Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Technical efficiency and decision to exit: evidence from the dairy farms in Sukabumi district, West Java, Indonesia

This research investigates technical efficiency and its effect on the decision to exit of the dairy farms in Sukabumi district, West Java, Indonesia. Farm-level data obtained from survey are used to estimate the technical efficiency using a bootstrapped data envelopment analysis. The results show that dairy farms in Sukabumi are technically inefficient. The technical efficiency also has a negative effect on the decision to exit. This implies that the dairy farms with higher technical efficiency scores tend to have lower probabilities to exit from the business.
Diversity of Convergence and Spatial Dependence Between European Metros and Non-Metros. An Application of the Two-Regime Spatial Autoregressive Panel Model

The aim of the paper is to analyse the difference in the speed of convergence and instability of spatial dependence between the metro and non-metro subregions. The two-regime spatial autoregressive panel data model estimated in the Bayesian approach using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo technique was applied for both purposes. The model was evaluated in the small Monte Carlo simulation. The main analysis was performed at the NUTS3 level, which allowed delimitating the metropolitan areas according to the Larger Urban Zone definition. A balanced panel consisted of data for 31 European countries for the years 2000–2010. A significant catching up process was found for both metros and non-metros. However, our evidence confirms the lower speed of convergence for metros than for non-metros. The significant parameter for spatial interactions was found only for the non-metros. The results indicate the crucial role of national factors for identifying inequalities in the convergence and spatial dependence.
Private Returns to Public Investment: Political Career Incentives and Infrastructure Investment in China

Why do politicians who have short tenure expectations have incentives to invest in long-term infrastructure projects? This mismatch between politicians’ short tenures and the long-term needed for infrastructure projects to come to fruition is generally expected to result in underinvestment in critical infrastructure. However, recent data show that China makes massive investments in large-scale, long-term transportation projects. By proposing a political exchange model, we demonstrate a fundamental synergy between the incentives of short-term mayors and of provincial leaders that is realized as a result of subway projects. With both a difference-in-differences design and a fuzzy regression discontinuity design, we show that subway projects significantly increase the promotion chances of city mayors. Additional tests also confirm the mechanism of our theory. Mayors who obtain subway projects deliver economic benefits to provincial leaders. The provincial politicians’ prospects of promotion are significantly improved thanks to these economic returns.
Volatility-Managed Portfolio: Does It Really Work?

In this article, the authors find that a typical application of volatility-timing strategies to the stock market suffers from look-ahead bias, despite existing evidence on the success of the strategies at the stock level. After correcting this bias, the strategy becomes very difficult to implement in practice because its maximum drawdown is 68%–93% in almost all cases. Moreover, the strategy outperforms the market only during the financial crisis period. The authors also consider three alternative volatility-timing strategies and find that they do not outperform the market either. Their results show that one cannot easily beat the market via timing the market alone. TOPICS: Portfolio construction, statistical methods, risk management Key Findings • A typical application of volatility-timing strategies to the aggregate stock market, instead of at the stock level, can be more susceptible to look-ahead bias. • After correcting the bias, the strategy is difficult to implement due to large drawdowns, and it performs poorly over time except during the recent financial crisis period when volatility was extremely high. • One cannot easily beat the market via volatility-timing the market alone.
Cambios diarios del contenido de pigmentos fotosintéticos en hojas de caléndula bajo sol y sombra

