Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Levels of Sexual Satisfaction in Third Trimester of Pregnancy in Nulliparous Women and Related Factors

Background and purpose: Pregnancy has tremendous influence on sexual satisfaction and qualification of women's life, especially in third trimester of pregnancy. The aim of this research was to determine the level of sexual satisfaction and related factors in women during third trimester of pregnancy. Materials and methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 110 nulliparous Iranian women with no history of illness and complications during pregnancy attending Tehran hospitals, 2013-2014. Data was collected by the adjusted version of Index of Sexual Satisfaction (ISS) and a demographic-obstetric questionnaire. Data was analyzed in SPSS V. 19 using ANOVA test, Pearson and spearman correlation. Results: The mean ages of women and their husbands and the median duration of marriages were 25.89±4.38, 30.96±6.22 and 3.22±2.23 years, respectively. The rates of sexual dissatisfaction was 0.9%, while low, moderate and high levels of sexual satisfaction were observed in 2.7%, 45.5%, and 50.9%, respectively. The results showed significant associations between levels of sexual satisfaction in third trimester and some factors such as age of women and their spouses, educational level of women, family economic situation, employment status, a planned pregnancy, and sexual desire (P<0.05) Conclusion: According to the relation between sexual satisfaction and level of education, a planned pregnancy, employment status, and economic status of the family, free and accessible training in sex education is recommended to increase the level of knowledge in women and enhance prenatal care.
Best of two worlds: traditional ecological knowledge and Western science in ecosystem-based management.

Ecosystem-based management (EBM) is a rising paradigm in resource management. Social scientists agree that EBM necessitates a natural sciences foundation yet its human dimensions are less understood; a greater role for the social sciences is needed. One underutilized area is inquiry into how different cultural traditions order their universe to derive meaning and values from ecosystems in a manner directive for human behaviour. Providing insight into human perceptions of ecosystems and their components, social sciences contribute to understanding knowledge systems of Indigenous peoples and methods for relating Western and Indigenous management approaches. First Nations traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and Western science represent potentially complementary traditions that can inform EBM. Although overlap exists, these traditions comprise distinct knowledge systems incorporating different methods and ways of knowing. An epistemological analysis of convergence and divergence between TEK and Western science is presented with attention to the social, philosophical, and methodological features of TEK systems. This framework is applied to the Scientific Panel for Sustainable Forest Practices in Clayoquot Sound whose membership included Nuu-Chah-Nulth elders and forest scientists. Drawing equally on TEK and Western science, the Panel developed the groundbreaking silvicultural system of variable retention advancing EBM in Canada and spawning other initiatives. Ecosystems provided the shared conceptual terrain for bridging TEK and ecological science—the “best of two cultural worlds. ” Special skills are required for such intercultural EBM with implications for ecosystem-based paradigms beyond this case. The boreal forest provides a worthwhile context for follow-up research.
OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS AND THEIR UTILITY FOR SURFACE COAL MINE RECLAMATION IN ALBERTA AND BRITISH COLUMBIA

Adequate pre-disturbance baseline information upon which to develop decisions is crucial to the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process and to environmental management of surface coal mines. Forty-four coal mine development or expansion Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) from Alberta and British Columbia were obtained, and their environmental information content and applicability to post-development reclamation planning were reviewed. The objective of the study was to determine the relevance and utility of the technical information contained within mine development EISs for reclamation planning. Content analysis was used as the mechanism of data collection. Content categories for thematic coding were developed through a document review process. The data collected were qualitative in nature with presence or absence of pre-determined category codes chosen as the units of measurement. All documents were read three times after coding and prior to data collection in order to ensure reliability. Data summarization involved simple tabulations of the presence/absence data. The studies were prepared over a 30-year period from 1975 to 2005. In general, the technical basis of the EIS document needs to be improved with specific reference to reclamation planning, implementation, and monitoring. All of the EISs contained vague narrative generalizations based, for the most part, on poorly described methods. The approaches taken reflected a static perspective of ecosystems, and the information collected appeared to be a part of a ritualized ‘fill-in-the-blanks’ process. Although variable, most EISs did not contain sufficient information (content and quality) upon which to base project approval with respect to reclamation. Standardization of data collection parameters and methodology as well as the development of appropriate data analysis and presentation protocols is necessary. Recovery indices and chronosequence studies should be required as part of the EIA process.
Influence of Crystallization on Intercalation, Morphology, and Mechanical Properties of Polypropylene/Clay Nanocomposites

