Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ASSOCIATION FOR CONSUMER RESEARCH Finger Length Ratio and Attitudes Toward Several Product Categories

Recent studies have associated the second-to-fourth finger length ratio (2D:4D), a sexually dimorphic trait influenced by prenatal androgen exposure, to a wide range of abilities and dispositions. We tested if finger length ratio would correlate with attitudes towards product categories with a strong male penchant. We found significant or marginally significant correlations between finger length ratio and attitudes in Caucasians for four out of nine product categories preferred by males. Our study suggests that finger length ratios may be predictive of attitudes toward product categories possessing a strong sex specificity. Recent studies have highlighted the relevance of physiology in understanding human behavior. For instance, Coates and Herbert (2008) have shown that higher levels of testosterone are correlated to male traders’ profitability. Similarly, Saad and Vongas (2009) showed that men’s testosterone levels increased while driving a luxurious sports car, suggesting a relationship between hormones and conspicuous consumption. Finger length ratio, a sexually dimorphic trait, is a marker of prenatal testosterone (Manning et al. 1998). The second-to-fourth finger length ratio (2D:4D) has been consistently correlated to a wide range of sexually differentiated phenomena, such as athletic ability (Manning and Taylor 2001), spatial ability (Loehlin, Medland, and Martin 2009), risk-taking behavior (Coates and Page 2009), sexual orientation (Manning, Churchill and Peters 2007) and aggression (McIntyre et al. 2007). Yet, little is known about the relationship between 2D:4D and consumption phenomena possessing a strong sex-specificity. One exception is the research conducted by Millet, Kobe (2007) wherein males with low 2D:4D placed in a subordinate condition exhibited greater future discounting rates than high 2D:4D individuals put in the same condition. Moreover, he found that 2D:4D moderates one’s susceptibility to media violence. Specifically, individuals with lower digit ratios responded more aggressively and less cooperatively to aggressive music video than those with higher ratios. In the current research, we focus on the relationship between digit ratio and the attitudes that individuals hold toward specific products. Using a sample of 240 university students, we tested the hypothesis that lower finger length ratio would correlate with attitudes towards product categories that have a strong male penchant. In addition, given that rel2, the length of the index finger relative to the sum of the lengths of all four fingers, has recently been shown to be more accurate than 2D:4D in discriminating between males and females (Loehlin, Medland,
Efficacy and Safety of Etanercept in Severely Active Rheumatoid Arthritis: 6-month, Open Label, Prospective, Observational Study from Iraq

Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of etanercept in severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in a sample of Iraqi patients. Patients and methods: An open labeled single group prospective observational study was conducted over 15 months on 190 Iraqi patients with RA diagnosed according to 1987 American College of Rheumatology criteria. All the included patients were given etanercept at a dose of 50 mg by subcutaneous injection on weekly bases. Disease activity score at 28 joints (DAS28) and functional class of RA were measured at baseline and after 6months. Results: There was significant improvement in disease activity (DAS28) (p<0.001) with percent of change (-29.26%) and functional disability (P=0.001) with etanercept use over a period of 6 months. Elevated liver transaminase were 3.68%, leucopenia 3.15%, headache 2.11%, itching 2.11%, serious chest infection 1.57%, leg abscess 0.52%, injection site reactions 1.05%, breast cancer 0.52, and drug induced psoriasis 0.52%. Conclusion: Etanercept was effective and relatively safe in treatment of RA patients among Iraqi patients. Keywords: Etanercept, Rheumatoid arthritis, Diseases activity score 28 (DAS28).
The performance of heifers reared in a suckling system

In this study the effects on the performance of heifers reared in a suckling system (suckled heifers) compared to heifers reared in a bucket system (bucket heifers) were investigated. Heifers are young dairy cows that started first lactation. Focus was on the following parameters: age and live weight at first calving, milk production, and mastitis incidence. Also, attention was given to Paratuberculosis since suckling systems might increase the risks on its occurrence.
Effects of facilitation and competition on oak seedlings

