Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Soaking and Fermentation of Wheat Bran on Weight Gain, Accumulative Food Intake and Food Efficiency Ratio in Rats

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of different processing treatments in terms of soaking and fermentation of wheat bran on weight gain, accumulative food intake and food efficiency ratio in Sprague-Dawley rats. The experimental diets included casein diet (zero-bran), untreated bran diet, soaked bran diet, fermented bran diet, “soaked and fermented” bran diet and Arabic bread diet. Each group of rats (6/group) was fed one of the six prepared diets for 6 weeks. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in the body weight gain among all rat groups, although the rats fed soaked diet tended to have the highest weight gain in comparison with other groups. There was no significant difference in FER among all groups, although, there was a difference between groups in the accumulative food intake. Accumulative food intake (AFI) of the rat group fed soaked bran based-diet was the highest (685.6 ± 17.3 gm) among all groups whereas AFI of the rat group fed “soaked and fermented” bran-based diet was the lowest (550.0 ± 19.1 gm). Rat group fed “soaked and fermented” bran-based diet had significantly lower levels (p < 0.05) of AFI than those fed untreated bran diet, soaked bran diet and white bread diet (550.0 ± 19.1, 663.4 ± 16.6, 685.6 ± 17.3 and 629.8 ± 28.4 gm respectively). Accordingly, the AFI of the rat group fed soaked bran diet was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than those fed casein and fermented diet (685.6 ± 17.3, 598.4 ± 9.2 and 605.8 ± 25.6 gm respectively). It is concluded that preparation of wheat bran foods by soaking or/and fermentation improve some physiological characteristics of insoluble fibers, including the body weight changes, accumulative food intake and food efficiency ratio for 6 weeks.
Demographic plasticity in relation to growth and resource allocation pattern in Anthemis cotula - an alien invasive species in Kashmir Himalaya, India.

The demographic study of Anthemis cotula L. revealed a protracted seedling recruitment pattern with peaks in autumn (pre-winter) and spring (post-winter). The major recruitment pulse in autumn contributes to the fecundity component of the life history while the minor recruitment pulse in spring aids in survival of the species. The total drymass accumulation shows striking variations between the pre-winter and post-winter populations. Compared to post-winter population, the pre-winter plants show higher drymass accumulation due to higher relative growth rate (RGR) and consequently higher number of seeds per plant. Allocation of dry matter to leaves was also higher. The present studies indicate that A. cotula tends to allocate a greater proportion of total biomass to above ground than to below ground parts which is characteristic of species invading disturbed habitats The extent of resource allocation to reproduction exhibited by the species is characteristic of the habitats that are less mature and are highly disturbed.
Estimation of Causal Effects in Experiments with Multiple Sources of Noncompliance

The purpose of this paper is to study identification and estimation of causal effects in experiments with multiple sources of noncompliance. This research design arises in many applications in education when access to oversubscribed programs is partially determined by randomization. Eligible households decide whether or not to comply with the intended treatment. The paper treats program participation as the outcome of a decision process with five latent household types. We show that the parameters of the underlying model of program participation are identified. Our proofs of identification are constructive and can be used to design a GMM estimator for all parameters of interest. We apply our new methods to study the effectiveness of magnet programs in a large urban school district. Our findings show that magnet programs help the district to attract and retain students from households that are at risk of leaving the district. These households have higher incomes, are more educated, and have children that score higher on standardized tests than households that stay in district regardless of the outcome of the lottery.
The Adaptation of English Initial Clusters by Persian Learners

This study presents an overview of the different strategies that Persian learners of English employ to deal with initial clusters. While vowel epenthesis appears to be the most widespread repair strategy to conform such clusters to Persian phonotactics, the location of the epenthetic vowel varies. In this paper, we investigate two approaches that seek to explain the epenthetic site. The first of these, based on the Sonority Sequencing Principle, does not offer a plausible account, in particular with respect to the repair of s + sonorant clusters. The second approach, based on Fleischhacker (2001, 2005), argues that the epenthetic site is based on maximal perceptual similarity between input and output. An experiment with Persian listeners is reported which confirms the crucial role of perceptual similarity. Finally, we cast this approach into an Optimality Theory framework, which will be seen to make the right predictions for words with triconsonantal clusters.
Market Power and Cost Efficiencies in Banking 1

