Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
By accident or by design? Influence of government policies on drivers and barriers of smallholder teak growing in Lao PDR

ABSTRACT This study analyses the impact of policy, legal and market conditions and specific incentives on smallholders’ interest and success in tree growing between 1990-2015 in Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos, Lao PDR). A review of previous studies and policy papers established the framework for this study, with primary data then collected from smallholders through semi-structured interviews in four villages. The interview questions covered household socioeconomic features, land use, information on woodlots, extension, and perceptions on drivers and challenges of tree growing. The findings indicate that policy objectives of promoting smallholder tree growing are weak at the district and village levels, and the only significant incentive, namely land allocation, has become ineffectual due to land scarcity and preference for other income sources. Tree growers intend to mainly preserve their present plantation areas, although their interest to expand tree growing areas is weak, and one third of non-growers see tree growing as a potential livelihood diversification option. If the promotion of smallholder tree growing is to be improved, the land and forest policy and associated legislation requires thorough revision and simplification, extension services must be made available, and specific incentives developed to allow smallholders to access land and meet their specific needs.
Prognostic performance of several anthropometric indicators for predicting low and insufficient birth weight

Weight gain and several anthropometric indicators were studied in a sample of 181 pregnant women. The period considered ranged from the 12th to the 34th weeks of gestation. Changes in all of the attributes were calculated and related to a birth weight below 3,000 g. Optimal cut‐off points for each indicator were defined as those which minimize a loss functioin which depends on the rates of false positive and false negatives. The independent predictive capacity of each attribute was assessed by means of sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, relative risk, and two “measures of detectability” associated to the ROC (relative operating characteristic) curve of the attribute. A logistic regression model was fitted by searching for the best combination of indicators. The individual predictive capacities of the attributes were considerably improved when they were combined into a logistic equation. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Mindfulness Training for Older Adults with Subjective Cognitive Decline: Results from a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

INTRODUCTION Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) in older adults is a condition with a complex phenomenology and diverse etiologies including (but not limited to) mood, personality, and health concerns, as well as biomarkers of preclinical Alzheimer's disease such as amyloid-β deposition and gray matter volume loss. Approximately 60% of affected persons are estimated to decline to Alzheimer's dementia. Regardless of etiology, persons with SCD may be optimal targets for early intervention. OBJECTIVE To ascertain the feasibility and impact of mindfulness training (MT) as an early intervention in persons with SCD. METHODS Using a single-blind, randomized controlled trial design, older adults with (n = 14) and without (n = 22) SCD were randomized to either MT or a control condition of psychoeducation (PE) on cognitive aging. EEG/ERP (specifically, the P3 component), structural MRI, and self-report measures of psychological functioning were obtained within 4 weeks prior to and within 2 weeks following intervention. RESULTS MT resulted in decreased reaction time intra-individual variability for all participants, with a selective increase in the P3 event-related component for those with SCD. Compared with PE, MT also resulted in an increase in percent volume brain change in structural MRI. Finally, all SCD participants reported a decrease in cognitive complaints and increase in memory self-efficacy following intervention. DISCUSSION Results suggest that MT is a feasible early intervention in persons with SCD. Longer-term follow-up with larger sample sizes will determine whether MT can slow the rate of decline in persons who may be at risk for Alzheimer's dementia.
Examining the Mediating Effect of Strategic Agility in the Relationship Between Intellectual Capital and Organizational Excellence in Jordan Service

his study aims to investigate the effect of intellectual capital and strategic agility on organizational excellence in service sector of Jordan. A total of 550 questionnaires were collected from respondents who were chosen from a stratified random sampling. The results revial that intellectual capital and its dimensions, human capital, structural capital, and relational capital, have a significant impact on strategic agility as well as organizational excellence. Moreover, results reveal that strategic agility fully mediates the relationship between intellectual capital and organizational excellence. The findings of this study can have significant implications for the service sector of Jordan.
Corporate Tax Planning and Firms’ Information Environment

This study examines whether internal information quality (IIQ) is associated with firms' external information quality (EIQ) and whether tax planning moderates this association. Based on the argument that higher internal information quality allows managers to convey higher quality information to market participants, I hypothesize and find a positive association between IIQ and EIQ. I then examine if tax planning, which prior literature shows affects external information quality due to proprietary costs of disclosure, attenuates this association. I find that the association between IIQ and EIQ is fully attenuated for firms with a high level of tax planning. A structural equation model that allows different elements of IIQ to covary and robustness tests corroborate my findings. Overall, my results imply that increased IIQ spills over to EIQ because managers convey higher quality internal information to market participants. However, proprietary costs resulting from a high level of tax planning appear to moderate this effect.
Studies on macrophage RNA involved in antibody production.

