Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Japan's Foreign Direct Investment and Structural Changes in Japanese and East Asian Trade

In this paper, we analyze both the impact of Japan's foreign direct investment (FDI) into East Asia on trade and the structural changes in trade that have occurred in the region. To do this, we estimate gravity equations using trade data disaggregated to the industry and product levels. Our analysis shows that the impact of FDI on trade varies by industry. Specifically, in the electrical machinery sector, the positive impact of FDI on trade increased substantially from the 1990s, when the division of labor was advancing rapidly, especially for IT- related products. In the textile industry, which experienced a moderate increase in the division of labor primarily for intermediates, the impact of FDI on trade was positive, although not as great as seen in the electrical machinery industry. On the other hand, in the transportation machinery industry, where production processes were shifted from Japan to other East Asian countries and where Japan's exports were substituted with local production, FDI had virtually no impact on trade.
Using a Systemic Functional Genre-Based Approach to Promote a Situated View of Academic Writing Among EFL Pre-service Teachers

This article reports partial results of a qualitative study which explored the gains and challenges encountered by two groups of English as a foreign language pre-service teachers from a public university in Medellin, Colombia, in developing a situated view of academic writing through a systemic functional genre-based instructional unit. The unit was part of a written communications course and used an approach called the teaching-learning cycle. Results from the study suggest that one of the main gains was related to pre-service teachers’ emerging understanding of context, purpose, and audience. One of the main challenges concerned pre-service teachers’ difficulty with shifting their former views of grammar as a fixed system of rules.
PSO-Based PI Controller for Shunt APF in Distribution Network of Multi Harmonic Sources

PI controller tuning with the assumption of linear PWM model leads to unsatisfactory results under varying operating conditions. Optimal tuning of PI gains is required to get the best response of PI controllers. This paper presents a new method for harmonic suppression using particle swarm optimization (PSO) based PI controller (PSOPI) to estimate an efficient shunt active power filter (SAPF). The proposed filter is tested on a 13 bus industrial distribution system. The study system with the 18 study cases are simulated through MATLAB Simulink with different loading condition and single and multi harmonic sources. The results of applying the PIPSO controller are compared with those out of a double proportional controller (DPC). The obtained results ensure the effectiveness of the proposed filter and its superiority in reducing harmonics.
Nonparametric inference for functional‐on‐scalar linear models applied to knee kinematic hop data after injury of the anterior cruciate ligament

Motivated by the analysis of the dependence of knee movement patterns during functional tasks on subject‐specific covariates, we introduce a distribution‐free procedure for testing a functional‐on‐scalar linear model with fixed effects. The procedure does not only test the global hypothesis on the entire domain but also selects the intervals where statistically significant effects are detected. We prove that the proposed tests are provided with an asymptotic control of the intervalwise error rate, that is, the probability of falsely rejecting any interval of true null hypotheses. The procedure is applied to one‐leg hop data from a study on anterior cruciate ligament injury. We compare knee kinematics of three groups of individuals (two injured groups with different treatments and one group of healthy controls), taking individual‐specific covariates into account.
Trace elements in the sea surface microlayer: rapid responses to changes in aerosol deposition

Natural and anthropogenic aerosols are a significant source of trace elements to oligotrophic ocean surface waters, where they provide episodic pulses of limiting micronutrients for the microbial community. However, little is known about the fate of trace elements at the air-sea interface, i.e. the sea surface microlayer. In this study, samples of aerosols, sea surface microlayer, and underlying water column were collected in the Florida Keys during a dusty season (July 2014) and non-dusty season (May 2015) and analyzed for the dissolved and particulate elements Al, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb. Microlayer samples were collected using a cylinder of ultra-pure SiO 2 (quartz glass), a novel adaptation of the glass plate technique. A significant dust deposition event occurred during the 2014 sampling period which resulted in elevated concentrations of trace elements in the microlayer. Residence times in the microlayer from this event ranged from 12 to 94 minutes for dissolved trace elements and from 1.3 to 3.4 minutes for particulate trace elements. These residence times are potentially long enough for the atmospherically derived trace elements to undergo chemical and biological alterations within the microlayer. Characterizing the trace element distributions within the three regimes is an important step towards our overall goals of understanding the rates and mechanisms of the solubilization of trace elements following aeolian dust deposition and how this might affect microorganisms in surface waters.
A comparative study of the prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriurea (ASB) among elderly diabetics and non diabetics with their antibiotic resistant pattern

