Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Technical efficiency in Ghana's cocoa production: evidence from Twifo Hemang Lower Denkyira Area

This study examined the production efficiency of cocoa farmers in Twifo Hemang Lower Denkyira area composed of two districts namely Twifo Ati Mokwa district and Hemang Lower Denkyira districts in the central region of Ghana using farm level data. Results presented were based on data collected from multi-stage sampling of 326 cocoa farmers in twenty (20) communities using standardized structured questionnaires. The productivity and technical efficiency in cocoa production were estimated through stochastic frontier production function analysis using the Frontier 4.1 software. Empirical results showed that cocoa farms in the study area exhibited increasing returns-to-scale (RTS=1.2109), indicating reducing average costs (AC) of production. This implies that cocoa farmers were operating in the irrational zone of production (stage I), an indication of inefficiency in production. The technical efficiency indexes of farmers varied from 0.116 (11.6%) to 0.9998 (99.98%), with mean of 0.54 (54%). The main factors that significantly affected technical efficiency in cocoa production were found to be estimated number of hybrid plant, level of education and age of tree. Among others, the study recommended that the Cocoa Rehabilitation Unit of the Cocobod should help farmers to rejuvenate and or re-plant the aged cocoa farms with hybrid varieties improve resource use efficiency in cocoa production in cocoa production.
Characteristics of atmospheric dust deposition in snow on the glaciers of the eastern Tien Shan, China

Abstract Wind-blown mineral aerosol dust derived from the crustal surface is an important atmospheric component affecting the Earth’s radiation budget. Deposition of water-insoluble dust was determined in snow deposited on Ürümqi glacier No. 1, Haxilegen glacier No. 51 and Miaoergou glacier, eastern Tien Shan, China. Analysis of the horizontal distribution of snow depth and concentration, and flux of dust particles in the snow cover suggests that dust deposition differs on each of these glaciers as the atmospheric environment changes from west to east. Mean mass concentrations of micro-particles in the size range 0.57–26 μm diameter at the three locations are respectively 969, 1442 and 3690 μg kg−1, with an increasing trend from west to east. Dust layers in the snow cover contain Na- and Ca-rich materials typically found in central Asian dust particles. Volume size distributions of dust particles in the snow showed single-modal structures having volume median diameters of 3–22 μm. Dust profiles in the snow cover over the past 4 years reveal frequent, sporadic high dust concentrations with a large year-to-year variability, implying that dust deposition in the eastern Tien Shan is very sensitive to atmospheric environment change.
Students Teachers’ Viewpoints on the Implementation of Bridging Course for Immersion Program

This study investigated the practice of bridging course for immersion program at the graduate program, State University of Malang by looking closely at how the student teacher viewed the course concerning four related aspects; factors affecting successful learning English program, material used during the program, expected English skills mastery, and lecturer’s qualification and strategies. Eight respondents from chemistry RSBI class (International Standardized Schools) were given an open questionnaire to get the data. This study reported that the students viewed the course was useful for them to prepare their speaking proficiency before get ready for an immersion program in their own schools. Also, they argued that being proficient in speaking skill is the most important if compared with the other skills. They optimist about the results because the instructor was considered has good qualification and strategies to teach English. Nonetheless, there have been some factors that impede their learning English such as lack of the books, limited time for learning English, and less confident to speak English. Keywords: Bridging course, students, immersion program
Impact of integrated pest management on the population of leafminers, fruit borers, and natural enemies in tomato