a reflection of the low level of neutralizing antibody present in the culture media. The level of reproducibility was sufficient in view of the fact that none of the controls reduced the number of plaques by more than 22%. The average reduction was 10%. These nonzero control values were presumably the consequence of variable, low levels of antibody against bacteriophage.
Impact of intravascular ultrasound‐guided stenting on long‐term clinical outcome: A meta‐analysis of available studies comparing intravascular ultrasound‐guided and angiographically guided stenting

To date, only a few studies have compared the clinical efficacy of intracoronary ultrasound (IVUS)‐guided to angiographically guided stenting. Furthermore, it is not yet known whether the lower restenosis rate shown with the former strategy would translate into a substantial clinical advantage. Therefore, the aim of the present investigation was to improve the level of evidence of these studies by means of a formal meta‐analysis. Nine studies were considered suitable for analysis. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated for 6‐month clinical follow‐up. Primary endpoint was a composite of death and nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), as considered in every single study. Secondary endpoints were major adverse cardiac events (MACEs), according to single study definition, the individual cardiac events, as well as several pre‐ and postprocedure and follow‐up angiographic parameters. Overall, 2,972 patients were included. At 6 months, the OR for death and nonfatal MI was 1.13 (95% CI = 0.79–1.61; P = 0.5) for patients with IVUS‐guided stenting. However, patients with IVUS‐guided stenting had less target vessel revascularizations (OR = 0.62; 95% CI = 0.49–0.78; P = 0.00003) and MACEs (OR = 0.79; 95% CI = 0.64–0.98; P = 0.03) compared to angiographically guided stenting. In addition, subjects treated with IVUS‐guided stenting had significantly less binary restenosis (OR = 0.75; 95% CI = 0.60–0.94; P = 0.01). The present meta‐analysis demonstrates that IVUS‐guided stenting implantation has a neutral effect on long‐term death and nonfatal MI compared to an angiographic optimization. However, IVUS‐guided stenting significantly lowers 6‐month angiographic restenosis and target vessel revascularizations. Whether these benefits could be very helpful when dealing with lesions at high risk for restenosis is still an issue. Cathet Cardiovasc Intervent 2003;59:314–321. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Credit Lines and the Liquidity Insurance Channel

We provide a new perspective on bank-dependency - the (bank) "liquidity insurance channel" - based on the predominance of large, high credit quality firms among credit line users. Our model can match the pattern of bank dependency in the cross-section of firms, and predicts when shocks to bank health will affect primarily low or high credit quality firms. Our framework can also explain why credit line origination is more cyclical than loan origination. Overall, we uncover an important link between bank health and economic activity through the provision and effectiveness of bank credit lines to large, high credit quality firms.
Determinants of capital structure : evidence from Malaysian SMEs

This paper aims to investigate the determinants of capital structure of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from manufacturing sector in Malaysia. Specifically, this study wants to examine the effect of asset structure, profitability, quality of information, size and age on leverage. Multivariate regression analysis and Pearson’s correlation analysis were used to investigate the most significant factors that affect the capital structure choice of Malaysian SMEs during the year 2013. In the first model, both results find a negative and significant relationship for profitability and size with leverage while asset structure, quality of information and age show negative but not significant relationship with leverage. However, using a second model, asset structure shows a significant positive relationship with leverage, while quality of information shows significant negative relationship with leverage. The analysis indicates that firstly; the results are consistent with some capital structure theories such as trade-off theory and pecking order theory. Secondly, quality of information, asset structure, profitability and size are important factors that affect capital structure choice of Malaysian SMEs.
Capture-gated Spectroscopic Measurements of Monoenergetic Neutrons with a Composite Scintillation Detector

We report on the measurements of monoenergetic neutrons from DD and DT fusion reactions by use of the capture gating method in a heterogeneous plastic-glass composite scintillation detector. The cylindrical detector is 5.08 cm in diameter and 5.05 cm in height and was fabricated using 1-mm diameter Li-doped glass rods (GS20) and scintillating polyvinyl toluene (EJ-290). Different scintillation decay constants are used to identify energy depositions in two materials constituting the composite scintillator. Geant4 simulations of the neutron thermalization and capture process were conducted, finding a mean capture time of approximately 2.6 μs for both DD and DT neutrons. A capture gating time acceptance window based on simulation results was used to identify the neutron thermalization pulses. The total scintillation light yield produced in neutron thermalization was measured and found to show consistency on event-by-event basis despite the variety of neutron thermalization histories prior to capture. The ratio of light yields from thermalization of 14.1 MeV and 2.45 MeV neutrons in the EJ-290 scintillator was determined to be 14.6, and the light output from 2.45 MeV neutrons was also correlated to its electron equivalent, obtaining a value of 0.58±0.05 MeVee.
Determination of Dry Matter Yield and Yield Components of Local Forage Pea (Pisum sativum ssp. arvense L.) Ecotypes

