Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Density‐dependent prophylaxis: evidence from Lepidoptera–baculovirus interactions?

Insects from a range of taxa use early larval density as a cue to the future deterioration of their current habitat (Dingle, 1996). Their response to this cue is often to redirect resources away from activities favouring immediate reproduction at the natal site (e.g. egg maturation) towards those that favour reproduction in a different location or at a different time (e.g. the development of wings and flight muscles or the deposition of lipid reserves). As well as predicting a decline in the quality or quantity of the larval food resource, early larval density may also predict the risk of exposure to pathogens, which often increases in a predictable manner with population density. Under such circumstances, natural selection will favour those individuals that use early larval density to predict the optimal level of resources to allocate to pathogen resistance later in life. Such an adaptive prophylactic response to larval density may explain the results of several recent studies of moth caterpillars and their baculoviruses. Kunimi & Yamada (1990) reared caterpillars of the Oriental armyworm moth ( Mythimna separata ) at densities ranging between one and twenty larvae per container. They then orally inoculated newly emerged fourth-instar caterpillars with various concentrations of nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV) and recorded the number of deaths. They found that NPV-induced mortality declined gradually from 95% for insects reared solitarily to 37% for those reared at a density of twenty larvae per container. The LC 50 value for caterpillars reared at the highest density was about tenfold that for individuals reared solitarily. In a second experiment, Kunimi & Yamada (1990) allowed second-instar caterpillars to feed for 2 days on artificial diet contaminated with a granulosis virus (GV) before rearing them for a further 36 days under either solitary or crowded conditions. They found that larvae reared at high densities (twenty per container) were about fourfold more resistant to GV than those reared singly. Thus, in this species at least,
Variability of Human Body Heat Conductivity in Population II. Diseases of Civilization

Abstract The purpose of the present research was to find out if wide variability of human body heat conductivity (BHC) in population influences the development of the so called “diseases of civilization”. Peculiarities of individual’s BHC suffering from alimentary form of obesity, alcoholism, drug addiction as well as healthy individuals were studied with the method of calorimetry. It was established that patients differ with significantly low BHC as opposed to control sample. Among patients, drug addicts had the lowest BHC, then alcoholics and individuals suffer from obesity. Obtained data confirm the assumption that possibly there is certain relationship between the level of human BHC and vulnerability to “diseases of civilization”.
Optimal excitation of three‐dimensional perturbations in viscous constant shear flow

The three‐dimensional perturbations to viscous constant shear flow that increase maximally in energy over a chosen time interval are obtained by optimizing over the complete set of analytic solutions. These optimal perturbations are intrinsically three dimensional, of restricted morphology, and exhibit large energy growth on the advective time scale, despite the absence of exponential normal modal instability in constant shear flow. The optimal structures can be interpreted as combinations of two fundamental types of motion associated with two distinguishable growth mechanisms: streamwise vortices growing by advection of mean streamwise velocity to form streamwise streaks, and upstream tilting waves growing by the down gradient Reynolds stress mechanism of two‐dimensional shear instability. The optimal excitation over a chosen interval of time comprises a combination of these two mechanisms, characteristically giving rise to tilted roll vortices with greatly amplified perturbation energy. It is suggested .
Core requirements of knowledge management implementation, innovation and organizational performance

AbstractThe present study aims to examine the relationship among core requirements of knowledge management implementation, innovation, and organizational performance in the Iraqi mobile telecommunications sector. A questionnaire was conducted on mobile companies based on a proportionate stratified random sampling technique. The results indicated that core requirements of knowledge management implementation had a statistically significant and direct positive effect on innovation. The critical success factors of knowledge management and knowledge management strategies had a statistically significant and direct positive effect on organizational performance. Then the direct relationship of knowledge management processes with organizational performance was positively affected, but it was not statistically significant. The results also indicated that the innovation had a positive and statistically significant effect on organizational performance. More importantly, the results indicate that core requirements of .
Empirical models of Total Electron Content based on functional fitting over Taiwan during geomagnetic quiet condition

