Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Profitability and sustainability of modern fish farming in Benin: An on-farm experimental appraisal of two production systems of Clarias gariepinus

An on-farm experimental appraisal was done to compare the profitability of two production systems of Clarias gariepinus in Benin, and to assess the challenges of modern fish farming in West Africa. The results showed that fish farming using above ground tanks (AGT) was not profitable enough to reward production and recover capital costs, should the investments be fully bank loan-funded. At present feed prices, it cannot cost-effectively meet the market demand, and can only provide proteins to producers’ households for their own consumption. On the contrary, Lake Water-fed Pond (LWP) fish farming of Clarias gariepinus was ten-fold more profitable (profit rate of 57.7%) than AGTs. Although, its profit rate is still far below the potential performance level in the sub-region, it should be promoted among Lake Village cooperatives or young rural entrepreneurs to meet the growing fish demand, especially from Nigeria. Therefore, financial support should be made available to face the high costs of initial investments. Likewise, considering their lower investment costs, AGTs can also be promoted among urban farmers, only if cost-effective local substitutes to imported feeds become available. There is a need to install quality feed production enterprises to promote both fish production systems towards sustainability, food security and economic development. Key words: Modern fish farming, lake water-fed ponds, above-ground tanks, Clarias gariepinus, profitability, sustainability.
The Role of Foundation Phase Educators in the Implementation of First Additional Language as Required by Curriculum Statement in Foundation Phase at Dzondo Circuit

Abstract The Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement, the latest curriculum introduced in South African education system since change over from apartheid education in 1994, was adopted based on the principles of the Revised National Curriculum Statement to improve the quality of education. The new curriculum was also introduced to shift from content to outcomes-based education which experienced marked implementation challenges. The aim of this study was to investigate the implementation of First Additional Language in Foundation Phase as required by the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement in the public schools in the rural areas of Limpopo Province. This quantitative study used a self-administered questionnaire to collect data from one hundred and fifty five educators from public schools. Results reveal that there are challenges that educators are facing in the process of implementing First Additional Language as stipulated in the new curriculum. It was also found that the majority of educators are not effective in implementing First Additional language. The findings of this study should assist in the implementation process of the First Additional language in Foundation Phase as required by Curriculum assessment policy statement in public schools.
The Half-Logistic Lomax Distribution for Lifetime Modeling

We introduce a new two-parameter lifetime distribution called the half-logistic Lomax (HLL) distribution. The proposed distribution is obtained by compounding half-logistic and Lomax distributions. We derive some mathematical properties of the proposed distribution such as the survival and hazard rate function, quantile function, mode, median, moments and moment generating functions, mean deviations from mean and median, mean residual life function, order statistics, and entropies. The estimation of parameters is performed by maximum likelihood and the formulas for the elements of the Fisher information matrix are provided. A simulation study is run to assess the performance of maximum-likelihood estimators (MLEs). The flexibility and potentiality of the proposed model are illustrated by means of real and simulated data sets.
Laser-Induced Damage in Optical Materials

Abstract : The report contains the results of damage experiments performed at 0. 694 and 1.06 micrometer using well controlled ruby and Nd:YAG lasers. Materials studied at 1.06 micrometer are proustite (Ag3AsS3) and lithium niobate (LiNbO3). Proustite studies have been directed toward improving surface quality by employing different polishing techniques. Little or no improvement has been obtained over previously measured thresholds. Chemical changes in proustite damage sites are evidenced by the use of electron excited x-ray microprobe measurements. Preliminary ion beam polishing experiments were performed on LiNbO3, but no improvement in damage threshold was observed. However, the damage in this material appears to be inclusion limited in the samples studied so far. The temporal and spatial characteristics of laser pulses were studied for transmitted, reflected, and backscattered pulses both above and below surface damage threshold.
Optimal Income Taxation: Mirrlees Meets Ramsey

We explore the optimal shape of the income tax and transfer schedule in an environment with distinct roles for public and private insurance. In a calibration to the United States, we find that the optimal system features marginal tax rates that increase in income. When we increase pressure on the government to raise revenue, the optimal marginal tax schedule becomes first flatter and then U-shaped, reconciling various findings in the literature. A power function parametric tax schedule outperforms an affine one, indicating that tax progressivity is more important than lump-sum transfers. We also explore various social welfare objectives and Pareto-improving reforms.
Socio-demographic and Subjective Well-being Predictors of Social and Emotional Loneliness

