Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of textbook series 'Life' in terms of cultural components *

This study aimed to identify elements related to 'intercultural communicative competence' in the textbook series Life at A1 and A2 level published by National Geographic Learning which incorporates plentiful photographic content. Activities in the textbooks, based on the four skills and visuals, were analyzed through a checklist focusing on source, target and international cultural elements as well as big c and little c features. To explore opinions about the cultural content of the textbooks, a questionnaire was applied to six lecturers from two universities in Istanbul who used them in their English preparatory classes. An adapted version of the instrument was also applied to 26 students. Four of the six lecturers were interviewed. Findings indicated that the textbooks were quite rich in terms of covering a variety of cultures except for direct references to the source culture, which is Turkish. Big C and little c themes were found to be fairly balanced except for overrepresentation of geography due to the textbooks’ National Geographic content. While the textbooks were generally satisfactory, guidance for teachers needs to be more developed for their effective implementation in the classroom in order to integrate cultural components into lessons.
Productive and reproductive performance of Dorper and its crossbreds under a Romanian semi-intensive management system

The overall objectives of the research were to evaluate the effect of cross-breeding Dorper (DO) rams with Turcana (TA) ewes on growth and reproductive performances of F1 DOxTA and R1 DOx(DOxTA) crossbred lambs reared under a semi-intensive management system; to study the adaptability of the DO breed to Romanian farming conditions; and to evaluate the effects of melatonin implants outside the breeding season on reproductive performances in DO ewes. Animals were managed on cultivated pastures, with an average stocking rate of 12 head/ha. Additional 200 g concentrates/day were given for 90 days during the winter season and a three lambings per two years system was practised with the use melatonin implants for oestrous induction outside the natural breeding season. Dorper and F1 crossbreds were found to be highly precocious when put to the ram as ewe lambs, with an average fertility rate of 84.2% and 79.3%, respectively, compared with 19.3% in the TA controls (CG). The litter size in adult DO ewes was 136.6% versus 118.8% for the TA (CG). Dorper-sired progeny had significantly higher body weights of lambs at weaning (90 days) compared with TA purebreds (23.8 kg, 23.5 kg, 21.5 kg, 19.4 kg for DO, R1, F1 and TA, respectively). At the age of 8 months, all three DO genotypes were significantly heavier (46.1 kg, 40.7 kg and 43.5 kg for DO, F1 and R1, respectively) compared with the TA females, who reached 32.3 kg. Average daily gain from birth to 28 days of age was significantly higher in DO purebreds and F1 and R1 crossbreds compared with TA lambs (266.4 g, 253.8 g, 223.4 g and 157.3 g, respectively). Lamb survival rates until weaning were not affected by the genotype. When using melatonin implants in the DO ewes, the fertility rate increased to 88%, compared with a fertility of 41.6% in non-treated DO ewes. Out-of-season prolificacy was not affected by melatonin treatment, with litter size being 127% and 120% in treated and non-treated DO ewes, respectively. The DO breed performed well under Romanian semi-intensive management, and proved to be a highly adaptable breed to the new rearing conditions.
Trawling disturbance on benthic ecosystems and consequences on commercial species: a northwestern Mediterranean case study

Trawling is known to disturb benthic communities and habitats, which may in turn indirectly affect populations of commercial species that live in close association with the seabed. The degree of impact on both benthic communities and demersal species depends on the fishing effort level. This may vary over the year because of the fleet dynamics, which are in turn normally driven by the main target species’ life cycle. In this study we describe changes in benthic functional components of a northwestern Mediterranean fishing ground that represents a recruitment area for an important target species (red mullet, Mullus barbatus ). This fishing ground experiences a varying intensity of fishing effort over the year and benthic functional components under different levels of trawling were compared with an unfished, control area. Traits related to sexual maturity and life span for infauna and body size and life span for epifauna were found to vary with fishing activity. Potential effects of these changes on ecological functioning and the impact on red mullet population are discussed. The development of fisheries management plans under an ecosystem based fisheries management (EBFM) requires the links between target species and benthic communities’ disturbance due to fishing practices to be explicitly considered.
A Blend of CLIL and Cooperative Learning Creates a Socially Constructed Learning Environment

This pilot study highlights an educational innovation underpinned by social constructivism, and presents an approach in which Cooperative Learning in a CLIL context is used to create a socially constructed learning environment. The project was implemented in a private school with the participation of a large heterogeneous class. The approach selected in this work is based on CLIL, a pedagogical tool which integrates language and content instruction in an EFL classroom. The method agrees with the experiential constructivist model unlike the traditional behaviourist model currently used in the school where this project was carried out. A close examination of students’ performance in their reading, writing and oral tasks showed an increase in overall language achievement. In essence, l earners learned how to learn, became more autonomous, self-directed and intrinsically motivated .
The importance of pollination type (self or cross) in two self-compatible almond cultivars: 'Francolí' and 'Guara'

