Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Development of Optimisation Decision-making Skills Within the Area of Technology Education Through a Technology Fair

The ability to make effective choices and decisions is one of the most important competencies that students need to be successful in life. This paper suggests the idea of using the technology fair as a means for promoting students' decision-making skills. The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of a procedure of working with primary school children to complete and present a technology fair project, on the decision-making skills of undergraduate primary education students. Pre-tests, mid-test and post-tests were administered to undergraduate students before, during and after the preparation of the technology fair, respectively. Data were also collected from reflective diaries kept by the university students during the preparation of the technology fair. A number of students were selected and interviewed after the completion of the technology fair. The analysis of the results indicates that the technology fair has an influence on improving students' decision-making strategies within the domain of design and technology.
Increasing nutrient levels promote growth and flower quality in lilies grown under soilless culture

Al-Ajlouni M.G. , Ayd J.Y. , Othman Y.A. (2017): Increasing nutrient levels promote growth and flower quality in lilies grown under soilless culture. Hort. Sci. (Prague), 44: 171–177. This research was aimed at assessing the impact of different doses of nutrients on growth and flower quality of the Asiatic hybrid Lilium ((Lilium × elegans Thunb.) cv. ‘Fangio’) under the soilless culture. Five nutrient (fertigation) regimes were applied (T1: daily, T2: twice a week, T3: weekly, T4: twice a month and T5: control). Increasing the nutrient supply increased chlorophyll content index (SPAD, 45–93%), leaf area (30–55%), number of flowers per plant (25–67%) and substrate electrical conductivity (EC: 28–300%) compared to control. Although T3 (weekly nutrient supply) had lower shoot N, P, K+ and Ca+2 concentrations than T1, this regimen increased the number of flower buds by 20% and flower longevity by 56% compared to T1. Overall, weekly nutrient application is effective at maintaining flower quality and yield in the ‘Fangio’ lily, and compares favourably with programs in which fertigation is more frequent and the level of total applied nutrients is higher.
Factors influencing the amount and distribution of leaf area of pine stands

Leaf area index (LAI) of forest ecosystems determines rates of energy and material exchange between plant canopies and the atmosphere. Considerable variation exists in the value and timing of maximum LAI in pine stands. Maximum LAI (total) varied from 5 to 30 across a range of species and environments and this was reached 8 to 50 yrs after stand establishment. The variation in maximum LAI was related to multiple factors including site quality (climate and soils) and shade tolerance. Timing differ ences appear to be related to growth rates and stocking/stand density relationships. Rapid growth rates, well stocked stands, and warm climates result in the earliest canopy closure. Nitrogen most commonly limits LAI, although water can limit LAI in arid environments. Other nutrients may also limit LAI but have been less extensively studied. Seasonal dynamics vary considerably among pines and this is due to species dependent differences in foliar longevity. Species with relatively few foliage age classes are the most dynamic seasonally and are most responsive to environmental fluctuations. Among several pine species, vertical LAI distribution in closed canopies follows a normal distribution.
Safety in Numbers: Downsizing and the Deinstitutionalization of Permanent Employment in Japan

This study examines the role of downsizing in the deinstitutionalization of permanent employment among publicly listed companies in Japan between 1990 and 1997. We found that although economic pressure triggered downsizing, social and institutional pressures shaped the pace and process by which downsizing spread. Large, old, wholly domestically owned, and high-reputation Japanese firms were resistant to downsizing at first, as were firms with high levels of human capital, as reflected by high wages, but these social and institutional pressures diminished as downsizing spread across the population. We argue that this breakdown of social constraints was due to a safety-in-numbers effect: as downsizing became more prominent, the actions of any single firm were less likely to be noticed and criticized, and the effect of the institutional factors that once constrained downsizing diminished.
A competitive approach for the reduction of unsaturated compounds based on fungal ene-reductases

The aim of this work was to select potential biocatalysts for the reduction of unsaturated compounds. The ability of Gliomastix masseei, Mucor circinelloides, Mucor plumbeus, Penicillium citrinum and Syncephalastrum racemosum to convert structurally diverse substrates was tested, also considering the role of substituents linked to the C=C bond on the process efficiency. All the tested fungi expressed ene-reductase activity when tested with several types of compounds; the ketone derivative was the best substrate, followed by the nitroalkene and the unsaturated aldehyde, whereas the ester was the most recalcitrant to bioreduction. The results highlighted the potential of Mucor circinelloides MUT 44 and Mucor plumbeus MUT 2769 as versatile whole-cell systems; fast and efficient reduction was obtained using these biocatalysts for most of the compounds. Comparative analysis of the substrate spectrum was performed for three Mucor circinelloides strains, and reaction rates and timings were shown to vary, indicating a strong physiological diversity of ene-reductase activity at the intraspecific level.
Influence of Secretory Immunoglobulin A upon Germination Frequency and Adhesion of Candida albicans

