Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Peak oxygen uptake of healthy Iranian adolescents

Introduction: Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) has an important place in the assessment of cardiopulmonary fitness. Currently there is insufficient normative data for Iranian adolescents. With this preliminary study, we aimed to set up the first normative data for our laboratory which may also serve as a basis for future large population-based studies in Iran. Material and methods: We assessed the peak oxygen consumption of 95 healthy Iranian adolescents, aged 13-17 years, and examined the cardiopulmonary responses to exercise test in relation to their age, sex and body size. Between June and September 2007, the level of aerobic capacity was evaluated by maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), which was calculated using the exercise test on a bicycle ergometer. Results: During a four-month period, the cardiopulmonary exercise test was conducted on a population-based sample of 95 adolescents (44 boys and 51 girls). The mean age and body mass index were 15.59 ±1.85 years and 23.46 ±5.05 kg/m 2 , respectively. The VO2max of boys was significantly higher in boys than in girls (16.71 ±8.72/12.48 ±6.25 ml/kg/min respectively, p = 0.001). Conclusions: The current study presents normal data for a small representative sample of healthy Iranian adolescents. VO2max in our study was in the poor to average range when compared to the standard values of other populations. This information should prompt policy makers and medical educators to address this problem, and to consider promoting exercise and integrating physical fitness into the school curriculum.
Board Independence and the Gender Pay Gap for Top Executives

Since the early 1990s, a 25%-45% gender pay gap has persisted for the top five executives in U.S. publicly traded companies. I present an empirical approach to determine the relative importance of two possible explanations for the gender pay gap that originate with employers: gender taste-based discrimination, and downward-biased beliefs about women's performance. I use the 2003 SEC regulation event that required boards to become more independent and disallowed insiders to serve on the compensation committee to distinguish between the two possible causes of discrimination. Independent board members do not work alongside executives and so would be less inclined than insiders to indulge in taste-based discrimination. Independent board members, on the other hand, have less information about executives' performance and are thus more likely to rely on their prior, potentially biased beliefs about women's performance when they set pay. I find that the gender pay gap became 19% larger in firms that were required to convert to more independent boards compared to firms that were not, which is not consistent with taste-based discrimination. An increase in the pay gap is consistent with downward-biased beliefs about women's performance, but also with reverse taste-based discrimination. I distinguish between these two hypotheses by examining whether the increase in the pay gap is persistent and uniform across positions. I find the increase in the pay gap reverted as independent board members had time to learn about individual performance. And, the gap did not widen in occupations where accreditation provided an easy-to-interpret signal of ability. These results are consistent with board members having downward-biased beliefs about women's performance.
Behavior of Reinforced Concrete Columns under Combined Axial Load and Bending in Accordance with a Nonlinear Numerical Model

A nonlinear numerical model was developed to analyze reinforced concrete columns under combined axial load and bending up to failure. Results of reinforced concrete columns under eccentric compression tested to failure are presented and compared to results from a numerical nonlinear model. The tests involved 10 columns with cross-section of 250 mm × 120 mm, geometrical reinforcement ratio of 1.57% and concrete with compression strength around 40 MPa, with 3,000 mm in length. The main variable was the load eccentricity in the direction of the smaller dimension of cross-section. Experimental results of ultimate load and of the evolution of transverse displacements and concrete strains are compared with the numerical results. The estimated results obtained by the numerical model are close to the experimental ones, being suitable for use in verification of elements under combined axial load and bending.
Organisation structurale et fonction métabolique des unités énergétiques intracellulaires (ICEUs) dans le muscle cardiaque et squelettique : conditions physiologiques et pathophysiologiques : [Thèse soutenue sur un ensemble de travaux]

