Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of diet on copepod survival in the laboratory

The mortality rate of female calanoid copepods Temora longicornis and Pseudocalanus elongatus was measured in relation to the concentration of different algae as a food source. Female copepods were fed either good-quality food (Rhodomonas sp.) or nutritionally poor food (Dunaliella sp., Amphidinium sp., Chrysochromulina polylepis and Synechococcus sp.) in high (>300 µg C l -1 ) or low (<100 µg C l -1 ) concentrations and survival was monitored. Both copepod species had low mor- tality rates (≤5% d -1 ) when fed with a high concentration of Rhodomonas sp. or Dunaliella sp. , some- what higher rates with the same species at a low concentration (4 to 12% d -1 ), and highest rates with all the other algae (12 to 18% d -1 ), irrespective of the concentration. Hence, some poor-quality algae can supply part or all of the energy required for survival. Diet-specific differences were more pro- nounced at high than at low food concentrations, suggesting that at low concentrations, qualitative differences of the algal food source decrease. The clearest copepod-specific difference was observed in survival without food: probably due to internal energy reserves, P. elongatus survived in filtered water nearly twice as long as T. longicornis. We suggest that, in low food environments, food quantity and species-specific ability to resist starvation might be as important as food quality in determining the success of copepod populations.
Alkali-metal atoms in laser fields: optical pumping, coherent population trapping, and laser cooling

OF DOCTORAL DISSERTATION AALTO UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY P.O. BOX 11000, FI-00076 AALTO http://www.aalto. fi Author Thomas Lindvall Name of the dissertation Alkali-metal atoms in laser fields: optical pumping, coherent population trapping, and laser cooling Manuscript submitted 22.10. 2010 Date of the defence 10.12. 2010 Manuscript revised Monograph Article dissertation (summary + original articles) Faculty Department Field of research Opponent Supervisor
Integrative model of performance improvement

The study was intended to prove, develop and find the relationship between motivation, performance, job satisfaction and equity of rewards. The population in this study were 7629 teachers in Badung regency. The research respondents were 99 as random sampling. Data analysis technique was used PLS-vers3 with quantitative approach. The intrinsic motivation has a stronger influence compared to extrinsic motivation in influencing performance and job satisfaction. The performance has a positive and significant impact on job satisfaction, in accordance with the meaning of Sloka Bhagavadgita (BG) III: 19, which stated the recommended way of working was to perform work as a liability and without attachment to results. The performance mediated the effect of motivation on job satisfaction partially. The reward equity was as a moderator/strengthening the effect of performance on job satisfaction
Loan Price in Mergers and Acquisitions

Abstract We investigate loan price in mergers and acquisitions (M&As), using hand-matched loan information for a sample of 512 U.S. M&A transactions. We find the relative size of a deal constitutes a prominent determinant of the loan price measured by the all-in spread drawn (AISD). This result is robust to several specifications that address endogeneity concerns. Cross-sectional analyses show that aggravated credit risk and information uncertainty after M&A go some way towards explaining lenders' concerns over large relative deal size. Further analysis demonstrates higher AISD is associated with lower post-transaction performance, indicating loan price factors in the risk of poor post-transaction performance correctly.
Computer Anxiety, Computer Self-Efficacy and Attitude towards Internet among Secondary School Students in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

This study was conducted to determine the influence of computer anxiety and computer self efficacy on the attitude of students to internet in selected model secondary schools in Akwa lbom State, Nigeria. Students' attitude towards the use of internet has been an issue of great concern to teachers of computer science. Three hypotheses were stated to guide the researcher in the course of the study. An expost facto design was used and the population of the study consisted of one thousand eight hundred and two senior secondary 2 students of model secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The sample consisted of six hundred students drawn using the stratified random sampling technique. Students' computer Anxiety, Computer Self-efficacy and Attitude to Internet Questionnaire (SCASEAIQ) was the instrument used to collect data for the study. The questionnaire was divided into three sections. Each of the sections consisted of twenty items. The researcher visited the students and personally administered the instrument. Data analysis was done using Pearson Product Moment Correlation and independent t-test. All the hypotheses were tested at . 05 level of significance. Findings revealed that there is a significant positive relationship between students' computer anxiety and attitudes towards internet. There is a significant positive relationship between students' computer self-efficacy and attitude towards internet. Computer anxiety and computer self-efficacy significantly influence students' attitude towards internet. It was concluded that students' computer anxiety and computer self-efficacy influenced students' altitudes toward the internet.
Genital morphology and copulatory mechanics in Anyphaena accentuata (Anyphaenidae) and Clubiona pallidula (Clubionidae: Araneae)