The objective of this work was to evaluate the impact of integrated pest management (IPM) in the productivity of the tomato and in the populations of leafminers, fruit borers, and natural enemies in tomato crops. The treatments were calendar (spraying twice weekly with insecticides and fungicides), IPM (spraying when action thresholds were achieved), and control (no pesticide was applied). IPM was the most efficient system of pest control due to presenting similar productivity and 65.6% less pesticide applications than in the calendar. The attack of Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) and Liriomyza spp. (Diptera: Agromyzidae) to the leaves only achieved the action threshold in the final phase of the cultivation. The main fruit borer was Neoleucinoides elegantalis (Guen.) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), followed by T. absoluta and Spodoptera eridania (Cr.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). The natural enemy populations were severely reduced by excessive pesticide applications. Predators were more abundant than parasitoids. The most abundant predators were Araneidae, Anthicus sp. (Coleoptera: Anthicidae), Cycloneda sanguinea larva (L.) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), Staphylinidae adults (Coleoptera), Orius sp. and Xylocoris sp. (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae), Formicidae (Hymenoptera), and Phlaeothripidae (Thysanoptera). The most abundant parasitoids were Hymenoptera of the families Eulophidae, Braconidae (Bracon sp. and Chelonus sp.), Trichogrammatidae [Trichogramma pretiosum (Riley)] and Bethylidae (Goniozus nigrifemur Ashmead), besides Tachinidae (Diptera).
Ripples in hexagonal lattices of atoms coupled to Glauber spins

A system of atoms connected by harmonic springs to their nearest neighbors on a lattice is coupled to Ising spins that are in contact with a thermal bath and evolve under Glauber dynamics. Assuming a nearest-neighbor antiferromagnetic interaction between spins, we calculate analytically the equilibrium state. On a one-dimensional lattice, the system exhibits first and second order phase transitions. The order parameters are the total magnetization and the number of spin pairs in an antiferromagnetic configuration. On a hexagonal two dimensional lattice, spins interact with their nearest-neighbors and next-nearest-neighbors. Together with the coupling to atoms, these interactions produce a complex behavior that is displayed on a phase diagram. There are: ordered phases associated to ripples with atomic wavelength and antiferromagnetic order, ordered phases associated to ripples with nanometer wavelengths and ferromagnetic order including phases presenting overall buckling of the lattice, disordered glassy phases, and other phases presenting stripes formed by different domains. These static phases are discussed in relation to existing experiments and results for other models found in the literature.
Taxes, Federal Grants, Local Public Spending, and Growth

In a dynamic model with both private and local public capital accumulation, this paper examines how federal and local income taxes, local consumption tax, and federal matching grants for local public consumption and local public investment affect the long-run equilibrium Eqequilibria. of private consumption, private capital accumulation, local public consumption, and local public capital stock.
Macroevolutionary and Morphofunctional Patterns in Theropod Skulls: A Morphometric Approach

Theropod dinosaurs are one of the most remarkable lineages of terrestrial vertebrates in the Mesozoic, showing high taxonomic and ecological diversity. We investigate the cranial diversity of non-avian theropods and some basal birds, using geometric morphometrics to obtain insights into the evolutionary modifications of the skull. Theropod skulls mostly vary in the shape of the snout and length of the postorbital region (principal component [PC] 1), with further variation in orbit shape, depth of the postorbital region, and position of the jaw joint (PC 2 and PC 3). These results indicate that the cranial shape of theropods is closely correlated with phylogeny and dietary preference. Skull shapes of non-carnivorous taxa differ significantly from carnivorous taxa, suggesting that dietary preference affects skull shape. Furthermore, we found a significant correlation between the first three PC axes and functional proxies (average maximum stress and an indicator of skull strength). Interestingly, basal birds occupy a large area within the morphospace, indicating a high cranial, and thus also ecological, diversity. However, we could include only a small number of basal avialan species, because their skulls are fragile and there are few good skull reconstructions. Taking the known diversity of basal birds from the Jehol biota into account, the present result might even underestimate the morphological diversity of basal avialans.
Running head: THE DIRECT AND INDIRECT COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH INSOMNIA The economic burden of insomnia: direct and indirect costs for individuals with insomnia syndrome, insomnia symptoms and good sleepers Daley