Plant–plant interactions have been indicated as a potential means to facilitate oak seedling establishment and reduce herbivory when restoring oak forests. The aim of this thesis was to investigate mechanisms and outcomes of competitive and indirectly facilitative interactions between oak (Quercus robur and Q. petraea) seedlings and neighboring plants, primarily shrubs. The associational resistance of planted oak seedlings to larger herbivores provided by naturally occurring shrubs was tested in ten temperate broadleaved forests across southern Sweden. The results showed that shrubs reduced ungulate browsing frequency and intensity by concealing the oak seedlings and by sharing enemies (i.e. ungulate herbivores) with surrounding and more preferred shrub species, thus providing numeric dilution and associational plant refuges. The occurrence of naturally regenerated oak seedlings, five years after a conservation-oriented thinning, was negatively influenced by the presence of tall ground vegetation and positively influenced by high soil moisture. For oak seedlings planted in an open field, shrubs indirectly facilitated biomass accumulation by reducing competition from herbaceous vegetation. However, shrubs became net competitors three years after planting. The oak seedling response, in terms of biomass accumulation, transpiration and photosynthesis, to competition from shrubs was proportional to resource availability. Aboveground competition for light had a greater effect on oak seedling growth than belowground competition. Nevertheless, oak seedlings were able to produce a second shoot flush, over-topping the shrub canopy. This periodic flushing enabled light-acclimation in a stratified light environment. In conclusion, management of shrubs has the potential to reduce browsing and herbaceous competitors during oak regeneration, particularly during the first years after planting. Although shrubs alone may not replace fences as an effective means of reducing browsing on oaks, they provide a complement to improve the growth of seedlings during the early stages of establishment.
Advances in Precooling techniques and their implications in horticulture sector: A Review.

Maintenance of market quality from quality loss is vital importance for the success of horticultural industry. After harvest, many horticultural products are susceptible to deterioration and it is necessary to cool them as quick as possible. The process of precooling is the removal of field heat which arrest the deteriorative and senescence processes so as to maintain a high level of quality that ensures customer satisfaction. Different precooling methods employed to cool down the produce includes room cooling, forced-air cooling, hydro-cooling, package icing, vacuum cooling and cryogenic cooling. These methods use different modes and media for their function. Room cooling and forced-air cooling use cold air, hydro- cooling makes use of cold water, package iced products have direct contact with ice, vacuum cooling employs the evaporation of water and cryogenic cooling involves liquid nitrogen. Fruits are normally cooled with cold air, although stone fruits benefit from hydrocooling, while vegetables and flowers may be cooled by employing any of the above-mentioned cooling methods, depending on the physiology and market requirements. So, it has been pointed out that precooling is the most important of all the operations used in the maintenance of any desirable, fresh and saleable produce.
Do Bayesian Vector Autoregressive models improve density forecasting accuracy? The case of the Czech Republic and Romania

The supremacy of Bayesian VAR models over the classical ones in terms of forecasting accuracy is well documented and generally accepted in the literature on the grounds of overcoming the short sample and overfitting problems. However, the record is rather limited in case of emerging economies, ¬¬¬and more so for density (as opposed to point) forecasting. In this paper we compare the predictive accuracy of Bayesian and classical VAR models in case of density forecasting Czech and Romanian economic variables. The results show predictive densities are generally well calibrated, especially at shorter forecast horizons (less so for Romania). Log predictive density scores confirm the hypothesis of more accurate predictions of Bayesian VAR over classical VAR and naive univariate models, the dominance of the former being more obvious in case of Romania. As such, the Bayesian approach to VAR yields a better approximation of the uncertainty surrounding the unknown future and minimizes the prediction errors.
Knowledge and Attitude of ER and ICU Physicians towards DNR in a Tertiary Care Center in Saudi Arabia: A Survey Study

