Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identifying Factors that Determine Intention to Use Electronic Banking: A Conceptual Study

Existing studies has examined consumer acceptance of electronic banking in different dimensions mostly as a dichotomy (acceptance/non-acceptance), however, neglecting the core process underlying acceptance. The objective of this particular research is to conceptualize a model for electronic banking acceptance in Nigeria by identifying the factors that are important in the interpretation of the intention to accept electronic banking. The paper reviews the literature on the technology acceptance model (TAM) and justifies the use of this model to explore the factors contributing to the extent of consumer’s acceptance of electronic banking transactions. This conceptual study proposes twenty research hypotheses derived from previous other models of online banking users. The study investigated the factors related to decision making when people consider and evaluate the usage of an online banking transactions. Trust, financial security, information quality (all adoption barriers), time and money (both adoption benefits) were found to predict potential usage. That is willingness to use the online banking system will be possible if organizations can develop trust relationships with individuals, assure them that their financial details are secure, provide information that is relevant, accurate and up-to-date and save individuals time and money.
White mold intensity on common bean in response to plant density, irrigation frequency, grass mulching, Trichoderma spp., and fungicide

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of integrated managements on white mold control on common bean. Initially, in vitro testing was made to assess the antagonism of 11 Trichoderma isolates against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and to investigate fungicides (fluazinam and procymidone) inhibitory effects on those fungi. In two field experiments the following combinations were tested: irrigation frequencies (seven or 14 days), plant densities (six or 12 plants per meter), and three disease controls (untreated control, fungicide or Trichoderma spp.). In a third experiment plant densities were replaced by grass mulching treatments (with or without mulching). Fluazinam was applied at 45 and 55 days after emergence (DAE). The antagonists T. harzianum (experiments 1 and 3) and T. stromatica (experiment 2) were applied through sprinkler irrigation at 10 and 25 DAE, respectively. Most of the Trichoderma spp. were effective against the pathogen in vitro. Fluazinam was more toxic than procymidone to both the pathogen and the antagonist. Fungicide applications increased yield between 32 % and 41 %. In field one application of Trichoderma spp. did not reduce disease intensity and did not increase yield. The reduction from 12 to six plants per meter did not decrease yield, and disease severity diminished in one of the two experiments. It is concluded that of the strategies for white mold control just reduction of plant density and applications of fungicide were efficient.
Stability of the B . abortus S 19 vaccine strain with a eukaryotic expression plasmid encoding the G glycoprotein from the rabies virus

Brucella abortus S19 is an intracellular vaccine strain against bovine brucellosis. Rabies is a lethal disease in cattle. Plasmids encoding the G glycoprotein from the rabies virus induce a protective immune response in different animal species. A vector called pBBR4-CMV-Ggp-SV40+, which encodes the G gene, regulated by the cytomegalovirus eukaryotic expression promoter, and which can be used to transform the B. abortus S19 vaccine strain, was constructed. The stability of the transformant strain was tested both in vitro and in vivo. In the in vitro assays, B. abortus S19 pBBR4-CMV-Ggp-SV40+ was grown for 5 sequential passages, and for the in vivo assays, female BALB/c mice were infected. Colony-forming unit counting and plasmid identification were performed in each passage and in the spleens at 7 days post-infection. To test the plasmid stability in the strain, all parameters were determined with and without antibiotic. The bacterial concentration was lower with antibiotic than without it, but the bacterial growth was more homogeneous. The plasmid was identified in antibioticand non-antibiotic-treated isolated colonies under both in vitro and in vivo conditions. The plasmid construct was also transfected into BHK-21 cells, which express the G glycoprotein. The B. abortus S19 pBBR4-CMV-Ggp-SV40+ strain showed stability, representing a suitable candidate vector for developing a bivalent vaccine against brucellosis and rabies. This is the first time that a Brucella species has been transformed with a eukaryotic expression plasmid.
SINGULAR VECTOR AND ENSO PREDICTABILITY IN A HYBRID COUPLED MODEL

In this study, singular vector (SV) and retrospective ENSO (El Nino and Southern Oscillation) predictions were performed respectively for the period from 1876 to 2000 using a hybrid coupled model. Emphasis was placed on exploring the relationship between SV and ENSO predictability. It is found that a defined Nino3 index from the first singular vector of sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) is highly correlated with the predicted Nino3 SSTA index of 6-month leads and that the first singular value (FSV) is positively correlated with the predictive skill. These results and findings improve our knowledge and understanding to the relationship between SV and predictability. It was thought that the fastest growth rate of errors to be inversely related to the prediction skill. The reasons why there is such a relationship between SV and realistic predictability include: (1) the strong signals of ENSO variability that favour the growth of initial uncertainties also have significant contributions to the predictability; (2) the averaged climate state of the tropical Pacific Ocean simultaneously effects both SV and predictability.
INDUCTION SINTERING OF %3 Cu CONTENTED IRON BASED POWDER METAL PARTS

