Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Determinants of participation in cavy marketing: evidence from the Democratic Republic of Congo

Smallholder supply chain participation remains low despite the potential welfare gains that would result from choosing a market-oriented production. Yet, studies on determinants of market participation for commodities with underdeveloped value chains are scanty. Employing a double-hurdle model, this paper examines factors determining households’ participation in cavy marketing among cavy farmers from Sud-Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We find that wealthier households participated less in cavy marketing while those producing more cavies were more likely to participate in their marketing. Moreover, smaller households tended to sell more cavies, while households with other livestock sold fewer cavies. The findings underscore the significance of increasing the participation in the cavy supply chains by farmers through the promotion of appropriate husbandry practices that enhance cavy productivity and production and that enable farmers to participate in markets as sellers.
Student Motivation and Preference of Studying Hospitality and Tourism Management Programmes in Polytechnics: A Study of Hospitality and Tourism Management Students-Ho Polytechnic

The main purpose of the study was to find out the motives and preference of students studying Hospitality and Tourism Management programmes in Ho Polytechnic. Questionnaires were administered to 113 Higher National Diploma (HND) students pursuing Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) programme to solicit their views on the choice of this programme in Ho Polytechnic. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 16. The results of the study revealed that, there were four motivational factors influencing the choice of HTM programmes as follows: job opportunities at the government sector, parental influences and other factors such as ease of studying the programme. The implication is that if these students are not educated on the choice of selecting programmes in tertiary institution before completing Senior High Schools, parental influences and other factors may enable them to opt for programmes that they may not be interested in. They may thus end up not being in the right profession eventually. The aggregate effect is that considering the rate at which the tourism industry is advancing, there exists the possibility of shortfall of skills in the tourism industry in the near future. Keywords: Preference, Hospitality& Tourism (HTM), Motivation, Programme, Ghana Tourist Board ( GTB).
Exploring the Pedagogical Content Knowledge for Teaching Probability in Middle School: A South African Case Study

Abstract This paper reports on an exploration into in-service teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge required for the delivery of lessons in probability. The section on probability is taught in Mathematical Literacy to the middle school learners in South Africa. As a theoretical framework the work initiated in the nineteen eighties was sought. This paper adopted a refined framework into domains of pedagogical knowledge. The four domains are: Common Content Knowledge; Specialised Content Knowledge; Knowledge of Content and Students as well as Knowledge of Content and Teaching which are defined and applied to show their necessity in a teaching situation. Examples of tasks from an open ended questionnaire were discussed and identification of the pedagogical content knowledge on probability was made. Teachers’ written responses were collected and analyzed to verify or refute suggested strands of knowledge provided earlier. The written responses were from in-service teachers (n = 86) who were studying towards an Advanced Certificate in Education (an upgrading qualification) at a South African university.
The Relationship between Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Gln223Arg Polymorphism in Human Leptin Receptor Gene

Leptin is derived from an adipocyte and acts through the leptin receptor (LEPR). Gln223Arg polymorphism of the LEPR gene is thought to be associated with impaired signaling capacity of LEPR and with higher mean circulating levels of leptin and obesity; therefore, it may contribute to the pathogenesis of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of distribution of LEPR gene polymorphism (Gln223Arg) in OSAS patients in relation to polysomnographic traits and phenotype. In total, 230 men (152 OSAS patients and 78 controls) were included in the study. All participants were evaluated by polysomnography in addition to anthropometric, metabolic, and hemodynamic variables. The relationship between these phenotypes and polymorphism of the LEPR gene was investigated by PCR-RFLP. There was no difference between the genotype frequencies of the Gln223Arg polymorphism in the OSAS and control groups. However, OSAS patients carrying the R allele (RR and QR genotypes) had significantly lower Body Mass Index (BMI) than those carrying the Q allele (QQ). OSAS patients with the RR genotype had a significantly lower diastolic blood pressure value than those with the QQ and QR genotypes. When all participants were grouped by blood pressure, the genotype frequency of RR individuals was more prevalent among normotensive men compared to hypertensive men. Gln223Arg polymorphism of LEPR does not seem to be associated with OSAS. This polymorphism may, however, predispose the carrier to reduced BMI and blood pressure. Further studies are needed to unveil the genetic basis of OSAS pathophysiology.
Conceptual frameworks of accounting from an information perspective

