Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Nutritional Education based on Health Belief Model on Self-Esteem and BMI of Overweight and at Risk of Overweight Adolescent Girls

Background Due to significant increases in the prevalence of overweight and obesity in adolescents in developed countries, much attention has been focused on this issue. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of nutritional education based on Health Belief Model (HBM) on self-esteem and body mass index (BMI) of overweight and at risk of overweight adolescent girls. Materials and Methods: The study subjects consist of 140 female students recruited from two high schools, who were randomly allocated to the intervention (n=70) and control (n=70) groups. The data collection instrument included sections on socio-demographic status, transportation method, physical status, and knowledge and attitudes of the students towards nutrition, which was designed according to HBM. As the intervention, model-based educational program was implemented through six 60-minute sessions, focusing on the overweight and at-risk students. Results were compared in the beginning, and three months after the intervention to find the possible impacts. Results: Average score of model structures and self-esteem of students in both groups had no significant difference at baseline, but immediately after the intervention and 3 months after treatment, the mean component scores were significantly higher in intervention group than controls (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the control group between the mean scores of model structures and self-esteem at different times. There was a significant difference at different times in component scores in the experimental group (P<0.05). The mean score of BMI in the control group had no significant difference in different time. Significant difference in BMI scores was seen at different times in experimental group (P<0.05). Conclusion: The positive effect of this program was seen among the participants. Therefore such interventions in schools for developing effective long-term healthy behaviors have preventive and controlling effects on overweight.
Trust in the Institutions of the European Union: A Cross-Country Examination

Trust in political institutions is one of the key elements which make representative democracies work. Trust creates a connection between citizens and representative political institutions. Democratic governments which enjoy a large degree of trust also tend to have higher degrees of legitimacy and policy efficacy. In Europeâ€™s multi-level governance structure, it is imperative to understand the determinants of trust in the institutions of the European Union. With the increasing salience of the European Union, are domestic proxies still a key determinant of evaluating its institutions? Are there differences across the institutions and across the member states? We demonstrate that country-level corruption levels are what drives the relationship between domestic and European institutional trust. The majority of the variation in trust in the institutions of the European Union is, however, driven by individual-level predictors. We also find that individuals across Europe evaluate the institutions of the European Union through a single attitude dimension of political trust rather than through separate evaluations.
Simplified Real-, Complex-, and Quaternion-Valued Neuro-Fuzzy Learning Algorithms

—The conventional real-valued neuro-fuzzy method (RNF) is based on classic fuzzy systems with antecedent membership functions and consequent singletons. Rules in RNF are made by all the combinations of membership functions; thus, the number of rules as well as total parameters increase rapidly with the number of inputs. Although network parameters are relatively less in the recently developed complex-valued neuro-fuzzy (CVNF) and quaternion neuro-fuzzy (QNF), parameters increase with number of inputs. This study investigates simplified fuzzy rules that constrain rapid increment of rules with inputs; and proposed simplified RNF (SRNF), simplified CVNF (SCVNF) and simplified QNF (SQNF) employing the proposed simplified fuzzy rules in conventional methods. The proposed simplified neuro-fuzzy learning methods differ from the conventional methods in their fuzzy rule structures. The methods tune fuzzy rules based on the gradient descent method. The number of rules in these methods are equal to the number of divisions of input space; and hence they require significantly less number of parameters to be tuned. The proposed methods are tested on function approximations and classification problems. They exhibit much less execution time than the conventional counterparts with equivalent accuracy. Due to less number of parameters, the proposed methods can be utilized for the problems (e.g., real-time control of large systems) where the conventional methods are difficult to apply due to time constrain.
Willingness-to-pay for microinsurance and flexibility: Evidence from an agricultural investment lab-in-the-field experiment in Senegal

Agricultural insurance does not only affect investment decisions in agriculture but also in a secondary, unrelated income earning activity that can serve as a risk mitigation and risk coping strategy, such as livestock farming. The value of insurance may depend on the market environment in the investment market for livestock: with complete livestock markets, agricultural insurance may be less valuable; with seasonal livestock markets and non-flexible decision making environments, agricultural insurance becomes more valuable. Using data from a lab-in-the-field experiment with agricultural decision makers in rural Senegal we study the effects of agricultural insurance on investments in livestock with complete and seasonal livestock markets. In general, insurance increases investment in livestock farming. There is a widespread willingness to pay for insurance but it does not react to the size of the insurance coverage. The value of insurance is higher in inflexible investment decisions indicating that insurance is more valuable in non-flexible decision making environments, such as incomplete and seasonal markets.
Effect of fat and sugar replacement on cookie properties