Empirical models of Total Electron Content (TEC) based on functional fitting over Taiwan (120 E, 24 N) have been constructed using data of the Global Po- sitioning System (GPS) from 1998 to 2007 during geomag- netically quiet condition (Dst> 30 nT). The models provide TEC as functions of local time (LT), day of year (DOY) and the solar activity (F), which are represented by 1-162 days mean of F10.7 and EUV. Other models based on me- dian values have been also constructed and compared with the models based on the functional fitting. Under same val- ues of F parameter, the models based on the functional fitting show better accuracy than those based on the median values in all cases. The functional fitting model using daily EUV is the most accurate with 9.2 TECu of root mean square er- ror (RMS) than the 15-days running median with 10.4 TECu RMS and the model of International Reference Ionosphere 2007 (IRI2007) with 14.7 TECu RMS. IRI2007 overesti- mates TEC when the solar activity is low, and underestimates TEC when the solar activity is high. Though average of 81 days centered running mean of F10.7 and daily F10.7 is often used as indicator of EUV, our result suggests that average of F10.7 mean from 1 to 54 day prior and current day is better than the average of 81 days centered running mean for repro- duction of TEC. This paper is for the first time comparing the median based model with the functional fitting model. Results indicate the functional fitting model yielding a better performance than the median based one. Meanwhile we find that the EUV radiation is essential to derive an optimal TEC.
A Tale of “Two Souths”: White Voting Behavior in Contemporary Southern Elections*

type="main"> We empirically demonstrate that the long-held political distinction between the Deep South and the Peripheral South persists to this day. Data from the Cooperative Congressional Election Study (CCES) are employed in logistic regression models to assess differences in the likelihood of voting Republican among Deep and Peripheral South whites in gubernatorial, senatorial, and presidential contests. Additionally, recent data on the partisan and racial composition of various elective offices document the sharp decline in Democratic officeholders. In contemporary Southern elections, Deep South whites, after controlling for several factors such as partisanship, ideology, religion, and income, are consistently and significantly more likely to vote Republican than their Peripheral South peers. Race remains the most salient issue in Southern politics and it structures the alignment of whites and blacks into opposing parties. Because of this, whites are more Republican in their voting behavior in the more culturally conservative subregion where the proportion of African Americans is higher: the Deep South. Dixie is now dominated by the GOP, and especially in the Deep South, with grim representational implications for African Americans because they are no longer part of coalitional majorities at virtually every level of governance.
Common Auditors and Cross-Country M&A Transactions

Using a comprehensive sample of cross-country mergers and acquisitions for the period 2000–2014 we examine the effect of common auditors on the efficiency of cross-country M&A transactions. We predict that the use of common auditors reduces uncertainty, resulting in higher M&A efficiency. We find that this common-auditor effect results in a positive market reaction to the M&A announcement, lower premium and greater increase in return on assets following the M&A transaction. Further, we find that these effects are more pronounced the greater the M&A transaction uncertainty and when the accounting standards of parties differ.
Pattern and determinants of respiratory mortality in Kerala, South India

Context: Respiratory diseases are one of the leading causes of deaths world-wide. There are no published studies on the pattern and determinants of respiratory mortality from South India. Aims: The aim was to find out the pattern and determinants of respiratory mortality during July 1, 2002 to June 31, 2008 in Varkala, Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala. Settings and Design: A nested case control study from a prospective cohort was done to find out the determinants for respiratory mortality. The main outcome measure was mortality due to respiratory causes. Materials and Methods: The data collected here are from the Population Registry of Lifestyle Diseases study, a prospective cohort study involving the long-term follow-up of the residents of Varkala rural development block Thiruvananthapuram district of South Kerala. Statistical analysis used: The age specific respiratory mortality rate was calculated. Chi-square test and odds ratio (OR) were measured to find out the association between exposure and outcome variables. Logistic regression was performed. Results: A total of 3467 deaths were reported among 77881subjects above the age group of 20 years during the follow-up period. Of which 531 (15.9%) were due to respiratory causes. On logistic regression smoking (AdjOR [95% confidence interval]; 1.65 [1.25, 2.17]), lower socioeconomic status (AdjOR; 1.52 [1.24, 1.87]), lower educational status (AdJOR; 2.22 [1.15, 4.29]) and old age (>60 years) (AdjOR; 2.6 [2.03, 3.33]) were found to be the significant risk factors for respiratory mortality. Conclusion: Mortality due to respiratory causes was found to be high in Kerala, a state which has the best health indicators compared to other states in India.
The Role of Impulsivity and Reward Reactivity in Gray's Behavioral Activation System: Self-Reported Behavior and Autonomic Response to Reward