La calendula (Calendula officinalis L.) es una planta medicinal de gran importancia en la medicina no convencional, desde la homeopatia hasta la medicina oriental. La comercializacion de calendula se encuentra en segundo lugar en Colombia, entre las plantas utilizadas para la fitofarmacia de especies medicinales. Se realizo un estudio en Tunja, Colombia, en el que se evaluo cada hora el contenido de clorofilas y carotenos, en plantas de calendula cultivadas a plena exposicion y bajo una malla de polisombra del 37% de reduccion de luz. La extraccion de los pigmentos se realizo por dilucion en metanol y su concentracion se determino con un espectrofotometro. Se encontro que los contenidos de clorofila b, carotenos y clorofila total mostraron diferencias a lo largo del dia con tendencia al incremento entre las 6:00 y 18:00 horas. La sombra afecto las relaciones clorofila a / clorofila b y carotenos / clorofila. Mientras que el valor de la relacion clorofila a / clorofila b fue mas elevado en hojas de plantas sombreadas, el valor de la relacion carotenos / clorofila fue mas alto en las plantas que crecieron a plena exposicion. Los cambios diarios en el contenido de pigmentos han sido motivo de controversia a traves de los resultados de muchos trabajos, sin embargo, se debe tomar en consideracion que la concentracion de pigmentos varia con la edad de las hojas y con la especie.
Toxicological Responses of African Mud Catfish (Clarias gariepinus, Burchell, 1822) Fingerlings Exposed to Culture Water Contaminated with Different Concentrations of Cypermethrin

The toxicological effects of cypermethrin on Clarias gariepinus fingerlings and its contamination of culture water was studied. Ten fingerlings were stocked in each aquarium and was exposed to 5 different concentrations of cypermethrin and there was a control group. The fingerlings were exposed to 5, 10, 15, 20 and 30 ppm of cypermethrin in triplicate. A total of 180 C. gariepinus fingerlings with a mean weight of 1.85 ± 0.29 g were used throughout the study. The toxicant altered the physico-chemical parameters of culture water. The water temperature, pH, electrical Original Research Article Joseph et al.; AIR, 17(4): 1-15, 2018; Article no. AIR.43309 2 conductivity and turbidity of the contaminated culture water increased with increase in the concentration of cypermethrin, while the dissolved oxygen (DO) decreased with increase in the toxicant concentration. Temperature, conductivity, pH and turbidity values were higher and the DO level was lower in the aquarium contaminated with the highest concentration of the toxicant compared to the control group. Statistically, the physico-chemical parameters varied significantly between the culture waters contaminated with different concentrations of cypermethrin across all exposure durations at p<0.05, except for temperature over 96 hours exposure period which was insignificant at p>0.05. The water temperature, pH and conductivity of the culture water were within the WHO acceptable limits except the dissolved oxygen (30 ppm group over 72 and 96 hour exposure duration) and turbidity (5, 10, 15, 20 and 30 ppm group) which were above the World Health Organisation (WHO) permissible limit. The mortality data trend of fingerlings exposed to cypermethrin was concentration and duration dependent. The 96 hours LC50 value with 95% confidence limit of C. gariepinus fingerlings exposed to the toxicant was 9.332 ppm ± 0.839, and was significant with a determination coefficient (r 2 ) of 0.88 at P<0.05. The low LC50 value for the fingerlings exposed to the pesticide indicated its high toxicity. In conclusion, contamination of culture water with cypermethrin led to the mortality of C. gariepinus fingerlings and the alteration of the physico-chemical parameters of the culture water. As a result, more similar research should be carried-out involving haemathological, reproductive, histological and other physiological alterations when fishes are exposed to cypermethrin so as to further reveal the toxic and harmful potentials of pesticides.
Do Citizens Enforce Accountability for Public Goods Provision? Evidence from India’s Rural Roads Program

This article investigates voter responsiveness to the world’s largest rural roads program, a highly visible development program that improved connectivity for one-third of humanity that previously lacked road access. Investigating 180,000 roads provided across half a million Indian villages aggregated across multiple elections over the last 20 years, the article finds that road provision fails to boost electoral support for the ruling party. Exploiting population-based implementation rules that partly determine road allocation, instrumental variable regressions show that voters remain unresponsive to exogenous road provision. Exploiting subnational variation in implementation and political alignment, analysis shows that factors that breakdown the accountability chain, such as quality, salience, myopia, corruption, or attribution concerns, do not explain these results. The findings suggest that weak accountability presents a more enduring challenge to democracy than assumed in theoretical models and policy interventions.
Intraoperative and postoperative effects of different doses of bupivacaine: a comparative and prospective study for lower limbs surgeries