Introduction: Only a few studies from Arab Muslim countries address DNR practice. Our institute has a clear DNR policy. The knowledge of the existing policy and the attitude towards DNR of emergency room (ER) and intensive care unit (ICU) physicians were studied through this survey. Objective: To identify the knowledge of the participants of the local DNR policy and guidelines and to summarize the possible barriers of addressing DNR including religious background. Method: A questionnaire has been distributed to ER and ICU physicians. The answers to the questions were tabulated and analyzed using frequencies and percentage. Results: Total of 112 physicians with majority (97.3%) are from a Muslim religion. Among the participants 108 (96.4%) were aware about the existence of DNR policy in our institute. 107 (95.5%) stated that DNR is not against Islamic rules. Only (13.4%) of the physicians have advance directives and (90.2%) answered they will request to be placed as DNR if they have terminal illness. Lack of patients and families understanding (51.8%) and inadequate training (35.7%) were the 2 most important barriers for effective DNR discussion. Patients and Families level of education (58.0%) and cultural factors (52.7%) were the main obstacles in initiating a DNR order. Only (1.8%) of the participants stated that DNR is against their religious belief. Conclusions: There is a lack of knowledge about DNR policy which make the optimization of DNR process difficult. Most physicians wish DNR for themselves and their patients at end of life but only a few of them have advance directives. The most important barriers for initializing and discussing DNR were lack of patient understanding, level of education, and the culture of patients. Most of the Muslim physicians believe that DNR is not against Islamic rules. We suggest that the DNR concept should be part of any training program.
Choice and caring: The experiences of parents supporting young people with Autistic Spectrum Conditions as they move into adulthood

This paper reports findings about parents' experiences of caring for young people with Autistic Spectrum Conditions (ASCs) moving into adulthood. In-depth interviews were conducted with 38 parents of young people (15–21 years) with ASCs. Data were analysed thematically. In the perceived absence of service support, parents' acted as ‘care-coordinators’ and ‘life-supporters’ for their child as they moved into adulthood. These roles came with little choice, emotional demands and personal restrictions. Being supported was important for parents, but preferences differed regarding what this should look like. Implications for policy are discussed.
Bibliometric analysis of scientific development in countries of the Union of South American Nations (Unasur)

The Union of South American Nations ( Unasur ) can be considered as a new emergent region in the world. By using advanced bibliometric methods, the development of science and technology in Unasur is explored. Based on data from the InCites tool of Thomson Reuters , which facilitates national comparisons across long time periods using publication output and normalized citation impact values, we explored how this region (particularly the most productive individual countries within it) is developing. The publication output results reveal an increase in the scientific and technological activities in most of the Unasur countries (especially Brazil). Compared to the rest of the world, the citation impact trend is less favourable for all Unasur countries.
Associação de herbicidas aplicados para o controle de plantas daninhas em soja resistente ao glyphosate

