Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
IMPACT OF ICT APPLICATIONS IN PERFORMANCE: SEARCH FOR EVIDENCE

The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) applications in the western world are well established. This is shown by extensive use of ICT based services such as e-commerce, e-governance, etc. as well as many businesses operating through dot coms. There were lot of controversies as to ICT impact on performance. Nobel Peace Prize winner economist Robert Solow is one of those who echoed lack of impact. He called it the computer productivity paradox. The issue is re-visited to look for possible answers as to how this controversial topic has been tackled and whether it still exists. The effects of internet growth will also be investigated. A lot of previous research concentrated on improving technology to have features that can support performance as well as how organisations must re-align themselves to take advantage of ICT opportunities. There has been little research done to cover developing countries. However, unlike previous technological developments, which excluded developing countries, e.g. industrial revolutions, ICT applications have penetrated even the poorest countries. This paper is part of a broader research, which looks at the development of a framework for proper exploitation of ICT in Botswana. The paper will highlight Botswana’s investment in developing ICT infrastructure. It is shown that ICT applications are not leading to improved performance; hence this research aims to establish why it is not delivering to the expectation.
The effect of 'in vitro' spacing competition on shoot regeneration from cotyledon node explants of 'Lathyrus chrysanthus' Boiss

This study was aimed to determine the effect of in vitro spacing competition among explants for water and for both macro and micro nutrients in the growth medium on tissue culture response of Lathyrus chrysanthus Boiss. cotyledon node explants. Cotyledon node explants were excised from 14-day-old sterile seedlings and cultured in a petri dish at '0.5 x 0.5', '1.0 x 1.0' and '2.0 x 2.0' cm distance for 4 weeks. At the end of the culture, fresh and dry weights of explant, water content of explant, shoot regeneration percentage, shoot number per explant, shoot length, total shoot number per petri dish and total chlorophyll content in leaves of regenerated shoots were recorded. The positive effect of spacing competition among explants was observed in all characters examined at '1.0 x 1.0' cm culture distance. Shoot number per cotyledon node explant and total shoot number per petri dish were obtained the highest as 2.99 and 30.67, respectively, at '1.0 x 1.0' cm culture distance. According to the results, it could be concluded that encouraging explants for spacing competition by decreasing the culture distances among them from '2.0 x 2.0' cm to '1.0 x 1.0' cm caused to a significant increases in all characters examined. This study showed that the spacing competition among explants under in vitro conditions could be evaluated to increase the success of tissue culture studies for related genotype.
Large Area Patterning of Embedded Magnetic Nanostructures in Complex Oxide Thin Films

Complex oxide materials exhibit a wide range of functional properties, making them interesting for future use in electronic and spintronic devices. Through nanopatterning of thin film structures, magnetic shape effects can be investigated. A novel patterning method, combining substrate conformal imprint lithography (SCIL) with ion implantation, was used to pattern areas up to 7.5×7.5mm2 of identical ferromagnetic nanoscale lines in thin films of La0.7Sr0. 3MnO3 (LSMO) and LaFeO3 (LFO). The pattern had a linewidth of 160 nm and a pitch of 400 nm, and the lines were embedded in a paramagnetic matrix. In order to perform SCIL on square substrates, an adapter was manufactured in order for the samples to fit on a two-inch SCIL wafer chuck. A dual-layer mask of Amonil and PMMA resists with a total thickness of approximately 180 nm was shown to work successfully as an implantation mask for 50 keV Ar+ ions that disrupted the magnetic order of the unprotected areas of the thin film. Investigation of the patterned thin film by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) shows that the patterning process yields highquality ferromagnetic nanostructures with clear shape-induced magnetic anisotropy. The nanoscale pattern in the thin film shows a saturation magnetic moment of 3.2 μB/Mn, which is somewhat lower than the bulk value of 3.7 μB/Mn. Parallel to the nanoscale line pattern, a coercivity of 290 Oe was measured at 50 K, while a coercivity of 125 Oe was measured perpendicular to the line pattern.
Validity and reliability of the Myotest Pro wireless accelerometer in squat jumps

