Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Title : Quantification of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from a Production Scale Midwestern Breeding / Gestation / Farrowing Facility – NPB # 12-118

Gaseous emissions from livestock production continue to receive increasing attention due to concerns over their environmental and health impacts. Local concerns over gaseous emissions are usually focused on odor and environmental impacts. For example, ammonia (NH3) is usually of concern for its potential negative impacts on local environments or ecological systems due to deposition, whereas greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions are of concern for their potential impacts on global climate variability. However, it is important to understand the quantity and composition of gasses being emitted to the atmosphere. The primary GHGs associated with livestock production are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O). Information on GHG emissions from U.S. swine production facilities is meager, especially under commercial production conditions.
Factors Influencing Uptake of Institutional Delivery Service by Skilled Birth Attendant ’ s in Ghana : A Framework Analysis of Existing Literature

Background: Utilisation of institutional delivery service rema ins a challenge in most developing countries including Ghana and significant proportion of birth s assisted by skilled birth attendant’s (SBA) remai n low. To improve this, insight is needed in many factors int er-relating to influence women place of birth. This study therefore explored and analysed factors influencing uptake of institutional delivery services provided by skilled birth attendants in Ghana. Evidenced-based interven tions that have helped improved facility-based deli veries by SBAs in low and middle income countries were also r eviewed. Method: Using conceptual framework of Anderson and Newman (2005), literature from Ghana and other low and middle income countries were reviewed. Articles in English language and published between 2005 to 2015 in PUBMED, PsychINFO, EMBASE, GOOGLE SCHOLAR that met the inclusion criteria were included in the review. Result: The results indicate that, in spite of the high A NC attendance in Ghana (86.7%), uptake of instituti onal delivery services by SBAs was suboptimal. Several f actors were identified in each of the three domains of the conceptual framework and they include predisposing factors (maternal age and education, parity, cultur al, religion and traditional practices, and place of re sid nce), enabling factors (household’s wealth) and need factors (perception of safer pregnancy). In addition, healt h services related factors identified include perce ived negative attitude of some SBAs, limited numbers of health fa cilities and SBAs, low quality of services and long distance to health facilities. Conclusion: Scaling up of Community-based Health Planning Progr am (CHPS) in hard to reach areas will remove barriers such as distance, transportation, a nd further ensure culturally sensitive health deliv ery services. In addition, increasing uptake of midwives and stri ct implementation of “train and retain” policy by M inistry of Health (MOH) will make a significant impact.
CONTINUING ANALYSIS OF EARTH STRUCTURE AND GROUND TRUTH DATA FROM THE MIDDLE EAST

Middle Eastern countries have a very high level of seismic activity. For this reason, there are a large number of seismic networks in operation, and data from these networks have provided details of the crustal structure of the region. One such network, the Tehran Telemetry Seismic Network (TTSN), consists of twelve stations and is located around the city of Tehran. Nearly two years of local data are available from this array, and these data yield estimates of crustal thickness based on receiver function analysis. These results consistently show a crustal thickness of 44 – 50 km. This value is about 12 km thicker than has been measured in eastern Turkey, and 9 km greater than the global average for stable platform regions. The 45 km crustal thickness near Tehran is almost exactly the same as the 46 – 48 km thickness reported from receiver function analysis from the central Zagros mountains. The apparent uniformity of the crustal thickness implies that mountain building has only recently started in the region, and the crust beneath the Zagros mountains has not been appreciably thickened by compression. Despite the platform-like crustal structure, we find evidence that the upper mantle Pn velocity is lower than the typical value of 8.1 km/s. The relocated earthquakes of Engdahl et al. (2004) show a consistent pattern of longer (by several seconds) Pn travel times compared with the predictions of the global seismic velocity model ak135. The Pn velocity observations are confirmed by a new tomographic model that shows variation in seismic velocities in the uppermost mantle across the Middle East. The zone of low upper mantle velocity coincides with the region of high seismic activity, which indicates that the mantle anomaly is related to active tectonic processes. 27th Seismic Research Review: Ground-Based Nuclear Explosion Monitoring Technologies
SYLLABLE RATE, SYLLABLE COMPLEXITY AND SPEECH TEMPO PERCEPTION IN FINNISH

There is evidence that perceived speech tempo in English corresponds closely to syllable rate, while segment rate is largely irrelevant when syllable rate is controlled for. However, in a full fledged quantity language such as Finnish, tempo can remain constant even though syllables of different complexity (short or long, one or two morae) vary widely in duration. We therefore hypothesized that tempo would also be perceived differently. Recorded versions of 60 Finnish phrases, manipulated to control for syllable and mora rate, were played in pairs to 57 native speakers who judged which phrase sounded faster. Our results show that, contrary to English, syllable complexity (mora count) does have a clear effect on tempo perception. On the other hand, the effect of increasing mora rate was weaker than decreasing phrase duration by the same amount, suggesting that perceived tempo is based on several rhythmic factors instead of mora rate alone.
Microencapsulated Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Var. Boulardii and IgA Secretion From Intestinal Epithelia in Wistar Rats