In order to bypass cases of glyphosate-resistant weeds, it becomes necessary to use herbicides with other action mechanisms. The goal of this work was to evaluate the effectiveness and selectivity of herbicides with isolated or tank mix application for the management of soybean-infesting glyphosate-resistant weeds. Treatments were applied sequentially, during pre-emergence: clomazone (900 g ha -1 a.i.); flumioxazin (50 g ha-1 a.i.); diclosulam (35.02 g ha-1 a.i.); s-metolachlor (1152 g ha-1 a.i.); sulfometuron + chlorimuron-ethyl (18.75 + 18.75 g ha-1 a.i.); pendimethalin (1250 g ha-1 a.i.); sulfentrazone (250 g ha-1 a.i.); sulfentrazone + chlorimuron-ethyl (250 + 20 g ha-1 a.i.); imazethapyr + sulfentrazone (100+250 g ha-1 a.i.) and imazaquin (150 g ha-1 a.i.) and, during post-emergence, glyphosate was used over these treatments (1080 g ha-1 a.e.). During post-emergence, glyphosate was applied in an isolated manner (1080 g ha-1 a.e.) and, mixed in the sprayer tank with glyphosate (1080 g ha-1 a.e.), imazethapyr (100 g ha-1 a.i.), clethodim (96 g ha-1 a.i.) and chlorimuron-ethyl (20 g ha-1 a.i.), plus the infested and weeded control samples. The experimental area was infested with 75% of creeping signalgrass plants ( Urochloa plantaginea ) and 25% of summergrass ( Digitaria ciliaris ), at the average densities of 133 and 45 plants m-2 , respectively. At 14 and 21 DAT, the application of glyphosate + [sulfometuron + chlorimuron-ethyl] caused a 67 and 62% phytotoxicity to soybean, respectively. In order to control summergrass and creeping signalgrass, this very mixture presented an 88% index at 21 DAT, whereas control for the other treatments exceeded 91% during all evaluated periods. All the evaluated treatments caused over 91% control of both weeds, except for glyphosate + [sulfometuron + chlorimuron-ethyl]. The associations of herbicides to glyphosate caused weed control and were selective to soybean, except for sulfometuron + chlorimuron-ethyl, which presented lower control and high phytotoxicity. Some herbicides damaged the yield components of soybean, but only the sulfometuron + chlorimuron-ethyl mixture caused a reduction in grain productivity.
Accumulation , and the Emergence of Civilizations

This paper examines the hypothesis that institutional development, in the form of property rights, may have played a key role in facilitating agricultural capital accumulation, which in turn promoted the emergence of early civilizations. We rely on a falsification approach to examine Neolithic settlements in riverine environments along major ancient trade routes, and argue that neither geography nor trade—two main fundamental determinants of growth—were not sufficient to ensure the emergence of civilizations between 4500 and 1600 bce. We go on to show that a distinguishing feature of these early civilizations was the development of institutional regimes that offered either actual or notional respect for property rights, and the importance of the development of writing in supporting such
The Absence of Prion-Like Infectivity in Mice expressing Prion Protein-Like Protein

Cellular prion protein, PrP C , undergoes pathogenic structural conversion into the proteinase K (PK)-resistant isoform, PrP Sc , to constitute a nucleic acid-free infectious agent, so called a prion. To determine whether a recently identified PrP-like protein, named PrPLP/Dpl, could also be transformed to a prion-like protein, we intracerebrally inoculated a mouse-adapted Fukuoka-1 prion into Ngsk and Zrch I mice either homozygously (Prnp 0/0 ) or heterozygously (Prnp 0/+ ) devoid of PrP C . Only the former expressed PrPLP/Dpl ectopically in the brains, particularly in neurons. Ngsk Prnp 0/+ and Zrch I Prnp 0/+ mice similarly developed the disease. The diseased Ngsk Prnp 0/+ mice transmitted the disease to the mice expressing PrP C but not to the mice expressing PrPLP/Dpl, showing abundant accumulation of PrP Sc but not PK-resistant PrPLP/Dpl in the brains. Moreover, the inoculated Ngsk Prnp 0/0 mice neither developed the disease nor produced any infectivity transmissible to PrPLP/Dpl-expressing mice. These results indicate that PrPLP/Dpl have no potential to undergo pathogenic conversion to form a prion-like infectious particle.
Valuation and Hedging of Limited Price Indexed Liabilities