The Behavioral Activation System (BAS) has been described as playing a central role in approach motivation and reward sensitivity (Gray, 1970). Self-report measures of BAS (e.g., Carver & White, 1994) have been used to index BAS activity, with higher scores interpreted as indicating greater BAS activity (e.g., Hundt et al., 2008). However, Beauchaine and colleagues (e.g., Brenner, Beauchaine, & Sylvers, 2005) have challenged this view, noting psychophysiological and neuroimaging evidence showing that externalizing behaviors are associated with reduced BAS functioning. Furthermore, global self-reported BAS scores are often used to index approach behavior, despite evidence that two main BAS traits, impulsivity and reward reactivity, are psychometrically distinct (Smillie et al., 2006). The present study tested a measurement model of these proposed components of BAS, as well as relationships between self-report and psychophysiological BAS indices. A large undergraduate student sample completed self-report indices (N=599) and a smaller subsample also completed psychophysiological (N=18) indices of BAS-related constructs. As hypothesized, a two-factor model with impulsivity and reward reactivity as separate, correlated constructs demonstrated better model fit than a one-factor alternative model. Associations between psychophysiological indices of BAS and indices of reward reactivity and impulsivity were mixed. Implications regarding future measurement of BAS and autonomic response to reward are discussed.
How do banks make money? the fallacies of fee income

In the first of two articles in this issue, the authors document the increasing importance of noninterest income at U.S. commercial banking companies and address two fundamental misunderstandings regarding this trend: the belief that fee-based activities provide more stable earnings than interest-based income and the belief that fee income flows chiefly from nontraditional, nonbanking activities.
Operators' exposure to noise and vibration in the grass cut tasks: comparison between private and public yards

During the green maintenance, the grass cut tasks require the operators to use machines (especially lawn tractors, mowers, blowers and brush cutters) which transmit them high levels of noise and vibration. The requests of the Directive 2003/10/EC for the operators’ noise exposure are difficult to be applied in seasonal variable activities, as grass cut tasks are. The same problem exists in case of the workers’ exposure to vibration sources. Aim of this work was to compare the noise and vibration operators exposure of a public yard with a private one in the grass cut tasks. Data were collected using the requested standards considering all the noisy and vibrating sources of the operators. Moreover, the different work organisation in the two yards was considered. The results showed that there are not significant differences among the two yards types for the noise risk: the limit value was exceeded for almost all the workers: in this case operators must be protected by the hearing protector devices. For the hand-arm vibration risk, the operators of the private yard are conversely slightly more exposed: in this case major problems are present, because it is more difficult to protect the operators.
Fresh evidence relating the great Adriatic surge of 21 June 1978 to mesoscale atmospheric forcing