Ce travail de these s'interesse principalement a la regulation de la respiration mitochondriale in situ dans les cellules de muscle cardiaque et squelettiques. L'oxygraphie, la spectrophotometrie et la microscopie confocale sur cellules isolees ou fibres musculaires permeabilisees a la saponine ont ete utilisees ainsi que la modelisation mathematique. Dans les cellules musculaires, les mitochondries sont organisees de maniere tre��s precise tel un ‘cristal'. Cet arrangement intracellulaire serait la base d'une organisation a la fois structurale et fonctionnelle au sein desquelles les mitochondries sont couplees fonctionnellement par le cytosquelette aux autres organelles : reticulum sarcoplasmique et myofibrilles: les ICEUs (ou unites energetiques intracellulaires). Au sein des cellules cardiaques, il existe 2 niveaux de regulation de la respiration mitochondriale par l'ADP exogene : la permeabilite de la membrane mitochondriale externe (VDAC) et des restrictions localisees de diffusion de l'ADP au voisinage des mitochondries. La β-tubuline participe indirectement a ces mecanismes de regulation de meme que la proteine STOP, une proteine associee aux microtubules. Ces donnees experimentales sont utiles pour expliquer les aspects metaboliques de la loi de Frank-Starling dans le cœur. Cette notion d'ICEU peut servir de diagnostique lors de l'etude clinique du metabolisme energetique chez des transplantes pulmonaires avant et apres un programme d'entrainement a domicile.
You Win Some, You Lose Some: Regulatory Focus Theory and Facial Expressions of Emotion to Series of Unfortunate Events

Regulatory focus theory predicts that the type of focus a person is in influences their emotional experience. Using Higgins (1997) and Idson, Liberman, and Higgins (2000) as models for our study, we used facial video data to examine whether negative emotions are more likely to occur following negative outcomes. We also tested regulatory focus’s predictions about discrete emotions to losses (i.e. people lose points) versus non-gains (i.e. people miss out on opportunity to gain points). Regulatory focus predicts that losses are more likely to elicit agitation-related emotions and that non-gains are more likely to elicit dejection-related emotions. Participants engaged in a gaming task where they tried to win or maintain their points, which sometimes they were able to accomplish (positive outcome) and other times they were not (negative outcome). Coders categorized the facial video data taken during the game based on the perceived facial expression. As predicted, people expressed more agitation and dejection after negative vs. positive outcomes. In contrast, people neither expressed more agitation following losses than non-gains nor did they express more dejection following non-gains than losses.
EXPERIMENTAL MEASUREMENT AND NUMERICAL MODELING OF CAVITATING FLOW IN CONVERGING-DIVERGING NOZZLE

Paper presents results of the experimental research and computational modeling aimed on cavitating vortical structures induced by swirling flow. An experimental circuit was built with swirl generator and converging-diverging nozzle made of plexiglass. Cavitating zone develops along the nozzle axis due to balance of pressure and centrifugal forces. Resulting vortical structure is unstable, which is manifested by pulsations. Computational modelling of the one-phase flow is carried out and results are confronted with experimental data and the different modelling approaches are discussed.
Advanced Abdominal Pregnancy in a Diabetic Multipara- is Delivery of the Placenta Always a Problem? A Case Report

Introduction: Abdominal pregnancy is a comparatively rare type of ectopic gestation with a high fetal and maternal morbidity and mortality. Although this entity had been well documented, it still remains a serious dilemma for most obstetricians in practice because of the difficulties in early diagnosis and proper management. The occurrence in a diabetic woman could make management even more complex. Objective: This is to report a case of advanced abdominal pregnancy occurring in a diabetic multipara. Method: A case report of abdominal pregnancy in a diabetic multipara who was referred to the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi and relevant review of literature. Result: Following a laparotomy, the baby was delivered, and placenta completely removed. Conclusion: The delivery of the placenta following an abdominal pregnancy may not pose a problem in some patients. Appropriate pre-operative diagnosis and timed intervention is recommended.
The Relationship between Experiential Marketing and Corporate Reputation: A Research on Turkish Operator Companies