Introduction: Asymptomatic bacteriuria is the most common problem in elderly diabetics may be due to high glucose concentration in the urine of such patients that favour the growth of uropathogens. Objective: This study was done to determine the prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria in diabetic and non diabetic patients, to determine the uropathogens responsible for ASB and also to know the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of the pathogens. Materials and Methods: Urine samples were collected from elderly diabetics and non diabetics. Cultures Antibiotic susceptibility tests were performed using standard microbiological technique. Results: ASB was found to be 9.8% and 4.6% in diabetics and non diabetics Escherichia coli were the most common isolates followed by Klebsiella pneumonia, Imipenem, Nitrofurantoin were the most sensitive antibiotics against the urinary isolates. Conclusion: The patients may progress to symptomatic UTI so treatment is advisable in elderly cases of asymptomatic bacteriuria with poorly controlled diabetes but after culture and sensitivity.
A Survey on the Presence of Aflatoxin M 1 in Urfa Cheese

The presence and concentration range of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) were investigated by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) technique in 64 samples of Urfa cheese obtained from retail outlets in Sanliurfa, Turkey. AFM1 at detectable level (50 ng/kg) was found in 6.25% in these samples. The concentration of AFM1 in samples ranged from 51.10 to 99.60 ng/kg. None of the cheese samples exceed the legal limit of 250 ng/kg established by Turkish Food Codex. It is concluded that, despite the widespread occurrence of AFM1 in different cheeses, contamination levels in Urfa cheese were not a serious human health hazard. (10 font spacing)
CULTURAL DISTANCE AND BOND PRICING : EVIDENCE IN THE YANKEE AND RULE 144 A BOND MARKETS

In this article we examine the impact of cultural distance on the pricing of corporate bonds issued in the United States. We find that greater cultural differences between U.S. investors and foreign issuers increase the cost of debt. We also find that the cost of Rule 144a offers is less sensitive to cultural distance and creditor protection effects because of the different market structure and investor bases in the Yankee and Rule144a bond markets. Our results suggest that cultural differences influence bond pricing through an information asymmetry channel. JEL Classification: G12, G15, G34
Evaluation of Sound Quality of High Resolution Audio

High resolution audio (HRA), which is recorded in the digital audio format with high sound quality, appears on the audio market. HRA has the quality equal to or better than the standard compact disc (CD), and is distributed as the super audio CD (SACD), DVD-audio, Blue-ray audio, and a data file through the internet. In this paper, sound quality of HRA is investigated in the view point of auditory perception. Perceptual characteristics of HRA have been examined by listening tests as compared with the standard audio CD and the compressed MPEG audio layer-3 (MP3) qualities. The listening tests were carried out by the method of paired comparison, and the participants were asked to discriminate among HRA, CD, and MP3. Jazz music, which was sampled at 192 kHz with 24 bits resolution, was selected out as the original HRA. Both CD and MP3 quality audio files were prepared from the original HRA file by the authors. It is found that the participants prefer the audio format with richer information, that is, HRA is most desirable and CD is better than MP3. The participants were also required to fill in the questionnaire on subjective impression for each audio format. Subjective characteristics of HRA include much presence, high spatial clarity, and wide spaciousness. In addition, perceptual discrimination in quantization distortion is also focused on in between 16 bits and 24 bits resolution. As the result of the listening test with 28 participants, the difference of quantization resolution could be discriminated with the accuracy of 60.3 %. Concerning the perceptual discrimination of HRA, it is suggested that quantization resolution is an important factor as well as wide frequency range.
Evaluation of some biochemical, microbiological and organoleptic characteristics of some honey samples in Nigeria.

This work evaluated honey samples for their nutritive value, wholesomeness and effect of sucrose and honey on food functional properties. Honey samples obtained from Saki (A), Minna (B) and Maiduguri (C) exhibited the following characteristic features: 18 - 24% moisture content, 1.43 - 2.72% protein content, 0.49 - 0.86% ash, 73.7 - 78.6% carbohydrate, mainly sugars. No fibre or fat was detected. The pH values were between 3.2 - 3.6 which signify the honeys to be classified as acidic food. The most predominant minerals are Sodium (Na) (6.30 - 7.02), Potassium (K) (5.6 - 7.6), Calcium (Ca) (2.14 -3.40), Magnesium (Mg) (0.21 - 1.90) and Phosphorus (P) (2.40 -3.60) ppm. The mean viable microbial population counts are 0.5 x 10 7 - 1.15 x 10 7 cfu / ml at 10 -6 dilution and 0.2 x 10 8 - 0.8 x 10 8 cfu/ml at 10 -7 dilution. At 10 -6 and 10 -7 dilution, no mould growth was found except in Minna (B) honey. Honey samples from different parts of Nigeria are shown to be rich in nutrients and endowed with organoleptic properties. Some spoilage organisms were also isolated from the honey samples: Xanthomonas campestris, Micrococcus roseus, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Lactobacilllus fructivorans, Serratia marcescens and Aerococcus viridans. (AGUNBIADE S.O, AROJOJOYE O.A and ALAO O.O. Evaluation of some biochemical, microbiological and organoleptic characteristics of some honey samples in Nigeria. Academ Arena 2012;4(8):41-45) (ISSN 1553- 992X). http://www.sciencepub. net/academia . 7
The Três Marias Reservoir: A sink for sediments outcoming from over-erosion of soils in Minas Gerais, Brazil

