Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Meta-Analysis on Major Risk Factors of Multiple Primary Cutaneous Melanomas

Background. Identifying multiple primary melano ma (MPM) risk factors is an important step towards detecting secondary primaries at an early stage and optimizing follow-up of melanoma patients. Therefore, we examined the risk factors for MPM versus single primary melanomas (SPM) in a meta-analysis. Methods. Published literature comparing risk factors for MPM versus SPM up until May 13, 2013 were retrieved from Embase and MEDLINE databases. Effect sizes were aggregated and analyzed using random effects models (REM) using Bayesian methods. Results. 16 articles comparing risk factors between MPM versus SPM, comprising of 2442 MPM and 24.895 SPM individuals were included. Positive family history (OR 2.0,95% HPD:1.6-2.7), presence of dysplastic nevi (OR 4.4,95% HPD: 2.6-8.9) and light hair color (OR 1.4,95% HPD:1.1-1.7) were shown to be significantly linked with MPM. Bayesian estimates of other factors, including benign nevi count, sunburn history, freckles and phototype were not significantly raised. Limitations. Heterogeneity between studies and the small number of eligible papers limited our meta-analysis. Conclusion. This meta-analysis confirms that a positive family history, presence of dysplastic nevi and light hair color correlate with higher risk for developing MPM. Patients with these characteristics should be carefully monitored.
Internet apprehensiveness: An examination of on‐line information seeking and purchasing behavior

Purpose – A model of the relationships between individuals' perceptions of internet use and internet usage behaviors is presented and tested. The purpose of this paper is to propose that a lack of perceived responsiveness to on‐line communication is positively related to individuals' general resistance to use the internet as a communication information exchange medium, termed general internet apprehensiveness (GIA). Perceptions of GIA are negatively associated with on‐line information‐seeking behavior, and positively associated with individuals' resistance to or fear of using the internet for on‐line retail transactions, termed transactional internet apprehensiveness (TIA). Design/methodology/approach – College‐aged students reported their attitudes about on‐line information seeking, on‐line purchasing, and their on‐line information seeking and purchasing behaviors. The model presented is tested with path analysis to assess the variables' interrelationships. Findings – Ultimately, lack of responsiveness is positively related to GIA, GIA is negatively related to information‐seeking behavior, and TIA is negatively related to consumers' on‐line purchasing of goods and services. Research limitations/implications – The student sample used in this study prevents us from making broad‐based generalizations. While students represent a large base of internet users and have been presented as a viable population to study in investigations for both academic audiences and marketing practitioners, future research will continue to benefit from more diverse samples of internet users. Practical implications – This study offers hospitality professionals a better understanding of the elements that inhibit or encourage on‐line information seeking and purchasing behaviors. Originality/value – This paper further defines the socio‐demographic factors that inhibit consumers from using the internet as both an information‐sharing tool and purchasing medium.
Computational Exploration of Chaotic Dynamics with an Associated Biological System

Study of microbial populations has always been a topic of interest for researchers. This is because microorganisms have been of instrumental use in the various studies related to population dynamics, artificial biofuels etc. Comparatively short lifespan and availability are two big advantages they have which make them suitable for aforementioned studies. Their population dynamic helps us understand evolution. A lot can be revealed about resource consumption of a system by comparing it to the similar system where bacteria play the role of different factors in the system. Also, study of population dynamics of bacteria can reveal necessary initial conditions for the desired state of microbial population at some reference point in future. This makes it interesting for ecological and evolutionary disciplines. Chaos is a mathematical concept which characterizes behavior of dynamical systems that are highly sensitive to the initial conditions. Small differences in the initial conditions such as those due to rounding errors of values of initial parameters yield widely diverging outcomes for such dynamical systems. The way biological systems behave in nature, there is a reason to believe that they do indeed follow chaotic regime. Various mathematical models have been proposed to mimic biological systems in nature. We believe that models which follow chaotic regime represent the biological systems in better way and also are more efficient. We propose a new software tool which may help simulate the mathematical model at hand and provide view
The World-View of Penan Community on Quality of Life