Background Central neuraxial block is the gold standard for surgeries below the level of the umbilicus, especially for lower limb operations. Bupivacaine of different concentrations are used for regional blocks and the side effects are attributed to the concentration of the local anaesthetics used. Objective The aim of this study was to prospectively investigate the intraoperative and postoperative effects of different doses of bupivacaine in lower limb surgeries. Methodology A double-blind randomized controlled study was conducted on 120 patients scheduled for emergency lower limb surgeries at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital from January to December 2017. The patients were randomly grouped into two groups: 1 and 2. The patients in group 1 received 10 mg of 0.5% bupivacaine and 10 μg of fentanyl, whereas those in group 2 received 7.5 mg of 0.5% bupivacaine and 10 μg of fentanyl. Parameters considered included the hemodynamic indices, quality of intraoperative analgesia, onset time of sensory and motor blockade, level of sensory and motor blockade, and duration of the sensory and motor blockade. A P value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results There was no statistically significant difference (P < 0.05) in the demographic, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) parameters, time of onset of sensory block, and duration of sensory block. There was statistically significant difference in duration of motor blockade, with time of first analgesic request, and more hypotension recorded in group 1 compared to group 2. Conclusion This study has established that 7.5 mg of 0.5% bupivacaine with 10 μg fentanyl has operative analgesia of equal efficacy as 10 mg of 0.5% bupivacaine.
End-of-Life Milieu of Critically Sick Children Admitted to a Pediatric Hospital: A Comparative Study of Survivors versus Nonsurvivors

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe end-of-life (EOL) milieu among caregivers of children who died in the hospital and to compare their psychosocial, spiritual, and financial concerns with caregivers of children who survived. Materials and Methods: Sixty caregivers of children (30 survivors and 30 nonsurvivors), admitted in the pediatric intensive care unit and general pediatric unit, were recruited over a period of 1 year. Mixed qualitative methods were used to collect information from parents on EOL care perspectives. Results: Demographic, disease, and treatment-related characteristics were not significantly different between nonsurvivor and survivor groups. The caregivers of nonsurvivors versus survivors showed no significant differences as regards optimal care (76.67% vs. 56.67%), social support (76.6% vs. 66.67%), and frequent recitation of scriptures (30.77% vs. 45.83%). Mean medical expenditure among children receiving EOL care was Rs. 40,883 (range: Rs. 800–5 lakhs). Regression results revealed that for every 1 day of increase in hospital stay, cost of hospitalization for dying children increased by Rs. 3000 (P = 0.0001). Medical insurance was reported by only minority of the cases (5%). Several themes emerged in the focus group discussions with care providers which highlighted the importance of communication and need for emotional, social, and financial support. EOL decision was taken in only two of the nonsurviving children. Conclusions: The study offers useful insight about social, financial, and religious “end-of-life” needs among terminally sick children and thereby sensitizes the health-care providers to optimize their care at this niche period.
Treatment Interest of Badan Penyelenggara Jaminan Sosial (Social Security Organizing Agency) Patients in Balowerti Public Health Center Kediri City

The Social Security Organizing Agency (BPJS) which was established in 2014, implements the National Health Insurance Program (JKN). While JKN positively affects national health and increases the financial flow of private hospitals, there is a significant financial deficit, which can be covered by the involvement of informal private-sector workers, whose loyalty to the hospital is mainly influenced by hospital’s environment, communication with staff, and service quality. Previous studies indicate that in Indonesia loyalty to the public hospitals can have no relationships with service quality, to test this assumption, a sample of 126 subjects was recruited at the Balowerti City Health Center, Kediri City. All participants of the study received premium assistance beneficiaries (PBI) of BPJS insurance, which is fully subsidized by the government. Despite this, the main part of the sample evaluated their perception of the Balowerti City Health Center and the quality of its service as average or poor. Ordinal regression confirmed the existence of the influence of service quality and perception of the hospital on the behavioral intention of patients. Refers to perception of low service quality is the main reason for insufficient involvement if JKN. According to the previous studies, a lack of time for communication with the patient, long time of waiting, and a lack of information of BPJS are main reasons of patient dissatisfaction and low enrollment in JKN.
A remedial path to merger: Merger by phonological transfer in British Columbia English