The goal of this study is defining the structure and functioning of the Tres Marias tropical reservoir, located in the Cerrado region in Brazil, through geological and chemical study of the bottom sediments. Most of these sediments result from over-erosion of soils of the drainage basin. The geochemical behaviour of major elements was used to assess the contribution of the two foremost setting lithologies (sedimentary rocks of the Tres Marias Formation and kamafugitic volcanic sequences of the Mata da Corda Formation) and the soils overlying them, as distinct sources of different elements: the first one provides elements of low and very high mobility, while the second is responsible for the inputs of large amounts of Mg and K. Due to the mineralogical composition and fine-grained texture of sediments, nutrient elements are strongly sorbed or fixed, disclosing the evident lack of nutrients in the water column and the low phytoplanktonic primary production.
Facing Cultural Diversity Anti-Immigrant Attitudes in Europe

Negative attitudes toward immigrants are widespread in Western societies, and research has repeatedly attempted to explain such attitudes with the presence of cultural diversity arising from a high number of immigrants. Highlighting how political psychology integrates individual and contextual levels of explanation, the present paper aims to overview research that reaches beyond this narrow focus of diversity (i.e., immigrant proportion) to understand anti-immigrant attitudes in culturally diverse societies. First, we present research that reconciles two opposing intergroup mechanisms - contact and threat - both triggered by a high proportion of immigrants. Second, emphasis is placed on ideological climates, a novel contextual antecedent of anti-immigrant attitudes understood as collectively shared norms and values permeating all spheres of social life. Ideological climates influence anti- immigrant attitudes beyond individual characteristics and further shape individuals' responses to cultural diversity. Third, the paper extends existing research on a Person · Context interaction approach to anti-immigrant attitudes and suggests how cultural diversity and ideological climates differentially impact the link between individual-level ideologies and anti-immigrant attitudes. The growing field of multilevel research on anti-immigrant attitudes is overviewed and empirical illustrations of our recent research in Switzerland are provided. We conclude by discussing the benefits and further challenges of integrating individual and contextual antecedents in political psychology and beyond.
Electronic Banking and Bank Performance: Botswana Context

Electronic banking has redefined banking operations in many countries around the world. This paper investigates the relationship between e-banking and commercial bank performance in Botswana. Specifically, this was a descriptive study which seeks to find out if specific electronic banking indicators such as use of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), Cheque Clearance (CHQ), Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), and Card & Electronic Funds Transfer at Point of sale (EFTPOS) have an effect on financial bank performance. A 10 year aggregate quarterly commercial bank data as provided by Bank of Botswana Financial Statistics Reports was used in this study. A multiple regression procedure was used to determine the significance of the relationship between the independent variables (electronic banking indicators) and the profitability measures of return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE) as the dependent variables. The findings were that only CHQ was statistically significant at 0.05% level under both ROA and ROE models with p-values of 0.0002 and 0.0000 respectively. However, the predictive power of ROE was found to be higher than ROA using adjusted r-square and d-statistic. The other three remaining variables (EFT, ATMs and EFTPOS) were statistically insignificant (p >0.05). The results show that at an aggregate level commercial banks in Botswana widely use the traditional banking methods such as use of cheques. The results are expected to inform bank managers on the need to discover the optimal supply of electronic banking services such as EFT clearing, EFTPOS and ATM payment systems in order to improve bank performance. The study will further inform policy makers on the need to improve on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in order to cater for optimal use of electronic banking service in Botswana.
GENETIC DIVERSITY OF Fusarium WILT RACES OF PIGEONPEA IN MAJOR REGIONS OF INDIA

Fusarium wilt is a serious fungal disease in pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) which causes severe yield loses (up to 90%). Genetic diversity in pigeonpea wilt pathogen [Fusarium udum (fud)] was characterised using 14 isolates collected from major pulse growing regions of India. Twenty four RAPD primers generated a total of 226 bands (ranging 0.3 to 3.0 kb) in F. udum with an average of 9.4 bands per primer and a total of 27 alleles were produced by twelve SSR primers with an average of 2.25 alleles per marker. All isolates amplified a single band ranging from 100 to 450 bp. The universal ITS primer pair amplified 650 bp bands in all fourteen fud isolates, while significant length polymorphism was obtained only when analysed by restriction digestion with EcoRI and Hind III enzymes. Cluster analysis of ITS-RFLP grouped all 14 Fud isolates into three major clusters. Cluster analysis using various markers showed the grouping of Fusarium isolates strictly according to their cultural characteristics and degree of pathogenicity and not the geographical origin. This information will be helpful for pathologists and plant breeders to design effective resistance breeding programmes in pigeonpea taking into account the diversity in wilt pathogen.
Treatment dilemma in Amyand’s hernia

