Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Frequency of transferable multiple antibiotic resistance amongst coliform bacteria isolated from a treated sewage effluent in Antofagasta, Chile

Antibiotic-resistant coliform bacteria from raw and treated water from activated sludge of a sewage treatment plant were isolated on eosin methylene blue agar (EMB) plates in the separate presence of ampicillin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol and streptomycin. Antibiotic resistant coliforms obtained from inflow and effluent waters were studied to determine influences of treatment on the species composition, resistance patterns and transferable resistance in these bacteria. The bacterial counts obtained showed a high proportion of antibiotic resistant coliforms in the treated effluent. The resistant coliform species were eliminated at different rates by the treatment. Escherichia coli decreased, whereas the proportion of Klebsiella sp increased. The percentage of multiple-resistant isolates increased at the end of the treatment process. The high frequency of resistance was to ampicillin, followed by tetracycline and sulpha-trimethoprim. Moderate incidence of resistance was to streptomycin, chloramphenicol and cephradine. The lowest rate of resistance was to kanamicin and nalidixic acid. Mating experiments of multiple-resistant coliforms with an E. coli K-12 donor confirmed the capability of transferring its resistance. The results of this study suggested that wastewater treatment could reduce the total number of enteric bacteria in sewage, but may increase the proportion of antibiotic resistant coliforms in effluent water. Environmental release and agricultural use of treated sewage effluent containing bacteria having elevated antibiotic resistance levels presents a potential public health risk, as well as the risk of transferring the antibiotic resistance to bacterial populations in the environment.
Family Firms and the Market Reaction to Dividend News

This paper provides an analysis of the market reaction to dividend change announcements for publicly-traded, family-controlled firms. Family firms have a significantly lower proportion of independent directors than non-family firms, which is consistent with the idea that family members dominate the board of directors and that family shareholders are common in publicly-traded firms. The author analyzed 390 dividend change announcements in Portugal over the period from 1991 to 2010 using a panel data approach. The results show no evidence of a significant market reaction to dividend change announcements, providing no evidence in support of the dividend-signaling hypothesis in the context of family firms. This conclusion agrees with previous studies in which there was no distinction between family and non-family firms. Empirical results show that family firms engage in lower payouts than their non-family counterparts, giving some supports to the expropriation hypothesis. This finding may indicate that families expropriate the wealth of shareholders through lower dividends. This result is also consistent with the clientele theory of dividends.
SIMPLE MODEL FOR THE INPUT IMPEDANCE OF RECTANGULAR MICROSTRIP ANTENNA

A very simple model for the input impedance of a coax-fed rectangular microstrip patch antenna is presented. Itis based on the cavity model and the equivalent resonant circuits. The theoretical input impedance resultsobtained from this model are in good agreement with the experimental results available in the literature. Thismodel is well suited for computer-aided design (CAD).
The effect of corporate governance on corporate payout policy on Egyptian firms

Corporate Payout is one of the most intriguing topics. Even now, economists provide considerable attention and thought to solving the dividend puzzle, resulting in a large number of conflicting hypotheses, theories and explanations. Since corporate payout as well as corporate governance play a significant role in mitigating agency considerations many researchers have tackled this relationship. The purpose of this study is to fill the gap on the academic studies by focusing on the Egyptian firms during the period of 2006-2011 with the use of secondary data by analyzing whether corporate governance variables affect the firm’s payout ratio positively or negatively and whether they apply the outcome or the substitution model. The results will also be of beneficial use to directors and managers for managing their practices well .
Variability of sea ice deformation rates in the Arctic and their relationship with basin-scale wind forcing

The temporal variability of the moments of prob- ability distribution functions (pdfs) of total sea ice defor- mation rates in the Arctic is analyzed in the context of the basin-scale wind forcing acting on the ice. The pdfs are es- timated for 594 satellite-derived sea ice deformation maps from 11 winter seasons between 1996/1997 and 2007/2008, provided by the RADARSAT Geophysical Processor Sys- tem. The temporal scale analyzed equals 3 days. The mo- ments of the pdfs, calculated for a range of spatial scales (12.5-900 km), have two dominating components of vari- ability: a seasonal cycle, with deformation rates decreasing throughout winter towards a minimum in March; and a short- term, synoptic variability, strongly correlated with the area- averaged magnitude of the wind stress over the Arctic, esti- mated based on the NCEP-DOE Reanalysis-2 data (correla- tion coefficient of 0.71 for the mean deformation rate). Due to scaling properties of the moments, logarithms of higher moments are strongly correlated with the wind stress as well. Exceptions are observed only at small spatial scales, as a result of extreme deformation events, not directly associ- ated with large-scale wind forcing. By repeating the analysis within regions of different sizes and locations, we show that the wind-ice deformation correlation is largest at the basin scale and decreases with decreasing size of the area of study. Finally, we suggest that a positive trend in seasonally aver- aged correlation between sea ice deformation rates and the wind forcing, present in the analyzed data, may be related to an observed decrease in the multi-year ice area in the Arctic, indicating possibly even stronger correlations in the future.
Coronal heating and nanoflares: current sheet formation and heating