British Columbia (BC) English is often studied for itsparticipation in patterns found across Canada, such as theCanadian Shift (Sadlier-Brown & Tamminga, 2008). However,there is evidence BC English shares features with other PacificNorthwest dialects, such as Seattle English (Swan, 2015). Thepresent study examines production data from 67 speakers ofBC English to determine whether the overlap between /eɪg/,/ɛg/, and /aeg/ found by Wassink (2015) in Seattle English isalso present in BC English. The results confirm that there isoverlap, but the merger in BC is between /aeg/ and /eɪg/, ratherthan between /ɛg/ and /eɪg/, like in Seattle (Freeman, 2014). While /aeg/ is raising in apparent time, /eɪg/ is lowering. Mostspeakers show evidence of a merger by approximation(Trudgill & Foxcroft, 1978), 11 show evidence of a completedmerger by phonological transfer, as defined by Dinkin (2016).
Evaluation of Peripartum Depression in Females

Background: Depression is the most common mental health condition affecting perinatal women and mothers worldwide. Worldwide, about 10% of pregnant women and 13% of women who have given birth experience a mental disorder, primarily depression. In developing countries like India, this is even higher, i.e., 15.6% during pregnancy and 19.8% after childbirth. The present study was initiated with the objective of studying the prevalence of depression among women in the peripartum period and to find the association of peripartum depression and its risk factors. Materials and Methods: This was a hospital-based cross-sectional study, including mothers in antenatal and postnatal period. A sample size of 200 was calculated using Daniels' formula. A questionnaire was administered by the investigator in vernacular language by an interview technique for assessing awareness and behavior of all participants. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was used to identify the patients at the risk of depression. Written informed consent was taken from every participant. Results: The prevalence of peripartum depression was 14%. Younger age group (not <18 years), working female, joint family, first pregnancy, social support from in-laws, and not having desire/pressure for a male child were found to be associated with a lower prevalence of peripartum depression. Other variables which were not significantly associated with peripartum depression were education of the participants and their husbands and urban/rural locality. Conclusion: The prevalence of peripartum depression is quite high and is negatively associated with first pregnancy, joint family, and working status.
Differentiation of Long Non-Coding RNA and mRNA Expression Profiles in Male and Female Aedes albopictus

The Asia tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) is an important vector of arboviruses, and females can transmit pathogens such as the dengue, zika, and chikungunya viruses. Understanding sex-related differences in this mosquito is fundamental for vector control. However, there are no reports of systematic characterization of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in male and female Ae. albopictus. To investigate the roles of coding and non-coding RNAs in both sexes of Ae. albopictus, RNA sequencing was performed on male and female samples. The results showed 305 differentially expressed protein-coding genes (DEGs) between males and females, of which 198 were highly expressed in males and 125 were highly expressed in females. Sex-associated gene ontology terms were enriched. Analysis with the FEELnc software identified 2,623 novel lncRNAs, of which 26 showed male high expression and 11 showed female high expression. Quantitative real-time PCR of randomly selected DEGs and lncRNAs supported the validity of the RNA sequencing results. Knocking down male high-expressed gene AALF000433 in male adults reduced the egg hatching rate. This study provides valuable data on sex-specific expression of protein-coding genes and lncRNAs in adult Ae. albopictus, which will guide further studies aimed at understanding sex development and determination mechanisms in this species.
A Cross-Sectional Web-Based Survey of Medical Practitioners in India to Assess their Knowledge, Attitude, Prescription Practices, and Barriers toward Opioid Analgesic Prescriptions

