Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT LEVELS OF READING COMPREHENSION BETWEEN HEARING-IMPAIRED LOSS AND NORMAL-HEARING STUDENTS

Background and Aim: Reading skill is one of the most important necessities of students' learning in everyday life. This skill is referred to the ability of comprehension, comment and conclusion from texts and receiving the meaning of the massage which is composed. Educational development in any student has a direct relation with the ability of the comprehension. This study is designed to investigate the effects of hearing loss on reading comprehension in hearing-impaired students compared to normal-hearing ones. Methods: Seventeen hearing-impaired students in 4 th year of primary exceptional schools in Karaj, Robatkarim and Shahriyar, Iran, were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Seventeen normal-hearing students were randomly selected from ordinary schools next to exceptional ones as control group. They were compared for different levels of reading comprehension using the international standard booklet (PIRLS 2001). Results: There was a significant difference in performance between hearing-impaired and normalhearing students in different levels of reading comprehension (p<0.05). Conclusion: Hearing loss has negative effects on different levels of reading comprehension, so in exceptional centers, reconsideration in educational planning in order to direct education from memorizing to comprehension and deeper layers of learning seems necessary.
Experimental Study of Efficiency of Tertapeptide Lysil-Glutamyl-Aspartyl- Proline Using the Model of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Experimental evaluation of efficiency of a new prostatotropic medication tertapeptide lysil-glutamyl-aspartyl-proline (Lys-Glu-Asp-Pro) in treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia was performed in Wistar rats. The efficiency of the medication was compared with that one of injections of the Serenoa repensextract. The investigation showed the statistically significant decrease in the square of the epithelium of acini. The same effect of similar severity was obtained when the Serenoa repens extract was applied. Tertapeptide Lys-Glu-Asp-Pro, in difference from Serenoa repens extract, also resulted in weight loss and volume decrease of the prostate gland.
Do Ethical Purchase Intentions Really Lead to Ethical Purchase Behavior? A Case of Animal-Testing Issues in Shampoo

This study investigates the impact of consumers’ ethical buying intentions on their buying behavior. Using a survey approach, the findings suggest the link between ethical buying intentions and behavior depends on consumers’ awareness of the brand’s general corporate social responsibility activities. Only when consumers with ethical purchase intentions are aware of the brand’s CSR activities can their intentions translate into behavior.
Determinants of Capital structure: Pecking ordertheory. Evidence from Mongolian listed firms

Capital Structure decisions have implications for the success and survival of any firm. This paper analyzes the determinants of capital structure of Mongolian listed firms, employing accounting data from the year 2010 to 2013, of 23 firms. This study has been guided by the capital structure theory i.e. Pecking Order Theory. Pecking order theory is the main focus of this study as few studies found that firms in transitional economy do not follow the traditional pecking order theory but follow the modified pecking order theory. As in other studies, leverage in Mongolian firms decreases with profitability and liquidity. Leverage decreases with asset tangibility, this is contradicting to the predictions by the pecking order theory, however this behavior is explained by the maturity matching principle. Leverage also increases with size, this is not in line with the pecking order theory but is in line with static trade off theory. Overall Mongolian firms make use of retained earnings, when external financing is needed short term debt is preferred over long term debt, but equity is preferred over long term debt. Hence there is moderate support for modified pecking order theory in Mongolian listed firms.
Effect of Plant Derived Smoke on Germination and Post Germination Expression of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Smoke produced from burning of plant material elicits a striking increase in seed germination in various plant species. In present work, effect of plant derived smoke exposure on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seeds germination and post germination response has been studied in laboratory. Plant derived smoke was generated by burning of plant material (leaf, straws etc.) in a special designed furnace. Non-imbibed and imbibed seeds of wheat were exposed to plant derived smoke for 1 hr time duration. Best results were observed in non-imbibed seeds treated with plant derived smoke while imbibed seeds showed poor response to germination percentage, germination index, seedling vigor index and root shoot length. It has been proved from present study that plant derived smoke has stimulatory effect on germination & post germination response of non-imbibed seeds while it may cause inhibitory effect in imbibed seeds of wheat.
The Path to SNAP: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Dynamics Among Young Adults