Aims. Solar photospheric footpoint motions can produce strong, localised currents in the corona. A detailed understanding of the formation process and the resulting heating is important in modelling nanoflares, as a mechanism for heating the solar corona. Methods. A 3D MHD simulation is described in which an initially straight magnetic field is sheared in two directions. Grid resolutions up to 5123 were used and two boundary drivers were considered; one where the boundaries are continuously driven and one where the driving is switched off once a current layer is formed. Results. For both drivers a twisted current layer is formed. After a long time we see that, when the boundary driving has been switched off, the system relaxes towards a lower energy equilibrium. For the driver which continuously shears the magnetic field we see a repeating cycle of strong current structures forming, fragmenting and decreasing in magnitude and then building up again. Realistic coronal temperatures are obtained.
Microsoft Word-p095_vTypesetted.docx

English teachers use the Sentence Verification Technique (Royer et al., 1979) to determine the readability of written material for their classes. This process requires students to read short passages from a book, followed by isolated sentences. These sentences can be either identical or different from the original passages, in their meaning as well as in their form. For each sentence, students must indicate whether or not its content corresponds to that of the original passage. This paper reports on the design and assessment of an SVT test created for measuring reading comprehension ability, based on four English texts. The instrument was administered to 171 adult English learners, of various levels of English proficiency. The data were analyzed using both traditional psychometric methods and the Rasch model. Results indicate that the test shows high internal consistency, that it respects the basic assumptions behind the Rasch model, and that it is in the recommended range of difficulty for that technique.
The Effect of Marketing Communications on the Sales Performance of Ghana Telecom (Vodafone, Ghana)

One of the problem areas in marketing of great practical and theoretical significance about which much remains to be learned is the nature of market response to a firm's marketing mix. Marketers are therefore concerned about the coordination between communications and their sales and the expenses thereof. This study sought to examine the relationships existing between marketing communications activities and the sales performance of Vodafone. The study also made use of simple statistical tools such as tables, graphs, together with multiple regression analysis to determine the degree of variation between the dependent (sales volume) and independent variable (communication tools). The results indicated strong relationships between sales promotion, advertising budgets and total sales. There was however an inverse relationship between TV advertisements and sales. In addition, a negative relationship was also found to exist between sponsorship budget and total sales. The outcome indicates that Vodafone was not paying much attention to its total communication costs and the return on investment (ROI) on such expenditures. It is recommended therefore that management and other marketers in the industry regularly evaluate the marketing communications activities they engage in as this will inform them on how effective their communications activities are and what returns to expect on these marketing communications activities.
THE USE OF AUTHORIAL SELF-MENTION WORDS IN ACADEMIC WRITING

Abstract The purpose of this corpus-based study is to explore how academic writers from different cultural backgrounds employ authorial self-mention words in their research articles (RA). The data set of the present study comprises roughly 300 research articles, which were selected through criterion sampling method, from the field of Applied Linguistics. Randomly selected 100 articles were examined through document analysis technique in order to unearth how writers from different cultural backgrounds use authorial self-mention words to achieve a variety of rhetorical purposes. The data were analyzed using Hyland‟s (2002) text analysis model. The findings reveal that the RA is not a modest, self-effacing genre, devoid of writer presence; rather it is a site where writers strategically employ authorial self-mention words and project themselves in their works. The study ends with suggestions for non-native novice writers, underscoring the need to raise (non-native) novice writers‟ awareness of the strategic use of authorial selfmention words in academic writing.
The chemical abundances in a sample of dwarf irregular galaxies - II. The case of IC 4662 and ESO 245-G05

Optical spectra of H ii regions of two dwarf irregular galaxies are presented. The objects are IC 4662 and ESO 245-G05. Chemical abundances were derived in all the H ii regions where the forbidden oxygen line (OIII)4363 A was detected. For spectra with the highest quality, a study of the spatial distribution of chemical elements in these objects were made. Generally, the chemical composition is largely constant within the H ii regions studied. Some dierences are found but could be attributed varying physical properties, e.g. small scale fluctuations in the temperature of the region. A comparison of the chemical abundances between dierent H ii regions within the galaxies is made for IC 4662 and ESO 245-G05, where one of the H ii regions clearly shows deviating chemical abundances.
Changes During a Century in Trace Element and Macronutrient Concentrations of an Agricultural Soil