INFLUENCE OF SECRETORY IMMUNOGLOBULIN A UPON GERMINATION FREQUENCY AND ADHESION OF CANDIDA ALBICANS by Tiffany A. Klemann Pathogenicity of Candida albicans, the most virulent Candida species, is attributed to a diverse array of virulence factors, including the abilities to germinate and to adhere to host epithelial cells. Frequently, portals of entry for C. albicans are mucous membranes protected by secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA). However, the role of SIgA in local host defense against C. albicans is currently unclear. This study’s objectives were to investigate effects of SIgA upon C. albicans’ germination and adherence to HEp-2 cells, using a germination assay with phase contrast microscopy and flow cytometry, respectively. Eighty percent (8/10) of C. albicans strains exposed to a 3-fold dilution series of pooled human SIgA, ranging from 1667 to 62 μg/ml, experienced a decrease in germination, whereas two showed either no change or an increase. Removal of Candida-specific SIgA negated the reduction in germination. SIgA did not affect germ tube length. To investigate the influence of SIgA upon adherence of C. albicans, eight strains were exposed to 10-fold dilutions of SIgA, ranging from 500 to 0.5 μg/ml, fluorescently stained, and incubated with HEp-2 cells prior to analysis. Two of eight strains exhibited increased adherence after SIgA exposure. In contrast, six strains demonstrated no significant change in adherence. In conclusion, germ tube formation is inhibited by Candidaspecific SIgA. However, adherence of C. albicans is largely unaffected by SIgA. These findings suggest SIgA has a novel role of controlling germination and subsequent invasion of the host by C. albicans. INFLUENCE OF SECRETORY IMMUNOGLOBULIN A UPON GERMINATION FREQUENCY AND ADHESION OF CANDIDA ALBICANS
Some Simple, Consistent Models of the Monetary Circuit

We address the finance motive and the determination of profits in the Monetary Theory of Production associated with the Circuitist School. We show that the "profit paradox" puzzle addressed by many authors who adopt this approach can be solved by integrating a simple Circuit model with a consistent set of stock-flow accounts. We then discuss how to reconcile some crucial differences between the Circuit approach and other Keynesian and post-Keynesian models.
Zoning, Development Timing, and Agricultural Land Use at the Suburban Fringe: A Competing Risks Approach

Competing risks survival analysis is used to investigate tax and zoning policy impacts on residential, commercial, and industrial development timing in a rapidly growing Midwestern county. Industrial development appears both to precede and occur concurrently with residential development, while commercial development follows other types. Although residences appear to locate away from industrial land, zoning decisions favoring industry may attract rather than deter residential development within a jurisdiction. Regions with higher infrastructure taxes experience development later. Because school taxes fund local public goods important to homeowners, they have little influence on residential timing, but strong influences on industrial and commercial timing.
The first transition Wolf–Rayet WN/C star in M31

Three decades of searches have revealed 154 Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars in M31, with 62 of WC type, 92 of WN type and zero of transition type WN/C or WC/N. In apparent contrast, about two percent of the WR stars in the Galaxy, the LMC and M33 simultaneously display strong lines of carbon and nitrogen, i.e. they are transition type WN/C or WC/N stars. We report here the serendipitous discovery of M31 WR 84-1, the first transition star in M31, located at RA = 00:43:43.61 DEC = +41:45:27.95 (J2000). We present its spectrum, classify it as WN5/WC6, and compare it with other known transition stars. The star is unresolved in Hubble Space Telescope narrowband and broadband images, while its spectrum displays strong, narrow emission lines of hydrogen, [NII], [SII] and [OIII]; this indicates a nebula surrounding the star. The radial velocity of the nebular lines is consistent with that of gas at the same position in the disc of M31. The metallicity at the 11.8 kpc galactocentric distance of M31 84-1 is approximately solar, consistent with other known transition stars. We suggest that modest numbers of reddened WR stars remain to be found in M31.
Intestinal development of early-weaned piglets receiving diets supplemented with selected amino acids or polyamines

Early-weaned piglets are subjected to various environmental and nutritional stresses that can result in overall poor performance. Several amino acids associated with the urea cycle have been shown to be critical to intestinal development and metabolism. The objective of this research was to examine performance and intestinal development in early-weaned piglets receiving diets supplemented with selected amino acids or polyamines. Forty-two Yorkshire piglets (3.94 ± 0.43 kg) weaned at ~12.5 d were randomly assigned to diets supplemented with either arginine, glutamate, citrulline, ornithine or polyamines, at levels of 0.93, 6.51, 0.94, 0.90 and 0.39%, respectively. Diets were fed for 12 d and various parameters to assess growth and intestinal development were measured. Glutamate supplementation enhanced both total and mucosal growth in several sections of the small intestine (P < 0.05), whereas polyamines were detrimental to intestinal growth. Arginine and glutamate supplementation prevented weaning-induced.
Beni Snous Speakers’ Linguistic Accommodation in an Urban Contact Context

