Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Performance of micro restaurant enterprises in Cross River State, Nigeria.

This research was carried out to assess the performance of micro restaurants in Cross River State, Nigeria. The study was based on primary data obtained from a proportionate random sample of 132 restaurant enterprises and analyzed using descriptive statistics, cost and return analysis, profitability ratios, and multiple regression (ordinary least square) analysis. The result of the analysis showed that ownership of restaurants in Calabar metropolis is largely dominated by females (83.3 percent) and that majority of the entrepreneurs (53.79 percent) had secondary education as their highest level of education. Monthly cost and return analysis revealed that gross margin and net income of a restaurant entrepreneur amounted to 181,258.97 naira and 172,397.63 naira respectively. The profitability index (0.26), rate of returns on investment (0.35), rate of returns on variable cost (1.36), and operating ratio (0.72) combined to suggest that restaurant business was profitable. Age, training received, years of educational training, age of business enterprise, hours spent on the business and total cost of production were among the socioeconomic variables found to have significantly contributed to the total revenue of the entrepreneurs. Restaurant operators were encouraged to explore avenues of increasing the efficient use of variable inputs in order to grow the profitability of their enterprise.
Oil identification based on total synchronous spectra

Contribution of marine carriage in the global transport is in permanent developing. It leads to increase the unintentional oil spills, which may induce serious disturbances in functioning of the natural marine ecosystem, especially when it interferes with other technical activities in the marine space. That fact contributes to increase the interest in searching of new research techniques to protect the natural ecosystem. Therefore, the main task of marine international organisations concentrates on the effective and rapid detection of oil spill and on the possibility of identifying oil pollutants as well as on origin of pollution. The purpose of the study is to characterise the oil belonging to the vessel engine lubricate oils. We analyse the stage results of investigations based on one of types of fluorescence spectroscopy, namely: synchronous spectra. To characterise the oil, the Aqualog Horiba spectrofluorometer was applied, which allows performing precise measurement in a short time. Based on the measured excitation-emission spectra, total synchronous fluorescence spectra for oil were obtained using various wavelength intervals. Total synchronous fluorescence spectra of petroleum substances allow finding wavelength interval typical for particular type of oil. This approach could allow obtaining of complex mixtures, such as oils, more efficient description. We discuss the total synchronous fluorescence spectra for engine oil (Marinol type) dissolved in n-hexane in various concentrations of oil as a possible tool proposed to oil type identification. We present changes and variation of the total synchronous fluorescence spectra for oil with various oil concentrations.
Effect of a Direct Instruction Flashcard System for Increasing the Performance of Basic Division Facts for a Middle School Student with ADD/OHI.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a Direct Instruction (DI) flashcard system on the mastery, accuracy and fluency of basic division math facts (numbers 0-12) for a seventh grade boy, diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). The effects of the DI flashcard system were examined in a multiple baseline design across problem sets. DI flashcards require the student to provide the correct solution quickly and if an error occurs, the student is required to engage in error correction using a model, lead, and test procedure. The overall outcomes indicated large increases in student accuracy. Maintenance of treatment gains was also found with several division facts with our participant. The present outcomes replicate the range of classroom settings and disability designations. For the most part, employing flashcard procedures were easy to implement and evaluate in a middle school resource classroom setting.
Habitat invasions by alien plants: a quantitative comparison among Mediterranean, subcontinental and oceanic regions of Europe

Summary 1. Although invasions by alien plants are major threats to the biodiversity of natural habitats, individual habitats vary considerably in their susceptibility to invasion. Therefore the risk assessment procedures, which are used increasingly by environmental managers to inform effective planning of invasive plant control, require reliable quantitative information on the extent to which different habitats are susceptible to invasion. It is also important to know whether the levels of invasion in different habitats are locally specific or consistent among regions with contrasting climate, flora and history of human impact. 2. We compiled a database of 52 480 vegetation plots from three regions of Europe: Catalonia (Mediterranean‐submediterranean region), Czech Republic (subcontinental) and Great Britain (oceanic). We classified plant species into neophytes, archaeophytes and natives, and calculated the proportion of each group in 33 habitats described by the European Nature Information System (EUNIS) classification. 3. Of 545 alien species found in the plots, only eight occurred in all three regions. Despite this large difference in species composition, patterns of habitat invasions were highly consistent between regions. None or few aliens were found in environmentally extreme and nutrient-poor habitats, e.g. mires, heathlands and high-mountain grasslands. Many aliens were found in frequently disturbed habitats with fluctuating nutrient availability, e.g. in man-made habitats. Neophytes were also often found in coastal, littoral and riverine habitats. 4. Neophytes were found commonly in habitats also occupied by archaeophytes. Thus, the number of archaeophytes can be considered as a good predictor of the neophyte invasion risk. However, neophytes had stronger affinity to wet habitats and disturbed woody vegetation while archaeophytes tended to be more common in dry to mesic open habitats. 5. Synthesis and applications. The considerable inter-regional consistency of the habitat invasion patterns suggests that habitats can be used as a good predictor for the invasion risk assessment. This finding opens promising perspectives for the use of spatially explicit information on habitats, including scenarios of future land-use change, to identify the areas of highest risk of invasion.
Iowa State University From the SelectedWorks of Leana Bouffard 2006 The " Rural Mystique " : Social Disorganization and Violence beyond Urban Communities