Abstract Surface soil and subsoil samples collected in 2012 from a long-term agronomic experimental field at Cornell University were digested in concentrated nitric-perchloric acid and analyzed for macronutrient and trace element concentrations by ICP-OES (inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry) and ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry). Archived soil samples, taken from the same field nearly a century earlier (1913), were simultaneously analyzed by the same methods to determine any temporal trends in acid-soluble soil elemental composition that might have resulted from agricultural practices and amendments or from diffuse pollution at this semirural site. Modest increases in surface soil concentrations of several macronutrients (P, Ca, Mg, K) were observed between 1913 and 2012, probably attributable to fertilizer and lime amendments. Most trace elements showed either no significant concentration increase (Zn, Ba, Mn) or a small increase (Ni, Cr) in the surface soil. The greatest relative increase in surface soil trace metal concentrations was for arsenic (81%), followed by lead (40%) and cadmium (33%), although acid-soluble concentrations of these toxic metals in 2012 remained in the range considered typical for background levels in uncontaminated agricultural soils of this region. Cadmium measured in acid digests by ICP-OES was shown to overestimate total soil Cd at these low near-background concentrations, with both ICP-MS and a flame atomic absorption method using a preconcentration step for Cd in extracts providing results more consistent with known total soil Cd concentrations of certified standards.
Structural Changes are More Important than Compositional Changes in Driving Biomass Loss in Ugandan Forest Fragments

Aboveground biomass (AGB) contained in privately-owned forests is less frequently measured than in forest reserves despite their greater likelihood of degradation. We demonstrate how density changes in contrast to species compositional changes have driven AGB changes in privately-owned fragments in Uganda over two decades. Data on tree assemblages in fragments were obtained by resampling a 1990 dataset in 2010 and AGB estimated using generalised allometric equation that incorporates diameter at breast height (DBH) and species-specific wood density. AGB were highly variable between fragments and over time. Structural changes contributed a higher proportion of change in AGB than species compositional changes in all forests. Non-pioneer species constituted over 50% of AGB in reserve forest, in contrast to private forests where pioneer species dominated. Our study demonstrates the potential of private forests to hold comparable AGB to plantation. Reduction in exploitation pressure is required if fragments are to mitigate carbon emissions.
The electric double layer has a life of its own

Using molecular dynamics simulations with recently developed importance sampling methods, we show that the differential capacitance of a model ionic liquid based double-layer capacitor exhibits an anomalous dependence on the applied electrical potential. Such behavior is qualitatively incompatible with standard mean-field theories of the electrical double layer, but is consistent with observations made in experiment. The anomalous response results from structural changes induced in the interfacial region of the ionic liquid as it develops a charge density to screen the charge induced on the electrode surface. These structural changes are strongly influenced by the out-of-plane layering of the electrolyte and are multifaceted, including an abrupt local ordering of the ions adsorbed in the plane of the electrode surface, reorientation of molecular ions, and the spontaneous exchange of ions between different layers of the electrolyte close to the electrode surface. The local ordering exhibits signatures of a first-order phase transition, which would indicate a singular charge-density transition in a macroscopic limit.
Self and Chemical Diffusion in Liquid Al-Ag

Self-and chemical diffusion coefficients are reported for molten Al-Ag on the Al-rich side of the phase diagram for Ag concentrations of up to 45at% and for pure liquid Ag. Temperature dependent Ag self-diffusion coefficients were obtained using quasi-elastic neutron scattering. Chemical diffusion coefficients were measured in situ by means of X-ray radiography of a long-capillary furnace. A detailed error analysis for the long-capillary experiments is reported. It is shown that perturbing effects can be detected and that accurate chemical diffusion coefficients can be measured with high precision. It is demonstrated based on Al-Ag20at% that the Darken equation appears to be valid for this system with a thermodynamic factor lower than unity. Furthermore, in Al-Ag it appears that Ag self-diffusion for small Ag concentrations is faster than Al-self-diffusion in liquid Al. This contrasts with observations made for other Al-based melts like Al-Ni and Al-Cu.
The Benefits and Costs of Noise Reduction

This paper attempts to measure, in a cost-benefit analysis, a stricter noise abatement programme for noise originating from roads in Israel. Using the hedonic price method for three large cities and rural area transactions, a benefit from noise reduction was found. In order to perform a social cost-benefit analysis, a measure of benefit has been derived for 1 km of road and has been compared with the cost of noise reduction under different types of road structure. The results indicate that even though benefits have largely increased when compared to past decades (e.g. 1.2% of an average urban property value per 1 decibel reduction), the decision to insulate a given road is dependent on location and road structure. This raises the normative question of a national vs. regional standard that decision makers should be aware of and such studies could be of help in this respect.
Investigating the Levels of Strain, from the Point of Various Variables, at Their Efforts of Obtain Information of Preservice Teachers' of Secondary Education.