Abstract This paper analyses the benefits of accounting regulation and a conceptual framework using an information economics approach that allows consideration of uncertainty, multiple agents, demand for information, and multiple information sources. It also allows private information to enter the analysis. The analysis leads to a set of fundamental properties of accounting information. It is argued that the set of qualitative characteristics typically contained in conceptual frameworks does not adequately aggregate the information demands of users of accounting information. For example, the IASB's conceptual framework contains no guidelines for the trade‐off between relevance and reliability. Furthermore, neutrality might not be part of an optimal regulation. The statistical bias introduced by the stewardship use of accounting information is not necessarily undesirable and will always remain; stewardship is the characteristic of accounting information that provides incentives for management to act in the desired way. Accounting information is inherently late compared to other information sources but influences and constrains the content of more timely sources. The accounting system does not exist in a vacuum. Other information sources are present and the purpose of the accounting system cannot be analysed without considering the existence of other information sources. Finally, financial statements are audited by an independent auditor. This implies that accounting data are hard to manipulate.
Temporal Resolution Abilities in Musicians and No Musicians Violinists

Summary Introduction: The temporal resolution is the perception of a time interval in which the individual discriminates two sounds being a skill involved in music. Objective: To identify the performance of temporal resolution in musicians and no musicians violinists and correlate it with the average of the thresholds of low frequencies and acute as well as the time of exposure to music daily. Method: This study was characterized by be prospective and compared between two groups, one consisting of 20 violinists and other musicians for 20 semi no musicians matched for age and education were submitted to audiological evaluation and to the test Gaps In Noise (GIN) to evaluate the temporal resolution. Results: The test performance of the GIN group of musicians was not significant in the control group is in the right ear (RE) or left (LE). The correlation between the average high frequencies for the LE with the GIN test was (p = 0.001) in the control group. The average frequencies for both ears in the group of musicians was statistically significant and the highest values for RE (p = 0.001). Conclusion: There was no difference between the performance of the GIN test for both groups as well as the correlation between duration of daily exposure to music and GIN. The audiometric threshold of high frequencies seemed to be relevant for testing GIN.
Evaluating Market Benefits of Transportation Tunnels—The Carmel Tunnels as a Case Study

Since opening in 2010, The Carmel Tunnels have redirected some of the traffic from within the City of Haifa in Israel. This paper studies the direct and indirect financial and environmental benefits of the Carmel Tunnels compared to alternative routes. Di-rect benefits for drivers include financial savings thanks to savings on time and gas. Indirect benefits for drivers and for the public include reduced air pollution, green-house gas emissions and noise. Results show significant positive benefits from using the Carmel Tunnels compared to various alternative routes (i.e., reference scenarios). During peak hours (8 am and 4 pm), when there is heavy traffic on the alternative routes, the total benefits increase by about 25% - 47%. Using tunnels for transportation allows, among other benefits, efficient use of underground land, redirecting traffic congestion from town centers, decreasing landscape damage due to major roads passing through open spaces, and reducing air pollution in residential areas.
Indirect markers of glomerular filtration rate in dogs and cats: a review

Early diagnosis of kidney disease continues to be a subject of intense interest. Direct measurement of glomerular filtration rate is too complicated for first-line practices; thus, indirect markers of renal function have also been evaluated. Creatinine, traditionally measured as a readout of renal function, has limitations in its sensitivity. In dogs and cats, cystatin C became popular approximately 15 years ago, but recent reports question its usefulness, especially in cats. Symmetric dimethylarginine seems to be very promising as a marker of glomerular filtration rate with the ability to detect renal impairment earlier than creatinine. This article presents current knowledge of qualities, limitations, advantages and availability of novel and traditionally used biomarkers of glomerular filtration rate in dogs and cats.
Use of biotic indices in semi-enclosed coastal ecosystems and transitional waters habitats — Implications for the implementation of the European Water Framework Directive

This study deals with the application of macrozoobenthos-based biotic indices (BI) within the frame of the implementation of the European Water Framework Directive. More precisely, this study aimed at assessing the performance of five recently developed methodologies (BI) for the assessment of ecological quality status (EcoQ) in two semi-enclosed, sheltered coastal ecosystems and in one transitional water body situated along the Western French coast, namely Marennes-Oléron Bay, Arcachon Bay, and the Seine Estuary. This study showed that these five indices rarely agreed with each other, describing very different pictures of the overall EcoQ of the three study sites. This work also clearly underlined the limitations of these approaches, notably the dependency of most of these BI and the resulting EcoQ classifications on habitat characteristics, more particularly to natural levels of sediment silt–clay content and the location of stations in the subtidal or the intertidal. The implication of our observations concerning the use of these BI for implementation of the WFD is discussed in terms of definition of habitat-specific reference conditions and necessity to adjust thresholds to the particular habitat occurring in semi-enclosed ecosystems. Meanwhile, the unmodified use of these BI severely impaired accurate assessment of EcoQ and decision-making on the managers’ point of view.
Effect of Date of Sowing on the Performance of Drought Tolerant Wheat Genotypes to Spot Blotch at Rampur, Chitwan , Nepal