Most studies of social disorganization theory have focused exclusively on urban areas. Few researchers have asked whether the concepts of social disorganization would apply as well in rural or non-metropolitan areas. The current study expands on previous research by asking two distinct questions. First, is social disorganization theory generalizable to rural as well as urban communities? Second, are the concepts derived from social disorganization theory generalizable across violent offense types? Based on non-metropolitan counties in the upper-Midwest region of the United States (N=221), a series of overdispersed Poisson regression models indicate that social disorganization explains geographic variation in violent crime rates in non-metropolitan counties. Implications of these findings are discussed as well as suggestions for future studies.
Abstract. Rituximab (RTX) improves the outcome in patients with systemic diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), but its benefit in primary central nervous system lymphoma

Rituximab (RTX) improves the outcome in patients with systemic diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), but its benefit in primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is unclear. In the present study, a single-institution retrospective analysis was performed for 12 patients with newly diagnosed PCNSL treated with combined high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX) and RTX. MTX was administered biweekly at 8 g/m2/dose until a complete response (CR) was achieved or for a maximum of eight doses. RTX was provided for a total of eight weekly doses at 375 mg/m2/dose. Following a median of 11 cycles of MTX, the radiographic overall response rate was 91% and the CR rate was 58%. A CR was achieved after a median 6 cycles of MTX. The median progression-free survival time was 22 months and the median overall survival time has not yet been attained. These results compare favorably to single-agent HD-MTX and suggest a role for immunochemotherapy in the treatment of PCNSL.
Assessment of novel gear designs to reduce interactions between species

This project tested modified gillnets designed by commercial net fishers in the Queensland East Coast Inshore Finfish Fishery (ECIFF) to try and identify gears that would mitigate and/or improve interactions between fishing nets and Species of Conservation Interest (SOCI). The study also documents previously unrecognised initiatives by pro-active commercial net fishers that reflect a conservation-minded approach to their fishing practices, which is the opposite of what is perceived publicly. Between 2011 and 2014, scientists from James Cook University and the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries teamed with commercial fishers representing the Queensland Seafood Industry Association and the Moreton Bay Seafood Industry Association to conduct field trials of various modified net designs under normal fishery conditions. Trials were conducted in Moreton Bay (southern part of the fishery) and Bowling Green Bay (northern) and tested different net designs developed by fishers to improve the nature of interactions between net fishing gear and SOCI.
Evaluation of resistance index (RI) values in patients with proteinuria: correlation of resistance index with biopsy findings

Background: Duplex Doppler sonography has been recognized as a noninvasive method to evaluate hemodynamic features of renal blood in renal and intrarenal arteries in patients with various renal diseases. The significance of duplex Doppler sonography in the evaluation of renal vascular resistance in glomerular diseases has not yet been clearly determined. The present study was performed to evaluate renal vascular resistance in patients with proteinuria by measuring intrarenal arterial resistance (RI) and the aim of this study is to evaluate the correlation between RI and pathologic results. Methods: RI was measured 24 hours before renal biopsy in 99 patient’s admitted with proteinuria. Clinical and laboratory data were collected prospectively. We determined mean RI values in subtypes of decease according to the biopsy findings. Also correlation between RI with histopathological findings, age, gender, proteinuria level and serum creatinine level was evaluated. Results: Among 99 patients with mean age of 45.92 ± 16.88 years, 61.61% were male. The mean RI was 0.65 ± 0.09. The most common biopsy based diagnosis was focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. The mean of RI in this group was 0.72 ± 0.1 which was statistically significantly higher than in other groups of patients. RI significantly correlated with age (P<0.01), serum creatinine (P<0.01) and proteinuria (P=0.02). Conclusion: According to these findings, we recommended to evaluate RI in following patients with proteinuria, since the RI values could represent underlying disease injury.
An Analysis of Work Environmental Characteristics in Criminal Investigation Departments in Norway : the Significance of General and Situational-Specific Instruments

