Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Truck Driving on Health of Japanese Middle Aged Male Workers of a Transport Company—Multiple Regression Analyses for Blood Pressure and HbA1C—

Effect of Truck Driving on Health of Japanese Middle Aged Male Workers of a Transport Company —Multiple Regression Analyses for Blood Pressure and HbA1c—: Yasushi Suwazono, et al. Department of Hygiene, School of Medicine, Chiba University—The effect on health of truck driving was investigated in a transport company. The study subjects consisted entirely of Japanese healthy male workers aged 40 yr or more (n=429) and were classified into the three occupations: truck driver, clerical worker, forklift truck driver and laborer. The truck drivers transport goods for short distances and work only in the daytime. The results of an annual health examination were used for comparing variables among occupations. The variables were tested by one‐way ANOVA. The percentages of abnormal findings were tested by chi‐square test. Multiple regression analyses were performed with SBP, DBP or HbA1c as the dependent variables and age, occupation, smoking, drinking, BMI, y‐GTP, T‐Cho or HbA1c as the independent variables. BMI of truck drivers and Hb of clerical workers were significantly higher than those of forklift truck drivers and laborers in ANOVA. The percentage of obesity (BMI>=26.4) was significantly different in the three occupations, with obesity being most frequent in clerical workers. Multiple regression analysis indicated that age, drinking, BMI and HbA1c were significantly associated with increased SBP. The analysis for DBP indicated that age, drinking and BMI were significantly associated with increased DBP, and smoking was associated with decreased DBP. The analysis for HbA1c indicated that age, BMI and T‐Cho were significantly associated with increased HbA1c. Occupation was not significant in these analyses, suggesting that the health effect of driving alone was relatively small in this company.
EFFECTS OF MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION EXPERIENCE ON COGNITIVE AND EMOTIONAL FUNCTIONING AND EGO DEPLETION

OF DISSERTATION Emily Lauren Brown Lykins The Graduate School University of Kentucky 2009 EFFECTS OF MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION EXPERIENCE ON COGNITIVE AND EMOTIONAL FUNCTIONING AND EGO DEPLETION __________________________________________ ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION ___________________________________________OF DISSERTATION ___________________________________________ A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Kentucky By Emily Lauren Brown Lykins
Metabolic status in early lactating dairy cows of two breeds kept under conditions of organic farming - a case study

Die Transition Periode ist entscheidend fur die laktierende Kuh: Eine reduzierte Futteraufnahme steht dem steigenden Energiebedarf fur das Wachstum des Fotus sowie der Laktogenese gegenuber und bedingt eine negative Energiebilanz. Das Ziel der Bio-Milchviehhaltung, Milch raufutterbasiert zu erzeugen, erhoht das Risiko fur Stoffwechselstorungen in dieser Zeit und es stellt sich die Frage, ob weniger milchbetonte Rinderrassen besser fur diese Haltungsform geeignet sind. Um den Effekt der Rasse bzw. des Managements auf den Stoffwechselstatus der Kuhe wahrend der ersten Laktationswochen zu testen, wurden zum einen eine Doppelnutzungs- (Deutsche Rotbunte  DRB) und eine milchbetonte Rasse (Deutsche Holstein  DH) unter den gleichen Bedingungen und zum anderen zwei unterschiedlich gemanagte Herden gleicher Rasse (DH), verglichen. 179 Kuhe (Herde 1: 84 DH, Herde 2: 46 DH und 49 DRB) konnten ausgewertet werden. Der Energiebedarf (EB%) der Tiere wurde in Herde 1 besser gedeckt als in Herde 2. Die Probenwoche sowie die Herde hatten einen Effekt auf den Fett-Eiweis-Quotienten (FEQ) und den s-Hydroxy-Buttersaure-Gehalt (BHBA) in der Milch, die nichtveresterten freien Fettsauren (NEFA) und die Glutamadehydrogenase-Aktivitat (GLDH) im Blut. Die Rasse beeinflusste FEQ, BHBA und GLDH und EB% zeigte einen Effekt auf FEQ, sowie BHBA und NEFA. Es bestand ein saisonaler Effekt bei FEQ sowie GLDH mit hoheren Messwerten im Winter. Es bestatigte sich die starkere metabolische Belastung von Tieren der milchbetonten Rasse in der Fruhlaktation aufgrund suboptimaler Bedingungen wahrend der Transition Periode. Bei einer adaquaten Futterung trat dieser Unterschied nicht mehr auf.
High-frequency climate linkages between the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean during marine oxygen isotope stage 100 (MIS100)