Background: Probiotics are live microorganisms with many health benefits for their host. The intestinal microbiota are the largest source of microbial variation and plays a significant role in host responses in health and disease. However, few studies have assessed the repercussions of probiotics regarding the morphology and immunology of the gastrointestinal tract in animal models. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of administering capsulated Saccharomyces species on gastrointestinal tract properties in rats. Materials and Methods: In this study mice rats were feed with Saccharomyces Boulardii intwo forms of capsulated and free. IgA was measured in duodenal and jejunal washings using ELISA assay according to the manufacturer’s instructions.Results: Probiotic S. boulardii could increase IgA secretion from duodenum and jejunum in comparison with the control group, and this increase was significant in microencapsulated S.boulardii-treated group and in the duodenum of S. boulardii-treated group (PConclusion: It can be concluded that S. boulardii is a potential probiotic yeast with immunostimulatory effects which can be used in the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders.
Impartial Social Rankings

We study methods to rank a finite set of individuals on the basis of the opinions that they hold regarding the merits of each candidate. In other words, we study how could individual’s opinion be combined when the individuals themselves are involved in the final outcome. We assume that all individuals are selfish, that is to say each agent cares only about his rank, and that he submits an ordered list of the population representing his opinion about how they should be ranked. We call the collection of such lists a profile and it is the input for a social ranking function that determines the final ranking. Among all the social ranking function we are interested in the ones where the contribution of a single agent to the social outcome can have no consequence on his own position the final ranking. We will call these social ranking functions impartial.
Developing Malaysian undergraduates ’ innovation orientation : The mediating role of entrepreneurial self-efficacy

This research examines mediation effect of entrepreneurial self-efficacy on the causal relationship between creativity, entrepreneurial orientation and innovation motivation exertion into innovation orientation among undergraduates in Malaysian public universities. This mediation analysis lends support from the Social Cognitive Theory of Self-Regulation. This research aimed to assess the significant of undergraduates’ entrepreneurial self-efficacy in mediating creativity, innovation motivation and entrepreneurial orientation into innovation orientation. The mediation analysis employed model-fitting approach that estimates all parameters simultaneously and bootstrapping bias-corrected approach to test the significance of indirect effect. The significant of the indirect path between independent and dependent variable were evaluated from 5000 bootstrap samples. BiasCorrected-Accelerated at 95% confidence interval were used to determine the significance of the indirect path. The empirical result showed that Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy mediated the influence of Creativity, entrepreneurial orientation, and innovation motivation on Innovation Orientation. Theoretically, the Social Cognitive Theory of Self-Regulation was supported. The mediation effects of the antecedent factors posited that the causal effectiveness of the factors could be maximised by addressing undergraduates’ entrepreneurial self-efficacy. In practice, the finding implies that undergraduates’ innovation orientation nurturing should focus on developing their entrepreneurial self-efficacy.
Influence of protein nutrition and exercise on muscle metabolism.

At present, there is no clear consensus as to whether protein feeding harnesses any ergogenic benefit for endurance athletes. In this thesis demonstrate no effect of protein on endurance performance. Furthermore, data presented herein indicates that protein co-ingestion does not enhance recovery 24 hours after exercise. Consequently, there is currently no basis on which to recommend protein feeding for endurance performance and recovery. Nutrient strategies implemented after exercise can markedly alter the acute response of muscle protein synthesis and, potentially, long-term phenotypic adaptation. Protein nutrition has traditionally been considered in the context of resistance exercise. Endurance exercise followed by protein ingestion increases the synthesis of mixed muscle protein via increased mRNA translation. Herein, we demonstrate that protein feeding after endurance exercise elevates the synthetic rate of contractile proteins and specific mRNA signalling intermediates. Insulin resistance that precedes Type II diabetes is characterized by blunted sensitivity of the pancreas to glucose and impaired glucose uptake in skeletal muscle. Lifestyle interventions including nutrient and exercise have the potential to improve glycemic control. The final experimental chapter in this thesis provides mechanistic evidence to support the benefits of resistance exercise for lowering post-prandial glucose concentrations. Interestingly, protein ingestion did not augment the glucose-lowering effects of prior resistance exercise.
Study on Microscopic Algae in the Iranian waters of the Caspian Sea during 2010-2011