The issues of poverty among the Penan communities are often associated with the development policies and government policies that are too forward thinking and living experience that goes beyond the Penan community understands on quality of life. Accordingly, the main objective of this study is to examine the concept of quality of life based on the Penan community’s construction. By exploring their own worldview on life, daily life activities, and social environment, their relationship with the environment and culture and belief system will be elucidated using an abductive research strategy. This is because social reality is seen as a social construction by actors. The study population comprised of the Penan communities living in Long Urun Resettlement in Belaga District, Sarawak. Purposive sampling technique was used in this study. A total of 50 household heads were interviewed using in-depth interview. Focus group discussions were conducted with the Belaga District Officer, Belaga District Health Officer, Belaga District Education Officer, Primary School Teachers, community leaders and religious leaders of the Penan community. The results showed the accessibility of facilities and infrastructure are the themes that resonate as prominent features for the community, followed by the theme of community, resources and environment, physical and psychological well-being, family relationships, participation, and capability in order to understand the meaning of quality of live from the Penan community world-view. In short, the objective indicators of quality of life still remains a key feature compared with subjective indicators or non-material aspects of life.
Organisational decision-making experiences of Nigerian polytechnics

The significance of participatory decision-making has received world wide acclamation by management scholars. This study, therefore, focused on the nature of participation, pattern of participation and the appropriateness or otherwise of rational participatory decision--making processes in polytechnics in northern Nigeria. It was found that other than Heads of Departments and Deans, other academic staff are not involved in the decision-making processes in polytechnics in northern Nigeria. Where decision-making involved other members of staff, expertise and competence were crucial for selecting who participates. Autocratic pattern of decision-making was found to be the commonest among the institutions. Based on these informed findings, relevant and practicable recommendations have been advanced to improve the practice of decision-making in the polytechnics. Makerere Journal of Higher Education Vol. 1, 2004: 25-36
On the Formulation of the Exchange Field in the Landau-Lifshitz Equation for Spin-Wave Calculation in Magnonic Crystals

The calculation of the magnonic spectra using the plane-wave method has limitations, the origin of which lies in the formulation of the effective magnetic field term in the equation of motion (the Landau-Lifshitz equation) for composite media. According to ideas of the plane-wave method the system dynamics is described in terms of plane waves (a superposition of a number of plane waves), which are continuous functions and propagate throughout the medium. Since in magnonic crystals the sought-for superposition of plane waves represents the dynamic magnetization, the magnetic boundary conditions on the interfaces between constituent materials should be inherent in the Landau-Lifshitz equations. In this paper we present the derivation of the two expressions for the exchange field known from the literature. We start from the Heisenberg model and use a linear approximation and take into account the spacial dependence of saturation magnetization and exchange constant present in magnetic composites. We discuss the magnetic boundary conditions included in the presented formulations of the exchange field and elucidate their effect on spin-wave modes and their spectra in one- and two-dimensional planar magnonic crystals from plane-wave calculations.
Organisational commitment and turnover intentions: evidence from Nigerian paramilitary organisation

This study explores the empirical link between different dimensions of organizational commitment and turnover intentions on Nigeria paramilitary organisation. A literature review of organizational commitment and employee turnover provides the basis for the research hypotheses. Four research hypotheses were formulated and tested at 95% and 99% confidence level. The study adopted a survey research design. A self-administered questionnaire was used, involving 144 respondents from selected paramilitary organisation in Akure, Nigeria to collect data and testing the existing theory. Data collected were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistical techniques. In contrary to theory, the study revealed a weak positive relationship between organizational commitment dimensions (affective, continuance and normative) and turnover intentions. The relationships are statistically significant expect the one between turnover intention and normative commitment which is statistically insignificant. The study concluded that the commitment of an employee to organisational goals, missions, and values is not enough to predict his/her stay in the organisation. There are other variables apart from organisational commitment that are predictor of employees’ intentions to quit. Thus, organisations should look beyond forces in their internal environment, when considering reduction in employee’s turnover intentions and the actual employee’s turnover.
Attribution Theory and Strategic Decisions on Organizational Success Factors.

This study examines the pattern of attributions of managers in business organizations as they relate to strategic decisions on critical success factors including personnel, market leadership and customers’ loyalty. A survey of 60 managers was conducted in Lagos, Nigeria and some psychological measures were administered to them. The results show that managers attribute strategic decisions on personnel, market leadership and customers’ loyalty to effort, ability and nature of the task. Managers with personality traits of extraversion and conscientiousness show similar pattern of finding. The study concludes that inter causes of attributions principally serve as basis for strategic decision making. The implications of the study are also discussed.
Two years of online measurement of fine particulate nitrate in the western Yangtze River Delta: influences of thermodynamics and N2O5 hydrolysis