A merger wave during the last 20 years has led to a decrease in the number of commercial banks from 12,343 in 1990 to 6,222 in 2012. For anti-trust and regulatory agencies, evaluating the relative importance of market power and cost efficiencies that result from a horizontal merger is important. To quantify these two effects, I develop an empirical model of banking which includes a demand model for differentiated products that allows market power effects to be calculated and a cost model that quantifies cost efficiencies from a merger. Since most of these banks operate in more than one market, incorporating the network structure of branches in the analysis is important. Cost parameters related to the network structure are estimated using moment inequality methods. Using the estimated parameters, I simulate mergers between banks of various sizes. I find that for a merger between 2 small banks (less than 500 branches), cost efficiencies play an important role in profitability. While for mergers involving a large bank (more than 500 branches) and a small bank or two large banks, the benefits accruing from market power are far more than the cost savings if there is substantial overlap in the networks of the merging banks. Although mergers involving large banks generate more market power, overall consumer welfare increases as the price effect of market power gets dominated by the consumer’s preference for a larger bank. I gratefully acknowledge the help and support of my dissertation committee: Mark Roberts, Paul Grieco, Jim Tybout and Keith Crocker. I am also thankful for very insightful discussions with Jonathon Eaton, Kala Krishna, Steve Yeaple, Neil Wallace, Robert Marshall, Vikram Kumar, Yao Luo, Felix Tintelnot, Hongsong Zhang, Van Anh Vuong, Gaurab Aryal, Peter Newberry and other participants of the Empirical IO workshop. All errors are my own. I am also thankful to the Human Capital Foundation for their generous financial support. Pennsylvania State University, Department of Economics. email:kumarecon7@gmail.com
How Flexible Is the Visuospatial Reference System in Children Aged 4 to 12

The ability to correctly process spatial information largely depends on the capacity to either use a viewpoint according to a visual scene or a Frame Of Reference (FOR) and to flexibly shift between them. Literature indicates 2 types of FOR mainly used to represent the location of an object. The egocentric FOR uses the location of an object relative to oneself and develops earlier than the allocentric FOR, which uses the location of an object relative to other external objects. This study examined the spontaneous use of different FOR as well as their use following explicit task instructions. One hundred and thirty-five children (aged 4-12) were assessed with an adapted version of Taylor and Rapp’s (2004) spatial reference task. In the spontaneous instructions condition, most of the children aged 7 and above used an allocentric FOR. While in the allocentric instructions condition, children aged 4, 5 and 6 gave significantly more allocentric responses. In the egocentric instructions condition, all participants showed more egocentric responses, independently of their age group. The present study is the first to demonstrate that simple instructions enable children to use allocentric and egocentric FOR earlier, more effectively and more flexibly than do their spontaneous use. These findings also demonstrate that specific instructions could help children use a viewpoint in accordance to a situation. This could help improve academic performances and overcome the difficulties of some young children in developing the use of an allocentric FOR.
Access to Microfinance: Does it Matter for Profit Efficiency Among Small Scale Rice Farmers in Bangladesh?

This paper measures profit efficiency and examines the effect of access to microfinance on the performance of rice firms in Bangladesh. An extended Cobb-Douglas stochastic frontier profit function was used to assess profit efficiency and profit loss of rice farmers in Bangladesh in a survey data of 360 farms throughout the 2008-2009 growing seasons. Model diagnostics reveal that serious selection bias exists that justifies the uses of sample selection model in stochastic frontier models. After effectively correcting for selectivity bias, the mean profit efficiency of the microfinance borrowers and non-borrowers were estimated at 68% and 52% respectively, thereby suggesting that a considerable share of profits were lost due to profit inefficiencies in rice production. The results from the inefficiency effect model show that households’ age, extension visits, off-farm income, region and the farm size are the significant determinants of inefficiency. Some indicative policy recommendations based on these findings have been suggested.
Socioeconomic Performance in Sub-Saharan Africa with Reference to Southeast Asia: Natural Resources or Institutions?

This paper explores the relationship between institutional quality, dependence on natural resources, and socioeconomic performance in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and Southeast Asia (SEA) in the period from 1995 to 2015. It uses three measures―per capita GDP growth; foreign direct investment inflows (FDI); and infant mortality rate―to capture socioeconomic performance. The World Bank’s Regulatory Quality (RQ) indicator and the share of natural resource exports in percentage of total merchandise exports are used to capture institutional quality and resource dependence, respectively. Using Pooled OLS with robust estimators that control for temporal and spatial dependence, the paper finds that (1) higher levels of natural resource exports in SSA were significantly associated with larger FDI flows, but had no significant correlation with per capita GDP growth and infant mortality rate. Additionally, (2) in both SSA and SEA, a higher RQ score was significantly associated with increased per capita GDP growth and decreased infant mortality. The paper concludes by highlighting a few key areas that need serious consideration for further research on institutions and development in SSA.
Roadmap ( IDRR ) Study ; Trends of Publications in Management of Diabetes in Iran : A Review Article