The main purpose of this study is to investigate whether the experiential marketing components are related to corporate reputation. It focuses on the relationship of sensory, emotional, cognitive, behavioral and relational experiences to corporate reputation components. In addition, the mediator effects of environment and social media on this relationship has been examined.In the qualitative research part of the research, a large study was done in the literature. Afterwards, negotiations were held with academicians and managers who are experts in the field. It was pretested with validity and reliability and accepted scales. After making the necessary changes, the survey collection phase was passed. In the quantitative research part of the study, face-to-face interviews and survey data filled by 464 people were used.The relationship between experiential marketing and corporate reputation has been tested by structural equation modeling. According to this, path analysis between experiential marketing and corporate reputation was established and relations were found meaningful and positively. While there is a significant effect of the environmental variable, the effect of the social media variable was not found.
Determinants of corporate dividend policy: evidence from romanian listed companies

Although there is a vast literature that has investigated the dividend policies of firms from developed countries, relatively little research has been published exploring the dividend policies of firms from emerging countries. The literature regarding establishing the relationship between dividend policy and the attributes of non-financial companies listed on Romanian stock market, to the best of our knowledge, remains inexistent. The aim of this study is to identify the main factors influencing dividend policy for the non-financial companies listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange for a period of ten years from 2007 to 2016. In order to achieve this aim, panel data were collected from the listed companies’ reports and financial statements. The study reveals that dividend policy is positively related to corporate profitability and liquidity and negatively associated with leverage, size, growth, and the state of the economy.
GENERATION OF MULTIPLE PHASE-LOCKED STOKES AND ANTI-STOKES COMPONENTS IN AN IMPULSIVELY EXCITED RAMAN MEDIUM

We report on the observation of a highly efficient transformation of laser radiation into higher-order Stokes and anti-Stokes components in impulsively vibrationally excited gaseous S${\mathrm{F}}_{6}$. The specific (Bessel-like) behavior of their intensity with the gas pressure reveals the mutual coherence of the generated frequencies. We propose this new regime of Raman frequency conversion for generation of sub-fs pulses.
Malignant Mixed Mullerian Tumours of the Uterus – A Ten-Year Experience

Results and Conclusion: Twenty-six patients with mean age of 56.5 years were analysed. Twenty (76.9%) were menopausal. None had previous pelvic irradiation. Vaginal bleeding and uterine enlargement were the commonest presenting symptom and sign. Diagnostic dilatation and curettage obtained the diagnosis in 15 patients. Majority of patients had surgery with adjuvant chemotherapy, while adjuvant radiotherapy was offered only recently. Positive peritoneal washings were significantly associated with advanced disease. There were seven patients with stage I, four with stage II, nine with stage III and four with stage IV disease. There were 17 homologous and nine heterologous tumours. Presence of heterologous stromal components did not influence the stage of the disease. Increasing depth of myometrial invasion was associated with poorer survival. Prognosis of patients with stage III and IV disease were poor, with none surviving to two years. All the patients with stage I disease were still alive at the end of the study period. In conclusion, malignant mixed Mullerian tumours of the uterine corpus are aggressive tumours associated with poor prognosis.
The term structure of land lease rates

This paper applies the concept of a term structure to agricultural land rental prices. Based on theoretical considerations, we develop a hedonic pricing model that allows for different shapes of the term structure curve while controlling for other price-relevant characteristics. We apply this model to land lease contracts in Saxony-Anhalt concluded between 2002 and 2010. We find an upward-sloping term structure at the beginning, that is, market participants expected increasing rental prices. For the subsequent years, however, we detect a single-humped term structure. Hence, market participants revised their expectations and assumed a decline of land rental prices in the long-term.
Ethanolysis of Calabash (Lageneria sinceraria) Seed Oil for the Production of Biodiesel