In this study; iron powder metals were sintered with induction heating process. Sintering process has been achieved with an induction generator that has 12 kW power supply and 30 kHz frequency. ASC10029 grade iron powder was mixed with copper with a ratio of %3 and zinc stearat with a ratio of %0.8 of iron mass by weight. Several duration in the range of 1, 2 and 3 minutes was studied during induction sintering. Transverse rupture strength, hardness and micro structural investigations were done. Obtained mechanical properties and microstructures were compared with traditionally sintered samples. At the end of the induction sintering process for a period of 3 minutes, the maximum stress values that were gotten from classically oven-sintered samples for a period of 30 minutes are reached.
On ψ- interpolation spaces

In this paper the sequence Banach space ψ (Z) is defined for a class of convex functions ψ , and properties of the Kand Jinterpolation spaces (E0,E1)θ ,ψ,K and (E0,E1)θ ,ψ,J for a Banach couple E = (E0,E1) and θ ∈ (0,1) are studied. Mathematics subject classification (2000): 46B70.
Exploring the linkage between spontaneous grass cover biodiversity and soil degradation in two olive orchard microcatchments with contrasting environmental and management conditions

Abstract. Spontaneous grass covers are an inexpensive soil erosion control measure in olive orchards. Olive farmers allow grass to grow on sloping terrain to comply with the basic environmental standards derived from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP, European Commission). However, to date there are few studies assessing the environmental quality considering such covers. In this study, we measured biodiversity indices for spontaneous grass cover in two olive orchards with contrasting site conditions and management regimes in order to evaluate the potential for biodiversity metrics to serve as an indicator of soil degradation. In addition, the differences and temporal variability of biodiversity indicators and their relationships with environmental factors such as soil type and properties, precipitation, topography and soil management were analysed. Different grass cover biodiversity indices were evaluated in two olive orchard catchments under conventional tillage and no tillage with grass cover, during 3 hydrological years (2011–2013). Seasonal samples of vegetal material and photographs in a permanent grid (4 samples ha−1) were taken to characterize the temporal variations of the number of species, frequency of life forms, diversity and modified Shannon and Pielou indices. Sorensen's index showed strong differences in species composition for the grass covers in the two olive orchard catchments, which are probably linked to the different site conditions. The catchment (CN) with the best site conditions (deeper soil and higher precipitation) and most intense management presented the highest biodiversity indices as well as the highest soil losses (over 10 t ha−1). In absolute terms, the diversity indices of vegetation were reasonably high for agricultural systems in both catchments, despite the fact that management activities usually severely limit the landscape and the variety of species. Finally, a significantly higher content of organic matter in the first 10 cm of soil was found in the catchment with worse site conditions in terms of water deficit, average annual soil losses of 2 t ha−1 and the least intense management. Therefore, the biodiversity indices considered in this study to evaluate spontaneous grass cover were not found to be suitable for describing the soil degradation in the study catchments.
Effects of flow-habitat on body size and reproductive patterns in the sea anemone Metridium senile in the Gullmarsfjord, Sweden

In the Gullmarsfjord, on the west coast of Sweden, a variety of morphs of Metridium senile (L.) are found. A small form (pedal disc diameter 0.3 cm) is found in dense clones (90% coverage) in high-flow habitats at 2 to 5 m depth, and larger forms (pedal disc diameter = 2.5 to 3.5 cm) are found abundantly in subtidal low-flow habitats where body size increases with depth. In order to investigate the adaptive significance of body size and laceration in M senile from different current regimes, individuals of a large and small morph were reciprocally transplanted between a low-flow ( 65 cm S-') subtidal habitat, and incidents of pedal laceration were monitored from August 1992 to January 1993. For comparison, 2 experiments (analogous to the field transplants) were carried out in laboratory flumes. The relative importance of sexual reproduction in the 2 habitats was investigated by comparing gonad sizes of mature females. The results of field and laboratory experiments showed that individuals from the high-flow habitat decreased their rate of laceration in low flow, but maintained a higher rate of pedal laceration than the low-flow population irrespective of site of transplantation, suggesting that properties of asexual proliferation possess both habitat-related and intrinsic components. Sexual reproductive allocation was positively correlated with body size and was significantly greater among females from the low-flow population When adjusted for a common body weight, however, differences in gonad sizes were insignificant. Frequent asexual replication of the genet and fertility at a small size (1 g) are argued to be important features in the high-flow habitat which compensate for the reduced reproductive output of individual anemones and eventually maximize clonal fitness.
The moderating role of psychological capital in the relationship between job stress and the outcomes of incivility and job involvement amongst call centre employees