This study investigates young adults’ first experience with the Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), examining the determinants of first program entry and exit. It makes use of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 cohort (NLSY97), which follows respondents from adolescence into adulthood. This study estimates discrete-time hazard models of program entry and exit with and without unobserved heterogeneity. Unobserved heterogeneity is modeled using both a parametric approach, in which a gamma distribution is assumed, and a non-parametric approach with two mass points. The results are broadly consistent across models, indicating that, for the cohort in this study, accounting for unobserved heterogeneity does not substantially alter the results from a basic discrete-time hazard model. The results show that expanded categorical eligibility increased the hazard of SNAP entry in the six years following high school, while the absence of vehicle exclusions decreased the entry hazard. For program exit, however, state SNAP policies had no statistically significant effect. The recent birth of a child, prior participation in WIC and low educational attainment were each strongly associated with an increased “risk” of SNAP entry, and decreased “risk” of exit. Somewhat, surprisingly, higher unemployment rates in the local labor market were not significantly associated with higher entry risk, but were strongly associated with a lower exit risk.
Employee tenure in China: comparing foreign joint ventures

The retention of qualified Chinese employees is an increasing concern for managers in China today. Various studies have highlighted the rise of turnover rates, and many have suggested how human resource practices can help promote retention. There is also some indication that employee tenure may vary with the nationality of firms in China. However, little research has compared employee tenure or the use of human resource practices for retention between firms of different nationality in China. Such enquiries would be vital for gaining a better understanding of the phenomenon, and for establishing best practice. We therefore conducted a comparison of average employee tenure and the use of HR practices between Sino-foreign joint ventures (JVs) with Western (EU/US), overseas Chinese (Hong Kong/Taiwan), and other Asian (Japanese/Korean) partners. Primary data from questionnaire surveys were obtained from a total of 316 JVs in Beijing, Tianjin, and Qingdao. We found a significant relationship between nationality and tenure. Tenure was the highest in overseas Chinese, moderate in Japanese/Korean, and lowest in Western firms. The results also suggest that the variation in tenure between nationalities was partly mediated by the firms’ use of a human resource practices. We discuss these results in terms of cultural differences and the long-term orientation of human resource systems.
Evaluation of Brain Changes in Alzheimer disease Using MRI

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a multifaceted disease in which cumulative pathological brain insults result in progressive cognitive decline that ultimately leads to dementia. The aim of this article was to evaluate the structural MRI changes in AD, focusing particularly on atrophy in typical late-onset of AD. Also to identify other promising biomarkers that can set structural loss in the broader context of functional changes at different stages of the disease. The study was conducted in Sudan, 302 subjects were enrolled (200 Male and 102 female). All subjects underwent thorough clinical and cognitive assessments at the time of their MRI scans.MRI studies were performed on 1.5 Tesla Toshiba whole body MR systems using standard imaging head coil. Routine brain MRI was performed in 3 orthogonal planes, including at least T1, T2, and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) weighted images. The result of the study revealed that age is the most important risk factor for Alzheimer disease (AD) because it is independently linked to brain atrophy, the common affected age group (70 – 80) years, particularly more than 80 years. The generalized atrophy has been observed in 78.1% of the cases. Furthermore, ventricular enlargement was seen in 65% of the cases. Structural MRI markers now support earlier and more-precise diagnosis and measurement of progression. The presences of atrophy as well as ventricular changes are a partially validated marker for early diagnosis of the disease.
Compositional dependence of infrared absorption spectra of crystalline silicates - I. Mg–Fe pyroxenes