[1] On the morning of 21 June 1978, exceptional sea level oscillations with a trough-to-crest height of 6 m and a period of 10–20 min were observed in Vela Luka Bay. Slightly less pronounced variability was observed in a wider middle and south Adriatic east coastal area and, with some delay, along the west coast. In this paper, one of the original hypotheses put forward to interpret the event, relating it to a mesoscale air pressure disturbance, is reconsidered by using all the available data as well as state-of-the-art meteorological and oceanographic models. A fresh look at the meteorological data confirms that the atmospheric disturbance propagated at about 22 m/s in a northeastward direction. Additionally, the data suggest that it had the shape of the boxcar function characterized by an air pressure offset of 3 mbar and duration of 10 min. The meteorological model employed (Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF)-Advanced Research WRF) proves unable to reproduce the mesoscale disturbance coinciding with the surge, but it shows that the background atmospheric conditions were favorable for the development of such disturbances. The oceanographic model Advanced Circulation Model for Shelves, Coasts and Estuaries (two-dimensional depth integrated), forced by the described air pressure disturbance, successfully reproduces sea level variability in Vela Luka Bay reaching a few meters and thus surpassing the inverted barometer response by two orders of magnitude. The enhancement appears to be due to a four-phase process. The model also suggests that the scattering due to the variable bathymetry and the reflection from the east Adriatic coast resulted in waves that returned towards the west coast and generated considerable sea level activity there.
Starvation effects on physiological parameters and biochemical composition of the hepatopancreas of the southern king crab Lithodes santolla (Molina, 1782)

Este estudio evalua los efectos del ayuno en la centolla Lithodes santolla. Machos adultos de la centolla fueron mantenidos en condiciones de ayuno durante 12 dias. Cada 3 dias (i.e., 0, 3, 6, 9 y 12 dias) se evaluo en subgrupos el consumo de oxigeno, la excrecion de amonio, la relacion atomica O:N y la composicion bioquimica del hepatopancreas. El indice hepatosomatico (calculado individualmente como el porcentaje del peso humedo del hepatopancreas en relacion al peso humedo total del individuo) fue menor a 12 dias de ayuno, coincidiendo con el menor contenido de proteinas en el hepatopancreas. No se detectaron diferencias significativas en la composicion bioquimica porcentual (contenido de agua, materia organica y cenizas). El contenido lipidico no fue significativamente diferente durante el experimento aunque el mayor valor fue registrado a los 3 dias de ayuno. Entre los 3 y 9 dias de ayuno, la excrecion de amonio y el contenido de proteinas en el hepatopancreas fue mayor y la actividad enzimatica de tripsina, menor. Esto podria indicar que el catabolismo de proteinas fue el mas importante durante ese periodo. Este hecho tambien se confirma por los bajos valores de O:N detectados en el periodo mencionado. A los 9 dias de ayuno se incremento el consumo de oxigeno, acompanado con un alto valor de excrecion de amonio, originados probablemente por una demanda extra de energia producida por el ayuno. Se concluye que L. santolla para estos rangos de tiempo experimental utiliza proteinas como fuente primaria de energia.
Weed Competitiveness and Herbicidal Sensitivity of Grafted Tomatoes (Solanum Lycopersicon Mill.)

Field and greenhouse experiments were conducted in 2007 and 2008 to evaluate weed competitiveness and herbicidal sen- sitivity of grafted tomatoes. Three weed interference levels were established in the field by imposing different weeding pressures. Results indicated that grafting of tomato seedlings did not increase the ability of plants to suppress weeds over self rooted plants. Grafted tomatoes had more vigorous growth and fruit yield compared to self rooted tomatoes across all weed levels. Weeds were found to have more prominent adverse effects on tomato productivity, but had less adverse effects on plant growth. Greenhouse experiments were conducted to detect herbicidal sensitivity of grafted and self rooted tomatoes towards metribuzin and sethoxydim herbicides. The experiments revealed that grafted tomatoes showed a relatively higher herbicidal sensitivity than self rooted seed- lings. Grafted plants probably were less able to metabolize and detoxify high herbicide rates whenever variations in plant height or dry matter accumulations were detected in the experiments. Researchers and producers should be aware of this newly observed sensitivity when designing herbicide application programs for weed management in grafted crops.
Performance Related Pay Coverage in the UK

A simple model of the firms’ decision to pay workers performance related pay (PRP) is tested using company level data for 1,001 UK private sector businesses. From the basic sample statistics we observe that, on average, 26.5% of workers are covered by PRP systems. Yet this hides the fact that only 50.5% of businesses have any workers at all covered by PRP. Our empirical analysis offers support for the key hypotheses drawn from Lazear type PRP models, which emphasise the relations between firm size and implementation costs, and ease of measurement, as medium and large firms are more likely to have PRP systems. However, these results are over-turned when we consider the extent of workers covered by firm level PRP systems if they are in place. Here we observe that more workers are covered by PRP in micro and small firms.
Jovicentric latitude effect on the HOM radio emission observed by Ulysses/URAP at 5 AU from Jupiter