Abstract. Particulate nitrate contributes a large fraction of secondary aerosols. Despite understanding of its important role in regional air quality and global climate, long-term continuous measurements are rather limited in China. In this study, we conducted online measurement of PM2.5 (particulate matter with diameters less than 2.5 µm) nitrate for 2 years from March 2014 to February 2016 using the Monitor for AeRosols and Gases in ambient Air (MARGA) in the western Yangtze River Delta (YRD), eastern China, and investigate the main factors that influenced its temporal variations and formation pathways. Compared to other sites in China, an overall high concentration of particulate nitrate was observed, with a mean value of 15.8 µg m−3 (0.5 to 92.6 µg m−3). Nitrate on average accounted for 32 % of the total mass of water-soluble ions and the proportion increased with PM loading, indicating that nitrate is a major driver of haze pollution episodes in this region. Sufficient ammonia drove most nitrate into the particle phase in the form of ammonium nitrate. A typical seasonal cycle of nitrate was observed, with the concentrations in winter on average 2 times higher than those in summer mainly due to different meteorological conditions. In summer, the diurnal variation of particulate nitrate was determined by thermodynamic equilibrium, resulting in a much lower concentration during daytime despite a considerable photochemical production. Air masses from the polluted YRD and biomass burning region contributed to the high nitrate concentration during summer. In winter, particulate nitrate did not reveal an evident diurnal variation. Regional transport from northern China played an important role in enhancing nitrate concentration. A total of 18 nitrate episodes were selected to understand the processes that drive the formation of high concentration of nitrate. Rapid nitrate formation was observed during the pre-episode (the day before nitrate episode day) nights, and dominated the increase of total water-soluble ions. Calculated nitrate from N2O5 hydrolysis was highly correlated to and accounted for 80 % of the observed nitrate, suggesting that N2O5 hydrolysis was a major contributor to the nitrate episodes. Our results suggested that rapid formation of nitrate could be a main cause for extreme aerosol pollution events in the YRD during winter, and illustrated the urgent need to control NOx emission.
Slaughter value, meat quality and backfat fatty acid profile in Zlotnicka White and Zlotnicka Spotted fatteners

Selected slaughter traits, meat quality and backfat fatty acid profile were assessed in purebred Zlotnicka White (ZW group, n=30) and Zlotnicka Spotted (ZS group, n=30) fatteners (females to castrated males ratio = 1/1). Basic physico-chemical properties were determined in the longissimus dorsi muscle and fatty acid profile was estimated of the backfat. At similar live weight and meat content of carcass in both breed groups, thicker backfat was recorded on the ham of the ZW and on the shoulder of the ZS pigs. The meat of both groups was characterized by good quality. Desirable meat pH, very small juice drip from the muscle tissue, high water holding capacity as well as desirable meat colour were found in both groups, although their indicators were slightly more favourable in ZW. Backfat of the ZW fatteners was found to contain by 2.59 per cent points (pp) more linoleic acid and by 0.38 pp more α-linolenic acid than ZS backfat. However, the ratio of PUFA n-6 to PUFA n-3 in the backfat was similar in both breed groups and amounted to about 10.7.
Is White the New Blue? The Impact on Gender Wage and Employment Differentials of Offshoring of White-collar Jobs in the United States

Since the mid-1990s, offshore production has become increasingly important in white-collar, service sector activities in the U.S. economy. This development coincided with a stagnant gender wage gap over this period. This paper categorizes white-collar service sector occupations into two groups based on whether or not an occupation is at risk of being offshored and assesses the relative contribution of these two groupings, through their employment and wages, to the stagnation of the gender wage gap between 1995 and 2005. Applying standard decomposition methods to Current Population Survey and Displaced Workers Survey data shows that in at-risk occupations, low-wage women’s employment declined, leading to an artificial increase in the average wage of remaining women thereby narrowing the gender wage gap. This improvement in the gender wage gap was offset by the relative growth of high-wage male employment in at-risk occupations and the widening of the gender wage gap within not-at-risk occupations.
Size and Liquidity Effects in Japanese Regional Stock Markets

This paper assesses the effectiveness of traded turnover, Amihud (2002) and Liu (2006) metrics in measuring illiquidity, as used in a multifactor CAPM. The performance of this model is contrasted using a unique sample from Japan's regional stock exchanges, namely Sapporo, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Osaka and Tokyo. The evidence suggests that size effects are important in Tokyo, liquidity plays a more important role in the conditional modelling of returns particularly in the smaller markets of Sapporo, Fukuoka and Nagoya where costs of equity are highest.
Modeling Financial Systemic Risk | the Network Eect and the Market Liquidity Eect