Crystalline Mg-Fe pyroxenes with dierent Mg=(Mg+ Fe) ratio (MgSiO3 Mg0:5Fe0:5SiO3 and FeSiO3 )w ere synthesized in laboratory and their absorption properties were investigated in the infrared region. The absorption spectrum of ferrosilite (FeSiO3) is reported for the first time in this work. Our study confirmed that the Mg end members have sharp and characteristic features in the far-IR region and in particular that it is easy to distinguish the two types of crystalline structures (orthorhombic and monoclinic) in this wavelength range. In addition we find that the absorption spectra depend on the chemistry and crystal structure of the material: (1) The far-IR features which are prominent in the Mg end members, vanish when the iron concentration is increased. However, even in the iron bearing pyroxenes, the variation of the mid-IR features with Fe concentration is less significant in comparison to that of the far-IR features. (2) Peak positions shifted to longer wavelength an increase in iron concentration; the dependence of the shift is approximately linear in wavenumber (cm 1 ). (3) Bandwidths of the far-IR bands for the end members are significantly smaller than those of solid solutions. These results suggest that the far-IR features of pyroxenes are very sensitive to chemical composition and crystal structure. Therefore, far-IR features are a very useful constraint on the chemical composition and crystal structure of circumstellar pyroxenes.
THE EFFECT OF WORKING CAPITAL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON THE FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF MANUFACTURING FIRMS IN NAIROBI COUNTY

x CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION . 1 1.1 Background of the Study . 1 1.1.1 Working Capital Management . 2 1.1.2 Financial Performance . 4 1.1.3 Relationship between Financial Performance and WCM Practices . 5 1.2 Research Problem . 6 1.3 Research Objective . 7 1.4 Value of the Study . 8 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW . 9 2.
Influence of Parental Employment Status on Caribbean Adolescents' Self-Esteem

Potential connections between the self-esteem of adolescents and their parents’ employment status have been revealed in the literature. This cross-sectional study examines the relation of gender, age, and parental employment status to academic and global self-esteem of 369 fourth to upper sixth form Caribbean secondary school adolescents. Their ages ranged from 13 to 18 years old (M=15.52, SD=1.21), 223 were females and 146 were males. The participants completed a questionnaire that assessed academic and global self-esteem. Pearson product moment correlation coefficient, Independent t-tests and Multiple Regressions were used to analyse the data obtained from the sample. Results indicated no significant differences in self-esteem between male and female adolescents. With regard to age, the 16-18 year old age group had higher levels of academic self-esteem than the 13-15 year olds. Adolescents of unemployed parents had the highest academic and global self-esteem. However, multiple regression analyses did not reveal any predictive relationships. These findings are discussed with due consideration of earlier research and their implications for the psychology of Caribbean people.
BEJAN'S CONSTRUCTAL THEORY AND OVERALL PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT The Global Optimization for Heat Exchanging Finned Modules

Bejan's Constructal theory has provided a dramatic contribution to the design of natural and industrial systems, mainly because all sort of flows tend to follow precise rules which Bejan was able to explain. Recently, for what concern heat removal systems, the Authors have extended the classical Constructal optimization to a broad range of 3-D geometries, also applying such results to the optimal choice of the suitable thermal carrier fluid. The definition of the Global Optimization was centred on the concepts of Relevance and Overall Performance Coefficient, which are technical parameters. This paper follows the principle of Constructal theory in the assessment of the Global Optimization to highlight how the coupling of the two may provide a tool becoming part of everyday decision making processes in future design. The results show not only which is the best performing module but also proves that, via the superimposition of a suitable Relevance value, the Overall Performance Coefficient allows for the correct characterization of the whole heat transfer process, so confirming the interesting perspective of the novel approach proposed.
Factors Influencing Pesticide Use in Smallholder Rice Production in Northern Ghana