Background and purpose: Insomnia is a highly prevalent problem that is associated with increased use of health care services and products, as well as functional impairments. This study estimated from a societal perspective the direct and indirect costs of insomnia. Participants and methods: A randomly selected sample of 948 adults (mean age = 43.7 years old; 60% female) from the province of Québec, Canada completed questionnaires on sleep, health, use of health-care services and products, accidents, work absences and reduced productivity. Data were also obtained from the Quebec government administered health insurance board regarding consultations and hospitalisations. Participants were categorized as having insomnia syndrome, insomnia symptoms or as being good sleepers using a standard algorithm. Frequencies of target cost variables were obtained and multiplied by unit costs to generate estimates of total costs for the adult population of the province of Quebec. Results: The total annual cost of insomnia in the province of Quebec was estimated at $6.6 billion (Cdn$). This includes direct costs associated with insomnia-motivated health-care consultations ($191.2 million) and transportation for these consultations ($36.6 million), prescription medications ($16.5 million), over the-counter products ($1.8 million) and alcohol used as a sleep aid ($339.8 million). Annual indirect costs associated with insomnia-related absenteeism were estimated at $970.6 million, with insomnia-related productivity losses estimated at $5.0 billion. The average annual per-person costs (direct and indirect combined) were $5,010 for individuals with insomnia syndrome, $1,431 for individuals presenting with symptoms and $421 for good sleepers. Conclusions: This study suggests that the economic burden of insomnia is very high, with the largest proportion of all expenses (76%) attributable to insomnia-related work absences and reduced productivity. As the economic burden of untreated insomnia is much higher than that of treating insomnia, future clinical trials should evaluate the cost-benefits, cost-utility, and cost-effectiveness of insomnia therapies.
How Cash Flow Volatility Affects Debt Financing and Accounts Payable

This paper investigates how volatility of cash flow from operations affects debt financing and accounts payable using a sample of Italian listed firms. Firms with different levels of cash flow were also examined. We find that firms that have more cash flow volatility have lower long-term debt to total debt, whatever the average level of their cash flow. We also show that accounts payable is positively associated with cash flow volatility, in particular for firms with a higher level of cash flow. Lastly, research findings reveal that firm leverage as measured by the total debt to assets ratio is negatively associated with cash flow volatility when firms have a lower level of cash flow, while the same relationship was not found for firms with a higher cash flow level.
Experimental evaluation of heat transfer coefficient for nanofluids

The paper reports the results of heat transfer experimental tests on nanofluids. Measurements were performed in a two-loop test rig for immediate comparison of the thermal performances of the nanofluid with the base-fluid. The convective heat transfer was evaluated in a circular pipe heated with uniform heat flux and with flow regimes from laminar to turbulent. Tests have been performed to compare the heat transfer capability of nanofluids and water at the same velocity or Reynolds number , and they have been compared with values calculated from widely used correlations. In particular ten different nanofluids and three base fluids (in addition to the water) have been used. The analysis of the experimental data shows a different behavior depending on the parameter used in the comparison, and, as a consequence, the addition of nanoparticles to the heat transfer fluid can result advantageous or not, depending on the specific point of view. Furthermore some classical correlations have been used to estimate the heat transfer coefficients, and the analysis shows that they are able to provide good agreement with the experimental data both for the nanofluid and water.
Price Points and Price Dynamics

Abstract A standard model of price-setting is extended to include an important role for price points as well as sticky information. It makes empirically reasonable predictions about the frequency of price adjustments, the sizes of price increases and decreases, the shape of the hazard function, the fraction of price changes that are price increases, and the relationship between price changes and inflation. When the model of price-setting is integrated into a small-scale DSGE model, it implies plausible aggregate effects of monetary policy in contrast to a model with a prominent role for price points but no information rigidities.
Socio-economic predictors of dependence on Non-timber forest products: lessons from Mabira Central Forest Reserve Communities