1. Chronic Diseases Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 2. Elderly Health Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 3. Metabolic Disorders Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular -Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 4. Diabetes Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 5. Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Effect of Nadi Shodhana Pranayama on Respiratory Parameters in School Students

Background: Yogic breathing techniques are very important for inducing relaxation. It is thought by many cultures that the process of breathing is the essence of being. The ultimate goal is to relax quickly and to improve the respiratory efficiency. It’s important for children to practice yogic breathing techniques on a daily basis. Breathing techniques help to change subtle energies within the body for health and well being. Modern human is the victim of stress and now a days yoga is widely used among adult population to relive stress but leastly concentrated in children inspite of its vast effects. Aim: Current study was undertaken to create awareness in the health benefits of pranayama and to inculcate yoga in school students so that they can gain a healthy life in future. Methods : This study was designed to evaluate the effects of a 45 days daily practice of Nadi Shodhana Pranayama yoga practice on peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiatory volume in 1 sec (FEV1) and respiratory rate (RR) in school students of both sexes. 115 school students aged 8 – 14 years studying in Visa Nursery & primary school, Chennai were recruited for the study. Healthy student with no history of present and past illness were selected. The participants were trained to perform Nadi Shodhana Pranayama and the study was done for 45 days . The respiratory parameters PEFR, FVC, FEV 1 & RR were measured before and after practice of Pranayama. Results : The results of this study showed significant increase in PEFR, FVC, FEV 1 . The RR declined after the practice of Nadi Shodhana Pranayama. Conclusion : The positive results found in the present study can be applied to all schools to improve the pulmonary functions of the students . A few minutes practice daily may help in setting the mind better on works and studies. The daily practice could maintain better physical and mental health to have a better future.
The application of subjective visual vertical in balance system disorders

Background and Aim: According to the guidelines approved by international scientific associations, the assessment of the vestibular system and its rehabilitation is carried out by audiologists. The subjective visual vertical (SVV) test, while simply done, is an appropriate test for assessment of otolithic system. This review study has tried to introduce the application of SVV test in different disorder of the vestibular system based on the clinical research in various resources. Recent Findings: We searched the subject of SVV in various databases from 1900 up to 2017. We used keywords of subjective visual vertical and SVV. 110 papers were found and 78 of them were selected. The application of SVV in balance system diseases was reviewed based on these original articles and three related text books. Conclusion: The SVV test in the Pusher syndrome, migraine and the chronic phase of Meniere's disease did not statistically differentiate between two groups of normal and abnormal people. However, the SVV deviation in individuals with pusher syndrome was higher than normal subjects. In Parkinson's disease, vestibular neuritis, vestibular schwannoma, Pisa syndrome, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, aging, hydrocephalus, chronic neck pains, acute phase of Meniere's disease and multiple sclerosis, the SVV test was able to separate normal subjects from abnormal subjects. The method and procedure for performing the SVV test will have a significant impact on the test result. Therefore, it is necessary to standardize the method of performing the SVV test for each particular disease.
Effects of two different exercise trainings on plasma homocysteine levels and other cardiovascular disease risks

Purpose: To investigate the influences of regular sub-maximal aerobic and resistance exercise trainings for 3 months on plasma homocystenie level and other CVD risks (lipid profile, body mass index, etc.) and compare the effects of these two different types of exercise training on these parameters. Method: Thirty-eight individuals mean aged 21.68±1.38 years were included. Participants were divided into three groups as aerobic exercise (AE) (n=13), resistance exercise (RE) (n=13) and control group (CT) (n=12). Exercises were done four times a week during 12 weeks. CT (n=12) didn’t do any exercise. Blood analyses (plasma homocystenie, vitamin and lipid levels) and anthropometric measurements were performed, maximum aerobic capacity was assessed. Results: It was found that plasma homocystenie level and lipid profile didn’t change in exercise groups and CT group after 12 weeks (p>0.05). Body mass index and waist circumference decreased in both exercise groups (p 0.05). Homocystenie level has positive correlation with waist circumference (r=0,392,p=0.22) and waist-to-hip ratio (r=0,501,p=0.02),and has negative correlation with folic acid level (r=-0,447,p=0.01). Folic acid level was the essential factor for homocystenie level respect to multiple regression analysis (p=0.03,R 2 =0.60). Conclusion: Sub-maximal aerobic or resistance exercise training didn’t change homocysteine level when folic acid level at normal values in blood. Independent from the type of exercise, chronic exercise didn’t considerably change lipid profiles in normolipidemic individuals. Aerobic capacity didn’t change after 12 weeks exercise training whereas body composition improved.
Embodied Conversational Agents in Interactive Applications for Children with Special Educational Needs

