Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Governance and Civil Society Action in Vietnam: Changing the Rules From Within—Potentials and Limits

Various contemporary studies suggest a gathering structural political crisis in Vietnam, asserting that thorough political transformation is inevitable and that this may well lead to regime change. This article takes issue with such perspectives. Using an alternative approach that understands civil society as a particular mode of action and interaction and not as a fixed entity, the results of three case studies of the potential for shifts in functional areas of governance (legitimate rule, security, and welfare) show that civil society action from within the state apparatus effects changes in governance. Those processes of change were initiated more or less simultaneously from above and below. Such possibilities for political change open the way to a far wider discussion on the nature of political progress under nondemocratic regimes, which invites comparison not only with a range of contemporary experiences, but also the political histories of many Western countries.
Kinetics of acid reactions: making sense of associated concepts

In chemical kinetics, in addition to the concepts related to kinetics, stoichiometry, chemical equilibrium and the characteristics of the reactants are often involved when comparing the rates of different reactions, making such comparisons very challenging for students at all levels, as well as for pre-service science teachers. Consequently, four multiple-choice items were developed to determine the understanding of 217 pre-service science teachers of the kinetics of acid reactions that are taught at the Grade 9 to 10 levels in Singapore schools. Each of four items compared two different acid reactions under similar conditions, and respondents were required to select the best graphical representation for the two reactions. Respondents were also required to provide reasons to explain their particular selection for each item. In addition, one item on the dissociation of sulfuric acid and two items involving excess/limiting reagents were also included to provide additional data on the pre-service teachers’ understanding of these concepts that were assessed in the four items on kinetics of acid reactions. The results showed that the pre-service teachers had difficulties in explaining the properties of different common acids, including the dissociation of the acids and how these affect the rates of the different acid reactions. This study highlights the importance of determining pre-service teachers’ understanding of the concepts that they will be teaching with a view to addressing areas of difficulty, as these will have consequences on their future students’ learning.
Applying phenomenography in guidance and counselling research

ABSTRACT This paper examines phenomenography as a viable qualitative approach in guidance and counselling research. A phenomenographic study maps the qualitatively different ways in which people experience a specific phenomenon and helps researchers to describe the aspects that make one way of experiencing a certain phenomenon qualitatively distinct from another. This paper presents an overview of phenomenographic research, encompassing theoretical, methodological and practical considerations. The application of this approach in guidance and counselling studies is illustrated with examples.
CONTENT OF POTASSIUM IN DIFFERENT FORMS IN THE SOILS OF SOUTHEAST POLAND

This paper discusses the results of soil surveys of the content of different forms of potassium (K) carried out in 2003/2004 in Southeast Poland. A total of 700 soil samples, representing all soil textural groups, were collected from the plough layer and the subsoil, with the content of 'total', reserve, exchangeable, 'available' and water soluble potassium being determined. The content of all forms of non-water soluble potassium depends on soil texture, soil pH and the soil layer. The average shares of reserve, exchangeable and water soluble potassium in the 'total' potassium were 35.8, 11.8 and 2.76 % respectively, increasing from light to heavy soils and being higher in the plough layer than in the subsoil. The content of 'available' potassium determined in Poland using the Egner-Riehm DL method closely correlates with the content of exchangeable potassium.
Sloth hair: unanswered questions