Type of pollination (self or cross-pollination), and their influence on nuts, in two self-compatible almond cultivars 'Francoli' and 'Guara', growing in commercial orchards, was observed in 2006. One orchard with 'Glorieta' and 'Masbovera' cvs as polli nators of 'Francoli', and the second orchard with 'Ferraduel', 'Guara' and 'Masbovera' cvs. Four hundred fruits from 'Francoli' and 160 from 'Guara' were collected, characterized and put to germinate. Molecular markers (isozymes and SSRs) were applied to the seedlings to know the pollen source of each almond. 'Francoli' nuts showed that self-pollination was higher (77%) than cross-pollination (23%). Type of pollination in 'Guara' seeds seemed to be similar (61% self and 39% cross-pollination), although not all seedlings have been analyzed yet. So far, the results for both cultivars showed that the type of pollination has not affected the nut characters studied. Further observing years are planned.
The Effects of Exercise on Success Rates of In Vitro Fertilization

Background: In the United States, 2.3% of women of childbearing age seek treatment for infertility, many of which require the use of in vitro fertilization. Women beginning this therapy are highly motivated to improve their overall health and often engage in diet and exercise modifications. It is well studied that women who engage in strenuous exercise regimens encounter anovulation, hormonal fluctuations, and disturbed energy balance, all of which decrease fertility. Alternately, overweight and obese women who do not exercise also experience infertility and an increased rate of miscarriage, which decrease with weight loss from improved diet and exercise. New research suggests that exercise intensity and duration are important considerations for women preparing for IVF, as strenuous exercise has the potential to reduce the success of IVF outcomes in all women, regardless of BMI. Method: An exhaustive search was conducted using Medline-OVID, CINAHL (EBSCO Host), and Web of Science using the keywords: “Fertilization in Vitro,” “exercise,” “infertility,” “obesity,” and “lifestyle. ” The reference list of each relevant article was scanned for additional pertinent studies. Each selected article was assessed for quality using GRADE. Results: Two studies met inclusion criteria and were included in this systematic review. A randomized controlled pilot trial with 38 participants demonstrated an increase in live birth and decrease in pregnancy loss among overweight women undergoing IVF who engaged in mild to moderate walking based exercise program. A prospective observational study with 2232 participants demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in live births and increase in pregnancy loss, fertilization failure, implantation failure and cycle cancellation in women who engaged in cardiovascular exercise for greater than four hours per week for one to nine years prior to their first IVF intervention. Conclusion: Mild to moderate exercise in overweight individuals is shown to improve the outcome of an IVF cycle. Conversely, strenuous cardiovascular exercise may show a decrease in live births and increase in pregnancy loss in all BMI categories. Women preparing for IVF should not initiate a new cardiovascular exercise program close in time to initiation of an IVF cycle, but mild to moderate walking based programs are not observed to cause harm. A weak recommendation that providers should caution against strenuous exercise for women who are preparing for IVF cycles is offered.
Relationships Among Team Trust, Team Cohesion, Team Satisfaction, Team Effectiveness and Project Performance as Perceived by Project Managers in Malaysia

Today, more and more project teams are formed to achieve organisational objectives as organisations generally recognized the importance and benefits of project teams. Rationales for this study include: (a) it is unclear from literature what kind of relationships among performance outcomes, team attitudinal outcomes and team behavioural outcomes in a project setting, (b) it is unclear from literature what are the team outcome factors that can predict project performance, and (c) what kind of result team outcome factors can produce in a project setting whereby there is resource and time constraints compare to normal work teams which are ongoing and operational in nature. This study developed a research model underpinned on Cohen & Bailey’s (1997) Team Effectiveness Framework to empirically analyze some team outcome factors. Result showed that when project team trust is high, this will improve project performance, team satisfaction, team effectiveness and team cohesion. At the same time, strong team cohesion also increases team satisfaction. However, strong team cohesion is not predicting project performance and team effectiveness positively. On the contrary, strong team cohesion is actually deteriorating the project performance. The intervention of team satisfaction can improve project performance and team effectiveness. Insignificant relationship between team effectiveness and project performance suggests that team effectiveness alone cannot predict project performance directly. Discussion, conclusion and limitations are also included in this article.
EGF , epithelium and Early differentiation and the TGF β superfamily 693

Embryonal carcinoma and embryonic stem cells have been very useful models for identifying some of the factors that regulate differentiation in early mammalian development. Here, we present a brief history of their original isolation and characterization and of their later introduction into the Hubrecht Laboratory. We illustrate in a review their contribution to our current understanding of the function of transforming growth factor β and ligands binding to the receptors of a related factor, activin, in development with some of our own work.
Optimization and some characteristics of bacteriocin produced by Enterococcus sp. CM9 collected from Mauritanian Camel milk