1 THE CONCEPT OF WORK ENVIRONMENT 3 THE ASSESSMENT OF MODERN WORK ENVIRONMENTS 4 THE JOB DIAGNOSTIC SURVEY 5 THE SITUATIONAL OUTLOOK QUESTIONNAIRE 6 THE NORWEGIAN CONTEXT 7 THE WORK ENVIRONMENT IN CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION DEPARTMENTS 8
The Bruguiera (Rhizophoraceae) Species in the Mangroves of Singapore, Especially on the New Record and the Rediscovery

We reported here the new record of Bruguiera hainesii C. G. Rogers, and the rediscovery of an extinct species, Bruguiera sexangula (Lour.) Poir. , in the mangroves of Singapore. To simplify the process of identifying all the five Bruguiera species in Singapore, a colour plate illustrating the calyx structures (across different development stages) and diagnostic features of the five Bruguiera species were provided. A diagnostic key to the five Bruguiera species was also provided, with updated descriptions for the two species. As it was difficult to identify the different Bruguiera species solely on the basis of vegetative structures, we therefore suggest that the series or numbers of colleters (finger-like glandular structures inside the base of stipules) could be an aid for identifying members of Rhizophoraceae especially in the absence of reproductive structures.
Measuring Poverty and Inequality in a Computable General Equilibrium Model

This paper aims to evaluate the relevance of different types of macroeconomic general equilibrium modelling for measuring the impact of economic policy shocks on the incidence of poverty and on the distribution of income. In the literature three approaches are identified. The first is based on a traditional form of the CGEM which specifies a large number of households. In this case, we can only observe inter group income inequalities. The next uses survey data to estimate the distribution function and average variations by group, which allows one to estimate the evolution of poverty. The third approach, which we present in detail, includes individual data directly in the general equilibrium model according to the principles of micro simulations. This treatment provides a more reliable picture of income distribution but is also more complex. Given this, we develop, within a co-ordinated statistical framework representing an archetypal economy, the three types of model described above. More precisely, this exercise allows us to break down the contribution of average income variations, of the poverty line, and of income distribution in the evolution of the main poverty indicators. The results obtained show the importance of intra group information and therefore the relevance of micro simulation exercises.
Prevalence of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus in retail buffalo meat in Chennai, India

Staphylococcus aureus is a major pathogen, affecting both human and animals causing severe morbidity worldwide. In addition, several reports of isolation of S. aureus, especially methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from food animals and their meats have raised concern about its potential as food borne pathogen. The present study was carried out to evaluate the prevalence of S. aureus in buffalo meat marketed in retail outlets in Chennai and to detect the presence Methicillin resistance (mecA) gene in these isolates. A total of 40 buffalo meat samples were collected from retail outlets and isolation and identification. The results revealed that coagulase positive Staphylococci were isolated from 29 (72.5%) samples, coagulase negative staphylococci were isolated from 6 (22.5%) samples and 5 samples were negative for staphylococci species. Of the 29 coagulase positive isolates 25 (86.2%) isolates were presumptively confirmed as S. aureus by biochemical test with overall prevalence of 62.5% (25/40) in retail buffalo meat. Duplex PCR was performed for simultaneous detection of both femA, a marker specific for S. aureus and mecA gene, the gold standard for detection of methicillin resistance in S. aureus. All the 25 presumptive S. aureus isolates amplified femA gene (318 bp) and 13/25 (52%) of the isolates carried mecA gene (533 bp). The PCR product (mecA) was purified, sequenced and submitted to NCBI (Accession Number: KT885189). The higher prevalence of S. aureus indicates poor hygiene practices and presence of mecA gene in S. aureus isolated from retail buffalo meat indicates that buffalo meat sold in the retail outlets in Chennai could be a potential source for transmission of MRSA to consumers.
Open Innovation via firm-hosted user communities: A Community of Practice perspective

In this paper, we address the need for newer approaches to understand and engage with the social complexity of open innovation occurring through user communities that are hosted by firms. Despite their growing prevalence, we know relatively little about the role of firm-hosted user communities as external sources of innovation. We draw on a community of practice perspective that is grounded in social practice theory to develop a multi-level, relational framework that enables a holistic examination of the social practices at play in firm-hosted user communities. By integrating the perspectives of the users and firm employees at the individual level, with the user community and the host firm at the collective level, this framework serves to extend the firm-centric approach dominant in extant open innovation research. The framework lays the ground for researchers to adopt a practice- based approach in studying the social and relational dynamics within and across firm-hosted user communities. We thus conceive.
Isolation and molecular characterization of RcSERK1: A Rosa canina gene transcriptionally induced during initiation of protocorm-like bodies