o El pelo de los perezosos arboreos Bradypus y Choloepus difiere en forma y estructura del de todos los otros mamiferos y puede sel especializado para acomodar la algas unicelulares que crecen en 61. 5e haeen conjeturas respecto a las posibles relaciones entre los perezosos y sus algas. Resumo o pelo de pregui9as Bradypus e Choloepus difere em forma e estrutura do pelo de todos od demais mamiferos e pode ser especializado para acomodar algas unicelulares que nele crescem. Conjecturas sao feitas a respeito da passIvel ou possiveis rela~oes entre pregui~s e suas algas. Among the many odd features of tree sloths Bradypus and Choloepus perhaps the oddest of all is their hair which, with its algal infestation and peculiar structure, is unlike the hair of any other mammal. Algae have been noted in or on the hairs of several other mammals, most notably inside the hairs of polar bears in captivity (Lewin and Robinson, 1979), but have not been found in wild polar bears, nor do they occur commonly in the few other mammals in which they have been observed. Green-tinged hair is a consistent feature of 3-toed sloths Bradypus living under natural conditions, and the algae responsible for the color are already present on the hairs of animals a few weeks old (Britton, 1941). A number of unrelated alga species have been implicated; Thompson (1972) cultured algae representing four phyla (Chlorophyta, Chrysophyta, Cyanophyta, Rhodophyta) from the hair of Bradypus. Although no proof has been provided nor alternatives explored, most biologists assume that the sloth/alga association is of mutual benefit, the alga obtaining shelter and the sloth gaining camouflage. A 3-toed sloth with dry hair appears brownish grey, while a wet animal takes on a green tinge (Beebe, 1926).
Effect of sodium bicarbonate ingestion on measures of football performance - with reference to the impact of training status

Purpose: To investigate effects of acute sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO 3 ) ingestion on performance during a football-specific protocol, with reference to mediating effects of intermittent training status. Methods : Ten male university football players (age: 21±1 yrs, height: 180±2 cm, mass: 78.8±2.8 kg) completed two six-a-side football matches after ingesting either 0.4 g.kg -1 NaHCO 3 (staggered over 90-min) or no supplement (CON) in a randomised, counterbalanced order. Activity profiles, blood [lactate], HR and gastrointestinal distress determined throughout. Training status was evaluated using Yo-YoIR1, Yo-YoIR2 and repeated-sprint tests. Results: Players performed 70.3% more high-speed running (17-21 km.h -1 ) during 0-5min following NaHCO 3 ingestion vs. CON (17.9±5.2 vs. 10.5±3.1 m, P 14km.hr -1 ), existed between conditions during any period ( P >0.05). However, total HIR increased for 70% of participants following NaHCO 3 vs. CON ( P >0.05). Large-very large correlations (0.5< r <0.9) existed between training status measures and HIR improvement from CON to NaHCO 3 during certain match periods ( P <0.05). Conclusions: Acute NaHCO 3 ingestion appears ergogenic for some, but not all, football performance measures. Furthermore, individual variability in HIR response suggests this ergogenic potential is not realised by everyone. Correlational analysis suggests higher intermittent training status may potentiate NaHCO 3 efficacy.
Research in the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics.

This paper is a report of a symposium on research in mathem-tical learning and teaching held during the annual meeting of the California Mathematics Council in 1966. Speakers and their topics were: Professor Frederick J. McDonald "The Teaching of Mathematics"; Dr. John E. Coulson "The Learning of Mathematics"; Professor Zoltan P. Dienes "Research and Evaluation in Mathematics Learning". Introductory remarks were made by Dr. Jerry P. Becker. (Author/FL)
Perceptions from the US and Turkey

This study focuses on the misbehaviors of university students, and more specifically, it investigates university lecturers’ perspectives of these problems along with their coping strategies. The study also investigates the factors associated with these behaviors and differences in cultural motives behind American and Turkish lecturers’ perceptions. The data consists of interviews and classroom observations of 38 lecturers from two universities, one American and one Turkish. The results revealed that problems encountered were cell phone use, inappropriate talking, inattentiveness, lack of participation and tardiness. In general, verbal warnings and the outlining of expectations were identified as the main coping strategies by both groups. Misbehaviors were attributed to parents and students themselves by American and Turkish lecturers. However, some American lecturers emphasized these misbehaviors might have stemmed from lecturers themselves.
The Effects of Psychosocial Development on Parasocial Relationships

ii Acknowledgments. iv Vita . v Chapter 1: Introduction and Literature Review . 1 Chapter 2: Method . 15 Chapter 3: Results . 23 Chapter 4: Discussion . 28 References . 35 Appendix A: Recruitment Advertisement . 42 Appendix B: Consent Form . 43 Appendix C: Survey Items . 45
The effect of positive and negative mood on motivation to succeed of elite athletes