Ongoing study of the Caspian Sea ecology is necessary, particularly identifying the distribution of species, density of biomass, and regional variations in Microscopic Algae. Due to various physical and chemical factors of rivers ended to the sea, and different topography, the initial productions in different seasons are different. The study was conducted during 2010-2011 through spring, summer, autumn and winter, in 32 stations from 8 transects (Astara, Anzali, Sefidrood, Tonekabon, Noshahr, Babolsar and BandarTurkman). In each transect 5 stations in different depths of 5 m, 10 m, 20 m, 50 m and 100 m were defined that the seasonal sampling were performed from the depth of zero (surface), 10 m, 20 m, 50 m and 100 m by Ruttner Water Sampler. Based on the results, 7 branches of Bacillariophyta, Pyrrophyta, Cyanophyta, Chlorophyta, Euglenophyta, Xantophyta, and Chrysophyta and 137 Microscopic Algae species were identified. Among them, 72 species belonged to the Bacillariophyta, 21 species to the Pyrrophyta, 20 species to Cyanophyta, 15 species to Chlorophyta, 7 species of Euglenophyta, 1 species of Chrysophyta, and 1 species of the Xantophyta. The dominant branches of Microscopic Algae were Pyrrophyta, Cyanophyta, and Bacillariophyta, and Shannon index was different for the seasons.
Correlation of elevated cardiac troponin T level with severity and in-hospital outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke

Background: Although elevated cardiac troponin T (cTnT) is a specific marker of acute coronary syndrome, its increment in patients with acute ischemic stroke is not clear. The aim of this study is to identify the relationship between high cTnT levels and stroke severity as well as in-hospital outcomes. Materials and Methods: This observational, cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 patients with acute ischemic stroke in Rizgary teaching hospital from January 2016 to January 2017. Patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 patients (n = 61) with normal cTnT level and Group 2 patients (n = 39) with elevated cTnT level. The relationships between cTnT levels and stroke severity as well as in-hospital outcomes were assessed and compared between the two groups. Results: In this study, cTnT was raised in 39 patients (39%). Patients with elevated cTnT levels were mainly males, had a significantly higher prevalence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus than the normal cTnT group (P < 0.001, for all). Systolic blood pressure and total cholesterol were significantly higher (P < 0.008 and < 0.001, respectively) in Group II patients than in Group I. In addition, Group II patients had more severe stroke and longer length of stay in hospital than in Group I patients, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.001, for all). The incidence of aspiration pneumonia, seizures, hemorrhagic transformation of ischemic stroke, and death was significantly higher (P < 0.001, for all) in Group II patients than in Group I patients. Conclusion: Elevated serum cTnT level at hospital admission is highly correlated with severity and poor in-hospital outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke.
Influence Of Selected Test Biases On Computerized Adaptive Testing On ICT For Senior Secondary School Two Students In Rivers State , Nigeria

This study investigated influence of selected test biases on computerized adaptive testing on ICT for senior secondary school two (SS2) students in Rivers State of Nigeria. Three research questions and three hypotheses guided the study. The hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. This research adopted expost facto research design. A sample of 100 SS2 students was drawn from the population (all the SS2 students in Rivers State) through multistage sampling technique from the three senatorial zones of the state. Six instruments were designed by the researchers and used for data collection. These are; content bias-free CAT; content biased CAT; construct bias-free CAT; construct biased CAT; predictive bias-free CAT; and predictive biased CAT. Each test has 100 items in its item pool. Items of these CATs were validated in terms of face, content and construct by test experts. The items were also calibrated using threeparameter logistic model of item response theory in RStudio. All items selected for the CAT had reliability coefficient falling within 0.78 to 0.94. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation and paired samples t-test. The results showed that content bias, construct bias, and predictive bias influence computerized adaptive testing. Based on the findings, the researchers recommended that appropriately constructed representative items should be used to design computerized adaptive tests for assessment.
Analyzing Intra-Speaker and Inter-Speaker Vocal Tract Impedance Characteristics in a Low-Dimensional Feature Space Using t-SNE

In an earlier study [1], we have successfully classified a vowel-gesture parameter, gamma γ(f) (relative vocal tract impedance spectrum measured using broadband signal excitation applied at the speaker’s mouth during vowel phonation), via ensemble classification yielding accuracy exceeding 80% for six nominal regions of the vowel plane. In this follow-up investigation, we analyze gamma using t-SNE, a dimension reduction technique to allow visualizing gamma in low dimensional space, at two levels: inter-speaker and intra-speaker. Examining the same gamma dataset from [1], tSNE yielded good spatial clustering in identifying the 6 different speakers with an accuracy exceeding 90%, attributable to the inter-speaker variation. Next, we further evaluated gamma of measurements only from a particular speaker in the lower dimension, which indicates intra-speaker distribution which may be associated with different measurement sessions. Using gamma may be seen as a meaningful parameter deserving further study, because it is inherently a function of the calibration load – unique for every speaker and measurement session. Because the calibration is made with the subject’s mouth closed, so the measurement field during calibration is loaded solely by the impedance of the radiation field as seen at the subject’s lips and baffled by the subject’s face (geometrical information).
On the Interaction between Small Decay, Agent Heterogeneity and Diameter of Minimal Strict Nash Networks in Two-way Flow Model: A Note