Context: Inadequate training of medical practitioners is a key factor responsible for inappropriate use of opioid analgesics. Aims: We assessed the current knowledge, attitude, prescribing practices, and barriers perceived by the Indian medical practitioners in three tertiary care hospitals toward the use of opioid analgesics. Subjects and Methods: Web-based survey of registered medical practitioner employed at three chosen tertiary health care institutions in New Delhi. Statistical Analysis Used: Descriptive analysis of survey responses was carried out. Comparative analysis was done using Chi-square test, independent samples t-test, and Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: The response rate was 10.4% (n = 308). Two-thirds of the participants (61.7%) had never received formal pain management training, and 86.7% participants would like further training. Most participants (71.1%) agreed that opioids should be prescribed in cancer pain, while 26.3% agreed that opioids should be prescribed in noncancer pain. Half of the participants agreed that SOS (if necessary) dosing schedule (48.4%), low dosage (61.7%), and short duration of use (51.4%) could decrease the harmful effect of opioids. Lack of information about opioid-related policies and addiction potential were identified as the most common barriers to prescribing opioids. Those seeing more patients with chronic noncancer pain come across opioid misuse and diversion more often (P = 0.02). Those who understood addiction were more likely to agree that patients of chronic cancer pain with substance use disorders should be prescribed opioid analgesics (P < 0.01). Conclusions: Indian medical practitioners felt the need for formal pain management training. There is a lack of consensus on how to manage the pain using opioid analgesics. Tough regulations on medical and scientific use of opioids are the most commonly reported barrier to prescribing them.
Is the Menzerath-Altmann Law Specific to Certain Languages in Certain Registers?

ABSTRACT Since its formulation, the Menzerath-Altmann law (MAL) has gone through continuing validation and development when applied to different languages or different language units. However, whether the MAL still holds true irrespective of spoken or written register remains a controversial issue. This article endeavours to re-examine the MAL by investigating the correlation between the length of English sentences (measured in the number of clauses) and their constituting clause length (measured in the number of words) in both academic spoken and written registers. It is observed that the MAL is valid in both registers. Further, the fitted parameter values of the MAL can serve as good predictors for register differentiation.
Merging Digital Capital and Digital Governance : a Framework for Local Government Websites

Correspondence to: Sandra Isabel Rodrigues Bailoa Edifício da Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gestão Campus do Instituto Politécnico de Beja Rua Pedro Soares 7800-295 Beja, Portugal Tel. : +351 284 314 400 E-mail: sandra.bailoa@ipbeja.pt Abstract: Most studies about websites of local public administration can be found in the area of e-government, where models developed for the management and evaluation of these websites are composed of dimensions based on criteria of technical and technological nature such as accessibility, navigability, usability, aspects decisive for its functionality and quality.
Data Rate Utility Analysis for Uplink Two-Hop Internet of Things Networks

We study the fundamental problem of spectrum allocation and device association in uplink two-hop Internet of Things (IoT) networks under two spectrum allocation schemes: 1) orthogonal spectrum partition (OSP) and 2) full spectrum reuse (FSR). We propose a novel analytical model to estimate the uplink data rate utility function, which takes into account power control fractional and spatial density of aggregators. We then compute the optimal aggregator association bias (for the FSR scheme) and the optimal joint spectrum partition ratio and optimal aggregator association bias (for the OSP scheme) using constraint gradient ascent optimization. Using the above obtained optimal values and the proposed model, we compare the performance of the optimized OSP and FSR schemes with the benchmark maximum-SIR-based association scheme and the minimum-distance association scheme in terms of the cumulative distribution function of device uplink data rate. By optimizing key network parameters, namely the spectrum partition ratio and aggregator association bias, we mitigate interference and enhance the mean uplink per-device data rate for both FSR and OSP. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first that proposes an analytical model to estimate the log utility of the uplink data rate of two-hop IoT networks.