Summary, the aim of the present study was to determine the effect of positive and negative mood on motivation of elite athletes in terms of the level of education, sports experience, and age.The motivational levels of the athletes were measured using the Success Motivation Scale in Sports developed by Willis (1982) and adapted to Turkish by Tiryaki and Godelek (1997). Positive and negative mood was measured using the Positive and Negative Affect Scale developed by Watson et al . (1988). The study included 440 voluntary participants (260 male and 180 female) randomly selected from 10 different sports. The average age and sport experience of the participants were 21.8 yrs. (SD=3.9) and 9.6 yrs. (SD=4.8), respectively. Results showed apositive correlation between athletes’ sports experience and intrinsic motivation ( r =.148, p .05). Finally, there was a positive relation between extrinsic motivation and each of intrinsic motivation ( r =.496), success motivation ( r =.877) and positive mood ( r =.366), while there was a negative relation with negative mood ( r = -.174).
An Empirical Study on the Role of Interpersonal and Institutional Trust in Organizational Innovativeness

The main purpose of this paper is to explore the effects of the dimensions of organizational trust such as interpersonal trust (coworkers trust and trust in supervisors/leaders), and institutional trust on the dimensions of organizational innovativeness such as product, process, behavioral, and strategic innovativeness in beverages companies serving in Pakistan and Turkey, and banking companies operating in Pakistan. A quantitative research design was employed. Data were collected through survey instrument from 202 participants relating mainly from marketing, R&D and finance & accounting departments of beverages and banking companies. The results indicate that institutional trust is vital for both product and process innovativeness. Moreover, coworkers trust was positively associated to strategic innovativeness. Therefore, the results have confirmed the view of the prior researchers that the root of trust lies in individual relationships is not in opposition to the experience of trust both inside interpersonal relationships and as an institutional phenomenon beyond interpersonal relationships.
Molecular dynamics of irradiation-induced defect production in GaN nanowires

We have used classical molecular dynamics methods to simulate the defect production of small-cross-section GaN nanowires by Ar ion irradiation. We performed 200 random individual ion impacts in the energy range of 30 eV to 10 keV for each nanowire. We found that the defect production for all nanowires was greatly enhanced in the low ion energy range below 3 keV, while at higher energies the defect production decreased due to the increasing transmission of ions through small-cross-section nanowires. Owing to the strong surface enhancement of defect production, in the low-energy range, the defect production in the nanowires was increased by a factor of 2 compared to bulk GaN. A simple model to estimate the irradiation energy dependence of the damage production in a nanowire was developed. It is based on the Gaussian energy deposition profile, and it gives the irradiation energy of the maximum damage in a reasonable agreement with the simulation results.
Board meeting and firm performance: evidence from the Amman Stock Exchange

This study examines the impact of board meeting frequency on the firm performance of the firms listed on the Amman Stock Exchange from industry and service sectors for the 2009-2013 period. The study controls for endogeneity and simultaneously problems using the dynamic panel technique of Generalized Method of Moments (GMM). The findings of the study suggest that a positive association between the frequency of corporate board meetings and firm performance.This suggests that through meetings, board members determine operational issues through discussing and engaging with each other frequency meetings enhancing the decision making process, and consequently the performance of the firms.The findings also show that lagged dependent variable in the estimation model is important in explaining the relationship, which further indicates the appropriateness of the estimation models in our study.This study provides insightful evidence to policy makers on the effectiveness of the of the 2009 Code of Corporate Governance.
Native fish community structure and Indo-Pacific lionfish Pterois volitans densities along a depth-temperature gradient in Onslow Bay, North Carolina, USA