Fat mimetics, namely Raftiline, Simplesse, C*deLight and polydextrose, diluted in water to give a gel with 200 g kg−1 concentration, were used for partial fat replacement and polyols, namely lactitol, sorbitol and maltitol, for sugar replacement in low-fat, sugar-free cookies. Raftiline, Simplesse or C*deLight combined with lactitol or sorbitol in 35% fat-reduced, sugar-free cookies resulted in products with hardness and brittleness comparable to those of the control. Polydextrose as fat mimetic and maltitol as sugar substitute resulted in very hard and brittle products. Further fat replacement to 50% was achieved using Raftiline, Simplesse or C*deLight combined with a blend of lactitol and sorbitol; however, the final products were hard, brittle and did not expand properly after baking. Cookies prepared with Simplesse had the least acceptable flavour, while cookies prepared with C*deLight were rated as the most acceptable by a sensory panel. The textural properties were improved by either decreasing the amount of alternative sweetener or increasing the concentration of fat mimetic in the gel which was added to the cookies. All fat-reduced, sugar-free cookies prepared in this study had higher values of moisture content and water activity than the control, but these values were below the upper limit that affects cookie shelf-life. © 2002 Society of Chemical Industry
Native Plant Establishment Success Influenced by Centaurea stoebe Control Method

Invasive species frequently hinder restoration efforts. While the effectiveness of differing control methods are often reported, the impacts these methods have on the establishment of a native plant community are often unknown. To determine methods that effectively reduce spotted knapweed ( Centaurea stoebe ) while enhancing native species establishment, we tested 12 treatment combinations consisting of an initial site preparation (mowing, mowing + clopyralid, or mowing + glyphosate), with combinations of annual adult knapweed hand pulling, and/or burning. We established 48 plots and applied site preparation treatments during summer 2008, seeded 23 native forbs and grasses during spring 2009, pulled adult knapweed annually from 2009-2012, and burned in the early spring 2012. During July of 2011 and 2012, percent cover of all species was visually estimated. By 2011, seeded species had established in all treatment plots, including plots that retained greater than 50% knapweed cover, indicating that native species successfully established despite knapweed dominance. Mowing alone had no long-term impacts on community development. Clopyralid favored non-native grass establishment, while glyphosate encouraged non-native forbs. Clopyralid had minimal impacts on native forb establishment, but did effectively control knapweed. Hand pulling reduced knapweed cover, increased non-native grass cover, and enhanced native species establishment. The established grasses helped prevent the resurgence of knapweed. Further, native graminoids were beginning to replace non-native grasses in the pulled plots. Burning had little impact, possibly due to low intensity and unseasonable weather. The application of knapweed control measures combined with seeding of native species resulted in successful native species establishment.
Determination of ınfrared drying characteristics and modelling of drying behaviour of carrot pomace

In this study, drying characteristics of carrot pomace were determined and the applicability of different drying models was investigated in order to find the product’s moisture content at any time of the drying process. Drying times of carrot pomace were found by drying at the infrared power levels of 83, 125, 167 and 209 W. It was observed that the power level affected the drying rate and time. To evaluate the drying kinetics of carrot pomace, the obtained experimental data were applied to twelve mathematical models and the model with the best fit was determined. According to the results, Aghbashlo et al model is superior to the others for explaining drying behavior of carrot pomace. Effective moisture diffusivity varied from 0.59 to 3.40x10-10 m2 s-1 and was significantly influenced by infrared power. Activation energy was estimated by a modified Arrhenius type equation and found to be 5.73 kW kg-1.
Social and Personal Dimensions as Predictors of Sustainable Intention to Use Facebook in Korea: An Empirical Analysis

The purpose of this research is to investigate the role of social and personal dimensions in predicting sustainable intention to use a social networking site (SNS). We propose and test an integrative SNS acceptance model based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), the technology acceptance model (TAM), and the social influence theory. Included in the model are the attitudes toward the use of a SNS, the subjective norm, prevalence of information cascades, and the perceived behavioral control as antecedents of intention to use a SNS. An empirical analysis was conducted using data collected from a questionnaire survey with 228 college students in Korea, and it yielded the following findings. First, the two social dimensions, namely subjective norm and information cascade, were each found to have a significant positive relationship with behavioral intention to use a SNS. In particular, information cascades turned out to have a stronger impact than the remaining two antecedents to behavioral intention to use a SNS. Second, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use were found to have a significant positive influence on the attitude toward SNS use.
Testing for Fisher’s Hypothesis in Nigeria (1970-2012)