Abstract. During 1994 and into 1996, Ulysses was at dis-tances of 5 AU or more from Jupiter and travelling from south to north of the ecliptic plane between jovicentric latitudes -36° to 20°. Observations by the Unified Radio and Plasma Experiment (URAP) on board the Ulysses spacecraft during this period have been searched for jovian hectometric (HOM) radio events. At these distances, the HOM was only received occasionally. The signals were generally weak and much care was needed to find and to identify the events. All of the HOM events were observed when Ulysses was at jovicentric latitudes between -12.2° D Uly 14.7°, relatively close to the plane of the jovicentric equator. Both senses of polarization were observed with left-hand (LH) predominant. The events occurred when the jovimagnetic latitude D f was between -8.5° and 14.2° and suggest that the HOM was only detectable within a beam some 23° wide, centred on about 3° jovimagnetic latitude. This is roughly consistent with previous work by Alexander et al. (1979) and by Ladreiter and Leblanc (1989, 1991), based upon observations made by Voyager and other spacecraft when these were relatively close to Jupiter. The results are consistent with an emission process due to the Cyclotron-Maser instability, as suggested by a number of scientists in the past. Key words. Magnetospheric physics (planetary magnetospheres) – Radio science (radio astronomy)
An Analysis of Relations among Personal Variables, Perceived Self-Efficacy and Social Support on Burnout among Turkish EFL Teachers

The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible effects of personal variables and perceived selfefficacy in eliciting social support on the three successive burnout dimensions; emotional exhaustion EE depersonalization DP and reduced personal accomplishment RPA in Turkish EFL teachers 63 Turkish EFL teachers working at a Preparatory School of an English medium Turkish university in Istanbul participated in the study Data came from an adapted version of Maslach Burnout Inventory Education Survey developed by Friedman 1999a to measure teacher burnout and two subscales the Perceived Self Efficacy in Eliciting Social Support from Colleagues PSESSC and the Perceived Self Efficacy in Eliciting Social Support from Principals PSESSP developed by Friedman and Kass 2002 to assess teachers? perceived self efficacy beliefs in eliciting support from their principals and colleagues The findings of the study revealed that there was a significant correlation among burnout personal variables and perceived selfefficacy beliefs in eliciting social support both from principals and colleagues The results were discussed in the light of the related literature and some suggestions were offered
Extended-Spectrum eta-Lactamase-Producing Escherichia coli Strains of Poultry Origin in Owerri, Nigeria

2 Abstract: Extended spectrum -lactamase (ESBL) producing Escherichia coli infections are a major clinical problem that has attained a global health concern. This study aimed to determine the presence of extended-spectrum -lactamase (ESBL) - producing E. coli strains from poultry farms. A total of 45 Escherichia coli isolates recovered from 159 fecal samples of turkey, broiler and local fowls from 6 poultry farms in Owerri, southeast Nigeria were tested for antibiotic susceptibility and ESBL production by the double disk synergy test according to Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute guidelines. Location of resistant determinants of the ESBL isolates was established by plasmid curing and conjugation studies. ESBL was detected in 22.2% of E. coli isolates. The ESBL E. coli isolates were completely susceptible to imipenem, but resistant to cefepime, ceftriaxone, nalidixic acid, cefotaxime, ceftazidime, ampicillin, sulphamethoxazole-trimethoprim and ticarcillin. The ESBLs E. coli strains were all chromosomally-mediated indicating deficient transfer of antibiotic resistance traits to non-ESBL organisms. This study demonstrated the occurrence of ESBL E. coli strains in poultry and indicated an established reservoir in farm animals. Our finding warrants further molecular studies to prevent further transmission of ESBL organisms in this region.