High-resolution records of Mediterranean and North Atlantic deep-sea sediments indicate that rapid changes in hydrology and climate occurred during marine oxygen isotope stage 100 (MIS100) (at ∼2.52 Ma), which exhibits characteristics similar to late Pleistocene Dansgaard-Oeschger, Bond cycles and Heinrich events. As in the late Pleistocene, North Atlantic oceanographic and atmospheric changes were probably transmitted into the Mediterranean by some combination of surface water inflow and Atlantic-Mediterranean atmospheric pressure gradients. Our data suggest that the mechanism(s) responsible for sub-Milankovitch and millennial-scale climate oscillations were the same over at least the past 2.6 Ma, notwithstanding the transition from the 41-kyr-dominated glacial cycles of the late Pliocene to the 100-kyr cycles of the late Pleistocene.
Strategic Management Practices and Performance of Small Scale Enterprises in Kitui Town

Purpose: The objective of the study was to establish the strategic management practices employed by small enterprises in Kitui town, and how investment in personnel and skills, reaction to competitor actions, maintaining customer loyalty and product differentiation influenced performance of enterprises. Research Design:The research involved a survey of 99 small enterprises in Kitui town out of a population of 7,246. Data was collected using questionnaires. Frequency tables and percentages were used to present the findings. Responses in the questionnaires were tabulated, coded and processed by use of a computer Statistical Package for Social Science version 20 to analyse the data. Descriptive statistics like the mean and inferential statistics were used to derive meaningful findings and inferences. Results:Results indicated that investment in personnel and skills was a key determinant strategic management practice influencing performance among small scale businesses. Results indicate that innovative products and services, levels of efficiency, ethical standards and new market entrants influenced performance to a great extent. Conclusion: The study findings reveal that investment in personnel and skills,competitor responses, management of customer loyalty and product differentiation are some of the strategies that can be used to manage performance of small enterprises. Communication was also found to act as a pertinent element of customer loyalty.Product differentiation ensures that a small enterprise is relevant and successful even in a highly competitive environment. Delegation of duties is also a crucial aspect that facilitates for excellent standards of motivation. Contribution of the Study: The unique contribution of this study is that it highlights the diverse strategic management practices which facilitate for the relevant methods of motivating employees for their different tasks in the long run enhancing the level of customer loyalty towards enterprises
Differentiating Celiac Disease, Lactose Intolerance, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome in the Primary Care Setting

Differentiating Celiac Disease, Lactose Intolerance, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome in the Primary Care Setting Sophia M. Larimer College of Nursing BYU Master of Science The purpose of this paper is to assist nurse practitioners (NPs) and other primary care providers in differentiating between celiac disease (CD), lactose intolerance (LI), and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in adults. The Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, CINAHL, MEDLINE (EBSCO) search engines were utilized to access systematic reviews and primary research articles published between 2009–2016. Current literature supports that a thorough history and physical must be conducted and alarming symptoms must be investigated to rule out worrisome diagnoses. Based on subtle characteristics gathered from the history and physical, the NP’s examination and testing will help distinguish CD, LI, and IBS. Nurse practitioners should use a sequential process of examination and testing (see Figure-1) to distinguish gastrointestinal disorders that share common symptoms.
Species Richness, Evenness and Plant Community Stability 22 Years after Ploughing a Semiarid Rangeland

Rangeland ploughing and cultivation using dry land farming crops may be amajor reason for the destruction of natural resources in the semiarid and sub-humid regionswhich may significantly change the composition and reduce the stability of the affectedcommunities. In present research, an abandoned ploughed site was compared with a nearbyreference site in the semiarid rangelands of Baharkish, Quchan, Iran in spring and summerof 2010. Frequency and canopy cover of all plant species were recorded within 40quadrates of 1m2 area. Simpson, Shannon-Weiner, Hill and Macintosh indices forbiodiversity, Margalof and Menhening for richness and Camargo, Simpson, Modified Nee,Smith and Wilson for evenness were used. Floristic composition, plant life forms, andimportant value of major plant species were compared with respect to the sites. Landploughing and subsequent abandonment had increased total number of plant species(richness) but decreased the species heterogeneity (evenness). It resulted to non-significantdifferences in species diversity between the ploughed and reference sites. Ploughing hadincreased (8%) the important values of respruting plant species. Therefore, patchydistribution of clonal plants had reduced species evenness within the abandoned site.Furthermore, there were some increases in number of therophytes (100%) buthemicryptophytes (24%), chamaephyte (33%) and phanerophyte (100%) species werereduced in the abandoned site. In conclusion, lower evenness and high proportion ofannual plants should make the abandoned site more fragile and sensitive against the futureenvironmental fluctuations.
Effect of different polishing methods on anodic titanium dioxide formation