In this note, I study the roles of value heterogeneity - i.e., agents are heterogeneous in terms of values of nonrival information thay they possessed - in determining the shapes of two-way flow Strict Nash networks when small amount of decay is present. I do so by extending the two-way flow network with small decay of De Jaegher and Kamphorst (J ECON BEHAV ORGAN, 2015). Results of this extension shows that the effects of value heterogeneity on Strict Nash networks, when small decay is present, largely resemble the effects of heterogeneity in link formation cost - without decay - found in the literature. Another surprising finding is that value heterogeneity can extend the diameters of Strict Nash networks without changing any other properties. In the discussion section of this note, I relate this finding to two well-known concepts in the studies of social networks - small world and preferential attachment.
An empirical examination of customer ’ s continuance intention of SaaS based on expectation confirmation model

In current high performance networked cloud computing environment, Software as a Service (SaaS) originates as an efficient substitute to on-promise software with many advantages. While the current statue is after some period of using, SaaS adopters switch back to on-promise software. However, SaaS adopters’ continuance using on SaaS is a major consequence for SaaS provider’s profitability. Motivated by this, in this thesis the objective is to study what factors influence SaaS adopters’ decision on continue (or discontinue) adoption of SaaS. Expectation Confirmation Model (ECM) has been a frequently used model to study Information system (IS) continuance since the early 2000s, and researchers built extended ECM based on different characteristics of different IS contexts to study IS continuance. Hence, the purpose of this thesis is to propose an extended ECM to study SaaS continuance. In this thesis, SaaS providers’ dissatisfying factors were studied in order to build extended ECM. Through studying the current dissatisfying state of SaaS, system quality, service quality and trust were found are the possible factors prevent customers’ continuance usage towards SaaS. In order to add these 3 new constructs into legacy ECM, systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted to explore the existing studies in Information System continuance based on ECM. Through the implications from SLR, the extended model (research model) was designed. The empirical research was carried out through a case under RecRight Oy, which is a SaaS company base in Helsinki, Finland. 186 online responses were collected within RecRight’s worldwide client companies in Helsinki in June 2017. The results suggest that SaaS adopters’ continuance intention is significantly associated with perceived usefulness, confirmation, satisfaction, system quality and service quality. Contrary to the assumption and past findings, trust does not directly contribute to SaaS continuance intention. In conclusion, the designed research model in this thesis contributes to developing and empirically testing SaaS continuance intention. This model will be helpful for researchers to further study SaaS continuance.
The Categorical Perception of Mandarin Tone 2 and Tone 3 by Tonal and Non-tonal Listeners

Previous studies on categorical perception (CP) of Mandarin tones focused on rising and falling continua. However, the influence of tonal experience on the categorical perception of Mandarin Tone 2 and Tone 3 remains unclear. By applying categorical perception paradigm, this study takes a further step to examine how L1 experience of Thai, Indonesian and Mandarin affect the CP along a Mandarin T2 and T3 continuum. The results showed that the three L1 groups differ significantly in the positions of the identification boundaries and boundary widths. Only Mandarin listeners exhibited categorical boundaries while Thai and Indonesian listeners demonstrated only psychophysical boundaries. However, both the identification and discrimination curves shown by the Thai listeners approximated the native speakers more closely than that of Indonesian counterparts. The results further pointed out that tonal and nontonal L1 listeners process Mandarin tones differently while listeners’ tonal L1 experience can facilitate the perception of non-native tone.
Product Lines and Price Discrimination in Markets with Information Frictions

A well-known principle in economics is that firms differentiate their product offerings in order to relax competition. However, in this paper we show that information frictions can invalidate this principle. We build a duopolistic competition model of second-degree price discrimination with information frictions in which (i) an equilibrium always exists with overlapping product qualities, whereas (ii) an equilibrium with nonoverlapping product qualities exists only if both information frictions and the cost of providing high quality are sufficiently small. As a consequence, reasons other than an attempt to soften competition should explain why firms in some cases carry nonoverlapping product lines. This paper was accepted by Matthew Shum, marketing.