This research examined the relationship between loneliness and psychosocial variables among people from Portugal across the adult life span. The study examined, besides socio-demographic predictors, subjective well-being predictors of social and emotional loneliness. The sample was constituted by 1,209 participants with a mean age of 38.12 (SD = 17.49) and a range between 18 and 90 years. Social, family and romantic loneliness were measured (DiTommaso, Brannen, & Best, 2004). Overall, social, family and romantic loneliness were significantly associated with the indicators of subjective well-being. Subjective well-being factors accounted also for a larger proportion of the explained variance in social, family and romantic loneliness scores than socio-demographic factors. Limitations of the research are discussed.
Fifteen Years of Talk: Newspaper Discourses on Ireland's Interactive Science Museum

 See Department of Enterprise press statement ‘Exploration Station a “voyage of discovery” for children and young adults – Harney’, available at http://www.djei. ie/press//. htm. (Accessed  June .)  See Digital Hub company information ‘Exploration Station: Ireland’s national centre for science and discovery’, available at http://www.thedigitalhub. com/enterprise_research/company_directory. php? action= view&client_id=. (Accessed  June .) Introduction Plans for a world-class interactive science museum in Ireland have been in circulation for many years in response to a perceived crisis in public engagement with science and poor levels of achievement and take up in science education (see Government of Ireland Task Force, ). Indeed calls for a general national science museum to house Ireland’s history of scientific development and artefacts go back even further (see Clarke, ). However, during the s a number of science interest groups formed which aimed to develop an ‘interactive’ science museum in Ireland, following the success of similar science museums internationally. The idea gained momentum in the s, and by  formal government support was secured.  In , an agreement was reached on a site near Heuston Station in Dublin and plans were formally devised to open the museum in .  However, to date no further development has taken place. The future of the interactive science museum is uncertain due to the change in the public funding climate and particularly in the circumstances of one of the main sponsors (AIB bank). While the project plans remain on ice, this article examines public discourse around the interactive science museum plans. It presents an analysis of fifteen years of newspaper coverage of the interactive science museum plans between  and , focusing specifically on the concept of interactivity. It explores what the term ‘interactive’ in an interactive science museum means, what role interactivity plays in communication, and how it relates to the purported educational or pedagogical benefits of such a museum. It also examines the voices, or ‘discourse communities’, involved in discussions or promotion of the museum idea, focusing on differences, if any, in their representation of the museum and specifically of interactivity. The analysis also explores how the representation of interactivity can present insights into the strategies and intentions operating within these discourse communities. As a location of display and exhibition of which communication is (at the very least) a part, the science museum has a distinct character in its use of media and, in particular, the relatively smooth adoption of digital communication technologies. FIFTEEN YEARS OF TALK: Newspaper discourses on Ireland’s ‘interactive’ science museum
EFFECT OF BRADYRHIZOBIA AND PHOSPHATE SOLUBILIZING BACTERIA APPLICATION ON SOYBEAN IN ROTATIONAL SYSTEM IN THE MEKONG DELTA

To study the effect of Bradyrhizobia (Bradyrhizobium japonicum ) and phosphate solubilizing bacteria (Pseudomonas spp.) application on soybean in rotational system (soybean-rice-rice), the experiments were carried out at three different provinces of Mekong delta viz., An Giang, Can Tho and Dong Thap. The treatments composed of different combination level of inorganic nitrogen fertilizer levels (namely 20, 40, 60 kg N/ha) and biofertilizer (Bradyrhizobium japonicum + Pseudomonas spp.) as compared to conventional farmers' fertilizer level (80 N - 60 P2O5 - 30 K2O kg/ha). The results showed that application of Bradyrhizobia (Bradyrhizobium japonicum ) and phosphate solubilizing bacteria (Pseudomonas spp.) can enhance the number of nodules, dry weight of nodules, yield components, grain yield, soil nutrient availability and uptake of soybean crop. Moreover, the economic efficiency could be increased in term of reducing the production cost for soybean from 785,000 to 1,000,000 VND/ha.
Knowledge, attitude and practices of women towards vaginal discharge

Background: Vaginal discharge (VD) is one of the common problems affecting the reproductive life of women which has high prevalence in South-East Asia. The aim was t o analyse the knowledge, attitude and perception of women towards vaginal discharge (VD). Methods: A prospective study was conducted on 150 women, above 18 years of age, irrespective of marital status, who presented with VD and its associated symptoms in the Out Patient Department, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Christian Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, India. The study involved a period from April 2015 to June 2016. A pre-structured questionnaire was used to record various parameters related to VD. Results: Results of the present study revealed a relationship between the symptoms of VD and various socio-cultural based beliefs. Opinions regarding various aetiological factors and perception of preventive measures were recorded. Conclusions: A direct relationship between knowledge attitude and perception about symptoms of VD and educational status of the patients was observed. The study emphasised the need to take effective measures to educate women about reproductive health at community level.
The influence of cyclosporine A, cyclothiazide and luzindole on the electroconvulsive threshold in mice