ABSTRACT This paper considers the market or economic valuation and the hedging of Limited Price Indexed (LPI) liabilities. This involves finding optimal static and dynamic hedging strategies which minimise the riskiness of the investment portfolio relative to the liability. In this paper we do not aim to find the perfect hedge in a perfect world. Instead, it is assumed that optimisation is restricted to three commonly used asset classes in pension funds: cash; long-term (or irredeemable) fixed-interest bonds; and long-dated index-linked bonds. The economic value of the liability is then defined as the value of the best matching portfolio using a mean/variance type of loss function. Specifically, we adopt the risk minimising approach of Föllmer & Sondermann (1986) and Schweizer & Föllmer (1988). Even with such a simple loss function, establishing the theoretically optimal solution can be difficult. We propose that a practical solution close to the theoretical optimum can be found using two approximations. First, we approximate the ‘true’ stochastic economic model by a vector autoregressive model of order one. Second, we use a sequence of linearisations to approximate non-linear by straightforward quadratic minimisation problems. The proposed approach is illustrated with various numerical examples, and we compare the results of the approximately optimal hedging strategy with static strategies.
Indirect Sliding Mode Power Control associated to Virtual Resistor based Active Damping Method for LLCL-Filter-based Grid-Connected Converters

LLCL filters are becoming an attractive solution for Grid connected Converters (GcCs) due to their ability to reduce the filter cost and size while meeting new grid codes and power quality requirements. Compared to the conventional LCL filter, the LLCL filter inserts a small inductor in the capacitor branch to compose a series LC circuit that resonates at the GcC switching frequency. The LC branch has a very low impedance at the switching frequency, which can strongly suppress the harmonic current around switching frequency and therefore reduce the filter grid side inductor. However, the LLCL filter resonance phenomenon and the large changes in the grid inductance (typically under weak grid conditions and in rural areas) may compromise the system stability. In order to address these concerns, this paper proposes an Indirect Sliding Mode Power Control associated to Virtual Resistor based Active Damping method (ISMPC-VRAD) for LLCL -filter-based Grid-connected Converters ( LLCL-GcCs ) . The LLCL filter design parameters as well as the ISMPC-VRAD gains are carefully tuned in order to ensure stable operation under severe grid inductance variations while taking into account the influence of LLCL filter parameters changes on the system stability. Simulation results are presented and discussed in order to prove the efficiency and the reliability of the proposed ISMPC-VRAD for LLCL-GcCs as well as the high filtering performances of the designed LLCL-GcCs .
ORBIT RECONSTRUCTION FOR THE GAIA MISSION

The upcoming ESA cornerstone mission Gaia which is due to be launched to the second Sun-Earth Lagrange point in 2013 has the scientific objective to create a star catalogue with unprecedented precision. In order to do so a very good knowledge of the spacecraft position and velocity is required a posteriori. It is shown in this paper that the required orbit reconstruction accuracy cannot be guaranteed with conventional tracking data, range and Doppler, which are usually used to determine the orbits of Lagrange point missions for the purpose of spacecraft operations. Therefore very precise down to 10 mas ground-based astrometric measurements of Gaia are foreseen to augment the conventional tracking data in order to reconstruct the Gaia orbit to sufficient accuracy. This paper describes the usage of the astrometric measurements within the orbit determination system of Gaia, outlines the challenges to acquire them on a regular basis, provides results from an analysis that demonstrates the feasibility of the approach and shows test results that have been achieved with ground-based astrometric measurements of the flying ESA spacecraft Planck.
AN ENHANCED MODEL FOR NUMERICAL INVESTIGATION OF MASS TRANSPORT IN AN OPERATIONAL PEM FUEL CELL

A mathematical model for the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is developed in this study. The model features assessing the thermodiffusion effect on the PEM fuel cell performance, which has been conventionally neglected in existing fuel cell modeling studies. Also, instead of treating catalyst layers simply as interfaces, the model assigns a finite thickness for catalyst layers, allowing for a more realistic description of electrochemical reaction kinetics arising in the operational PEM fuel cell. The complete model consisting of the equations of continuity, momentum, energy, species concentrations, and electric potentials in different regions of a PEM fuel cell are numerically solved using the finite element method. Various flow and transport phenomena in an operational PEM fuel cell are simulated using the newly developed model. Through comparison of numerical simulation results using the model developed in this study and the conventional thermodiffusion-free model, no significant impact of thermodiffusion is demonstrated on the performance of a PEM fuel cell during its steady operation.