Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ideation and intention to use contraceptives in Kenya and Nigeria.

Background Contraceptive use remains low to moderate in most African countries. Ideation or the ideas and views that people hold has been advanced as a possible explanation for differences in contraceptive use within and across countries. Objectives In this paper, we sought to identify the relevant dimensions of ideation and assessed how these dimensions relate to contraceptive use intentions in two illustrative countries - Kenya and Nigeria. Methods Using factor analysis, we first identified the relevant dimensions of ideation from a set of cognitive, emotional and social interactions items. Subsequently, we examined the relationships of these dimensions with intention to use contraceptives. Results The data revealed four dimensions of contraceptive ideation in both countries: perceived self-efficacy, myths and rumors related to contraceptives, social interactions and influence, and contraceptive awareness. All four dimensions of ideation are strongly associated with contraceptive use intention in Nigeria. Both perceived self-efficacy and myths and rumors dimensions were significantly associated with contraceptive use intention in Kenya. In contrast, social interaction dimension and contraceptive awareness were not strongly associated with intention in Kenya. Conclusion The ideation model is relevant for contraceptive use research and programing. Programs seeking to increase contraceptive use and help women to attain their desired family size should promote contraceptive self-efficacy and identify ways to correct prevailing myths and rumors.
REPORT : TEXTURAL AND MINERAL COMPOSITION OF CENOZOIC SEDIMENTARY FACIES OFF THE WESTERN IBERIAN PENINSULA , SITES 897

Textural parameters, granulometric statistical parameters (mean, standard deviation, skewness, and kurtosis), cumulative curve shape of grain-size distribution, sand fraction composition, carbonate content, and bulk mineralogy were determined for Cenozoic sediments of lithostratigraphic Units I and II recovered at Sites 897, 898, 899, and 900 on Ocean Drilling Program Leg 149. These data allow us to discriminate among and characterize the three main sedimentary facies (pelagic/hemipelagic, turbidite, and contourite) recognized in the Cenozoic (Pleistocene to Eocene) deposits of the Iberia Abyssal Plain. This report describes the textural analysis and mineral composition for these three sedimentary facies.
Algae–P relationships, thresholds, and frequency distributions guide nutrient criterion development

Abstract We used complementary information collected using different conceptual approaches to develop recommendations for a stream nutrient criterion based on responses of algal assemblages to anthropogenic P enrichment. Benthic algal attributes, water chemistry, physical habitat, and human activities in watersheds were measured in streams of the Mid-Atlantic Highlands region as part of the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program of the US Environmental Protection Agency. Diatom species composition differed greatly between low- and high-pH reference streams; therefore, analyses for criterion development were limited to a subset of 149 well-buffered streams to control for natural variability among streams caused by pH. Regression models showed that TP concentrations were ∼10 μg/L in streams with low levels of human activities in watersheds and that TP increased with % agriculture and urban land uses in watersheds. The 75th percentile at reference sites was 12 μg TP/L. Chlorophyll a and ash-free dry mass increased and acid and alkaline phosphatase activities decreased with increasing TP concentration. The number of diatom taxa, evenness, proportion of expected native taxa, and number of high-P taxa increased with TP concentration in streams. In contrast, the number of low-P native taxa and % low-P individuals decreased with increasing TP. Lowess regression and regression tree analysis indicated nonlinear relationships for many diversity indices and attributes of taxonomic composition with respect to TP. Thresholds in these responses occurred between 10 and 20 μg/L and helped justify recommending a P criterion between 10 and 12 μg TP/L to protect high-quality biological conditions in streams of the Mid-Atlantic Highlands.
CO2 forcing induces semi‐direct effects with consequences for climate feedback interpretations

Climate forcing and feedbacks are diagnosed from seven slab‐ocean GCMs for 2 × CO2 using a regression method. Results are compared to those using conventional methodologies to derive a semi‐direct forcing due to tropospheric adjustment, analogous to the semi‐direct effect of absorbing aerosols. All models show a cloud semi‐direct effect, indicating a rapid cloud response to CO2; cloud typically decreases, enhancing the warming. Similarly there is evidence of semi‐direct effects from water‐vapour, lapse‐rate, ice and snow. Previous estimates of climate feedbacks are unlikely to have taken these semi‐direct effects into account and so misinterpret processes as feedbacks that depend only on the forcing, but not the global surface temperature. We show that the actual cloud feedback is smaller than what previous methods suggest and that a significant part of the cloud response and the large spread between previous model estimates of cloud feedback is due to the semi‐direct forcing.
New insight into how thigmomorphogenesis affects Epipremnum aureum plant development