Orientation: South African call centres were found to rank amongst those with the highest degree of performance monitoring and feedback. This revelation comes at a time when many scholars concur that research has not entirely succeeded in helping organisations overcome the negative aspects of work and enhance the positive aspects of work, such as job involvement. Research purpose: This study sought to examine the relationship between job stress, job involvement and the display of uncivil behaviour amongst call centre employees, whilst also studying the role of psychological capital (PsyCap) in this relationship. Motivation for the study: The study was prompted by the scarcity of research in the area of PsyCap and job involvement, none of which has examined relationships between job stress and the outcomes of incivility and job involvement and the moderating role of PsyCap in this relationship, focusing on call centre employees. Research design, approach and method: A quantitative design employed a cross-sectional survey to collect data from 104 South African call centre employees using a biographical data sheet, the PsyCap Questionnaire, Job Stress Scale, Uncivil Workplace Behaviour Scale and the Job Involvement Scale. Main findings: PsyCap and uncivil workplace behaviour were negatively related, whilst PsyCap and job involvement were positively related. Job stress held predictive value for incivility and the hostility subscale. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that PsyCap did not moderate the relationship between job stress and incivility and neither did it moderate the relationship between job stress and job involvement. Practical implications: Organisations should work on minimising stressors within the workplace in order to enhance the PsyCap of employees, which not only lowers the risk of incivility displayed by employees but also ensures greater employee involvement. Contribution/value-add: Although previous studies have examined the relationship between stress, incivility and job involvement, no studies have been conducted examining the role of PsyCap in this relationship, especially, more importantly, sampling call centre employees.
"Mind you, that's just, like, a guestimation": A diachronic analysis of morphological creativity in American teen talk and dubbing

The language of adolescents has always been of particular interest to linguists mostly for being extremely creative. Adolescence is, in fact, a transition stage that coincides with the entrance into secondary school, where teenagers strive to construct their own identity, mainly through linguistic innovation (Eckert 1989, 1997, 2004). In this sense, language becomes a strong identity marker (Edwards 2009) whose role becomes crucial in the portrayal of adolescent characters in films. The present paper aims at investigating the language of American adolescents diachronically in three famous movies of different decades from the 1980s to 2000s, namely Sixteen Candles (1984, Hughes), Clueless (1995, Heckerling) and Juno (2007, Reitman), which revolve around teenagers’ life at high school. The first step in the analysis consists in the identification of some characterising features of teen talk, especially focusing on word formation. Then, the analysis will be carried out contrastively and cross-culturally from a translational perspective, since these phenomena will be also investigated in Italian dubbing. More specifically, it will be ascertained whether or not these features are transposed into Italian, if so, pinpointing the most common strategies employed as well as the strategies used for compensation when, on the contrary, the complexity and difficulty in rendering certain linguistic and cultural specific phenomena hamper to find efficient translating solutions in the target text. Finally, problems deriving from this type of audiovisual translation, like lip synch, will also be taken into account and it will also be checked if the dubbed version succeeds in depicting the characters in the same way as in the original text.
The Innovativity of Global Firms : Evidence from French Manufacturers

This paper investigates to which extent exporters, importers and multinational firms have a greater propensity to start innovation activities. To do so, we merge two different French Community Innovation Surveys (CIS) and use the model of Crepon et al. (1988), which allows us to estimate the impact of internationalization on the decision of investing in R&D, the intensity of R&D (ration R&D expenses/sales) and knowledge output. The model is applied to a sample of first-time innovators, which are compared to a sample of firms that do not engage innovation activities. The first result is that global firms are more likely to start investing in R&D : indeed, they have to face tougher competition and this seems to be an additional incentive to invest in R&D. However, R&D intensity is not affected by international activities and seems to decrease with size, which could mean that the first investment in R&D is always a cautious one, which takes the form of a fixed cost. Finally, international activities are found to increase the capacity of innovating, regardless of size, industry, and R&D intensity. In particular, outward FDI seems to be an asset for developing new products for the market. This could be due to the access to new information sources and/or a more efficient use of the sources.
Professional Values in Baccalaureate Nursing Students

Professional nursing values that affect patient safety and outcomes are important to the hospitals and facilities that hire nurses. Therefore, it is reasonable to be concerned with the consistency of professional value development within nursing education. The aim of this study was to determine level differences of professional nursing values in pre-nursing, sophomore, junior, and senior baccalaureate nursing students and examine the relationship between professional values and other demographics in the students. Benner’s novice-to-expert model served as a framework for this study. With this in mind, nursing values were evaluated with the 26-item Nurses Professional Values Scale-Revised. A non-experimental cross-sectional design was used to collect data from pre-nursing, sophomore, junior, and senior undergraduate nursing students. Findings revealed greater similarities than differences across the level differences in values; the hypothesis that each level of nursing school education would result in an increase in professional values was not supported.
Ultrasound Elastography: Direct Strain Estimation