Intercalated nanocomposites of polypropylene (PP)/clay (PPCNs) were prepared by a melt extrusion process using maleic anhydride modified PP (PP-MA) and organophilic clay. The extent of intercalation of PP-MA chains in the space between silicate galleries increased with crystallization temperature Tc and decreased as clay content increased. As compared to matrix PP-MA, the dispersed clay particles in the PP-MA matrix acted as a nucleating agent and lowered the spherulite dimension with increasing clay content as revealed by light scattering experiments and polarizing optical microscopy. The PPCN crystallized at high Tc showed that a certain extent of segregation of the dispersed clay particles takes place around the boundary of the spherulites (interspherulite). Extensive intercalation occurred during crystallization, especially at high Tc due to the long time for full solidification of the melt. The degree of intercalation of PP-MA chains in the silicate galleries strongly depends on the time in the molte.
Metabolic Syndrome in Relation to Body Mass Index and Waist to Hip Ratio; A Study in Kumasi Metropolis

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and examine the risk associations between obesity indexes [body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and Waist-to-Hip Ratio (WHR)], cardiovascular risk factors [plasma glucose, cholesterol and blood pressure] and morbidity conditions (type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension and dyslipidemia) in the Kumasi metropolis. Three hundred and eighty seven Penteco- Charismatic Ghanaian subjects (18–85 years of age) were recruited from Pentecost Church Santasi, and the Bantama and Old Tafo Assembly of God Churches in Kumasi, Ghana. The parameters determined on the subjects included: height; weight; waist and hip circumferences; blood pressure; fasting plasma glucose and cholesterol. There were 267 females (69%) and 120 (31%) males with mean age 41.36 ± 13.59 years. Mean BMI was 25.85 ± 5.89 kg/m2 and 22.61 ± 3.48 kg/m2 in male and female subjects respectively. Mean WC measurement was 35.41 ± 4.93 in and mean WHR was 0.86 ± 0.11. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 8.0%, while in females and males were 10.86% and 1.67% respectively. The prevalence of diabetes was 5.0%, while in females it was 6.4% and 3.3% in males. The overall prevalence of hypertension was 32.04%, 39.0% in females and males of 16.7%. There were increasing trends between obesity indices and the severity of cardiovascular risk factors and the prevalence of morbidity conditions (all P-values for trend <0.05). Patients with a greater number of comorbidities also had higher BMI, WC, and WHR measurements (all P-values for the trend were <0.05 with adjustment for age and gender). Hence, despite Penteco-Charismatic Ghanaian subjects being less obese than Caucasians and Western countries, the intimate relationships among obesity, cardiovascular risk factors and morbidity conditions remain. Our data support using BMI and WC as part of routine clinical evaluation of patients to define obesity and its associated health risks. The results suggest that prevention of obesity, particularly central obesity; healthy living, lifestyle modification and exercising could be the most direct route to prevention of Metabolic Syndrome and its complications.
Update and overview on assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) in Brazil

The impressive increase in the use of assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs), especially in cattle, during the last few years in Brazil is well known worldwide. In 2015, there were over 13.7 million artificial inseminations (AI), of which, about 77% were carried out using fixed-time AI (FTAI). This technology has helped to substantially improve reproductive efficiency in beef and dairy cattle. In relation to embryo transfer, production of in vivo derived (IVD) embryos remained relatively stable, with average production of 30-40,000 embryos per year, whereas in vitro production (IVP) of embryos had a substantial increase, from about 12,500 IVP embryos in 2000 to more than 300,000 IVP embryos after 2010. The increasing availability and use of sex-sorted sperm was one of the factors responsible for a recent shift from the predominance of IVP embryos from beef breeds to dairy breeds in Brazil. Moreover, there was also an increase from 13% in 2014 to 29% in 2015 in the percentage of vitrified/frozen embryos. Moreover, the successful use of protocols for fixed-time ET (FTET) due to their high efficiency and ease of implementation, has facilitated the dissemination of ET programs all over Brazil. However, there is room for improvement, since there are several reports of high pregnancy loss and high peripartum loss, when IVP embryos are used. The production of healthy cattle by somatic cell nuclear transfer has also increased in the last few years in Brazil, but despite substantial progress in reducing postnatal losses, no drastic increase in cloning efficiency up to parturition has occurred.
Do Personality Traits Predict Academic Writing Ability? An EFL Case Study

Although the role of personality traits in predicting the academic performance has been extensively studied, the relationship between affective factors, extraversion and introversion, and academic writing has been a neglected area of research. In this study, it was tried to examine to what extent these affective factors could foretell academic writing ability. To do so, 30 EFL students participated in the study studying literature in junior level at Ilam University, Iran. The pupils would take the free writing exam and their papers were scored based on Barron's rating criteria (2004). After that, they were divided into two groups of extraverts and introverts through Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI). The results revealed that there is no significant relation between personality and writing ability. The findings refuted the cliche that the extraverts outperform the introverts in skills like writing.
iPTF17cw: An Engine-driven Supernova Candidate Discovered Independent of a Gamma-Ray Trigger