ABSTRACT Climbing Epipremnum aureum plants develop larger leaves than unsupported, hanging plants. This effect may be regarded, in part, as a thigmomorphogenic response, but gravimorphogenetic effect may also be involved, since polar auxin transport is known to be negatively affected in plants with horizontal or hanging stems, which may result in an altered hormone balance at the whole plant level. The present work was aimed at studying how exogenous auxins and cytokinins may influence growth of E. aureum rooted cuttings under different training systems. Rooted cuttings of E. aureum were cultivated either climbing on an upright wooden board or creeping on the glasshouse bench or hanging from a basket. All leaves of each plant were sprayed to run-off at sunset with four indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) doses 7 days after transplanting and one week later, with four benzylaminopurine (BAP) concentrations, rendering 16 hormone combination treatments. The application of IAA or BAP at 50 mg L-1 to creeping and hanging plants significantly promoted growth but, in climbing plants, a negative effect was generally observed. Changes in net assimilation and photosynthetic rates, together with modified allometric coefficients, accounted for these responses. The higher growth promotion by exogenous growth regulators observed in creeping or hanging plants compared to climbing plants, may be interpreted mostly as a gravimorphogenetic response.
CSR Strategic Approach, Financial Resources and Corporate Social Performance: The Mediating Effect of Innovation

Given the current undefined relational effect between corporate financial performance (CFP) and corporate social performance (CSP) and the potentially myopic behavior of managers, this paper answers the call from some scholars to contribute towards a better understanding of the relationship between CFP and CSR. Different from other papers, it does so by analyzing the role of innovation activities as a mediator between CFP and CSR, applying a regression and mediation analysis between firms’ financial resources, innovation initiatives, and social and environmental performance. The results demonstrate that innovation is a critical factor in the relationship between CFP and corporate social performance (CSP) as it enables organizations to respond to new economic, social and environmental challenges faster and better than organizations that are not able to innovate. Therefore, the investment of financial resources in innovation initiatives is one of the most important levers to pursue and to increase CSP.
Epidemiology and public health significance of bovine tuberculosis in and around Sululta District, Central Ethiopia

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 858 dairy cows, 1107 slaughter animals and 58 dairy workers in and around Sululta District to investigate the epidemiology and public health importance of bovine tuberculosis (BTB). To that end, comparative intradermal tuberculin test (CIDT), post-mortem examinations, bacteriological analysis, molecular typing and questionnaire survey were employed. The herd and individual animal level prevalence were 11.4% (98/858) and 20% (9/45), respectively. The individual animal prevalence was affected by farming system, herd size, management system, sex, age, breed and body condition (P<0.05). Abattoir survey showed a prevalence of BTB to be 3.5% (39/1107) based on suspicion of tuberculous lesion. Culture positivity in primary culture media was confirmed in 7.7% (3/39) of tissue samples, 11.1% (5/55) of milk samples and 2.5% (1/40) of nasal swab samples. Genus typing of the nine positive isolates indicated that only 11.1% (1/9) one isolate was positive for the genus Mycobacterium. Among the farm attendants, only 6.9% (4/58) of the farm attendants had awareness on the existence of BTB, 10.3% (6/58) had awareness that milk and meat could be a source of BTB and 79.3% (46/58) had habit of raw milk and raw meat consumption. The study reveals the importance of BTB and poor awareness on the existence, source and transmission of the diseases in the study area call for urgent intervention. Conventional preventive measures and large scale collaborative action to design cost effective preventive and control measures at national level is recommended. Key words: Bovine tuberculosis, cattle, comparative intradermal tuberculin test (CIDT), epidemiology, public health, Sululta, Ethiopia.
A new growth model for red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) that accommodates seasonal and ontogenic changes in growth rates

The red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) is a popular gamefish found throughout the coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico and along the eastern seaboard as far north as Massachusetts. Juvenile red drum grow extremely rapidly, especially during the warmer months, but adults grow very little. In fact, the change in growth with age is so abrupt that the standard von Bertalanffy curve has proven inadequate— the predicted lengths of younger fish are generally too large and the predicted lengths of older fish too small (see Beckman et al., 1988; Murphy and Taylor, 1990).
The Effect of Quran Recitation and Religious Music on Mental and Physical Health: A Review Article

Today, music therapy and consequently the use of religion and religious music are in the attention of health authorities in various countries. In addition, in the Islamic countries the holy Quran used for healing the patients. Since the Quran considers all aspects of people's lives, therefore one of its miracles is matching of Quran teachings with the newest scientific achievements. Studies in this area are increasing. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of Quran and religious music on physical and mental health of peoples. After searching In the available Database with the proper keywords in both Persian and English and with no time limit, 117 articles were obtained. Of these, 45 articles were selected as most relevant to our objectives and were examined. Similar studies were excluded or as much as possible were merged with each other with the discretion of the investigator. According to studies, the positive impact of religion and religious music in physical and mental health is undeniable. Quran recitation also due to its peaceful nature, in different studies introduced as an effective treatment for physical and mental diseases. According to the results of this study it is recommended to treatment team members to use for this Therapeutic method.
Oil pollution and technical efficiency of food crop farmers in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria

A study was carried out to investigate into factors responsible for technical inefficiency of food crop farmers in the oil polluted and non-polluted areas of Niger Delta. Data were collected from 270 (140 for oil polluted and 130 in unpolluted area) farmers selected through a multistage random sampling technique. A stochastic frontier function that incorporated inefficiency effect was estimated using the Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) technique. The MLE of the stochastic production function revealed mean technical, efficiency of 78% in polluted area while the corresponding values in unpolluted area were 88%. The most efficient farmer had the technical efficiency (TE) of 0.93 and least efficient farmer of 4.48. Farmers with efficiency index between 4.48 and 0.65 constituted 31% while 68.2% of the farmers had efficiency index between 0.70 and 0.95. The predicted technical efficiency varied widely across farms between 28 and 86% for farmers in polluted area while between 38 and 96% for the farmers in unpolluted area. The results show that farmers generally in the study area are not technically efficient, although the farmers in the unpolluted area are relatively more efficient than farmers in the polluted area. The implications are that the policies that would reduce oil pollution and encourage farmers to utilize their resources optimally should be put in place. Hence, in order to halt the continual degradation of the Niger Delta environment there is need for the enactment and enforcement of stringent environmental laws to protect the area.
Investigation of cultivated lavender (Lavandula officinalis L.) extraction and its extracts

In this study essential oil content was determined in lavender flowers and leaves by hydrodistillation. Physical and chemical characteristics of the isolated oils were determined. By using CO2 in supercritical state the extraction of lavender flowers was performed with a selected solvent flow under isothermal and isobaric conditions. By the usage of gas chromatography in combination with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and gas chromatography with flame ionisation detector (GC/FID) the qualitative and quantitative analysis of the obtained essential oil and supercritical extracts (SFE) was carried out. Also, the analysis of individual SFE extracts obtained during different extraction times was performed. It turned out that the main components of the analysed samples were linalool, linalool acetate, lavandulol, caryophyllene oxide, lavandulyl acetate, terpinen-4-ol and others. Two proposed models were used for modelling the extraction system lavender flower - supercritical CO2 on the basis of experimental results obtained by examining the extraction kinetics of this system. The applied models fitted well with the experimental results. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 173021]
Stock Market Autoregressive Dynamics: A Multinational Comparative Study with Quantile Regression

We study the nonlinear autoregressive dynamics of stock index returns in seven major advanced economies (G7) and China. The quantile autoregression model (QAR) enables us to investigate the autocorrelation across the whole spectrum of return distribution, which provides more insightful conditional information on multinational stock market dynamics than conventional time series models. The relation between index return and contemporaneous trading volume is also investigated. While prior studies have mixed results on stock market autocorrelations, we find that the dynamics is usually state dependent. The results for G7 stock markets exhibit conspicuous similarities, but they are in manifest contrast to the findings on Chinese stock markets.
Investigating the Relationship Between Labor Productivity and Work-in-Process Buffers: A Case Study

In the last two decades, buffer-driven production strategies have been an emerging issue among lean construction researchers and practitioners alike. However, an in-depth understanding about the extent to which buffers impact system performance is still limited in construction, reducing the potential of using them to improve performance. To overcome this, the relationship between task-level labor productivity and buffer levels in a repetitive building project is investigated. In this research, a specific kind of inventory buffer is studied: work-in-process (WIP). A specific process was selected and analyzed in-detail as a case study to understand this relationship. The main result of this research indicates, through a linear regression, that an improvement in task-level labor productivity may be achieved when WIP buffer sizes greater than the size proposed by the lean ideal or the industry practice. However, this suggests a more in-depth investigation about the mechanisms operating in theory and practice in managing buffers in construction. Further research should focus on improving the analytical description of the relationship productivity/buffer on-site, as well as the understanding of the mechanisms at task and multiple task levels working in this relationship, and developing practical ways of using buffers to improve project-level performance.
Investigations into critical earthquake load models within deterministic and probabilistic frameworks