AbstractLocal forage pea (Pisum sativum ssp. arvense L.) ecotypes are commonlycultivated in the Eastern Anatolia Region for long years. The ecotypes showgreat variations in yields and plant characteristics and these geneticallyresources should definitely be protected and be used as breeding material. Thecurrent study was conducted to determine the dry matter yields and yieldcomponents of 18 forage pea ecotypes selected among 61 collected materials fromErzurum, Bayburt, Kars and Ardahan provinces. The experiments were carried outin the experimental fields of Ataturk University Agricultural Faculty duringthe years of 2008, 2009 and 2010 under irrigated conditions. Three-yearaverages revealed large variations in dry matter yield the number of days toharvest, plant height, lodging degree and forage quality parameters of theecotypes. Dry matter yields of ecotypes varied between 4862 and 6854 kg ha-1,the number of days to harvest between 79.0 and 91.1 days and plant heightsbetween 68.8 and 102.0 cm. Among the investigated ecotypes, the Degirmencik-1and Subatan were considered to be promising ecotypes for breeding studies andregional yield studies.
Treatment for the decline of ionized calcium levels during peripheral blood progenitor cell harvesting

BACKGROUND : ACD‐A solution containing sodium citrate and citric acid is used as an anticoagulant agent during peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) harvesting, and in rare cases can cause fatal citrate intoxication. The aim of this study was to establish effective methods for stabilizing ionized calcium (ICa) levels during PBPC harvesting.
Does the linear size adjustment to estimated effort improve web applications effort estimation accuracy?

Over the last 16 years, and particularly over the last 8 years, Analogy-based effort estimation has been used to estimate effort for software projects and in several studies has presented comparable estimation accuracy to, or better than, algorithmic methods. The Analogy technique is also potentially easier to understand and apply by both researchers and practitioners. These two factors suggest that this technique has great potential as an effort estimation technique to be used within Companies. However, there are still several challenges, in particular regarding the type of effort adaptation to use in order to obtain the highest prediction accuracy, that need further investigation. Therefore this paper compares several methods of Analogy-based effort estimation and investigates the use of adaptation rules as a contributing factor to better estimation accuracy. Two datasets are used in the analysis; results show that the best predictions are obtained for the dataset that first, presents a continuous "cost" function, translated as a strong linear relationship between size and effort, and second, is more "intact" in terms of outliers and collinearity. Only one of the two types of adaptation rules employed generated good predictions.
Molecular cloning, sequence, and expression of a human GDP-L-fucose:,8-D-galactoside 2-a-L-fucosyltransferase cDNA that can form the H blood group antigen

We have previously used a gene-transfer scheme to isolate a human genomic DNA fragment that determines expression of a GDP-L-fucose:I3-D-galactoside 2-a-L-fucosyltransferase [a(1,2)FT; EC 2.4. 1.69]. Although this fragment determined expression of an a(1,2)FT whose kinetic properties mirror those ofthe human H blood group a(1,2)FT, their precise nature remained undefined. We describe here the molecular cloning, sequence, and expression ofa human cDNA corresponding to these human genomic sequences. When expressed in COS-1 cells, this cDNA directs expression of cell surface H structures and a cognate a(1,2)FT activity with properties analogous to the human H blood group a(1,2)FI. The cDNA sequence predicts a 365-amino acid polypeptide characteristic of a type II transmembrane glycoprotein with a domain structure analogous to that of other glycosyltransferases but without significant primary sequence similarity to these or other known proteins. To directly demonstrate that the cDNA encodes an a(1,2)FT, the COOH-terminal domain predicted to be Golgi-resident was expressed in COS-1 cells as a catalytically active, secreted, and soluble protein A fusion
Reducing the risks from radon.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that residential radon levels in the United States lead to approximately 13,600 lung cancer deaths per year. To address this problem, the Agency has identified three program initiatives that can provide substantial reductions in the public's risks: (1) public information activities that urge the public to test for radon and reduce elevated concentrations in existing homes, (2) new construction standards to reduce radon entry, and (3) radon testing and mitigation during real estate transactions. This paper analyzes the costs and risk reductions that could result from the implementation of these major initiatives, showing how all three elements cost-effectively protect the public's health.
Microfinance and the Decision to Invest in Children's Education