Biodiesel production from plant seed oil and animal fat is not a new technologies, though recently searching for alternative renewable sources of fuel is receiving much attention due to global energy demand and increase in environmental pollution. Currently biodiesel is largely produced from edible oil feedstock which may not be sustainable in the longer term due to its competition with food, thus lead to a search for not edible oil feedstock for the production of green fuel. In view of this, homogeneous transesterification of Lageneraria sinceraria seed oil has been carried out using NaOH catalyst at 65 C with ethanol which produced a good biodiesel yield of 78% with HHV of 36.34 (MJ/Kg), 0.02% low total water and sediment level, 0.80g/cm3 density, 0.82 g/cm3 specific gravity, 27.20 g/cm3 API gravity, 0.44 mg NaOH/g Acid number and 144oC Flash point. The ethyl ester biodiesel produced, therefore, promises to be a viable source of energy for future use.
Unweathered Wood Biochar Impact on Nitrous Oxide Emissions from a Bovine-Urine-Amended Pasture Soil

Low-temperature pyrolysis of biomass produces a product known as biochar. The incorporation of this material into the soil has been advocated as a C sequestration method. Biochar also has the potential to influence the soil N cycle by altering nitrification rates and by adsorbing NH 4 + or NH 3 . Biochar can be incorporated into the soil during renovation of intensively managed pasture soils. These managed pastures are a significant source of N 2 O, a greenhouse gas, produced in ruminant urine patches. We hypothesized that biochar effects on the N cycle could reduce the soil inorganic-N pool available for N 2 O-producing mechanisms. A laboratory study was performed to examine the effect of biochar incorporation into soil (20 Mgha ― 1 ) on N 2 O-N and NH 3 -N fluxes, and inorganic-N transformations, following the application of bovine urine (760 kg N ha ―1 ). Treatments included controls (soil only and soil plus biochar), and two urine treatments (soil plus urine and soil plus biochar plus urine). Fluxes of N 2 O from the biochar plus urine treatment were generally higher than from urine alone during the first 30 d, but after 50 d there was no significant difference (P = 0.11) in terms of cumulative N 2 O-N emitted as a percentage of the urine N applied during the 53-d period; however, NH 3 -N fluxes were enhanced by approximately 3% of the N applied in the biochar plus urine treatment compared with the urine-only treatment after 17 d. Soil inorganic-N pools differed between treatments, with higher NH 4 + concentrations in the presence of biochar, indicative of lower rates of nitrification. The inorganic-N pool available for N 2 O-producing mechanisms was not reduced, however, by adding biochar.
How Effectively Can Debt Covenants Alleviate Financial Agency Problems?

We examine the effectiveness of debt covenants in alleviating financial agency problems. Distortions in both investment and financing policies with long--term debt are captured in a structural dynamic model where both policies are endogenously determined by shareholders. The combined and compounding effect of these distortions is shown to be large. We impose covenants that restrict the level of debt, or control the use of proceeds from asset sales or debt issuance, and analyze how, and how much, they mitigate financial agency costs. We investigate the direct and indirect impact of covenants on financing and investment policies, including at the point where covenants are violated, providing alternative interpretations of recent empirical evidence. We conclude that the presence and enforcement of debt covenants significantly alters dynamic financing and investment policies, not only at the point of covenant violations, and thus should be an important element of structural models.
Osteometric study of the metapodials of Amsterdam Island feral cattle