Among various methods of synthesis of nanostructured TiO2, a self-organized anodization is the most commonly used and discussed in the literature. However, different methods of pretreatment of Ti before anodic titanium dioxide (ATO) formation are not often addressed. Therefore, various polishing procedures based on mechanical, chemical, electrochemical, and combined electrochemical with chemical pretreatments were examined to establish whether they represent effective methods for smooth Ti surface preparation before anodization. The ATO layers were prepared via two-step anodization carried out in an ethylene glycol solution containing fluoride ions at 20°C and under the anodizing potential of 60 V. The influence of applied polishing method on the cell size, pore diameter, pore circularity, pore density, and porosity of the top ATO layer was studied. In addition, the effect of polishing procedure on cell arrangement in ATO films was also investigated. The quantitative analyses of the regularity of cell arrangement, based on the regularity ratio derived from bottom-view SEM images, showed that the type of polishing procedure does not affect the cell order.
Morphological diversity of male salivary glands in Panorpidae ( Mecoptera )

The morphology of the male salivary glands of eighteen species of Panorpidae from China was studied using light microscopy. The results show that the male salivary glands differ markedly both at generic and specific levels. In Neopanorpa, the salivary glands consist of only two simple long secretory tubes extending to the fifth or sixth abdominal segment, whereas in Sinopanorpa, the salivary glands are composed of six extremely elongated secretory tubes. In Panorpa, the salivary glands are quite diverse, comprising two simple short secretory tubes only extending to the prothorax in the P. amurensis group (P. liui and P. jilinensis), six long tubes in the P. centralis group, eight to twelve in the P. diceras group and of a very variable number in the P. davidi group (especially in P. bifasciata and P. subambra). Morphology of the male salivary glands should be included in future studies on the systematics and phylogeny of the Panorpidae. 493 * Corresponding author. byersi, P. kunmingensis, P. jilinensis, Panorpa sp. , Neopanorpa pulchra, N. pendula and N. hainanica were fixed in aqueous Bouin’s solution (picric acid saturated aqueous solution : 40% formalin : glacial acetic acid = 15 : 5 : 1 v/v) for 12 h, washed in 50% ethanol and then in 70% ethanol several times until the washing fluid was no longer stained yellow and stored in 70% ethanol at 4°C before dissection. The freshly collected P. liui, P. subambra and N. minuta were fixed in Carnoy’s solution (95% ethanol : glacial acetic acid = 3 : 1 v/v) for 12 h before being preserved in 70% ethanol at 4°C. The live insects of P. nanwutaina, P. sexspinosa, P. magna, P. dubia, P. bifasciata and Sinopanorpa tincta were placed in Dietrich solution (formalin : 95% ethanol : glacial acetic acid : distilled water = 6 : 15 : 1 : 80 v/v), which was heated until it began to give off vapour but was not bubbling and then for fixation left to stand for 12 h under hood. Then they were washed in 50% ethanol and stored in 70% ethanol at 4°C. Specimens fixed in Dietrich solution were more easily dissected and in a better state than samples fixed in the other two solutions. The fixed male specimens were partly embedded in melted wax to reduce movement (Schönitzer & Seifert, 1990) and their salivary glands were dissected out in 70% ethanol under Nikon SMZ168-BL and SMZ1500 stereo microscopes. Photographs were taken with a Nikon CoolPix5000 digital camera attached to the microscope. Only pictures of the salivary glands of 13 species are shown. The other five species are not illustrated because of the poor quality of their preservation.
Effects of Electromagnetic Radiation of Mobile Phones on Hematological and Biochemical Parameters in Male Albino Rats

The widespread usage of mobile phones in recent years has raised concern for potential dangers and subsequent research activities. Many have tried to determine the effects of the emitted electromagnetic radiation of mobile phones. The present study was aimed at evaluating the effects of EMR from mobile phones on behavior, some hematological (RBC, MCV, WBC, HGB, MCH, MCHC, LYM, LYM %) and biochemical parameters (AST, ALT and ALP) in experimental rats. The results indicated that there is increase in mean weight of animals exposed to low EMR but the increment was less as the exposure period increases. No changes were observed in terms of their behavior. The values of RBC, HGB and MCH in 100% of the experimental animals in all groups of low and high EMR have exceeded that of the control. However, the values of WBC in 100% of experimental animals have not exceeded that of the control group. The mean values of AST and ALT in 30% of high EMR exposed rats has exceeded the control groups. There is no significant difference between high and low EMR exposed rats in terms of hematological parameters (RBC, MCV, WBC, HGB, MCH, MCHC, LYM, LYM %) and biochemical parameters (ALT, AST and ALP) (P>0.05).
ASYMMETRIC SPECIALIZATION: A PERVASIVE FEATURE OF PLANT-POLLINATOR INTERACTIONS

