisted of individual child cognitive-behaviour therapy and parent/teacher training. Children underwent a comprehensive assessment before and after treatment, and at a 3-month follow-up. Marked improvements were evident on nearly all measures, including school attendance. The findings signal the need for a controlled evaluation in order to establish the efficacy of this cost-efficient intervention. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The effect of different levels of humic acid and potassium fertilizer on physiological indices of growth.

In order to investigate the interactive effect of humic acid and different levels of potassium fertilizer on physiological indices of cowpea, a split plot experiment in the form of randomized complete blocks design with four replications was carried out in Shahid Salemi Field located in Ahvaz in 2011-20121. The studied factors include three levels of potassium fertilizer (0, 200, and 300 kg/h) and three levels of humic acid (0, 50, 100ppm). Traits such as leaf area index (LAI), total dry weight (TDW), crop growth rate (CGR), net assimilation rate (NAR) were measured. Changes trend of dry matter significantly increased at density of 100 ppm humic acid and 300 kg/ha potassium. Leaf area index increased at density of 100 ppm humic acid and 300 kg/ha potassium. NAR index, like other growth indices, responded to consumption of humic acid and potassium fertilizer.