This paper deals with the determination of critical earthquake load models for linear structures subjected to single‐point seismic inputs. The primary objective of this study is to examine the realism in critical excitations and critical responses vis a vis the framework adopted for the study and constraints that these excitations are taken to satisfy. Two alternative approaches are investigated. In the first approach, the critical earthquake is expressed in terms of a Fourier series that is modulated by an enveloping function that imparts transient nature to the inputs. The Fourier coefficients are taken to be deterministic and are constrained to satisfy specified upper and lower bounds. Estimates on these bounds, for a given site, are obtained by analysing past earthquake records from the same site or similar sites. The unknown Fourier coefficients are determined such that the response of a given structure is maximized subjected to these bounds and additional constraints on intensity, peak ground acceleration, peak ground velocity and peak ground displacement. In the second approach, the critical earthquake is modelled as a partially specified non‐stationary Gaussian random process which is defined in terms of a stationary random process of unknown power spectral density (psd) function modulated by a deterministic envelope function. The input is constrained to possess specified variance and average zero crossing rate. Additionally, a new constraint in terms of entropy rate representing the expected level of disorder in the excitation is also imposed. The unknown psd function of the stationary part of the input is determined so that the response of a given structure is maximized. The optimization problem in both these approaches is solved by using sequential quadratic programming method. The procedures developed are illustrated by considering the seismic response of a tall chimney and an earth dam. It is concluded that the imposition of lower and upper bounds on Fourier coefficients in the first approach and constraints on amount of disorder in the second approach are crucial in arriving at realistic critical excitations. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The measures implemented to reduce the impact of plant protection products on pollinators in France

Shortly after the introduction of systemic insecticides, new problems were observed by beekeepers on honeybee colonies. The studies carried out under laboratory conditions have shown sublethal effects on honeybee behavior. However, it was not possible to reproduce under natural conditions the effects described by beekeepers on bee colonies. In addition, studies have revealed that many other factors could also be responsible for the dysfunction of honeybee colonies. Scientists agree that problems observed on the hives are the result of multifactorial effects. Measures concerning apicultural and agricultural practices are therefore necessary to improve honeybee colonies' health and to preserve the diversity of pollinators in France.
Atmospheric fronts in current and future climates

Atmospheric fronts are important for the day‐to‐day variability of weather in the midlatitudes. It is therefore vital to know how their distribution and frequency will change in a projected warmer climate. Here we apply an objective front identification method, based on a thermal front parameter, to 6‐hourly data from models participating in Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5. The historical simulations are evaluated against ERA‐Interim and found to produce a similar frequency of fronts and with similar front strength. The models show some biases in the location of the front frequency maxima. Future changes are estimated using the high emissions scenario simulations (Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5). Projections show an overall decrease in front frequency in the Northern Hemisphere, with a poleward shift of the maxima of front frequency and a strong decrease at high latitudes where the temperature gradient is decreased. The Southern Hemisphere shows a poleward shift of the frequency maximum, consistent with previous storm track studies.
A Comparison of Multi-Blade Coordinate Transformation and Direct Periodic Techniques for Wind Turbine Control Design

The inherent periodic behavior of an operating wind turbine is not well accommodated by common time-invariant analysis and control techniques. A multi-blade coordinate transformation (MBC) helps to overcome this issue for rotors with three or more blades by mapping the dynamic state variables into a non-rotating reference frame. A number of researchers have applied MBC for modal analyses and individual blade pitch controller designs. They do so by assuming the transformed system model from MBC is time-invariant, which is not often the case. The paper explores the validity of the time-invariant assumption by comparison to direct periodic techniques, which retain all periodic system information. In a modal analysis study, eigenvalues of a system after MBC are compared to direct Floquet modes. In an individual blade pitch control design study, a linear quadratic regulation (LQR) design after MBC is compared to direct periodic LQR. A 5-MW three-bladed wind turbine model is used to quantify performance differences. Normal operating conditions are considered as well as conditions selected to increase the harmonics that are unfiltered by MBC. It is found that the direct periodic methods produce almost identical results to timeinvariant methods after MBC under all conditions studied. MBC is recommended for threebladed turbines, which can be followed by Floquet analysis or periodic control design methods if necessary.
CIRCUM-GALACTIC GAS AND THE ISOTROPIC GAMMA-RAY BACKGROUND

Interactions of cosmic rays with the interstellar medium in the disk of the Milky Way provide the majority of the diffuse gamma-ray emission observed by the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. In addition to the gas which is densely concentrated along the galactic plane, hydrodynamical simulations and observational evidence favor the presence of a halo of hot (T ∼ 106 K) ionized hydrogen (H ii), extending with non-negligible densities out to the virial radius of the Milky Way. We show that cosmic-ray collisions with this circum-galactic gas should be expected to provide on the order of 3%–10% of the observed isotopic gamma-ray background at energies above 1 GeV. In addition, gamma rays originating from the extended H ii halos of other galaxies along a given line of sight should contribute at a similar level.