We quantified native fish densities along a depth-temperature gradient within a tem- perate-tropical marine transition zone (North Carolina continental shelf) to examine the role of depth and temperature in structuring these communities. We also examined the distribution of in- vasive lionfish (Pterois volitans, P. miles) to evaluate a laboratory-derived thermal minimum for lion- fish. We collected year-round continuous bottom water temperature data from 2000 to 2010 and sur- veyed lionfish (2004 to 2010), conspicuous fishes (2006 to 2010) and cryptic smaller-bodied fishes (2007 to 2010) at depths from 5 to 46 m using SCUBA. Bottom water temperatures were constant across the depth gradient during summer and increased from inshore to offshore during winter. The conspicuous fish community was structured by 3 depth zones, 5-14, 15-37 and 38-46 m, that corre- sponded with winter mean temperatures of 13.9, 17.9 and 20.9°C, respectively. The cryptic fish community was structured by 4 depth zones, 5-15, 18-24, 27-38.5 and 39.5-46 m, with correspon- ding winter mean bottom temperatures of 13.8, 15.6, 18.7 and 20.9°C. In contrast, summer tempera- tures were not important in structuring either the conspicuous or the cryptic fish community. Thus, fish communities in the spring/summer appear to be structured by the pattern of bottom water tem- perature experienced the previous winter, supporting previous studies that indicate winter mini- mum temperature is important for determining fish distribution and abundance in temperate marine ecosystems. In addition, the deeper fish communities were dominated by tropical species. Lionfish, a tropical species, was found in the highest densities from 38 to 46 m and present in loca- tions with a winter mean of 15.3°C and higher. Increasing temperatures could favor a potential ex- pansion of invasive lionfish and native tropical species into the nearshore waters on the North Car- olina shelf, resulting in unforeseen community structure and trophic disruptions.
SOUTH KOREA CULTURAL HISTORY BETWEEN 1960 S AND 2012 15

This paper examines the development of South Korean cultural policy from the 1970s to the present. It contextualises South Korean state, culture and its cultural policy within the framework of state developmentalism, so as to understand their dynamics and relationships. A detailed analysis of how the national cultural policy is interpreted and implemented through institutional practices, historically and in its contemporary context shall be made.
Statistical analysis of the long-term visual light curve parameters of dwarf novae

The long-term visual light curve parameters of 36 dwarf novae are measured. The data is anayzed in search of likely relationships among the light curve parameters and system parameters. New relations of the orbital period with the mean light curve parameters are given. Our ndings for the correlation analysis of individual systems agree with some of the results in previous studies. Almost all of the systems in this study have a bimodal frequency distribution of the outburst duration. By comparing the observational correlations with their theoretical counterparts, we nd that the value of the viscosity parameter of the disk instability model is hot 0:2.
Early Retirement and Social Security: A Long-Term Perspective

We provide a long-term perspective on the individual retirement behaviour and on the future of retirement. In a Markovian political economic theoretical framework, in which incentives to retire early are embedded, we derive a political equilibrium with positive social security contribution rates and early retirement. Aging has two opposite effects: it leads to lower taxes and fewer (early) retirees, while a poorer median voter will push for higher contributions. The model highlights the existence of crucial income effects: a decrease of the income of young people will induce them to postpone retirement and to vote for less social security.
Diet Composition of the Pharaoh Eagle Owl, Bubo ascalaphus, in Azraq Nature Reserve, Jordan

Pellets of the Pharaoh Eagle Owl Bubo ascalaphus were collected from Azraq Nature Reserve in the Eastern Desert of Jordan. Analysis of the content of the owl pellets yielded the remains of 107 individuals of prey representing 15 different species. Based on the numbers of individual prey items, 13.1% was represented by 3 insectivores (Hemiechinus aff. auritus, Crocidura suaveolens, and Suncus etruscus) and 73.8% by 4 rodents (Mus aff. musculus, Meriones libycus, Gerbillus nanus, and Jaculus jaculus). In total, mammals constituted 86.9% of the total number of prey items and 89.9% of the prey mass. We also identified 4 birds (Passer domesticus, Luscinia sp, Sylvia sp, one belonging to Alaudidae family), as well as 2 unidentified lizards, 1 snake, and 2 insects.
An Example of the Use of Standard Flammability Criteria for Performance Analysis of Materials: Polycarbonate and PMMA