Rice production is an important economic activity among smallholder farmers in northern Ghana serving as source of income and household food security. The production of rice is often associated with the use of pesticides to control harmful pests of rice, a practice which also poses environmental and human health risks. The study sought to investigate the factors which influence smallholder rice farmers’ use of pesticides in rice farming in northern Ghana. Rice farmers were selected from three irrigation schemes in northern Ghana, namely the Botanga, Tono and Vea Irrigation Schemes. A multi-stage stratified random sampling technique was used to identify 300 rice farmers who were interviewed with a semi-structured questionnaire. The data was analyzed both descriptively and inferentially. A probit model was used to study the determinants of pesticide use. The study showed that farm size, farm income, mechanization, extension contact, distance to source of pesticide and production system were the influencial factors in rice producers’ choice to use pesticide in rice farming. The study recommends extension education to farmers on pesticide use in order to avoid misuse and the risks factors associated with improper application.
Managerial abuse and the process of absence among mental health staff

Managers’ abuse of subordinates is a common form of unethical behaviour in workplaces. When exposed to such abuse, employees may go absent from work. We propose two possible explanations for employee absence in response to managerial abuse: a sociological explanation based on perceptions of organizational justice and a psychological explanation based on psychological strain. Both are tested using data from a sample of 1472 mental health workers. The occurrence, duration and frequency of absence are investigated using a hurdle model. Managerial abuse is found to be associated with the occurrence of absence through both perceptions of organizational justice and psychological strain. Distributive justice and depression are especially significant in explaining the relationship between abuse and absence. Once absent, duration of absence is not further affected by managerial abuse but is still linked to depression and distributive justice, whereas frequency of absence is linked to bullying and depression.
A new sample of OH/IR stars in the Galactic center

Two independent, largely overlapping 1612 MHz data sets were searched for OH/IR stars in the Galactic center. One set, taken with the Very Large Array in the period 1988 to 1991, consists of 17 epochs mon- itoring data of Van Langevelde et al. (1993). The other set was observed in 1994, using the Australia Telescope Compact Array. This article describes the data reduction procedures as well as a dierent way of searching image cubes for narrow line sources, and lists 1 a total of 155 double peak OH maser detections within 18 0 or 40 pro- jected parsecs of Sagittarius A*, the compact radio contin- uum source in the Galactic nucleus. Presented are 65 for- merly unseen double peaked 1612 MHz emitters, of which 52 are OH/IR stars. Also given are 3 single peak sources, which we believe to be masers of OH/IR stars. Apart from being less bright in their 1612 MHz OH maser line, the previously unknown OH/IR stars do not seem to be dier- ent from the previously known population of OH/IR stars in the Galactic center. We nd that the OH/IR star OH maser luminosity distribution peaks at LOH 10 43:4 pho- tons per second. Further physical and kinematical analysis of the new sample will be presented in additional papers. 1 Tables 2 and 3 are also available in electronic form at CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5), or via the WWW at http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html. Figures 4 and 5 are only published electronically and obtain- able from http://www.edpsciences. com
Isospin breaking in pion-deuteron scattering and the pion-nucleon scattering lengths

In recent years, high-accuracy data for pionic hydrogen and deuterium have become the primary source of information on the pion-nucleon scattering lengths. Matching the experimental precision requires, in particular, the study of isospin-breaking corrections both in pion-nucleon and pion-deuteron scattering. We review the mechanisms that lead to the cancellation of potentially enhanced virtual-photon corrections in the pion-deuteron system, and discuss the subtleties regarding the definition of the pion-nucleon scattering lengths in the presence of electromagnetic interactions by comparing to nucleon-nucleon scattering. Based on the pi^{+/-} p channels we find for the virtual-photon-subtracted scattering lengths in the isospin basis a^{1/2}=(170.5 +/- 2.0) x 10^{-3} mpi^{-1} and a^{3/2}=(-86.5 +/- 1.8) x 10^{-3} mpi^{-1}.
PID control loop tuning for three-port mixing valves within building energy distribution systems : application and assessment of different tuning methods under real operation conditions