Ultrasound elastography involves measuring the mechanical properties of tissue, and has many applications in diagnostics and intervention. Ultrasound elastography techniques mainly target obtaining strain images from raw Radio-Frequency (RF) echo field produced by ultrasound machine without adding any hardware. A common step in different elastography methods is imaging the tissue while it undergoes deformation and estimating the displacement field from the images. A popular next step is to estimate tissue strain, which gives clues into the underlying tissue elasticity modulus. To estimate the strain, one should compute the gradient of the displacement image, which amplifies the noise. The noise is commonly minimized by least square estimation of the gradient from multiple displacement measurements, which reduces the noise by sacrificing image resolution. The first part of this thesis propose a new method which adaptively adjusts the level and orientation of the smoothing strain images using two different mechanisms. First, the precision of the displacement field decreases significantly in the regions with high signal decorrelation, which requires increasing the smoothness. Second, smoothing the strain field at the boundaries between different tissue types blurs the edges, which can render small targets invisible. To minimize blurring and noise, we perform anisotropic smoothing and perform smoothing parallel to the direction of the edges. The first mechanism ensures that textures/variations in the strain image reflect underlying tissue properties and are not caused by errors in the displacement estimation. The second mechanism keeps the edges between different tissue structures sharp while minimizing the noise. The second part of this thesis introduces a 2D strain imaging technique called SHORTCUT (meSHing Of gRadienT in DP for direCt Ultrasound elasTography) based on minimizing a cost function. The cost function incorporates similarity of echo amplitudes and tissue continuity. The proposed technique is fast, robust and accurate and it directly produces the strain images from RF data using a novel dynamic programming (DP) configuration. Unlike the standard DP algorithm which discretizes the decision space (displacement field) and search in the space of piecewise constant functions, the proposed DP discretizes the gradient of the decision space (strain field) and search the space of continuous piecewise linear functions. Eliminating the displacement differentiation block and performing a global search instead of local search which exist in all of the available strain estimation techniques result in substantial improvement in SNR, CNR and accuracy of the estimations. The effectiveness of the proposed methods is investigated through simulation data, phantom experiments, and in vivo patient data.
STABILITY EVALUATIONS OF SEMI-SUBMERSIBLE HEAVY TRANSPORT VESSELS BY A PROGRESSIVE FLOODING SIMULATION TOOL

Rising needs for heavy transport operations are intensified by the expanding offshore industry worldwide. Whenever very large and heavy objects have to be transported, only semisubmersible heavy transport vessels are capable of carrying this special cargo. Accidents in the past during operations of these vessels highlight the requirement of analyzing the operation procedures in more detail. Especially the submerging process of the main working deck is very critical regarding the hydrostatic stability. A new numerical progressive flooding simulation method will be presented for applications like accident investigations or damage stability assessments. This method is modified to fit the special requirements of simulating the operational behavior of semi-submersible vessels in the time-domain. A direct approach is chosen, which computes the flux between the compartments based on the Bernoulli equation and the current pressure heads at each intermediate step. Losses due to viscous effects are taken into account by empirical discharge coefficients. This method will be used to simulate the submerging operation in the timedomain to point out critical situations regarding the stability of the vessels and the cargo. This will be compared to accidents which occurred in the past. Furthermore, recommendations for operational procedures are proposed. PHYSICAL MODEL Before investigating practical problems, the physical model with the taken assumptions of the developed progressive flooding simulation method is described. The method is implemented in the ship design environment E4 developed at our institute. In doing so, direct access to the whole ship data model and already implemented computational algorithms like hydrostatic evaluations is granted.
Post-Harvest Conservation Of Orange cv. Folha Murcha Treated With 1-MCP And Stored Under Refrigeration

This study aimed to evaluate the postharvest quality of oranges cv. Folha Murcha, treated with 1-MCP and stored for 60 days at 7, 14 and 25 Â°C. The analysis performed every 15 days were: weight loss, percentage of juice, content of soluble solids (SS), titratable acidity (TA), ratio (SS/TA), and content of vitamin C, phenolic compounds and total carotenoids. Results showed: 1-MCP did not provide greater postharvest conservation for fruits analyzed; the application of 1-MCP did not changed the chemical characteristics as SS, TA, vitamin C, carotenoids and phenolic compounds; and the shorter the period between harvesting and cooling, the better was the preservation of fruits.