Although specialization in species interactions has usually been equated to reciprocal specialization, asymmetric specialization (i.e., a specialist interacting with a generalist) is also likely. Recent studies have suggested that asymmetric specialization in species interactions could be more common than previously thought. We contrasted patterns of asymmetric specialization observed in 18 plant-pollinator interaction webs with pre- dictions based on null models. We found that asymmetric specialization is common in plant-pollinator interactions, and that its occurrence is more frequent than expected under a simple null model that assumed random interactions among species; furthermore, large assemblages with many pairs of interacting species tend to have more asymmetric inter- actions than smaller assemblages. A second null model, which incorporated a correlation between species frequency of interaction and degree of specialization observed in most data sets produced patterns that were generally closer to those present in the data. At least three kinds of explanations could account for the observed asymmetric specialization, including random interactions among individuals (rather than species), adaptive conse- quences of specialization, and artifacts, such as data aggregation and sampling biases. Future studies should be aimed at understanding the relative importance of each of these alternative explanations in generating asymmetric specialization in species interactions.
Rokeach’s Instrumental and Terminal Values As Descriptors of Modern Organisation Values

Many authors have created different tools to measure or estimate organisational culture. Among the possibilities, they emphasize the use of organisational values. One of the most well-known values classifications is Rokeach’s (1973) terminal and instrumental values. Although this classification has been developed more than 40 years ago, the theory is still a basis for many modern studies. The aim of our study is to find out whether Rokeach’s values are still valid and relevant in modern organisational cultures or not. Almost 150 representatives of Estonian organisations were questioned in order to find out which Rokeach’s values they perceive to be in use in their organisations. According to the results, general ethical values as instrumental values were named least frequently and just one of the terminal values was not named at all – salvation. Rokeach’s values lists are not sufficiently relevant enough today to measure and describe the wide and colorful variety of values.
The Influence of Anode Inner Contour on Atmospheric DC Plasma Spraying Process

In thermal plasma spraying process, anode nozzle is one of the most important components of plasma torch. Its inner contour controls the characteristics of plasma arc/jet, determining the motion and heating behaviors of the in-flight particles and hence influencing the coating quality. In this study, the effects of anode inner contour, standard cylindrical nozzle, and cone-shaped Laval nozzle with conical shape diverging exit (CSL nozzle) on the arc voltage, net power, thermal efficiency, plasma jet characteristics, in-flight particle behaviors, and coating properties have been systematically investigated under atmospheric plasma spraying conditions. The results show that the cylindrical nozzle has a higher arc voltage, net power, and thermal efficiency, as well as the higher plasma temperature and velocity at the torch exit, while the CSL nozzle has a higher measured temperature of plasma jet. The variation trends of the plasma jet characteristics for the two nozzles are comparable under various spraying parameters. The in-flight particle with smaller velocity of CSL nozzle has a higher measured temperature and melting fraction. As a result, the coating density and adhesive strength of CSL nozzle are lower than those of cylindrical nozzle, but the deposition efficiency is greatly improved.
GENETIC DIVERSITY IN ANNUAL WILD SOYBEAN (GLYCINE SOJA SIEB. ET ZUCC.) AND CULTIVATED SOYBEAN (G. MAX . MERR.) FROM DIFFERENT LATITUDES IN CHINA

A total of 50 accessions of annual wild soybean (Glycine soja) and cultivated soybean (G. max ) were used to study genetic variations by three genetic fingerprinting systems, RAPD, SSR, and AFLP. Ninety polymorphic RAPD bands were generated by 10 decamer primers, 56 SSR loci were obtained by 12 pairs of primers and 935 bands were resolved by 11 AFLP primer combinations. Based on the marker data, an UPGMA-cluster analysis separated the soybean collections into two groups that corresponded to wild soybean and cultivated soybean respectively. Genetic diversity calculation suggested that the diversity of G. soja was higher than that of G. max . Specific informative bands for G. soja and G. max were detected, which provided molecular evidence in support of the clear distinction of G. soja and G. max . Finally, it was found that environmental factors may play important roles in soybean evolution. A comparison of the three molecular markers suggests that AFLP and SSR are more suitable than RAPD for genetic diversity studies in soybean.
In vitro developmental ontogeny and life cycle of a rare fern species— Thelypteris confluens (Thunb.) Morton

The conservation of Thelypteris confluens, which was under the list of rare and endangered ferns of Western Ghats of South India, is the major concern of this work. The in vitro life cycle starting from spore germination, followed by micromorphological changes and the reproductive biology with regard to the monocultures of this species was thoroughly studied in simple medium. The fern showed specific germination and growth pattern of Vittaria and Drynaria type. Sex organs in male, female and hermaphroditic gametophytes underwent fertilization and the sporophytes developed with sprouting leaves within 120 d in the cultures. Harderning and acclimatization procedures responded very well to the sea level as well as to high altitudes of 1800-2400 m and proved to be having a very good propagating potential with regard to spore culture. The regeneration of miniature gametophytes from the old male prothalli as filamentous structures indicates the autotrophy and rejuvenating potential of this species. Results of micromorphology, gender analysis and reproductive potential justify the rarity of this species.