Within a rural-urban contact context, the present paper investigates linguistic accommodation of rural speakers (originally from Beni Snous valley, south-west of Tlemcen-Algeria) being in frequent and regular contact with urban speakers in the neighbouring city of Tlemcen. Gender marker is the selected linguistic variable which is used to address a female person. This variable has a reduced form [-i] and a neutralised form ∅ in the speech of Tlemcen speakers. However, Beni Bahdel speakers tend to diphthongise it by adding the suffixes [-ij] and [-ej]. Thus, the aim is to examine whether these rural commuters to the city of Tlemcen have accommodated their speech to the input variant forms [-i] and gender neutralisation ∅ or they still maintain their native variant form. By means of quantitative and qualitative methods, data analysis has revealed that linguistic accommodation has been attested in the speech of these speakers. Some social factors dictate the accommodative behaviour of these rural speakers to urban speech, as women are likely to maintain their native speech while men are prone to accommodate their speech. Such linguistic behaviour is reinforced by social-psychological factors towards both their native speech and urban speech.
The Behavior of Franchisor Stocks

The franchise business model is distinct in the way it seeks to lower agency costs when compared to a 'traditional' corporation. This study seeks to ascertain whether the potential benefits of reduced agency costs can be captured in the returns of a portfolio of franchisor stocks. Using a purpose-built portfolio of companies employing 'business format franchising' as their core strategy over the past two decades, we find that the sources of systematic risk for our portfolio of franchisor stocks include market beta, size and the value premia. We find historical evidence that franchisor stocks have significantly outperformed the market in the past, however, these excess returns seem to be slowly declining in recent times. We show that franchisor stocks outperform the broader market in both expansionary and contractionary phases of the U.S. business cycle and they are more sensitive to changes in monetary conditions than the wider market, reflecting their size and value characteristics.
Dimensions of online community attributes Examination of online communities hosted by companies in Korea

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop online community attributes based on Preece’s sociability and usability framework to assess how online community attributes hosted by retailers or national brand companies may generate positive outcomes for consumers. Also, this study seeks to examine the effects of attribute dimensions on consumer benefits to verify its predictability. Design/methodology/approach – An online survey was administered in South Korea. A questionnaire was constructed which contained 26 items measuring online community attributes. These items were developed by the researchers to measure seven dimensions defining Preece’s sociability and usability conceptual framework. The items were based on examples of determinants and measures of successful online communities. The Korean sample consisted of 135 male and 216 female adults in a large metropolitan area in South Korea. Findings – Results partially supported Preece’s sociability and usability framework. Results show three online community attribute dimensions purpose, people, and policy to be represented by a higher order factor sociability and two attribute dimensions dialogue and social interaction and navigation represented by usability. The structural model testing the relationship between sociability and social benefits and usability and functional benefits was confirmed and proved predictive validity for the online community attribute dimensions and the sociability/usability framework. On the other hand, no evidence of sociability influencing perceptions of functional benefits and usability influencing perceptions of social benefits could be found. Nonetheless, these results provide evidence that Preece’s online community attribute framework measures “success” from a consumer benefits standpoint. Originality/value – This study provides retailers and companies who host online communities with a practical tool with which they can assess their online communities as well as their online strategy.
Effect of illumination over positive fusional vergence when using VDU as target

Background: To find out the changes in the positive fusional vergence at near, under different room illuminations while using VDU (Visual Display Unit) as a target. Method: A cross sectional study was performed by using convenience sampling method. The study subjects comprised of 33 Malaysians aged between 15 to 35 years regardless of race and gender. This research was done within a period of six months (April 2015 to September 2015) at Twintech vision clinic. The data were analyzed by using a repeated measure Friedman Test to investigate the changes in positive fusional vergence at near under different room illuminations. Result: 33 subject’s data were analyzed, out of which 17 male and 16 female. Positive fusional vergence at near changed significantly in three different levels of room illumination (p=0.012, p=0.003 and p=0.006 for Blur, Break and Recovery respectively). However, positive fusional vergence between gender was not significant (p>0.05). Conclusion: There is a statistically significant difference in positive fusional vergence for near under different level of illuminations. Moreover, under low illumination the positive fusional vergence seems to be higher. There is no significant difference observed between genders for positive fusional vergence at near.
Floristic composition across a climatic gradient in a neotropical lowland forest