Corresponding author: Selçuk Gülmez Gastroenterological Surgery Clinic University of Health Sciences Kartal Kosuyolu Higher Specialty Training and Research Hospital Istanbul, Turkey Phone: +90 553 084 62 15 Fax: +90 216 459 63 21 E-mail: selcukgulmez54@ hotmail.com Gastroenterological Surgery Clinic, University of Health Sciences, Kartal Kosuyolu Higher Specialty Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
Allocation of Responsibility for Injuries from a “Hidden” Hazard

Safety researchers have investigated how people assign blame for injuries sustained during the use of or exposure to consumer products. In this study, we examine attributions made by people given product-use scenarios that describe a girl whose age is manipulated to be from 18 months to 16 years and who suffers serious brain damage after choking on marshmallows made available to her by her mother. Supplementary information intended to be either positive or detrimental to the manufacturer and its safety practices was either present or absent from the scenario. Approximately half of the participants in the positive frame condition also received sample product warnings purportedly developed and used by the manufacturer. In general, participants allocated more responsibility to the girl's parents than to the manufacturer. As predicted, allocation of blame to the girl varied directly with her age. The greater the age of the child, the greater the blame she received. Supplementary information that casts the manufacturer and the manufacturer's practices in a positive light shifted blame away from the manufacturer toward the girl and her parents. Conversely, supplementary information detrimental to the manufacturer shifted blame away from the girl and her parents and toward the manufacturer. The warnings had no measurable effect on allocation of blame. The implications of these results for consumers, legal professionals, and researchers are discussed.
Equal Interval Tapping Synchronized with Metronome Ticking and/or Light Blinking

Equal interval tapping synchronized with a ticking sound or blinking light was performed, and the temporal fluctuation in the tapping was analyzed with Fourier analysis. The results show that the temporal control of tapping with sound is much better than the case of tapping with a blinking light. Equal interval tapping with no external equal-interval cues was also performed and the temporal fluctuation was analyzed. The results show that the temporal control without external equalinterval cues is governed by a 20-tap memory mechanism: The information of the preceding intervals of 20 taps is preserved and used for determining the interval of the present tap. Comparison of the fluctuation between tapping with cues and tapping without cues suggested that, in the case of tapping with external equal-interval cues, the temporal control is governed by a combination of the 20-tap memory mechanism and a cue-synchronized mechanism: The timing of each tap performed by a human can be described as exact equal-interval timing plus a value from a Gaussian noise. Therefore, the inter-onset interval of the tapping is characterized by the first order differential of the Gaussian noise. In the case of tapping with a blinking light, the variance of the Gaussian noise is quite larger than the case of tapping with a ticking sound. This increase of the variance of the noise worsens the temporal control in tapping with a blinking light, compared to the case with a ticking sound.
Long-Baseline Neutrino Oscillation Experiments

A review of accelerator long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiments is provided, including all experiments performed to date and the projected sensitivity of those currently in progress. Accelerator experiments have played a crucial role in the confirmation of the neutrino oscillation phenomenon and in precision measurements of the parameters. With a fixed baseline and detectors providing good energy resolution, precise measurements of the ratio of distance/energy () on the scale of individual events have been made and the expected oscillatory pattern resolved. Evidence for electron neutrino appearance has recently been obtained, opening a door for determining the CP violating phase as well as resolving the mass hierarchy and the octant of ; some of the last unknown parameters of the standard model extended to include neutrino mass.
Incomplete, Slow, and Asymmetric Price Transmission in Ten Product Markets of Bolivia

With food prices on the rise, understanding the transmission of price shocks, both internationally and domestically, is central for trade policy analysis. This paper examines spatial market integration and its determinants for ten key food products in Bolivia, across the four most important cities, and with the world, over the period 1991-2008. Within Bolivia, markets for onions, chicken, sugar, and to a lower extent for potatoes, cooking oil, wheat flour, and rice are integrated. However, only chicken, sugar, cooking oil, and rice are integrated with world markets, with incomplete and slow transmission. The perennial result of asymmetric price adjustment to foreign shocks also holds for Bolivia: domestic prices respond faster when the world price increases than when it decreases. This points to a perennial recommendation: the importance of stimulating competitive practices to avoid welfare redistribution due to imperfect competition. Infrastructure improvements will also contribute to accessible food prices for the poor.