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of cyclosporine A (CSA) (a widely used immunosuppressant drug), cyclothiazide (CTZ) (an inhibitor of desensitization of glutamatergic AMPA receptors) and luzindole (LZ) (an antagonist of melatonin MT2 receptors) on the threshold in the electroconvulsive test in mice. Cyclosporine A and luzindole (up to 50 mg/kg) did not affect this parameter. Cyclothiazide (5-20 mg/kg) dose-dependently lowered the threshold. Our results suggest that cyclothiazide should be avoided in epileptic patients. In contrast to chemically- evoked convulsions, cyclosporine A does not seem to affect electrically-induced convulsions. Finally, the protective action of melatonin is probably not mediated via MT2 receptors.
Corporate Strategy, Conformism, and the Stock Market

We show that product differentiation reduces the informativeness of a firm’s stock price (or its peers’ stock prices) about the value of its growth opportunities. This results in less efficient exercise of a firm’s growth options when managers rely on information in stock prices for their decisions. This informational cost of differentiation induces conformity in product market strategies and is larger for private firms. Hence, a firm should differentiate more after going public. We confirm this prediction empirically and show that the post-IPO increase in differentiation is stronger for firms with better informed managers or less informative peers’ stock prices.Received January 19, 2016; editorial decision May 8, 2018 by Editor Itay Goldstein. Authors have furnished an Internet Appendix, which is available on the Oxford University Press Web site next to the link to the final published paper online.
The effect of corporate social responsibility on organizational commitment of employees of rural and community banks in Ghana

Abstract Researchers have mostly focused on the effect of corporate social responsibility engagement on customer behaviour. In this paper, an attempt is made at assessing the effect of corporate social responsibility engagement on employee commitment to their organizations. A self-reported questionnaire was used to collect the data from 145 employees of 50 Rural and Community Banks (RCBs) across Ghana. The study found a strong positive relationship between engagement in corporate social responsibility and employee commitment. Engagement in corporate social responsibility explained 54.1% of the total variation on employee commitment. However, this relationship is insignificant when educational level and years of working with the bank is controlled for. Gender however does not confound this relationship. This must inform decision-making regarding the planning and implementation of CSR strategies in organizations. It is acknowledged that having particular concern for the welfare of employees will boost the employee’s commitment and by extension, their performance and ultimately the growth of the Organization.
THERMAL POST-BUCKLING OF SLENDER ELASTIC RODS WITH DIFFERENT BOUNDARY CONDITIONS

This paper presents mathematical formulation, critical buckling temperature and analytical and numerical solutions for the thermal post-buckling behavior of slender rods subjected to uniform thermal load. The material is assumed to be linear elastic, homogeneous and isotropic. Furthermore, large displacements are considered hence the formulation is geometrically nonlinear. Three different boundary conditions are assumed: (i) double-hinged non-movable, (ii) hinged non-movable at one end, whereas at the other end longitudinal displacement is constrained by a linear spring, and (iii) doublefixed non-movable. The governing equations are derived from geometrical compatibility, equilibrium of forces and moments, constitutive equations and strain-displacement relation, yielding a set of six first-order non-linear ordinary differential equations with boundary conditions specified at both ends, which constitutes a complex boundary value problem. The buckling and post-buckling solutions are respectively accomplished assuming infinitesimal and finite rotations. The results are presented in nondimensional graphs for a range of temperature gradients and different values of slenderness ratios, and it is shown that this parameter governs the rod post-buckling response. The influence of the boundary conditions is evaluated through graphic results for deformed configuration, maximum deflection, maximum inclination angle and maximum curvature in the rod.
Water and nitrogen uptake are better associated with resource availability than root biomass

Plant uptake of soil water and nitrogen can determine plant growth, community composition, and ecosystem functioning. Despite its importance, resource uptake is typically inferred from root biomass distributions rather than measured directly. Using a depth-controlled, dual-tracer experiment, here we show that during peak growing season in a sagebrush-steppe ecosystem, vertical patterns of root biomass, water uptake, and nitrogen uptake are strikingly different from one another. Half of root biomass (0–188 cm) occurred in the top 24 cm of the soil. Half of water uptake occurred in the top 14 cm. Half of nitrogen uptake occurred in the top 79 cm. Shallow water uptake and deep nitrogen uptake were better correlated with water and nitrogen availability than with root biomass, suggesting that root systems foraged independently for different resources. Root biomass has long been used as a proxy measure of plant access to soil resources, but our results suggest that resource availability may be a better predictor of uptake.
Electronic structure of the neutral silicon-vacancy center in diamond