A somatic embryogensis receptor-like kinase (SERK) gene was isolated from protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) of Rosa canina by a rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) approach and was designated as RcSERK1. The RcSERK1 encodes a protein of 626 amino acid residues with a calculated molecular mass of 68.79 kDa and theoretical isoelectric point of 5.65. The amino acid sequence of RcSERK1 shares all the characteristic features of a SERK protein, including the signal peptide (SP), the leucine zipper (LZ), the five leucine-rich repeats (LRRs), the pro-rich domain containing the so-called Ser-Pro- Pro (SPP) motif, the transmembrane domain (TM), the kinase domain and the C-terminal domain. The transcripts of RcSERK1 were more enriched in PLBs than in rhizoids and callus, but not detected in leaflets (incubated under dark and before producing callus) and the regenerated shoots. Subcellular localization indicated that the fluorescence of RcSERK1-GFP was recorded in the plasma membrane. We argue that RcSERK1 is a Leu-rich repeat receptor-like kinase (LRR-RLK) and plasma membrane localization protein. Keywords : somatic embryogensis receptor-like kinase (SERK)1, protocorm-like bodies (PLBs), Rosa canina, RACE, RcSERK1.
TQM AS A SOURCE OF BANK PERFORMANCE AND COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE EMPIRICAL STUDY IN JORDANIAN BANKING SECTOR

The study evaluates total quality management as a source of bank performance and competitive advantage in Jordanian banking sector. The design of this study has quantitative approach. Data was obtained by questionnaire instrument. The respondents in this study are the managers of bank branches. The number of population was 224 bank branches in Amman, Jordan. Random sampling was used in the study. 164 complete questionnaires were analyzed as a final sample. Two hypotheses have been developed through literature review and tested using descriptive analysis performed by SPSS. The results have confirmed that total quality management practices have positive and significant impact both on bank performance and competitive advantage.
A Turkish adaptation of the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire

This study aimed to adapt the Emotional Regulation Questionnaire into Turkish and investigate its validity and reliability. The Turkish version of the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire was administered to 442 university students. Firstly, language equivalence of the Turkish version the Emotional Regulation Questionnaire was investigated and findings indicated that the Turkish translation of the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire is equivalent to the original form. Confirmatory factor analyses successfully revealed the two-factor (reappraisal and suppression) structure of the Turkish version the Emotional Regulation Questionnaire. Further, based on the two-factor model, results from multi-group analysis indicated that the Turkish version of the Emotional Regulation Questtionnaire has the property of strict factorial invariance across gender, including equal factor loadings, equal item intercepts, and equal item uniqueness (error variances and covariances). The internal consistencies were . 78 for the reappraisal and . 73 for the suppression subscales. Test-retest reliabilities were . 74 for the reappraisal and . 72 for the suppression subscales. Overall, the Turkish version of the Emotional Regulation Questionnaire has adequate psychometric properties and can be used to examine emotion regulation among Turkish university students.
Social Security, Endogenous Fertility and the Optimal Family Size

This note analyzes a model of endogenous fertility in the presence of financial market assets and social security pensions. Given the children externality, the fertility rate chosen in a market economy is too low compared to the Social Optimum, asking for a corrective policy. Indeed, the representative household does not take into account this children externality which leads to a suboptimal family size. We show that an optimal demographic allocation can be implemented through a subvention taxation policy.
The Impact of Monetary Policy Shocks on Commodity Prices

Global monetary conditions are often cited as a driver of commodity prices. This paper investigates the empirical relationship between US monetary policy and commodity prices by means of a standard VAR system, commonly used in analysing the effects of monetary policy shocks. The results suggest that expansionary US monetary policy shocks drive up the broad commodity price index and all of its components. While these effects are significant, they do not, however, appear to be overwhelmingly large. This finding is confirmed under different identification strategies for the monetary policy shock.
Adult recreational drug use: patterns and trends in the new millennium

In England and Wales, recent drug use has been in slow and steady decline since the turn of the 21 century, most notably within the 16-24 age group which has seen a 7% decrease since 1996 (Home Office, 2014). Aldridge (2008) theorises decreases in the rates of drug use in two ways. The first is through the ‘period effect’, where incidence of drug use has declined over the past few decades. The second is the ‘cohort effect’, where new generations of young people are less drug involved than those growing up in the 1980s and 1990s. Although older drug takers are still very much in the minority statistically, the most current addition of the CSEW (Home Office, 2014) reports that last year drug use has slightly increased for all age groups 30 and over, the 45-54 age group shows the largest increases from 1.9% in 2012/2013 to 3.5% in 2013/2014. The proportion of drug use within the 45 to 59-age range has doubled since 1996, from 4.6% to 11.3% in 2013/2014 (Home Office, 2014). Williams and Askew (forthcoming) theorise the cohort effect as an explanation for the recent increase in drug use for the over 30s. They argue that generations of young people growing up in the 1980s and 1990s are taking higher levels of drug consumption into middle and older adulthood. To explore the persistence of drug use in adulthood, this paper analyses interviews conducted with twenty-six recreational drug takers, all of whom are over the age of thirty.