The aim of this study is investigating the Levels of Strain, From the Point of Various Variables (according to gender, branch, working at a job which provides financial gain, the reason to prefer the teaching profession, the number of digests of related field which have been followed, the frequency of weekly using internet, the aim of using internet, the frequency of weekly utilization from a library at studies related with branch, and the number of read books monthly) , at Their Efforts of Obtain Information of Preservice Teachers’ of Secondary Education. Study carried out by general screening model and data has been collected by content validity and reliability has been through a survey. The opinions of 115 teachers were included in the study. The scale developed by the researcher used in the research. Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient of the scale has been determined as . 968. The value of the normal distribution of the data set as 6.57. Preservice teachers’ in their efforts to obtain information, the information needed to identify, access to information, assessment, use and in this process to consider the ethical and legal values of stages have been forced from time to time. Preservice teachers’ views on the strain level did not vary according to personal characteristics. Preservice teachers in the social field to learn to work less hard than Preservice teachers in the fields of science and mathematics. Study skills and habits of the prospective teachers to learn to be scraped in pre-service education and in-service training of vocational qualifications to support this have been proposed.
Investment Cash Flow Sensitivity and Effect of Managers’ Ownership: Difference between Central Owned and Private Owned Companies in China

Based on panel data of the listed companies in China’s stock market A during a period of year 2007 - 2010, we made an empirical study on what drives the investment cash flow sensitivity and theeffect of management’s ownership and boththeir differences between the central stateowned companiesand then on-stateowned companiesas well.The sensitivity of investment to internal cash flow in China’scentralstate-owned companies can be explained by“hypothesis of free cash flow”It is the cost of agency that causes over-investment behaviors ,and the management’s ownership appears significant enhancement effect rather thanentrenchment effect. However,the sensitivity of investment to internal cash flow in China’s non-state owned companies supports the explanation of“hypothesis of financial constraints”. A symmetrical information causesunder- investment behaviors of the firms.In the mean while,the entrenchment effect of manages’ ownership dominates the enhancement effect in non-state owned companies
Enhancing Organizational Fit Factors to Achieve ERP Project Success

Organizational fit is an important project success factor; however, its importance and relationships with key project management (PM) factors in large-scale software projects have not been thoroughly investigated. The purpose of this paper is to investigate of the direct effect of organizational fit factor on ERP project success,and the moderating effect of organizational adaptation and PM factors on the relationship between organizational fit and ERP success. A total of 69 enterprisesin Taiwan were surveyed. The collected data were analyzed using the regression analysis. The data analysis results indicate that organizational fit has a direct and positive influence on ERP project success. Depends on project success measures (cost, time, performance, and benefit) to achieve, organization adaptation factors (i.e. system and business process adaptation) and key PM factors (i.e. teamwork, top management support, end-user training, and vendor’s advising capability)play strong moderating roles in the relationship between organizational fit and ERP success. These findings lead to academic and practical implications on improving ERP project success via managing these key factors.
Cytogenetic and Y Chromosome Microdeletions Analyses for a Cohort of Palestinian Oligozoospermic and Azoospermic Infertile Men

Genetic causes account for roughly 15% of male infertility in most Western countries. Klinefelter Syndrome and submicroscopic deletions on the Y chromosome involving AZF region are the most common genetic causes of male infertility associated with azoospermia and oligozoospermia. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of chromosomal aberrations and Y chromosome microdeletions in a group of azoospermic and oligospermic infertile men in the southern part of the West Bank (Occupied Palestinian Territories). Twenty-seven samples from Hebron and Bethlehem were analyzed by standard G-banding techniques for numerical and structural chromosomal rearrangements. Twenty-six samples were analyzed for Y chromosome microdeletions by multiplex PCR using primers for AZFa, AZFb and AZFc regions. The results showed chromosomal abnormalities only in azoospermic males with 14 patients having abnormal karyotype (25% of all patients 37.8% of azoospermic patients); 11 had non-mosaic 47,XXY, one mosaic 47,XXY/46,XY, one mosaic 45,X/46,XY, and one 48,XXXY. The present study revealed a higher incidence of chromosomal aberrations than reported for Western populations. None of the subjects was positive for deletions of the AZF regions tested. Another study from Gaza also showed absence of Y chromosome microdeletions in Palestinians. The combined data validate the need for cytogenetic analyses for diagnosis and genetic counseling for infertile Palestinian azoospermic men but that classic microdeletion analysis can be of limited use in this population.