Resource user surveys were conducted in 14 villages of Mabira central forest reserve. The study was intended to assess factors that encourage dependency on non-timber forest products (NTFPs). Understanding NTFP dependence is instrumental in guiding plans of forest use. The study was based on the hypothesis that forest income is more important to poor than wealthier households. Stratified random sampling was used to select NTFP users in different use categories per village. Information on household income of NTFP users was obtained using semi structured questionnaires and relative NTFP income was calculated. Binary logistic regression was used to analyse factors that influence NTFP dependence. 277 respondents used and sold a variety of products including; charcoal, firewood, fodder, construction materials, secondary products of NTFPs, medicinal and wild edible plants. Relative NTFP income was highest (53%) for poor households. 56% of households surveyed were dependent on NTFPs. Age, other income, household head, wealth quintile and distance from the forest significantly affected NTFP dependence. The high dependence on NTFPs is critical in development of management strategies that enhance conservation of the forest by focusing on women and the poor to avoid negative impact on their wellbeing.
MATHEMATICAL MODEL OF SUN DRYING OF SLICED TOMATO IN HAWASSA REGION - ETHIOPIA

This study is focused on mathematical description of the open sun drying process of sliced tomato under the conditions of Hawassa region in Ethiopia. The sliced tomatoes were open sun dried by the method of sieves drying and also by the traditional Ethiopian method of drying on canvases. For both methods the mathematical models were determined and the processes were energetically analysed. The measured data were fitted by mathematical models using the Marquardt Levenberg method for non-linear data processing and were also statistically analysed by ANOVA. The integral part of this study is also comparison of both methods in terms of usability of local farmers as well as householders in Hawassa region.
NEUROLOGICAL DISEASES AMONG GERIATRIC POPULATION OF ARAR CITY, KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA: A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY.

1. Associate Prof. of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Northern Border University, KSA. 2. Intern, Faculty of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, KSA. 3. Final year student, Faculty of Medicine, Northern Border University, KSA. 4. Medical Student, Sohag University, Egypt. Manuscript Info Abstract . Manuscript History
Analysis of Minichromosome Maintenance-2 (MCM-2) and Cyclin D1 Expression in Meningioma

World Health Organization histopathological grading of meningioma is associated with recurrence and clinical outcome. Grade II meningioma can be difficult to distinguish with grade I especially in case in which mitosis is not easily identified. MCM-2 and Cyclin D1 play crucial role in cell cycle and have been reported overexpressed in many malignant tumors. The aim of this observational analytic study was to analyze the differences and correlation between MCM-2 and Cyclin D1 in various meningioma grading. Immunohistochemystry with MCM-2 and Cyclin D1 was performed on 25 paraffin blocks of grade I, II and III meningiomas at the Laboratory of Anatomical Pathology, Dr. Soetomo Hospital. The immunoexpression are evaluated using Labelling Index, then analyzed statistically. The results showed significant difference in expression of MCM-2 within various meningioma grading (p=0.000) and significant difference in expression of Cyclin D1 within grade I and II also within grade I and III (p<0.050), but not in grade II and III (p>0.050). There was also positive correlation between MCM-2 and Cyclin D1 expression in various meningioma grading (rs=0.683, p=0.000). MCM-2 may play role in distinguishing various meningioma grading. Cyclin D1 can distinguish grade I and II also grade I and III, but not grade II and III. Overexpression MCM-2 was along with Cyclin D1 in various meningioma gradings.
Deepened winter snow increases stem growth and alters stem δ13C and δ15N in evergreen dwarf shrub Cassiope tetragona in high-arctic Svalbard tundra