The analysis of fossil and sub-fossil bones of wild Bos primigenius Bojanus, 1827 and domestic cattle Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758 has been handicapped by the absence of modern comparative material. The feral cattle of Amsterdam Island have lived in the wild since 1871 and have been free from artificial selection since that period. We give here a complete description of metapodial bones of this population in order to offer archaeologists a modern comparative material with patterns of sexual dimorphism and extent of intraand inter-individual variability. This work is based on the measurements of 90 sets of 4 metapodials belonging to 48 adult females and 42 adult males. We show that the cattle of Amsterdam Island are morphologically homogeneous, thus probably forming a single breed. Sexual dimorphism is important and was studied by univariate comparisons and ordination techniques. A discriminant analysis revealed that differences in depth of diaphysis alone could correctly classify 96.7% of individuals as far as metacarpal bones are concerned, whereas differences in breath of distal end alone could correctly classify 91.1% of individuals when metatarsal bones were measured. Inclusion of two more variables increased the accuracy to 98.8% and 97.8% of individuals correctly classified for metacarpal and metatarsal bones, respectively. Allometric relations within sexes are described and should prove to be usefull to archaelogists who work with fragmentary material and wish to estimate lacking measurements. Comparisons of size and shape of metapodial bones with data from the l i te ra ture reveal that the feral cattle of Amsterdam Island are smaller than aurochs and recent breeds of domestic cattle, but that they compare well with old breeds of domestic cattle and also recent breeds of Bos indicus living in Africa.
A MODEL FOR ICT PROFESSIONAL SKILL DEVELOPMENT: A CASE STUDY FOR TEACHERS IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN TSHWANE SOUTH DISTRICT

Despite the critical importance of in-service education programs (INSETs) for teachers’ on-going professional development, educators often report problems concerning many INSETs. This paper investigates factors that are likely to motivate teachers to use ICT based INSET programs to enhance their professional skill development. From the identified factors, a model for ICT based professional skill development for school teachers was developed. By reviewing the literature, these factors were established and were used in the development of the research model. Underpinning theories, those of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) were adopted and used in this study. A survey was conducted among primary school teachers and the sample consisted of 82 respondents in Tshwane South District in Gauteng Province. A closed ended questionnaire was used to collect data, and thereafter the data was analyzed. The results of the analysis indicate that, performance expectance (PE) was found to have the highest predicting power of 29.4, followed by effort expectance (EE) 24.7%. Behaviour intention (TBI) was ranked the least with 5.6%. Overall the results of the study predict an 60.9% success rate if this ICT based model for teacher professional skill development will be implemented in primary schools.
Asymmetric Dark Matter Stars

We study the possibility of asymmetric dark matter with self-interactions forming compact stable objects. We solve the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equation and find the mass-radius relation of such "dark stars", their density profile and their Chandrasekhar mass limit. We consider fermionic asymmetric dark matter with Yukawa-type self-interactions appropriate for solving the well known problems of the collisionless dark matter paradigm. We find that in several cases the relativistic effects are significant.
A Particle Element Approach for Modelling the 3D Printing Process of Fibre Reinforced Polymer Composites

This paper presents a new numerical approach for modelling the 3D printing process of fibre reinforced polymer composites by fused deposition modelling (FDM). The approach is based on the coupling between two particle methods, namely smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) and discrete element method (DEM). The coupled SPH-DEM model has distinctive advantages in dealing with the free surface flow, large deformation of fibres, and/or fibre-fibre interaction that are involved in the FDM process. A numerical feasibility study is carried out to demonstrate its capability for both short and continuous fibre reinforced polymer composites, with promising results achieved for the rheological flow and fibre orientation and deformation.
Skill Mismatch in Equilibrium Unemployment

We analyse the effect of skill mismatch in a search model of equilibrium unemployment with risk-neutral agents, endogenous job destruction, and two-sided ex-ante heterogeneity. First, we examine the interaction of labour market institutions and skill mismatch. We find that skill mismatch changes the results obtained in a model with ex-ante homogeneity. Second, we analyse the interaction of skill mismatch and labour market institutions for the difference in the labour market experience of continental Europe on the one hand and the US on the other hand. We find that within-group skill mismatch cannot explain the rise in unemployment in Europe relative to the US. This result is due to the endogeneity of job destruction and stands at odds with previous findings in the literature. We can, however, confirm the fact that unemployment benefits potentially play a beneficial role by providing a subsidy to search. Generally, we argue that in search models with fixed match characteristics, job destruction should be endogenised in order to take account of heterogeneous decision rules.