Background: Portable and cost-effective accelerometers can yield instantaneous results of force, power, and velocity, with minimum set-up time to assess muscle power. However, such devices must also produce both valid and reliable data. Objective: The current study assessed the validity and reliability of the Myotest Pro wireless accelerometer (ACC). Methods: Thirty physically active males performed two squat jump, on two separate sessions. The jump was recorded simultaneously by a force platform and ACC, which was attached to a barbell resting on the subjects' shoulders. Validity was determined using Pearson correlation coefficient (r) and t-test between the maximum force platform (F_{FP}) and ACC (F_{ACC}) force. Between session reliability of F_{ACC}, power (P_{ACC}) and velocity (V_{ACC}) from the ACC were assessed with t-test, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and coefficient of variation (CV). Results: F_{ACC} correlated highly to F_{FP} (r=0.815, p 0.05) for any variable. High ICCs were found for all variables (F_{ACC} 0.90; P_{ACC} 0.80; V_{ACC} 0.84). Low CV was found for F_{ACC} (2.1%), P_{ACC} (3.3%) and V_{ACC} (3.2%). Conclusions: ACC is a valid and reliable tool to use for assessing barbell movement, but caution in power data interpretation is needed.
Phylogenetic corrections for morphological disparity analysis: new methodology and case studies

Abstract Taxonomic diversity and morphological disparity are different measures of biodiversity that together can describe large-scale evolutionary patterns. Diversity measures are often corrected by extending lineages back in time or adding additional taxa necessitated by a phylogeny, but disparity analyses focus on observed taxa only. This is problematic because some morphologies required by phylogeny are not included, some of which may help fill poorly sampled time bins. Moreover the taxic nature of disparity analyses makes it difficult to compare disparity measures with phylogenetically corrected diversity or morphological evolutionary rate curves. We present a general method for using phylogeny to correct measures of disparity, by including reconstructed ancestors in the disparity analysis. We apply this method to discrete character data sets focusing on Triassic archosaurs, Cenozoic carnivoramorph mammals, and Cretaceous–Cenozoic euarchontogliran mammals. Phylogenetic corrections do not simply mirror the taxic disparity patterns, but affect the three analyses in heterogeneous ways. Adding reconstructed ancestors can inflate morphospace, and the amount and direction of expansion differs depending on the taxonomic group in question. In some cases phylogenetic corrections give a temporal disparity curve indistinguishable from the taxic trend, but in other cases disparity is elevated in earlier time intervals relative to later bins, due to the extension of unsampled morphologies further back in time. The phylogenetic disparity curve for archosaurs differs little from the taxic curve, supporting a previously documented pattern of decoupled disparity and rates of morphological change in dinosaurs and their early contemporaries. Although phylogenetic corrections should not be used blindly, they are helpful when studying clades with major unsampled gaps in their fossil records.
DIVERSITY OF LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES ISOLATED FROM HUMANS, FOOD, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SOURCES IN NORWAY

A total of 325 Listeria monocytogenes isolates from human, food and environmental sources were ribo- typed with the Qualicon Automated Riboprinter Microbial Characterization System, using the enzyme EcoR1. The human isolates (n=137) represented all isolates from clinical cases in Norway from 1992 to 2005. The food and envi- ronmental isolates (n=188) were collected from different food related sources in Norway in the period 1989-2002. A total of 37 ribotypes were differentiated. Most common ribotypes (i.e., ribotypes represented by >5 isolates) were iso- lated from human as well as food and environmental sources. The exceptions were ribotypes DUP-1062D and 1058A, which were found only among food and environmental samples (14 and 5 times, respectively), and DUP-1042A, which was identified only among human clinical isolates. DUP-1030A, the most frequent ribotype among the human isolates, as well as ribotypes DUP-1042B, DUP-1042C, DUP-1049B and DUP-1062B were identified from both foods, envi- ronmental and human sources. DUP-1039C (n=54) and DUP-1045B (n=27) were frequently isolated from patients, food and environmental samples. The isolates were classified into lineages based on ribotyping results. The lineage I strain DUP-1038B was isolated every year from 1992 to 2005 from the human clinical samples. Out of 137 listeriosis cases, 76 (55.6%) were caused by lineage II strains. We found a considerable overlap between ribotypes, lineages and isolation sources. It does not seem possible to establish food strain specific regulations for L. monocytogenes based on ribotyping.
Real Estate Finance & Investment Group Working Papers Series Real Estate at Cass:

A significant amount of research activity covering real estate has been directed towards developing empirical models explaining rental growth a key driver of investment performance. This paper extends the quantitative research for real estate by applying contemporary panel data techniques to 12 key European office markets. A general model is developed in which price (rent) is determined by demand and supply variables, providing a solid theoretical basis. This is tested econometrically using an error correction model which is estimated across all centres. The approach allows the behaviour of different markets to be readily compared and contrasted, providing inferences about intra-market dependence and the comparative speed of adjustment towards long run equilibrium. In addition, the model’s strong basis in economic theory and parsimony help protect against misleading modelling conclusions due to the presence of poor quality data. The study extends the research by comparing the performance of the above error correction model to a number of alternatives which have been covered in the literature, including a-theoretical models. The overall results shed light on the relevance of applied economic theory for explaining real estate market behaviour, an issue which has been the subject of some debate in the literature.
A Different Take on the Deliberative Poll Information, Deliberation, and Attitude Constraint

Opinion pollsters, political scientists, and democratic theorists have long been concerned with the normative and methodological implications of nonattitudes (Converse 1964). Of the proposed remedies to the weak and labile attitudinal responses proffered by an uninformed and disinterested public, perhaps the most ambitious to date has been Fishkin’s concept of the deliberative poll (Fishkin 1991, 1995, 1997). Combining probability sampling with information intervention and increased deliberation affords a unique insight into what might be considered the true "voice of the people. " Yet, while deliberative polling draws heavily on the general notion of political sophistication (Luskin 1987), empirical analyses have tended to focus almost entirely on how the process of deliberation impacts on marginal totals of attitude items at both the individual and aggregate level (Fishkin 1997; Luskin, Fishkin, and Jowell 2002; Sturgis 2003). Little attention, in contrast, has been paid to outcomes that relate to other dimensions of opinion quality, such as attitude constraint. Constraint refers to the level of consistency between attitudes within an individual belief system that arises from a combination of logical, social, and psychological factors (Converse 1964). In this article we analyze data from five deliberative polls conducted in the United Kingdom in the 1990s in order to investigate the impact of political information and deliberation on attitude constraint. Across a broad range of issue areas we evaluate the extent to which the deliberative process impacts on statistical associations among attitude items between the first and subsequent waves of the polls. We conclude by discussing the implications of our results for the validity and reliability of survey measures of the attitude and the broader utility of the deliberative polling method as a tool of social scientific inquiry.
Oxygen, neon, and iron X-ray absorption in the local interstellar medium

We present a detailed study of X-ray absorption in the local interstellar medium by analyzing the X-ray spectra of 24 galactic sources obtained with the Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer and the XMM-Newton Reflection Grating Spectrometer. Methods. By modeling the continuum with a simple broken power-law and by implementing the new ISMabs X-ray absorption model, we have estimated the total H, O, Ne, and Fe column densities towards the observed sources. Results. We have determined the absorbing material distribution as a function of source distance and galactic latitude longitude. Conclusions. Direct estimates of the fractions of neutrally, singly, and doubly ionized species of O, Ne, and Fe reveal the dominance of the cold component, thus indicating an overall low degree of ionization. Our results are expected to be sensitive to the model used to describe the continuum in all sources.
Effect of temperature of storage on the composition and microbiological quality of raw milk