Although one of the primary objectives of microfinance has been the reduction of poverty through the provision of credit for income-generating purposes, evidence of its impact on poverty has been mixed. Even if there is no direct impact of microfinance, there may be an indirect positive impact through the effect of microcredit availability on families’ decisions to invest in their children’s education. In this paper, I describe a study undertaken to gauge the impact of microcredit availability on education expenditures for children of clients of a South Indian microfinance institution. I first look at some determinants of the demand for education and then go on to consider what we know about how microcredit affects this demand. I find that microcredit has an impact on the demand for education as mediated by wealth effects and status effects, i.e., microloans increase spending on education the greater the wealth and the greater the social status of the family. Focus group interviews suggest that the impact of microcredit on the demand for education comes mainly from the greater access to financial resources and, to a lesser degree, from an accompanying appreciation of the value of education.
Hazard of household cleaning products: A study undertaken by the UK National Poisons Information Service

Objective. To ascertain the reported toxicity of current United Kingdom (UK) household products following the launch of new products, such as liquid detergent capsules, and the manufacture of more concentrated formulations. Methods. Between 1 March 2008 and 30 April 2009 the UK National Poisons Information Service (NPIS) collected prospectively 5939 telephone enquiries relating to household products, approximately 10% of all telephone enquiries received over this period. Results. The majority of enquiries (n = 3893; 65.5%) concerned children 5 years of age or less and were received predominantly from hospitals (n = 1905; 32.1%), general practitioners (n = 1768; 29.8%) and NHS Direct/NHS 24 (n = 1694; 28.5%). The majority of exposures occurred at home (n = 5795; 97.6%); most exposures were accidental (n = 5561; 93.6%). Liquid detergent capsules were most commonly involved (n = 647), followed by bleaches (n = 481), air fresheners (n = 429), multipurpose cleaners (n = 408), dishwasher products (n = 399) and descalers (n = 397). Exposure to household products occurred mainly as a result of ingestion (n = 4616; 75.8%), with eye contact (n = 513; 8.4%), inhalation (n = 420; 6.9%) and skin contact (n = 187; 3.1%) being less common; 5.1% (n = 313) of enquiries involved multiple routes of exposure. The most commonly reported features were vomiting (ingestion), pain (eye contact), dyspnoea (inhalation) and burns (skin contact). In 5840 of 5939 enquiries the Poisoning Severity Score (PSS) was known. The majority of patients (n = 4117; 70.5%) were asymptomatic (PSS 0), 28.0% (n = 1638) developed minor features (PSS 1), 1.3% (75 patients) developed moderate features (PSS 2) and 0.15% (nine patients) developed serious features (PSS 3). Four of these nine patients made a complete recovery, two died from exposure to drain cleaner and PVC solvent cleaner; the outcome in three was unknown. Conclusion. In the UK, advice from the NPIS is sought commonly regarding household products, but such exposures only rarely result in clinically serious features. As 65.5% of exposures were in children less than 5 years of age, parents clearly have an important role to play in ensuring that household products are stored safely at all times.
Attitudes towards software piracy in South Africa: Knowledge of Intellectual Property Laws as a moderator

The aims of the study were to describe the relationship between all three of Kohlberg's levels of moral development and attitudes towards software piracy as well as to determine if an individual's Knowledge of Intellectual Property Laws moderated this relationship. The research exploring moral development and attitudes towards software piracy is limited in that the results are inconclusive and often do not assess higher levels of moral development. In this study, we explore some of the early antecedent relationships in the theory of reasoned action. An exploratory, non-experimental, cross-sectional survey design was used and a questionnaire containing three scales (attitudes towards software piracy, levels of moral development and Knowledge of Intellectual Property Laws) were obtained from a sample of 402 respondents from three medium-sized South African organisations and from an online survey on a prominent South African online information technology magazine. The results indicated that there is a significant positive relationship between the respondents’ attitudes to software piracy and levels of moral development. Additionally, there are significant relationships between attitudes towards software piracy and each of the levels of moral development. Level 2 moral development predicted the most amount of variance in attitudes towards software piracy. The moderated multiple linear regression revealed that the Knowledge of Intellectual Property Laws did not have a moderating effect on the relationship between attitudes towards software piracy and moral development. These findings provide a more in-depth analysis of the relationship between attitudes and levels of moral development with respect to software piracy.