Deeper winter snow is hypothesized to favor shrub growth and may partly explain the shrub expansion observed in many parts of the arctic during the last decades, potentially triggering biophysical feedbacks including regional warming and permafrost thawing. We experimentally tested the effects of winter snow depth on shrub growth and ecophysiology by measuring stem length and stem hydrogen (δ2H), carbon (δ13C), nitrogen (δ15N) and oxygen (δ18O) isotopic composition of the circumarctic evergreen dwarf shrub Cassiope tetragona growing in high-arctic Svalbard, Norway. Measurements were carried out on C. tetragona individuals sampled from three tundra sites, each representing a distinct moisture regime (dry heath, meadow, moist meadow). Individuals were sampled along gradients of experimentally manipulated winter snow depths in a six-year old snow fence experiment: in ambient (c. 20 cm), medium (c. 100 cm), and deep snow (c. 150 cm) plots. The deep-snow treatment consistently and significantly increased C. tetragona growth during the 2008–2011 manipulation period compared to growth in ambient-snow plots. Stem δ15N and stem N concentration values were significantly higher in deep-snow individuals compared to individuals growing in ambient-snow plots during the course of the experiment, suggesting that soil N-availability was increased in deep-snow plots as a result of increased soil winter N mineralization. Although inter-annual growing season-precipitation δ2H and stem δ2H records closely matched, snow depth did not change stem δ2H or δ18O, suggesting that water source usage by C. tetragona was unaltered. Instead, the deep insulating snowpack may have protected C. tetragona shrubs against frost damage, potentially compensating the detrimental effects of a shortened growing season and associated phenological delay on growth. Our findings suggest that an increase in winter precipitation in the High Arctic, as predicted by climate models, has the potential to alter the growth and ecophysiology of evergreen shrub C. tetragona through changes in plant mineral nutrition and frost damage protection.
PHYTOREMEDIATION POTENTIAL OF DUCKWEED (LEMNA MINOR L: A TINY AQUATIC PLANT) IN THE REMOVAL OF POLLUTANTS FROM DOMESTIC WASTEWATER WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO NUTRIENTS

Phytoremediation potential of Duck weed Lemna minor L. was studied invitro for the period of seven days to investigate the removal of pollutants in domestic wastewater with special reference to nutrients. The study was conducted in plastic tubs of six inches deep and of 175cm diameter. Twenty liter domestic wastewater was used in tubs for the culture of Duck weed. The domestic wastewater quality was assessed by analyzing Physicochemical characters and obtained data was indicated as initial value. 100g of fresh weight of Lemna minor L was cultured for the period of seven days and again domestic wastewater was analyzed for the same Physicochemical parameters and obtained values were indicated as final value. Net primary productivity (NPP) of Duck weed was also determined by Harvest method for the period of culture. The study revealed that pH, Dissolved oxygen and Percentage oxygen saturation value had increased, while the values for other studied Physico chemical parameters decreased significantly after seven days of culture of Lemna minor L. An increase in value of pH. Dissolved oxygen, Percentage oxygen saturation and decrease in value of Alkalinity, Carbon di oxide concentration, Chloride, and C.O. D. , Hardness, Nitrogen and Phosphorus value indicated an improvement in water quality. An increase in fresh weight of Lemna minor L. and NPP value have suggested its great potential in Phytoremediation for removal of pollutants with special reference to nutrients like Nitrogen and Phosphorus from domestic wastewater.
Purchasing Behavior for Pirated Products A Structural Equation Modeling Approach on Bangladeshi Consumers

The purpose of this study is to explore the factors influencing the Bangladeshi consumers’ perception toward purchasing pirated products. To explore these factors, this study had conducted a survey among the Bangladeshi consumers’. The data analysis was conducted through exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling to test the hypotheses. Among the four variables, individual personalities and economic conditions are the most significant followed by social influences and pricing of pirated products. The outcome of this research showed a comprehensively integrated framework for policy maker and business enterprise to understand the dynamic relationships among dimensions of social influence, pricing, economy, and personality to understand the consumers’ perception toward purchasing pirated products. Further research is needed to examine these factors with additional samples before generalization can be made.
BIER, A. (2014), “The Motivation of Second/Foreign Language Teachers: A Review of the Literature”.

In order to offer a picture of the construct of language teacher motivation, this paper is subdivided into two main sections. In the first part, the main framework for exploring this specific construct is presented and, considering it as mostly social, insights have been drawn from Atkinson’s sociocognitive approach, from complexity theory and from theories of mediation. In the second part, the teacher’s mind is investigated and the scaffolding for its description is provided by the triadic distinction between cognition, affect and motivation. Summary 1. The ‘social side’ of teaching. – 2. The ‘hidden side’ of teaching. – 3. Conclusion.