This paper has examined the causal link between interest rates and inflation in Nigeria using quarterly data on Nigeria for the periods of 1970 – 2012. Maximum likelihood method of co-integration, suggested by Johansen (1988, 1991) and Granger causality in ADL models with p and q lags suggested by Koop (2005) are implemented to determine the number of co-integrating vectors and verify the nature and direction of causality between interest rates and inflation in Nigeria respectively. The co-integration results show that the null hypothesis of no significant long-run stable relationship between interest and inflation rates cannot be rejected for Nigeria and that Fisher hypothesis which supports the view that nominal interest rates consist of two components of the “real” rate of interest (to which investments respond) plus a premium based on expected change in the price level, is violated for Nigeria in the long-run. The ADL models were used to investigate the causal link between interest rates and inflation in the short-run. The results indicate non existence of a significant causal link from interest rates to inflation in the short run, suggesting that interest rates may be considered exogenous in inflation modeling in Nigeria. Furthermore, the results identified existence of a significant causal link from inflation to interest rates in the short-run. In effect, Fisher’s hypothesis that nominal interest rates consist of two components of the “real” rate of interest plus a premium based on expected change in the price level is verified for Nigeria in the short-run. This finding supports that, in the short-run, market participants incorporate a predictable portion of the inflation rate into the nominal interest rate in Nigeria. Keywords: co-integration, Causality, Inflation, Nominal Interest Rate.
DETERMINING THE EFFECTIVENESS IN VERMICOMPOSTING OF SEWAGE SLUDGES AND THE ATTEMPT TO INCREASE THE EFFECTIVENESS BY APPLYING BACTERIAL MICROORGANISMS

Applying vermicomposting process for sewage sludge treatment is a low-cost method which has been gaining a growing number of supporters around the world. In Poland it is still rather unpopular method. The following publication presents the results of 12 years (2004–2015) of research and experiments on the use of red Californian earthworm in Wastewater Treatment Plant in Zambrów. Among others, the results of analyzing vermicompost quality were shown concerning selected micro and macro elements, fertilizing value and sanitary condition. Cumulative content of the examined heavy metals was highest in 2004 and reached over 1200 mg-1 kg s.m. , whereas the lowest content of 520 mg-1 kg s.m. was observed in 2012. The study results indicate that in the entire 12-year research period vermicompost met the standards for organicmineral fertilizers, which means it contained over 20% of organic substance in reference to dry mass and over 1% of total nitrogen and 0.5% of phosphorous in reference to phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5). During the entire research period no living eggs of intestinal parasites Ascaris sp. , Trichuris sp. , Toxocara sp. and Salmonella bacteria were observed in the vermicompost. The research concerning red Californian earthworm proved substantial mineralization and humification of sludge. The application of EM formula considerably quickened the process and the achieved modifications in the vermicompost structure and content.
Oil Usage, Gas Consumption and Economic Growth: Evidence from Poland

This article investigates causal links between economic growth, oil consumption and natural gas usage in Poland on the basis of quarterly data for the period Q1 2000–Q4 2009. The application of the Toda–Yamamoto procedure, a nonlinear Granger causality test, bootstrap techniques and an analysis of vector error-correction model led to the conclusion that both oil and natural gas usage caused gross domestic product growth in the short term. However, in the long term causality ran in the opposite direction. Both these findings are believed to be the consequence of the recent transformation of the Polish economy from energy intensive activities towards services, which in general are not energy–consuming.
Assessment of Crawler Tractor Effects on Soil Surface Properties

Skidding operations can cause considerable and wide spread soil disturbance. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of ground skidding operations on soil compaction, moisture content, and total porosity at different levels of slope and traffic frequency. Four levels of traffic intensity (3, 8, 13, and >13 passes of a Crawler Tractor Onezhets ? 110) and three levels of slope ( 20%) were applied to assess soil disturbance. The soil samples from the depth interval 0-10 cm were collected with a soil hammer and rings. Results showed that dry bulk density, moisture content and total porosity were affected considerably by slope and traffic frequency of skid trails. Bulk density was drawing near to the critical value after 8 passes in the trail with the slope >20%; when the number of machine passes increased from 8 to 13 passes, the additional bulk density increment was negligible. Irrespective of traffic frequency, dry bulk density increased significantly in the slope >10% compared to the slope 20% . Minimum moisture content was measured as 27% on the skid trail versus 47% in the undisturbed area. A negative correlation was found between moisture content and dry bulk density. Total porosity was measured as a maximum 58% to a minimum 44% on the skid trail treatments, and 65% in the undisturbed area. Soil disturbance was extended dramatically on the treatments with slopes >20%, so dry bulk density on the treatments with 8 passes and slopes >20% (1.38 g cm-3) was significantly higher than on the treatment with 13 passes and slopes 10% increased soil disturbance quite dramatically.
The Effect of Climate Change on Variations in Dew Amount in a Paddy Ecosystem of the Sanjiang Plain, China