The use of bacteriocin as a bioconservation is very promising in the agri-food industry to substitute the chemical preservatives. The production of bacteriocin by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) depending on various conditions, the purpose of the present work was to assess the effect of some ingredients of medium on the bacteriocin production. Twenty-four strains of LAB of the genera Leuconostoc, Lactobacillus, and Enterococcus, isolated from camel milk, were tested for antibacterial activity and bacteriocin production. Among these strains, three isolates showed bacteriocinogenic activity, two Enterococcus strains (bacteriocin CM9, bacteriocin CM18), and one Leuconostoc strain (bacteriocin CHBK310). The bacteriocin produced by Enterococcus sp CM9 was subject of optimisation study. The modified MRS with nitrogen sources in media containing tryptone, meat extract and yeast extract and with potassium sources in media containing 2% of K2HPO4 allowed higher activity with inhibition zone of 10 mm and this production remained stable at incubation temperatures from 25 to 40°C with an inhibition zone which reached 12 mm at 25°C. The diffusion of this bacteriocin in the neutrality condition, allowed a better evaluation of its inhibitory effect. The activity of the bacteriocin was not affected, neither by acidic or basic pH nor by heat treatments, its activity remaining stable even after 2 weeks at -20 and 4°C. The bacteriocin CM9 belonged to class II, had a molecular weight of 7.6 kDa. These results indicated that the growth and diffusion conditions have a role in the bacteriocin production and its activity.
A Deeper Dive Into the Relation Between Psychotic-like Experiences and Suicidal Ideation and Behaviors in Children Across the United States.

BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS Children who endorse psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) appear to be at a greater risk for suicidal ideation and behavior (SI/SB) compared to their peers who do not endorse PLEs. Despite evidence of differential relations among subtypes of PLEs and SI/SB, the research on which PLE subtypes produce the strongest associations remains mixed. Further, though there is evidence that general psychological distress may help explain the relation between PLEs and SI/SB, no research has investigated the role of distress specific to PLEs in this association. STUDY DESIGN The present study sought to assess the associations among individual Prodromal Questionnaire-Brief Child Version (PQ-BC) items and SI/SB, as well as to explore the role of distress associated with PLEs as a mediator and/or moderator in a demographically diverse sample of children across the United States (N = 11 875). STUDY RESULTS Results revealed that individual items of the PQ-BC may be differentially predictive of lifetime SI (ßs = 0.000-0.098) and SB (ßs=0.002-0.059), even when controlling for sociodemographic variables, internalizing symptoms, and traumatic experiences, with particularly strong associations observed among items indexing thought control, auditory hallucinations, suspiciousness, and nihilistic thinking/dissociative experiences. Item 13, nihilistic thinking/dissociative experiences, displayed the strongest effect sizes. Findings from moderation and mediation models provided evidence consistent with distress as both a partial mediator and moderator of the relation between total PLEs and individual PQ-BC items with SI and SB. CONCLUSIONS Distress specific to PLEs may be an important modifiable risk factor to target in suicide assessment, prevention, and intervention efforts.
Ecotourism and economic growth in the Galapagos: an island economy-wide analysis*

ABSTRACT This study revisits and updates a 1999 economy-wide analysis predicting that increases in tourism would result in rapid economic as well as demographic growth on the Galapagos Islands. The following six years witnessed sharp growth in tourism; a restructuring of tourism around larger cruise ships and new, larger hotels; and rapid population growth. Our findings indicate that total income (that is, the gross domestic product) of the Galapagos increased by an estimated 78 per cent between 1999 and 2005, making the Galapagos economy among the fastest growing in the world. Tourism continued to be far and away the major driver of economic growth. Nevertheless, population growth via new migration to the islands nearly erased the effect of economic growth on per-capita household income. These findings raise questions about the compatibility of ecotourism and conservation in this unique ecological setting.
Kriging-Based Timoshenko Beam Element for Static and Free Vibration Analyses

An enhancement of the finite element method using Kriging interpolation (K-FEM) has been recently proposed and applied to solve one- and two- dimensional linear elasticity problems. The key advantage of this innovative method is that the polynomial refinement can be performed without adding nodes or changing the element connectivity. This paper presents the development of the K-FEM for static and free vibration analyses of Timoshenko beams. The transverse displacement and the rotation of the beam are independently approximated using Kriging interpolation. For each element, the interpolation function is constructed from a set of nodes within a prescribed domain of influence comprising the element and its several layers of neighbouring elements. In an attempt to eliminate the shear locking, the selective-reduced integration technique is utilized. The developed beam element is tested to several static and free vibration problems. The results demonstrate the excellent performance of the developed element.
Does rising import competition harm Vietnam’s local firm employment of the 2000s?