We present the discovery, classification, and radio-to-X-ray follow-up observations of iPTF17cw, a broad-lined (BL) type Ic supernova (SN) discovered by the intermediate Palomar Transient Factory (iPTF). Although it is unrelated to the gravitational wave trigger, this SN was discovered as a happy by-product of the extensive observational campaign dedicated to the follow-up of Advanced LIGO event GW 170104. The spectroscopic properties and inferred peak bolometric luminosity of iPTF17cw are most similar to the gamma-ray-burst (GRB)-associated SN, SN 1998bw, while the shape of the r-band light curve is most similar to that of the relativistic SN, SN 2009bb. Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) observations of the iPTF17cw field reveal a radio counterpart ≈10 times less luminous than SN 1998bw, and with a peak radio luminosity comparable to that of SN 2006aj/GRB 060218 and SN 2010bh/GRB 100316D. Our radio observations of iPTF17cw imply a relativistically expanding outflow. However, further late-time observations with the VLA in its most extended configuration are needed to confirm fading of the iPTF17cw radio counterpart at all frequencies. X-ray observations carried out with Chandra reveal the presence of an X-ray counterpart with a luminosity similar to that of SN 2010bh/GRB 100316D. Searching the Fermi catalog for possible γ-rays reveals that GRB 161228B is spatially and temporally compatible with iPTF17cw. The similarity to SN 1998bw and SN 2009bb, the radio and X-ray detections, and the potential association with GRB 161228B all point to iPTF17cw being a new candidate member of the rare sample of optically discovered engine-driven BL-Ic SNe associated with relativistic ejecta.
ALLOCATIVE IMPLICATIONS OF COMPARISONS BETWEEN THE MARGINAL COSTS OF POINT AND NONPOINT SOURCE POLLUTION ABATEMENT

This paper examines the possible use of information on the relative marginal costs of point and nonpoint source water pollution abatement to assess the efficiency implications of shifting a greater portion of the burden for water quality protection to nonpoint sources. The inherent uncertainty about the effects of changes in resource allocation for nonpoint pollution abatement on nonpoint pollution loads is recognized in the analysis. This uncertainty is shown to result in significant limitations on the use of marginal cost comparisons even when point and nonpoint pollutants are perfect substitutes.
Income Dynamics After Divorce. A Latent Growth Model of Income Change on the European Community Household Panel

Women suffer from severe income losses after partnership dissolution. This finding has been confirmed in many international comparative studies. Men on the other hand do not experience income decreases to the same extent. This article uses the European Household Panel (ECHP) to look at income dynamics after relationship dissolution. First, income declines are modelled. Second, the article looks at the two main strategies to cope with the economic consequences of a separation :repartnering and (re)employment. Using a multilevel growth model, the (relative) effect of both strategies is assessed in a cross-national longitudinal perspective. While men do not benefit financially form cohabiting with a new partner at all, repartnering proves to outweigh the benefits of re-entering the labour force or increasing the working hours for most women.
CEO Characteristics and Valuation of the Organization: A Quantile Regression Analysis

This study examines the effects of three highly-visible CEO characteristics on a valuation of the organization. Using a sample for Chinese firms over the period of 2007-2016, we find that CEO age is consistently related with lower organizations’ valuation. CEO tenure is also related with lower valuation, but more significantly so in the higher quantiles of organizations’ valuation, that is for organizations with high growth opportunities. The CEO duality is found to be valuable only for organizations with high growth opportunities. Overall, this study highlights the contingent association between CEO characteristics and valuation of the organization.
The importance of a national breeding policy-Case for the Malawian Dairy Industry

Malawi, a tropical country in the semi-humid tsetse-free ecological zone of south-east Africa, has a total area of 118,480 sq. km of which 94,080 sq. km is land and 24,400 sq. km is water. Of the total land area, 18% is arable land, 20% is permanent pastures and 39% is forests and woodlands, while the rest is used for other purposes including roads and buildings. The economy is predominantly agricultural with about 90% of the population living in rural areas. Agriculture accounts for 45% of GDP and 90% of export revenues (World Factbook 1999). Malawi has a livestock population of approximately 810 thousand cattle, 850 thousand goats, 255 thousand pigs and 100 thousand sheep (Malawi Government 1997). The Malawi Zebu, predominantly a beef animal, constitutes 90% of the cattle population in Malawi.
What are the biggest obstacles to growth of SMEs in developing countries? - A picture emerging from an enterprise survey

SMEs are drivers of economic growth and job creation in developing countries. It is paramount to determine the factors that hinder their growth. This paper uses the Enterprise Survey from the World Bank which covers data from 119 developing countries to investigate the biggest obstacles SMEs are confronting and the determinants that influence the obstacles as perceived by enterprise managers. The results show that SMEs perceive access to finance as the most significant obstacle which hinders their growth. The key determinants among firms’ characteristics are size, age and growth rate of firms as well as the ownership of the firm. The latter – the role of the state in financing SME - is particularly intriguing. External reasons for the financing dilemma are also examined. It is shown that the main barriers to external financing are high costs of borrowing and a lack of consultant support.
A Panel Cointegration Study of the Long-Run Relationship between Savings and Investments in the OECD Economies, 1970-2007