Financial institutions are interconnected directly by holding debt claims against each other (the network channel), and they are also bound by the market liquidity in selling assets to meet debt liabilities when facing distress (the liquidity channel). The goal of our study is to investigate how these two channels of risk interact to propagate individual defaults to a system-wide catastrophe. We formulate the model as an optimization problem with equilibrium constraints and derive a partition algorithm to solve for the market-clearing equilibrium. The solutions so obtained enables us to identify two factors, the network multiplier and the liquidity amplier, to characterize the contributions of these two channels to nancial systemic risk, whereby we can acquire better understanding of the eectiveness of several policy interventions. The analysis behind the algorithm yields estimates for the contagion probability on the basis of the market value of the institutions’ net worths, underscoring the importance of equity capital as a cushion against systemic shocks in the presence of the liquidity channel. The optimization formulation also provides more structural insights to allow us to extend the study of systemic risk to a system with debts of dierent seniorities, and meanwhile presents a close connection to the literature of stochastic networks. Finally, we illustrate the impacts of the network and the liquidity channels| in particular, the signicance of the latter |in the formation of systemic risk with data on the European banking system.
Diurnal, weekly, seasonal and spatial variabilities in carbon dioxide flux in different urban landscapes in Sakai, Japan

Abstract. To evaluate CO2 emissions in urban areas and their temporal and spatial variability, continuous measurements of CO2 fluxes were conducted using the eddy covariance method at three locations in Sakai, Osaka, Japan. Based on the flux footprint at the measurement sites, CO2 fluxes from the three sites were partitioned into five datasets representing a dense urban center, a moderately urban area, a suburb, an urban park, and a rural area. A distinct biological uptake of CO2 was observed in the suburb, urban park, and rural areas in the daytime, whereas high emissions were observed in the dense and moderate urban areas in the daytime. Weekday CO2 emissions in the dense urban center and suburban area were approximately 50 % greater than emissions during weekends and holidays, but the other landscapes did not exhibit a clear weekly cycle. Seasonal variations in the urban park, rural area, and suburban area were influenced by photosynthetic uptake, exhibiting the lowest daily emissions or even uptake during the summer months. In contrast, the dense and moderately urban areas emitted CO2 in all seasons. CO2 emissions in the urban areas were high in the winter and summer months, and they significantly increased with the increase in air temperature in the summer and the decrease in air temperature in the winter. Irrespective of the land cover type, all urban landscapes measured in this study acted as net annual CO2 sources, with emissions ranging from 0.5 to 4.9 kg C m−2 yr−1. The magnitude of the annual CO2 emissions was negatively correlated with the green fraction; areas with a smaller green fraction had higher annual CO2 emissions. Upscaled flux estimated based on the green fraction indicated that the emissions for the entire city were 3.3 kg C m−2 yr−1, which is equivalent to 0.5 Tg C yr−1 or 1.8 Mt CO2 yr−1, based on the area of the city (149.81 km2). A network of eddy covariance measurements is useful for characterizing the spatial and temporal variations in net CO2 fluxes from urban areas. Multiple methods would be required to evaluate the rationale behind the fluxes and overcome the limitations in the future.
Synchrotron X-ray investigation of the layer spacing in a series of low molar mass bi-mesogen organosiloxane smectic materials

The temperature dependence of the layer spacing of a series of chiral bi-mesogen organosiloxane liquid-crystal materials is presented. The detailed measurements were taken at the ELETTRA radiation source in Trieste on thin specimens contained between glass coverslips. In the materials with 10 and 11 spacers between the siloxane and the mesogenic moiety, it is observed that the temperature dependence of the layer spacing is not monotonous. In the material with six spacers, there is an abrupt change of 0.01 nm in the layer spacing between 35 °C and 36 °C. In this temperature range, domains with both layer spacing coexist. This observation is in agreement with polarised light microscopy observations; however, detailed differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements show no heat associated with this transition.
Seasonal Dynamics in Air Quality Index and its Role in Pollution Mapping

Alteration pattern of Air Quality Index with changing seasons, was studied and air monitoring was carried out at different road intersections selected in the trans-Gomti, central and southern regions of the Lucknow city. On the basis of levels of different pollutants in the ambience, the Air Quality Index was calculated to categorize the sites from very clean to polluted range. The air Quality Index data showed that the central region of the city was maximally polluted with auto-exhaust emission, followed by trans-Gomti region, while the southern region was minimally polluted. A marked seasonal variation pattern was also observed in the AQI being maximum in the winter season, followed by summer and the least in the rainy season. With the help of AQI, a pollution map of Lucknow city was prepared for the first time with different colour shades indicating the levels of air pollution in different localities.