Abstract This study considers for the first time the role of rising import competition on employment in Vietnam. Using a time differenced and instrumental variables approach, our study shows that import competition results in employment contraction. Firms operating in industries that face greater import competition have reduced employment. We also find strong evidence of a negative impact of import competition for small and very small firms, as well as in the period before Vietnam’s World Trade Organization (WTO) accession. Our results also reveal that previous studies at the industry-level can provide biased estimates because of not controlling for the heterogeneity of firm characteristics.
Interaction Design and Science Discovery Learning in the Future Classroom

Anders Kluge Researcher, InterMedia, University of Oslo, Norway. anderskl@intermedia.uio. no English abstract This article reflects on theories of interaction design as they relate to science discovery learning. Media analysis, inquiry structure and relations between the generation of hypothesis and experimentation in theories of science discovery learning are considered in relation to approaches in interaction design. Two examples from use of interactive models for inquiry learning illustrate the discussion. The studies show that students require time to experiment with models to use them as resources, and that experimentation needs some structure elements to be productive. The interactive models need to invite action and allow for different kinds of use.
The Effects of Global Shocks on Small Commodity-Exporting Economies: Lessons from Canada

We propose a structural dynamic factor model of a small commodity-exporting economy, using Canada as a representative case study. Combining large panel data sets of the global and do- mestic economies, sign restrictions are used to identify relevant demand and supply shocks that explain volatility in real commod- ity prices. We quantify their dynamic e ffects on a wide variety of Canadian macro variables. We are able to reproduce all the main stylized features at business-cycle frequencies documented in the literature on this type of economies. These include a Dutch disease eff ect which has proven hard to find in empirical studies.
Biogeographic distribution of diversity and size-structure of organic-walled dinoflagellate cysts

Global biogeographic patterns and environmental correlates of diversity and size struc- ture of extant marine organic dinoflagellate cysts were determined. Dinoflagellate cyst diversity, like that of many other terrestrial and marine groups, is lowest at the poles and higher at lower latitudes. Temperature is responsible for much of the positive correlation between dinoflagellate cyst diversity and latitude. In contrast, the most obvious correlate with the median size of dinoflagellate cysts is the depth of the water column, especially in warm-water regions, perhaps due to changes in mixing regime and the advantages associated with the lower sinking rates and lower nutrient requirements of smaller species in offshore waters. The unique biogeographic pattern in dinoflagellate cyst diver- sity may reflect the unique physiological features of dinoflagellates: preference for warm, stable water columns, slower inherent growth rates, and their ability to act as mixotrophs or heterotrophs. Dinoflagellates tend to be 'gleaners', slow-growers adapted to oligotrophic conditions and less sensi- tive to inorganic nutrient supply, as compared to inorganic resource 'opportunists' with high growth rates, such as diatoms. These ecophysiological differences between dinoflagellates and other func- tional groups, such as diatoms and coccolithophores, may account for the major differences in the biogeographic and latitudinal diversity gradients between these groups.
Environmental forcing and larval fish assemblage dynamics in the Lima River estuary (northwest Portugal)

This study investigated the potential control of selected abiotic parameters on an estuarine larval fish assemblage from the Lima River. Surveys were done fortnightly during spring tides, from April 2002 until April 2004, at 11 stations distributed along the estuary from the mouth to 7 km upstream. The surveys consisted of subsurface plankton tows of 5-min duration using a 1-m diameter, 500-μm mesh net and coupled with vertical profile measurements of temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH and turbidity. The Lima River estuary exhibited seasonal vertical stratification of salinity during the winter period, when salinity sharply increased with depth and a layer of fresh water was sometimes present at the surface. Temperature was always vertically stratified. Cooler water was typically found near the bottom of the water column, except during winter, when a thermal inversion occurred. A seasonal decrease in abundance and diversity of the larval assemblage was observed during winter, when fish larvae were almost absent from the plankton collections. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) results showed that the first axis represented a temporal gradient and the second axis represented a spatial gradient. Seasonal variations on temperature and precipitation were responsible for the temporal differences on the fish larval assemblages. This study reinforced the concept that interannual climate and hydrodynamic variations have a strong influence on estuarine ichthyoplankton and, consequently, on the recruitment of marine coastal fish populations.
Depression and Personality Traits

Temperament is a risk factor for major depressive disorder, more specifically neuroticism or negative emotionality and it seems that higher levels makes the subjects more likely to develop depressive episodes in response to stressful life events. The objective of this review is to establish those personality traits that are most related to depression. From all the articles, seven of them are about the high levels of neuroticism and low levels of extroversion in depressive patients, this for the theory of the five factors. On the other hand, the studies based on the Cloninger theory talk about high levels of damage avoidance and low levels of self-directivity that are related to the presentation of the disorder. Regardless of the theory used, it becomes evident the need to interrogate personality traits in psychiatric and healthy patients, in the latter for the prevention of disorders.