The neutrally charged silicon vacancy in diamond is a promising system for quantum technologies that combines high-efficiency optical spin initialization with long spin lifetimes (${T}_{2}\ensuremath{\approx}1$ ms at 4 K) and up to 90% of optical emission into its 946-nm zero-phonon line. However, the electronic structure of ${\mathrm{SiV}}^{0}$ is poorly understood, making further exploitation difficult. Performing photoluminescence spectroscopy of ${\mathrm{SiV}}^{0}$ under uniaxial stress, we find the previous excited electronic structure of a single $^{3}A_{1u}$ state is incorrect, and identify instead a coupled $^{3}E_{u}\text{\ensuremath{-}}^{3}A_{2u}$ system, the lower state of which has forbidden optical emission at zero stress and efficiently decreases the total emission of the defect. We propose a solution employing finite strain to define a spin-photon interface scheme using ${\mathrm{SiV}}^{0}$ .
An examination of the relationship between perceived organizational commitment and internships

Hospitality internships can be more than just a positive experience for students; it can also reduce high turnover rates in the hospitality industry and its associated costs. The main purpose of this study was to describe the difference between structured and unstructured internships as well as describe the overall organizational commitment amongst student interns in hospitality. An online survey questionnaire was sent to students enrolled in two different internship courses, structured and unstructured. A t-test was used to compare the two groups organizational commitment as well as a two by two-factorial comparing groups by socio-demographics and organizational commitment. The results show there is no significant difference between the two internship courses, however organizational commitment was found amongst the participants in both groups. The results also reveal that students will not take a full time position if organizational commitment is low. The significance of this study suggests hospitality internships have a positive influence on organizational commitment, which could lead to reducing turnover.
Physical characteristics of salt marsh sediments: ecological implications

We measured the physical charactenstics of 4 sedlment types commonly found in southeastern (USA) salt marshes and their relationship to sediment drainage and compressibility. Compressibility was found to be positively correlated with total silt-clay content (r2 = 0.953) and negatively correlated with total sand content (r2 = 0.942). A linear relationship (r2 = 0.832) was found between the square root of sediment percolation velocity and bulk density. Calculations of the rate of air entry and porewater turnover based on our measurements of drainage and compressibility are consistent with the supply of SO,' ' necessary to support the rates of SO,'reduction found at North Inlet, South Carolina, USA, by previous researchers and indicate that compressibility may regulate the turnover of reduced end products such as pyrite. For incompressible sediments, it was demonstrated that the entry of air into sediments following water loss by evapotranspiration is quantitatively important in oxidizing reduced sulfur compounds, while drainage of compressible creek bank sediments is apparently sufficient to replace SO4'utilized by dissimilatory Sod2reducers.
NACO-SDI Direct Imaging Search for the Exoplanet ϵ Eri b

The active K2 V star ϵ Eri hosts the nearest known extrasolar planet. With an angular separation of about 1″ on average, and an age of a few to several hundred megayears, ϵ Eri b is one of the prime candidates for becoming the first definitive extrasolar planet imaged directly. We present a multiepoch deep differential imaging survey performed with NACO-SDI at the VLT with the aim of finding the planet. The results are combined with recent astrometry in an attempt to further constrain the detection limits. No convincing candidate is found among the many coherent structures that constitute the residual speckle noise, which is the dominant noise at small angular scales. We present our detection limits, compare them with the estimated brightness of ϵ Eri b, and analyze how the limits can be improved further. It is found that integration time remains a very important parameter for achieving good results, even in the speckle-dominated regimes. The results yield new, improved 3 σ upper limits on the absolute H-band (1.6 μm) brightness of the 1.55 MJup companion of 19.1-19.5 mag, depending on the specific age of the system.
BEHAVIORAL ASPECT OF ACCOUNTING TEACHERS’ INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY USAGE

This study aims to examine behavioral process of accounting teachers’ information technology (IT) acceptance. To this end, we collected data from accounting teachers working in trade high schools. Research model and hypotheses were developed in the light of Theory of Reasoned Action. Accordingly, relationships among attitudes, subjective norms, intentions towards information technology usage and IT usage behaviors were investigated. Explanatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used to analyze relationships among variables. The results of analyses show that accounting teachers’ IT usage behavior is significantly and positively determined by their intention towards IT usage. Secondly, it was found that accounting teachers’ attitudes and subjective norms towards IT usage have significant and positive impact on teachers’ intention towards IT usage.