The aim of the study was to evaluate the quality of refrigerated raw milk from dairy farms located in Southwestern state of Goias during the rainy and dry seasons. Fresh milk samples were collected from bulk tank and stored for 0, 24, 48 and 72 h for the evaluation of psychrotrophic microorganisms counts, titratable acidity, chemical composition, somatic cell count (SCC) and total bacterial count (TBC). In the rainy season, the average temperature of the refrigerated raw milk samples was 17.4, 6.0, 6.1 and 5.3°C and in the dry period, the average temperature was 9.2, 2.4, 3.8 and 1.4°C for 0, 24, 48 and 72 h of storage, respectively. The physicochemical characteristics of refrigerated milk were consistent with the maximum limits established by Brazilian legislation after storage for 72 h in expansion tanks; however, in the dry period, refrigerated milk should not remain stored for more than 24 h due to the high TBC values. The results of the microbiological analyses revealed failures in the cleaning of equipment and utensils used for milking, demonstrating need for greater hygiene in the collection and maintenance of refrigerated milk at the production source. Key words: Storage time, mastitis, refrigerated milk, hygiene.
The Determinants of Corporate Debt Maturity Structure

This study examines the determinants of corporate debt maturity structure decisions of French, German and UK firms using panel data. These countries are characterised by different financial systems and traditions that have implications on how firms decide their debt maturity structure. We apply several alternative estimation methods and show that in debt structure modelling endogeneity problem should be controlled for. We do so by using Generalised Method of Moments (GMM) estimation method. The GMM results suggest that firms in all three countries adjust their debt ratios to attain their target maturity structure. However, the speed at which firms adjust their maturity structure towards their target levels differs from one country to another. A direct association of debt maturity with leverage in all countries confirms the predictions of the liquidity risk argument. However, corporate tax rate, growth opportunities, liquidity, firm quality, earnings volatility, asset maturity and firm size have different degree and direction of effect on debt maturity across the sample countries. Apart from these firm-specific factors, we also find that the impact of market-related factors (term structure of interest rates, equity premium, share price performance, and interest rate volatility) on debt maturity is country dependent. Hence, the debt maturity structure of a firm is determined by both firm-specific factors and country-specific effects.
Roasting process enhances antioxidative effect of cinnamon (Cinnamomi Cortex) via increase in cinnamaldehyde content

Regarding chemical and biological activity changes in oriental drugs after food processing such as roasting, fermentation, and extrusion, fifty commonly-used medicinal plants were investigated. As a result, cinnamon (Cinnamomi Cortex) showed remarkably different HPLC profiles and ca 40% of increased antioxidative effect after being roasted. An increased peak was isolated by a reverse phase silica gel chromatography and identified as cinnamaldehyde by means of instrumental analysis including 1H and 13C NMR and MS. The enhanced antioxidative effect might originate from the increased content of cinnamaldehyde since this compound is one of the most well known natural antioxidants. The cinnamaldehyde content in cinnamon reached its maximum level after being roasted for 10 min at 120±2°C (108.42±0.26 mg/g extract, ca 137 times of increase over untreated control). Although there were no significant changes in in vitro biological activity such as anti-dementia, anti-hypertension or cytotoxicity, before and after the roasting process, the results suggested that simple heat treatment might improve the value of the above oriental drugs since cinnamaldehyde has been shown to possess various biological properties such as antibiotic, antioxidative, anti-diabetic, anti-influenza, and apoptosis-inducing properties.
Sinistral Ductile Shearing Associated with Metamorphic Decompression in the Tauern Window, Eastern Alps