In this paper we test for the existence of a long-run savings-investments relationship in 18 OECD economies over the period 1970-2007. Although individual modelling provides only very weak support to the hypothesis of a link between savings and investments, this cannot be ruled out as individual time series tests may have low power. We thus construct a new bootstrap test for panel cointegration robust to short- and long-run dependence across units. Thid test provides evidence of a long-run savings-investments relationship in about half of the OECD economies examined. The elasticities are however often smaller than 1, the value expected under no capital movements.
Assessing the impact of students facilitating workshops within the context of a collaborative cross institution project

This research was conducted to evaluate the impact that situated collaborative learning projects can have on the experience of students who lead workshops as student facilitators. Following the ‘Communities of Practice’ work of Lave and Wenger (1991), this cross institution project was developed in conjunction with the University for the Creative Arts (UCA) in Kent, and Turner Contemporary, Margate, and Charles Dickens School. Secondary school, further education and higher education students produced animation work from source materials obtained from the Margate Community in a series of short workshops. These workshops were facilitated by mixed stage student volunteers from the BA (Hons) Animation Arts course, School of Fine Arts at UCA. The impact of this project on the student experience as a strategy for enhancing critical skills and improving self-efficacy is considered via qualitative research yielded from student feedback. The results revealed the approaches used by the student facilitators in managing the learning of others and a range of cognitive and meta-cognitive strategies which they deployed, including evidence of scaffolding.
Boards characteristics, audit committee, external auditor and earnings management

This study investigates the effect of two-tier board characteristics, audit committee, and external auditors on earnings management in China. This study contributes to the empirical literature of corporate governance in China that remarkably differs from the Anglo-Saxon structure in terms of boards’ features and auditing. Using a sample of 622 listed Chinese company-years, this study finds that independent directors on the board of directors are negatively related to earnings management while employee supervisors on the supervisory board are not related to earnings management. The results of empirical analysis also show that the presence of audit committees and the brand auditors are negatively associated with earnings management. Finally, the relationship between qualified audit opinions and the level of earnings management are examined. The results show that qualified audit opinion is associated with a higher level of earnings management. Implications of these findings are discussed with regard to the characteristics of corporate governance and auditing settings in Chinese listed companies. In particular, higher proportion of independent directors on the board can improve the quality of reported earnings. However, it indicates that the role of supervisory board to restrain earnings management is limited with the increase of employee members. In addition, the existence of an audit committee improves the quality of reported earnings. Moreover, external audit play a monitoring role in mitigating earnings management in Chinese listed companies.
Testing the Entrepreneurial Intention Model on a Two-Country Sample

This paper tests the Entrepreneurial Intention Model -which is adapted from the Theory of Planned Behavior- on a sample of 533 individuals from two quite different countries: one of them European (Spain) and the other South Asian (Taiwan). A newly developed Entrepreneurial Intention Questionnaire (EIQ) has being used which tries to overcome some of the limitations of previous instruments. Structural equations techniques were used in the empirical analysis. Results are generally satisfactory, indicating that the model is probably adequate for studying entrepreneurship. Support for the model was found not only in the combined sample, but also in each of the national ones. However, some differences arose that may indicate demographic variables contribute differently to the formation of perceptions in each culture.
Stress, Health, and Mindfulness: Exploring Relationships and Mechanisms Using Self-Report Measures

The relationship between stress and physical health has been well established in the medical and psychological literature. Mindfulness meditation is a practice that has been successfully used to reduce stress in several populations, and the construct itself has recently begun to be measured as a naturally occurring characteristic. A recent study demonstrating the significant relationships between mindfulness, stress, and physical health prompted the investigation in the present study of the possible mechanisms underlying these relationships. It was hypothesised that the relationship between mindfulness and physical health would be largely mediated by stress, and that in addition, mindfulness would explain a significant proportion of the variance in health after stress had been accounted for. Participants were 129 undergraduate students who completed a battery of self-report questionnaires including the Perceived Stress Scale, the Short-Form 36 Health Survey, and two recently developed measures of mindfulness; the Mindful Attention and Awareness Scale and the Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills. Perceived stress was shown to account for a large proportion of the relationship between mindfulness and health, and mindfulness was also shown to explain a significant proportion of the variance in physical health after stress had been controlled for. An additional finding was that acceptance demonstrated stronger relationships with both physical and mental health than any of the other components of mindfulness studied. Potential mechanisms of mindfulness that may help explain these findings are discussed.