A research was conducted in field to elucidate the response of 20 twenty drought tolerant wheat genotypes to spot blotch. Field experiment was carried out in Agronomy block of IAAS, Rampur, Chitwan in split plot design with three replications, considering 25 November as normal sowing and 15 December as late sowing dates taking them as main factors and genotypes as sub factors. Grain yield was 2.50 t ha -1 on 25 November sowing and 2.03 t ha -1 on 15 December sowing. Similarly thousand kernel weight was 37.50 g on 25 November sowing and 32.82 g on 15 December sowing. Aditya, CSISA DRYT 5204 and CSISA DRYT 5205 had less than 13% grain yield and TKW reduction when sown in late condition also. From the experiment it is concluded that these three genotypes can be sown in late condition as they were resistant to spot blotch and heat stress. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.3126/ijasbt.v1i4. 9180 Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol. 1(4): 266-271
Causes and Problem Identification in Construction Claim Management

The construction service industry is a sensitive and a complex industry and has a fairly high construction uncertainty, related to the development of processes, methods, construction techniques, and the natural conditions factor in construction activities, and often result to claims. Claims can occur both from users or contractor due to perception differences from the initial agreement that has been stated in a construction contract. Construction claims appear as a result of problems in aspects of organization, planning, and contracts. A claim can be described as an administrative tool to correct failures that occur in the construction process. The application of good claim management will be able to avoid dispute that will have an impact on cost overrun and time overrun. This study aims to identify the factors that cause the occurrence of claims during the construction work and identify the problems in each claim management process. The study was conducted by collecting questionnaire data to respondents, practitioners from the owner, contractor and consultant. Data analysis was performed using qualitative analysis (descriptive analysis) to determine the highest score of respondents’ opinions regarding the causes of claims and problems that occur in each claim submission process so that an effective and efficient claim submission process is produced.
Are There Returns to Migration Experience? An Empirical Analysis using Data on Return Migrants and Non-Migrants in West Africa

Does migrants' experience abroad provide an earnings premium for wage earners and/or a productivity advantage for entrepreneurs? In terms of earnings, we find that experience abroad results in a substantial wage premium for migrants returning from an OECD country but not for other return migrants. Past migration in an OECD country also results in a productive advantage for returnees who became entrepreneurs upon returning. However, the low share of return migrants in the population of WAEMU countries suggests that the effectiveness of return migration as a driver of development is only moderate.
Do Born Global Firms Represent a Truly Distinct Type of Organisation

Using two extensive surveys of Australian exporters, this paper explores two issues. First of all, it tests whether born global firms truly represent a distinct type of organisation by examining the pattern of early market selection. The results indicate that born global firms do indeed behave in distinct fashion; and thus, are worthy of independent study. In light of this result, the authors then test whether many of the generalisations and theories that have been put forward over the past decade to explain why some firms behave in a ‘born global’ manner, while others do not, hold across a broad population of such firms. Douglas Dow, Associate Professor in Business Strategy Centre for the Practice of International Trade Melbourne Business School, The University of Melbourne 200 Leicester Street, Carlton, Victoria, AUSTRALIA d.dow@mbs.edu
Measuring the Alkylation Kinetics and Drug Likeness of Four Candidate Antineoplastic Compounds

Aims: To synthesize small molecule alkylating compounds and analyze the kinetics of the alkylation in aqueous solution. Determine molecular properties and the drug likeness of these four compounds as potential antineoplastic agents and apply statistical analysis to identify interrelationships of properties. Study Design: Four compounds were synthesized, characterized, and studied for alkylation capability. The alkylation kinetics were elucidated, as well as drug likeness properties. The interrelationships of properties were examined by statistical methodology. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Chemistry, Durham Science Center, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha NE, from May 2015 to June 2015. Methodology: Four compounds were modified by the covalent bonding of an alkyl halide substituent or nitrogen mustard group. The four compounds were placed in aqueous solution at pH 7.4 and 37°C to monitor alkylation efficiency that targeted p-chloroaniline. Alkylation was monitored utilizing fluorescamine and measurement at 400 nm. Time and absorbance plots determined whether alkylation step is first-order or second-order. Molecular properties Log P, formula weight, Original Research Article Bartzatt; ACRI, 2(2): 66-76, 2015; Article no.ACRI. 2015.008 67 polar surface area, etc., were determined. Statistical analysis and path analysis revealed which molecular property was most responsible for rate constant values. Results: Compounds A, B, C, and D showed ranges of Log P, formula weight, and polar surface area of 0.010 to 4.21, 177.59 to 714.77, and 29.64 to 88.63, respectively. All compounds showed a favorable drug likeness, with only compound C showing a violation of the Rule of 5. The Log P values and number of alkylation reactive sites were most responsible for rate constant value. Conclusion: Small molecule alkylating agents are synthesized, the efficiency of alkylation measured in aqueous solution utilizing fluorescamine at pH 7.4 and 37°C. Rate-order of reactions is determined utilizing fluorescamine assay for surviving primary amine groups. The four compounds showed a favorable drug likeness based on molecular properties.
An Assessment of Sales Promotion Techniques in the Stimulation of Toothpaste Patronage in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria

There are many players in the Nigerian oral care market such as Unilever, PZ Cussons, Procter and Gamble, Dabur, GlaxoSmithKline, to mention a few. The objective of this study was to identify the various promotional techniques employed by these toothpaste marketers and to determine their effect on consumers’ patronage. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire to 320 respondents representing households who use toothpaste in Ado-Ekiti. Logit regression model was used to determine the relationship between respondents’ demographic data and promotional tools. Four hypotheses were stated and tested using chi square (X 2 ) analysis. It was found that consumers’ patronage of toothpaste is influenced by (1) jingles and advertisement in the media; (2) information on the toothpaste pack; (3) promos of people with white teeth; and (4) free samples and the gifts attached. Information on the toothpaste pack had the highest influence (X 2 cal=151.68) on patronage with a mean score of 3.00. This revealed that consumers are becoming knowledgeable and sophisticated in their toothpaste purchase decision. Free samples and gifts attached to the toothpaste had the least influence (X 2 cal=25.43) on patronage with a mean score of 2.46. There is an obvious need for marketers to assess the promotion technique that will be most appreciated by the different market segments. The study recommended that marketers should always provide correct information about their products as consumers can use several means to authenticate the correctness of such information; they should emphasize the benefits of using the product; and be creative in the combination of promotion mix that they present to the consumers in order to stimulate sales and maintain a sustainable competitive advantage especially in the toothpaste market where there are many players and competing brands. Keywords: Sales promotion, promotion techniques, patronage, toothpaste, stimulation
A note on genetic isolation of Mediterranean sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) suggested by mitochondrial DNA

Thirteen sperm whales were sampled, using sloughed skin, in the Mediterranean Sea during six distinct encounters. Individuals were discriminated using the results of molecular sexing, mitochondrial control region sequencing and microsatellite genotyping (3 loci). Samples from 57 specimens were available from sperm whale strandings on northern European coasts. The first ~ 200bp of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region of each sample were sequenced and three different haplotypes were identified. The frequency of each haplotype was significantly different between the Mediterranean Sea and the eastern North Atlantic, suggesting that sperm whales in the two areas comprise different maternal entities.
Triggering collective action for bio-energy supply chain through contract schemes

EnglishThis paper discusses contractual features to manage and coordinate a hypothetical bio-energy supply chain. The present study focuses on farmers operating in two Regions of Italy, namely Sicily and Campania, somewhat representative of areas with high potential of investments in new bioenergy supply value chain. Farmers were asked to choose whether to participate or not in a collective investment regulated by contract schemes. Monetary trade-offs were then computed among contract attributes. A specific questionnaire was submitted to a sample of farmers selected on the basis of their potential capability of investments. A stated preference modelling approach was implemented so that farmers could make a choice between alternative contracts reporting varying attribute levels. If energy-producing companies are paying attention to biofuel production aiming at a diversification of their activities, results show that farmers’ participation needs to be managed through contracts that take care of investment length, warranty on investment return, and risk management. francaisCette etude a pour objectif de parcourir les caracteristiques contractuelles pour la gestion et la coordination d’une chaine potentielle d'approvisionnement de bioenergie. L’attention est focalisee sur un ensemble d’agriculteurs qui travaillent dans deux regions italiennes, a savoir la Sicile et la Campanie. Ces deux regions sont considerees comme etant assez representatives des zones a fort potentiel d'investissement dans la nouvelle chaine de production de bioenergie. On a laisse le choix aux agriculteurs de participer a un investissement collectif reglemente par des regimes contractuels. Les arbitrages monetaires entre les differents attributs du contrat ont successivement ete calcules. Un questionnaire specifique a ete soumis a un echantillon d'agriculteurs selectionnes sur la base de leur potentiel d’investissement. Une approche de modelisation des preferences declarees a ete utilisee afin que les agriculteurs choisissent entre les contrats alternatifs representant plusieurs niveaux d’attributs. Si d'un cote les entreprises de production d'energie s’interessent de pres a la production de biocarburants pour la diversification de leurs activites, les resultats montrent que la participation des agriculteurs doit etre geree par des contrats qui prennent en compte la longueur de l’investissement, l'assurance sur le rendement et la gestion des risques.