This study deals with the floristic composition of lowland tropical forest in the watershed of the Panama Canal. The floristic composition of large trees in 54 forest plots was analysed with respect to environmental factors, including pre- cipitation, geologic parent material, stand age, topography, and soils. The plots contain 824 species of trees with a diam- eter at breast height ≥ 10 cm and represent a regional flora with exceptional β-diversity. Plot data indicate that the Panamanian forest is strongly spatially structured at the landscape scale with floristic similarity decreasing rapidly as a function of inter-plot geographic distance, especially for distances < 5 km. The ordinations and patterns of endemism across the study area indicate broad floristic associations well correlated with Holdridge life zones. The results indicate the positive aspects of life zone classification at regional scales, while simultane- ously highlighting its inadequacy for finer scales of analysis and resource management. Multivariate gradient analysis tech- niques (Non-metric Multidimensional Distance Scaling and Detrended Correspondence Analysis) show clear patterns of floristic variability correlated with regional precipitation trends, surficial geology, and local soil attributes. Geologic and edaphic conditions, such as acidic soils or excessively drained lime- stone substrates, appear to override the effects of precipitation and modify forest composition. We conclude that the Panama- nian forest shows clear patterns of spatial organization along environmental gradients, predominantly precipitation. The rapid decline in floristic similarity with distance between stands also suggests a role for dispersal limitation and stochastic events.
Institutional Investor Participation and Stock Market Anomalies

This paper investigates the impact of institutional trading volume on stock market anomalies. I construct a measure that evaluates the percentage of total trading volume of a stock accounted for by institutional trades. Using a large sample of firms from 1980–2005, I find strong evidence that the strength of stock market anomalies such as price momentum, post-earnings announcement drift, the value premium, and the investment anomaly is decreasing in institutional trading volume. Additionally, the effects of institutional trading volume are stronger than those of institutional ownership, the major measure of institutional investor participation in the finance literature. These findings suggest that institutional trading significantly improves stock price efficiency.
“ Exchange rates , employment and labour market ”

There is increasing evidence that the interaction between shocks and labour market institutions is crucial to understanding the dynamics of employment. In this paper, we show that the inclusion of labour adjustment costs in a trade model affects the impact of exchange rate movements on employment. We also explore how labour market rigidities interact with the degree of exposure to international competition and with the technology level. Our model-based predictions are consistent with estimates obtained using panel data for 23 OECD countries. Namely, our estimates suggest that employment in low-technology sectors that have a very high degree of openness to trade and are located in countries with more flexible labour markets are more sensitive to exchange rate changes. Our model and estimates therefore provide additional evidence on the importance of interacting external shocks and labour market institutions.
The Effects of Unpredictable Food on Corticosterone and Social Learning in Red Crossbills ( Loxia curvirostra )

Foraging success can limit fitness if resources are unpredictable and strongly favor those that learn socially. Unpredictability can be a stressor and trigger elevations of stress hormones, that coordinate whole body responses to challenging environmental conditions. We explored the effects of unpredictable food on behavior, physiology, and receptiveness to social information using an observer/demonstrator paradigm in red crossbills, a highly social species that are adapted to cope with high degrees of resource unpredictability. Unpredictable food limited food intake (X21 = 10, p = 0.0012), caused a decline in body condition (X21 = 5.9, p = 0.015), and triggered an increase in activity ( pX21 = 2.91, p = 0.09), which suggests recalling learned behaviors is more important to the foraging success of an irruptive crossbills than learning new behaviors. Degree Type Open Access Senior Honors Thesis
Building Temperature Control With Active Occupant Feedback

Abstract Most of the current studies and solutions developed for building temperature control have been designed independent of the occupant feedback. An acceptable temperature range for the occupancy level is estimated, and control input is designed to maintain temperature within that range during occupancy hours. In this work we have incorporated active user feedback so as to minimize the aggregate user discomfort taking into account the total energy cost to design the optimal control input. The focus is on a multi-zone building, with lumped heat transfer model based on thermal resistance and capacitance for system analysis. We provide a stability analysis and establish convergence of the proposed solution to a desired temperature that minimizes the sum of energy cost and aggregate user discomfort. Simulation results on a four-room example are presented to demonstrate the performance of the proposed approach and validate the model.
Phase Transformation of Rust in the Presence of Various Tannins

Rust converters are chemical formulations that can be applied to corroded surfaces causing the passivation and elimination of possible further attack after the application of a coating. Tannins extracted from mangrove, chestnut, quebracho and mimosa as rust converters were evaluated. Two different types of pre-rusted sample preparations were adopted. The pre-rusted samples were immersed in 5 g/l of the various tannin solutions and the phase transformations were analyzed via Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The rust components were mainly lepidocrocite (γ-FeOOH) and magnetite (Fe3O4) and were found to be dependent on sample preparations. Transformation of rust components to ferric-tannates, particularly lepidocrocite, in the presence of various tannins could be observed. The relation between the partial transformation of pre-rusted samples and sample preparation is correlated.