We assess different control loop tuning methods to tackle suboptimal building performance due to suboptimal PID control within building automation systems. Advanced control research for building energy systems is usually conducted either simulation-based or with the help of experiments via test benches. Therefore, it is limited in terms of applicability to real systems. Consequently, we conduct real tuning experiments with different PID tuning methods under real operation conditions within a state-of-the-art building energy distribution system. We use experimental step response tests to identify transfer functions for different three-port valves. We theoretically specify controlled systems’ transmission behaviour by functional diagrams, as well as mathematically describe them via characteristic variables according to Ziegler and Nichols and via fitted transfer functions. In order to ameliorate the actual control quality, we apply different tuning rules and adjustment standards: namely lambda-tuning, absolute value optimum method, symmetrical optimum method, Ziegler and Nichols, optimization on different control quality indicators and cognitive parameterization. For each method-system-combination, we experimentally conduct step experiments to evaluate with reference to control quality. Our results show an improvement of control quality up to 88%. Controller parameterization based on cognitive parameterization and lambda-tuning are the most effective methods. By conduction of field experiments under operating conditions, we show how to monitor, evaluate and ameliorate control quality of three-port valves. Therewith, we derive the most effective tuning methods. Further, we conclude that control quality amelioration crucially depends on the applied control tuning method and on knowledge about the behaviour and characteristics of controlled systems.
The Rapid Reddening and Featureless Optical Spectra of the Optical Counterpart of GW170817, AT 2017gfo, during the First Four Days

We present the spectroscopic evolution of AT 2017gfo, the optical counterpart of the first binary neutron star (BNS) merger detected by LIGO and Virgo, GW170817. While models have long predicted that a BNS merger could produce a kilonova (KN), we have not been able to definitively test these models until now. From one day to four days after the merger, we took five spectra of AT 2017gfo before it faded away, which was possible because it was at a distance of only 39.5 Mpc in the galaxy NGC 4993. The spectra evolve from blue (∼6400 K) to red (∼3500 K) over the three days we observed. The spectra are relatively featureless—some weak features exist in our latest spectrum, but they are likely due to the host galaxy. However, a simple blackbody is not sufficient to explain our data: another source of luminosity or opacity is necessary. Predictions from simulations of KNe qualitatively match the observed spectroscopic evolution after two days past the merger, but underpredict the blue flux in our earliest spectrum. From our best-fit models, we infer that AT 2017gfo had an ejecta mass of 0.03 M ⊙ , high ejecta velocities of 0.3c, and a low mass fraction ∼10−4 of high-opacity lanthanides and actinides. One possible explanation for the early excess of blue flux is that the outer ejecta is lanthanide-poor, while the inner ejecta has a higher abundance of high-opacity material. With the discovery and follow-up of this unique transient, combining gravitational-wave and electromagnetic astronomy, we have arrived in the multi-messenger era.
The effect of perceived control on intention to quit: Does it generalize to the Chinese sample?

Stress is ineyitable in the workplace and it can lead to the intention to leave an organization. An organization can reduce intention to quit by providing its employees control of some aspects of their work. This study examined the effect of perceived control on intention to quit in a simulated work situation. It also investigated the potential cultural differences between Chinese and American undergraduate students and the possible gender differences between male and female undergraduate students of the perceived control-intehtion to quit relationship. Results indicated that the American perceived control group experienced a higher level Of control and a lower level of intention to quit than the American no perceived control group, the Chinese perceived control group, and the Chinese no perceived control group, as expected. An additional ANOVA showed that the American no perceived control group experienced a lower level of control as compared to the other three groups, but did not expedience a higher level of intention to quit than the other three groups as predicted. The Chinese of both groups expressed a higher level of intention to quit than the American no perceived control group. Furthermore, results from a two-way ANOVA revealed an interaction effect between gender and ethnic groups. The Chinese male participants expressed a higher level of intention to quit than the Chinese female