A detailed flammability evaluation of two different materials is presented, as an example of how important is physical observation and detailed analysis in the interpretation of test data. The objective is to provide different criteria that could allow the use of standard test data in fire modeling. The tests used are the lateral ignition and flame spread test (ASTME-1321) and the oxygen consumption calorimeter (ASTM-E-1354). The materials evaluated are a polycarbonate (Lexan) and compared to a commonly studied ideal material, PMMA (i.e., Poly-methyl-methacrylate). Lexan is a solid plastic sheet, generally considered as fire resistant. The solid plastic sheet is proposed as an alternate to PMMA for use as containment windows for glove boxes containing radioactive components in nuclear facilities. For idealized materials, such as PMMA, heat transfer from the flame to the fuel controls flame-spread rates. This study shows that the behavior of the Lexan, in the case of a fire, will be first governed by melting. Furthermore, if the material is placed vertical, the results indicate that the motion of the molten fuel, rather than the transport of energy will control flame-spread rates. Additional medium-scale tests fully confirms the main results obtained by the small-scale experiments.
SME Policy and Firms’ Productivity in Latin America

Very little is known about the effectiveness of SME policies, and a careful look at the structure, mechanisms and incentives provided by these policies suggest caution in their implementation and, most importantly, the need to carefully and closely monitor their results. This paper relies on the microeconometric analysis of a homogeneous dataset of sixteen Latin American and Caribbean countries to analyze the magnitude and determinants of the productivity gap between large and SME firms and to simulate of the impact on productivity of various policy scenarios.
Bacterial utilization of phosphorus pools after nitrogen and carbon amendment and its relation to alkaline phosphatase activity

Changes in phosphorus (P) pools after the addition of nitrogen + organic carbon to Baltic Sea bacteria, as well as the relationship of this supply to the stimulation of bacterial alkaline phos- phatase activity (APA), were investigated. Furthermore, the utilization of dissolved organic phospho- rus (DOP) without and after stimulation, and if DOP was sufficient to meet the P demand, was stud- ied. The simultaneous amendment of both substrates provoked a decrease of phosphate in water and an increase of P in the bacterial fraction. During the course of the experiments, the changes occurred in parallel with the stimulation of the APA. The increase in P in the bacterial fraction was predomi- nantly influenced by the phosphate concentration. If the phosphate concentration was below the P demand, then DOP was used. DOP usage by bacteria proved dependent on the DOP concentration in the water. At concentrations of about 0.20 µM, the DOP consisted of material not usable by bacteria. At high concentrations of 0.44 µM, 0.15 µM of DOP was used. The maximum stimulation of bacterial APA correlated inversely with DOP changes, and high APA could not be associated with the amount of DOP degradation. Without exogenous nitrogen and carbon supply, phosphate and the available DOP in Baltic Sea water samples were sufficient to satisfy the bacterial need of P. However, after the addition of nitrogen and carbon, the available P pools were not capable of covering the P demand.
Therapeutic Potential of Statins in Age-related Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) is the leading cause of irreversible vision loss, affecting one in three people aged 75 and above. Although exciting new pharmaceuticals to treat ARMD such as endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors, are now available, they are effective only in selected group of patients, and can be used only during a narrow time window. Monthly intravitreal anti-VEGF injections with systemic exposure to anti-VEGF could be replaced by new drugs taken in a non-invasive way. Statins are the most commonly used lipid lowering drugs. The objective of this review is therefore to evaluate the evidence and discuss the rationale behind the recent suggestions that statins may be useful in the prevention and the treatment of age-related macular degeneration. This review recognised that there are potentially multiple biological bases for the protective effect of statins on the risk of ARMD. Thus, it is time to conduct a randomised controlled trial to provide direct evidence of the effectiveness of specific type statin in lowering the incidence and progression of ARMD. New intervention as statins usage to prevent the development of age-related macular degeneration and its progression remain an important strategy to limit the morbidity due to this significant public health problem. Keywords: Age-related macular, Non-invasive treatment, Pleiotropic effects, Prevention, Statins