Abstract Structural analysis of the Greiner schist belt located be- tween the Tux and Zillertal granite gneiss "cores" reveals two phases of Alpine strike-slip shearing imprinted onto a pre-Al- pine tectonic fabric. The first Alpine shearing was sinistral and affected the whole schist belt and parts of the neighbouring gneisses. Deformation creates slightly oblate strain ellipsoids. A second and subordinate phase of ductile deformation is li- mited to a few mesoscopic dextral shear zones with minor displacements. The sinistral strike-slip shearing, which is inferred to be of uppermost Cretaceous to lower Tertiary age, was accompani- ed by an estimated two kilobar decompression within the Greiner Shear Zone. The movement also affected the overly- ing Glockner Nappe and therefore is younger than the eo-Al- pine overthrusting. The strike slip motion indicates major late- ral shape changes in the thickened orogenic wedge and may be related to continued crustal compression after continental collision.
Comparison of cognitive behavioral group therapy and acceptance and commitment group therapy on quality of life of breast cancer women

Background: Breast cancer diagnosis always causes a great deal of stress and result in significant changes in the patient’s routine life which is apart from physical injuries, can lead to losing social roles and increased risk of mental disorders which can negatively effects their quality of life. Objective: The present study aimed at comparing the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral group therapy and acceptance and commitment group therapy on quality of life of breast cancer women. Methods: This is a quasi-experimental pre-test, post-test and follow-up with control group design. Thirty women suffering from breast cancer randomly and equally assigned in to two interventions and a control groups. The treatments consisted of eight weekly acceptance and commitment group therapy and also eight weekly cognitive-behavioral group therapy sessions and follow-up evaluations were carried out two months later. The QLQ-C30, QLQ-BR23 questionnaires were applied in this study. Results : Comparing with cognitive-behavioral group therapy, significant enhancement was indicated in total and all scales of QlQ-C30 and QlQ-BR23 scores in acceptance and commitment group therapy’s post-test and the results were also preserved at follow-up test. Conclusions: It is suggested by the findings of this research that acceptance and commitment program appears to be more efficient and feasible therapeutic intervention than cognitive-behavioral therapy for improving quality of life of women suffering from breast cancer.
Large scale artificial rearing of Anastrepha sp.1 aff. fraterculus (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Brazil

Some species of the genus Anastrepha (Diptera: Tephritidae) are successfully managed by matching the sterile insect technique with parasitoid releases. Such strategies used in integrated pest management can be implemented only where insect mass-rearing programs are feasible. In this study, we show the process of domestication, rearing technology and quality control data obtained from 54 generations of Anastrepha sp.1 aff. fraterculus (Wiedemann, 1830) kept under fully artificial conditions. Eggs were collected by an artificial oviposition panel consisting of one side of the cage made of blue voile fabric externally covered with a thin layer of silicon rubber. They were then air-bubbled in water at 25 oC for 48 h before seeding. Larvae were reared on the regular laboratory artificial diet with 66 % of agar reduction turning over a semi-liquid diet, which reduced costs and improved insect quality. The adult and larval diets were composed of local ingredients including hydrolyzed yeast. When large-scale production of this fly is contemplated, the critical stage is larval development. This system of artificial rearing for A. fraterculus sp.1 developed in Brazil, allows for the production of a large number of insects of excellent quality using local ingredients and less agar in diet composition than the original medium used for this species. By reducing the interval of egg collection, the system might be optimized in terms of insect yield and, therefore, meet the demands of A. fraterculus sp.1 with regard to integrated pest management purposes.
Does Disclosure Matter?

Disclosure has long been the preferred regulatory approach to curtail one-sided standard form contract terms. Examples include the Truth in Lending Act, the new "ALI Principles of the Law of Software Contracts," and many other proposals which await Congressional approval. The appeal of disclosure is that it is relatively low cost, improves consumer decision-making and preserves consumer choice. For disclosure to be effective, however, it must increase readership and understanding of contracts to a meaningful rate, and, conditional on readership, contract content must be relevant to purchase decisions. This paper tests both these necessary conditions. We follow the clickstream of 47,399 households to 81 Internet software retailers to measure contract readership as a function of disclosure. We find that making contracts more prominently available does not increase readership in any significant way. In addition, the purchasing behavior of those few consumers who read contracts is unaffected by the one-sidedness of their terms. The results suggest that mandating disclosure online should not on its own be expected to have large effects on contract content.