This chapter describes a collection of experiences and recommendations related with the design and evaluation of interactive applications integrating Embodied Conversational Agents (ECA) technology in real environments of use with children in Special Education. Benefits and challenges of using ECAs in this context are presented. These benefits and challenges have guided the creation of Special Education reinforcement applications incorporating ECAs, which have been used for extended periods of time at Infanta Elena Special Education School in Madrid. Co-design principles were applied in the development of two of the applications discussed here, with the participation of the school’s teaching staff and children with severe motor and mental disabilities (mainly with cerebral palsy). From the design experience a set of recommendations and observations were extracted, which the authors hope may serve as guidance for the scientific and educational communities when undertaking further research. For example, in an application to reinforce the learning of emotions it believe it beneficial to include ECAs that display a number of exaggerated facial expressions together with a combination of auditory and gestural reinforcements. The ECA should show its eyes and mouth clearly, in order to help the children focus their attention. These and other ECA strategies have been analysed to provide reinforcement in learning and also to attract the children’s attention when interacting with the application.
The effect of investor protection on earnings management

This thesis examines the relation between the extent of investor protection and the levels of accrualbased and real earnings management. Prior literature provided evidence of an inverse relationship between investor protection and accrual-based earnings management. Due to an increase in the extent of investor protection companies tend to use less accrual-based earnings management, instead companies tend to switch to use real earnings management. This may indicate an indirect positive relationship between investor protection and real earnings management. Together with the knowledge that real earnings management could destroy firm value an increase in investor protection might destroy firm value. The modified Jones model is used to examine the level of accrual-based earnings management, the models designed by Roychowdhury (2006) are used to examine the level of real earnings management and the period between 1999 and 2010 is studied. Samples from the U.K. and France are used in this study, classified as strong and weak investor protection countries respectively. This study shows that the levels of both types of earnings management are larger for U.K. companies compared to French companies which is not in accordance with the expectations. This may be caused by the fact that two countries are compared while prior literature examined companies from one country after a change in the extent of investor protection within this country. In this research the differences in the levels of the various types of earnings management could be caused by other variables which vary across both countries. The effect of investor protection on earnings management 2
Board Size, Non-Executive Board Members and Financial Performance in Non-Usury Banks in Iran

Prior studies investigating the relation between the financial performance and corporate governance mechanisms for firms in Tehran Stock Exchange mainly exclude banks due to their different types of rules and structure. We study the relation between corporate governance structure and financial performance of the banks under the non-usury banking act. We study various corporate governance factors including board size and the number of non-executive board members using a sample of 21 banks for 2010 to 2012. Result show a significant positive correlation among board size and financial performance. However, non-executive board members do not correlate with financial performance.
THE EFFECT OF MUSIC THERAPY AND MEDITATION ON S PORTS PERFORMANCE IN PROFESSIONAL SHOOTERS

Little has been known about the response to relaxation therapies such as of M usic Therapy (MT) and Mindfulness M editation Therapy (MMT) i n sports . Researchers have been performed on the psychophysiological responses of MT and MMT on normal and diseased persons, but little has been done on sports population especially in shooters during competition . The purpose of this study was to estimate the contribution of MT and MMT training on shooting performance of shooters. 165 professional m ale s hooters age of 29.5±4.3 years were examined in three groups Group A , B, and C , MT , MMT , and as a C ontrol respectively , n= 50 ±3 in each group. D uration of the study was 4 weeks . Pre and post data of quantitative Performance Score (PS) were analyzed. Results of the study showed positive correlation, highly significant (p<0.0001) post - intervention PS. Ultimately resulted in reduction of competition stress level and increase in PS . C omparatively Group A an B, and group A shown marginal improvement than Group B. Whereas the C ontrol group has been shown non - significant result compare to experimental groups (p<0.05). S tudy concluded that relaxation therapies such as MT and MMT intervention s along with routine sports specific training may decrease C ompetition S tress (CS) level and will enhance sports performance and also found MT has been shown better effectiveness than MMT in 4 weeks of training .