Due to global warming, a drying and warming trend has been observed over the last 50 years in the Sanjiang Plain of Heilongjiang Province, China, which could significantly affect the condensation of vapor in paddy ecosystems. Dew is a crucial factor in the water and nutrient cycling of farmland ecosystems, and it exerts an important influence on fertilization and other agricultural activities. In order to reveal the effects of global warming on dew variation in a paddy ecosystem, an in situ experiment was conducted in paddy fields in the Sanjiang Plain during the growing seasons of 2011 to 2013. Dew was collected and measured with a poplar stick. The results of correlation analysis between meteorological factors and dew intensity in the paddy ecosystem indicate that the dew point temperature and relative humidity significantly influenced the dew intensity. Based on synchronous meteorological data, a stepwise linear multivariation regression model was established to predict dew amount. The model successfully interpreted the relationship between simulated and measured dew intensity. The results suggest that a warmer and drier climate would lead to a reduction in dew amount because water cannot condense when relative humidity falls below 71%.
Macroeconomic News Effects on the Stock Markets in Intraday Data

The aim of the paper is to compare reactions of two stock markets, the German and the French, to releases of macroeconomic fundamentals emanating from Germany and the U.S. We examine the reaction of intraday returns and volatility of the CAC40 and the DAX indices to macroeconomic surprises. We find that both American and German macroeconomic releases cause an immediate response in returns and volatility of the German and the French stock market sampled at a five-minute frequency. The reaction to the American macroeconomic surprises is stronger than to the German ones.
Present‐day crustal motion within the Tibetan Plateau inferred from GPS measurements

[1] Using the measurements of ∼726 GPS stations around the Tibetan Plateau, we determine the rigid rotation of the entire plateau in a Eurasia-fixed reference frame which can be best described by an Euler vector of (24.38° ± 0.42°N, 102.37° ± 0.42°E, 0.7096° ± 0.0206°/Ma). The rigid rotational component accommodates at least 50% of the northeastward thrust from India and dominates the eastward extrusion of the northern plateau. After removing the rigid rotation to highlight the interior deformation within the plateau, we find that the most remarkable interior deformation of the plateau is a “glacier-like flow” zone which starts at somewhere between the middle and western plateau, goes clockwise around the Eastern Himalayan Syntaxis (EHS), and ends at the southeast corner of the plateau with a fan-like front. The deformation feature of the southern plateau, especially the emergence of the flow zone could be attributed to an eastward escape of highly plastic upper crustal material driven by a lower crust viscous channel flow generated by lateral compression and gravitational buoyancy at the later developmental stage of the plateau. The first-order feature of crustal deformation of the northeastern plateau can be well explained by a three-dimensional elastic half-space dislocation model with rates of dislocation segments comparable to the ones from geological observations. In the eastern plateau, although GPS data show no significant convergence between the eastern margin of the plateau and the Sichuan Basin, a small but significant compressional strain rate component of ∼10.5 ± 2.8 nstrain/yr exists in a relatively narrow region around the eastern margin. In addition, a large part of the eastern plateau, northeast of the EHS, is not undergoing shortening along the northeastward convergence direction of the EHS but is stretching.
Correlation of Serum Zinc Level with Simple Febrile Seizures: A Hospital based Prospective Case Control Study

Background: Febrile seizures are one of the most common neurological conditions of childhood. It seems that zinc deficiency is associated with increased risk of febrile seizures.Aim: To estimate the serum Zinc level in children with simple Febrile seizures and to find the correlation between serum zinc level and simple Febrile seizures.Materials and Methods: The proposed study was a hospital based prospective case control study which included infants and children aged between 6 months to 5 years, at Post Graduate Department of Pediatrics, (SMGS) Hospital, GMC Jammu, northern India. A total of 200 infants and children fulfilling the inclusion criteria were included. Patients were divided into 100(cases) in Group A with simple febrile seizure and 100(controls) in Group B of children with acute febrile illness without seizure. All patients were subjected to detailed history and thorough clinical examination followed by relevant investigations.Results: Our study had slight male prepondance of 62% in cases and 58% in controls . Mean serum zinc level in cases was 61.53±15.87 ugm/dl and in controls it was 71.90+18.50 ugm/dl . Serum zinc level was found significantly low in cases of simple febrile seizures as compaired to controls ,with p value of