The spiders Anyphaena accentuata (Walckenaer, 1802) and Clubiona pallidula (Clerck, 1757) are investigated with respect to the functional morphology of their genital organs. Copulatory mechanics is directly analysed by freeze-fixation of copulating pairs and subsequent preparation of serial sections of the clasped genitalia. Data on courtship behaviour are included. Beyond the discussion of specific findings, the general usefulness of copulatory mechanics for phylogenetic research and the supposed function of male genitalia as stimulators are addressed.
CHEMICAL PROCESSES IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS. II. ON THE IMPORTANCE OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND X-RAY IONIZATION

We investigate the impact of photochemistry and X-ray ionization on the molecular composition of, and ionization fraction in, a protoplanetary disk surrounding a typical T Tauri star. We use a sophisticated physical model, which includes a robust treatment of the radiative transfer of UV and X-ray radiation, and calculate the time-dependent chemical structure using a comprehensive chemical network. In previous work, we approximated the photochemistry and X-ray ionization; here, we recalculate the photoreaction rates using the explicit UV wavelength spectrum and wavelength-dependent reaction cross sections. We recalculate the X-ray ionization rate using our explicit elemental composition and X-ray energy spectrum. We find that photochemistry has a larger influence on the molecular composition than X-ray ionization. Observable molecules sensitive to the photorates include OH, HCO+, N2H+, H2O, CO2, and CH3OH. The only molecule significantly affected by the X-ray ionization is N2H+, indicating that it is safe to adopt existing approximations of the X-ray ionization rate in typical T Tauri star–disk systems. The recalculation of the photorates increases the abundances of neutral molecules in the outer disk, highlighting the importance of taking into account the shape of the UV spectrum in protoplanetary disks. A recalculation of the photoreaction rates also affects the gas-phase chemistry due to the adjustment of the H/H2 and C+/C ratios. The disk ionization fraction is not significantly affected by the methods adopted to calculate the photochemistry and X-ray ionization. We determine that there is a probable “dead zone” where accretion is suppressed, present in a layer, Z/R ≲ 0.1–0.2, in the disk midplane, within R ≈ 200 AU.
Monocausalism versus Systems Approach to Development – The Possibility of Natural Resource-based Development

b Abstract: Development economics has over the years produced several one- factor explanations that we term as "fundamentalisms". The authors argue that these fundamentalisms are interdependent and complement each other, and hence, the process of economic development must be understood as systemic. The focus is on "production-structure fundamentalism" in the form of the resource curse. By use of empirical examples it is argued that resource-based development is possible by building institutions supporting development of new knowledge and competences. The paper concludes that rather than individual development factors, it is the by institutions sustained interdependency and interaction between different types of development factors that underlie development processes.
Nurses’ and Managers’ Perceptions of and Experiences with Continuing Nursing Education Programmes

Background: Continuing nursing education programs are defined as educational activities, which aim to keep health practitioners abreast with the latest developments in their specialties and related fields. The aim of the study: This study sought to understand the value / benefit of continuing nursing education programs, from the different perspectives, of staff nurses and nurse managers who are working in public rural hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Study design: A qualitative, descriptive methodology was chosen to achieve an in-depth understanding of the study question. Semi- structured, individual interviews were used to collect the data. Audio recorded interviews were conducted with registered nurses ( n = 6) and nurse managers ( n =5) working in public hospitals. Activity theory was chosen as the theoretical conceptual framework for the study. Implications: Higher education providers need to consider creating a website to promote professional development that nurses could access at any time to meet their needs. Conclusion: The support of a healthcare organisation inclusive of administration is applicable to promoting personal professional development. Nurses and nurse managers are aware that continuing nursing education programs are designed to upgrade their knowledge and skills. It was also determined that identifying learning needs is important to monitor useful continuing nursing education programs. Keywords: Continuing nursing education, professional development, nurses’ perceptions, managers’ perceptions and hospital
Investigation of biomarker variations post-return of spontaneous circulation following an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest

Abstract Objective: The objective of this research was to describe evolution of several biomarkers post-return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) following an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Methods: Thirteen adult patients were divided in 2 groups according to their survival status at 30 days, survivors (alive at 30 days or discharged alive) and non-survivors (not alive at 30 days). Glycemia, lactate, C-reactive protein (CRP), neurofilament heavy chain (NfH) and presepsin were assessed at pre-set time-points, during OHCA and the first 72 hours post-ROSC. Results: In survivors, lactate levels decreased steadily throughout the 72 hours from a maximum observed during OHCA; in non-survivors, it increased during ROSC, then decreased abruptly at 2 hours post-ROSC and remained lower than in survivors for up to 24 hours. Glycemia at all-time points within the first 24 hours and CRP levels at 2 hours post-ROSC were higher in non-survivors, but this observed difference was not statistically significant. The variation of NfH was bi-modal, with peaks at 12 and 48 hours. The interpretation of NfH was limited by the large number of samples outside the limit of detection. Conclusion: Glycemia, lactate and CRP showed different patterns of evolution in survivors and non-survivors and should be further investigated as potential predictors of survival after ROSC
The Impact of Computerisation on Productivity: The Case of Two State Utility Corporations in Botswana

The study investigated the impact of computer technology on productivity improvement as reflected in the billing process and total quality bills invoiced per month in the Gaborone headquarters of Botswana Power Corporation and Water Utilities Corporation. It examined the input-output relationship with computers as one of the inputs. The other input is labour represented by the Meter Reading Hours and the Supervisory Hours. The study drew on the economic production theory and time series approach to determine the contributions of the inputs to output. The study relied on unpublished information and interviews rather than the use of publicly or commercially available data as the primary data source. The results as evidenced by the regression parameters suggest that inputs and their characteristics satisfactorily explained the productivity improvement of the billing process in the two corporations. The results, however, show no significant statistical evidence that computer technology is positively linked to improvement in total quality bills invoiced per month. Interview conducted revealed that some aspects of the workplace practices within the two corporations also exerted significant influence on the inputs. This suggests that computer technology alone is an insufficient predictor of productivity improvement. The study extends research on information technology (IT) impact on productivity improvement to public sector in Africa, and perhaps, is the first attempt to compare the impact of computer technology on productivity improvement among government utility corporations in Africa. The study would assist African governments in fashioning appropriate policies on investments in IT and to review existing ones.
In vivo retinal imaging for fixational eye motion detection using a high-speed DMD-based ophthalmoscope

Retinal motion detection with an accuracy of 0.77 arcmin corresponding to 3.7 μm on the retina is demonstrated with a novel digital micro-mirror device based ophthalmoscope. By generating a confocal image as a reference, eye motion could be measured from consecutively measured subsampled frames. An ophthalmoscope pattern projection speed of 130 Hz enabled a motion detection bandwidth of 65 Hz. A model eye with a scanning mirror was built to test the performance of the motion detection algorithm. Furthermore, an in vivo motion trace was obtained from a healthy volunteer. The obtained eye motion trace clearly shows the three main types
Entrepreneurial activity and regional development: an introduction to this special issue

The main objective of this special issue is to analyze the relation- ship between entrepreneurial intention and entrepreneurial activity and its impact on regional development. The last convulsive decade, withexpansionary and re- cessionary economic cycles, offers a good opportunity to study how economic cyclesaffect the propensity of becomingan entrepreneur and, in turn, to observe how entrepreneurial activity contributes to change (improvement) in the economy. Previous studies have analyzed the complicated endogenous relationship between entrepreneurship andeconomic growth, but thesestudies haveexamined the coun- tries' performance under a static view. This special issuefocuses on analyzing com- plex entrepreneurial behavior from a sub-national perspective (examining several regionsin the Spanish autonomous communities) and a dynamic view (using data from several years), which adds rigor and valuable knowledge to this research field.
Mathematical model development to investigate the pharmacokinetic variability of two anticancer drugs

Pharmacokinetic variability in a population is the variability in plasma drug concentrations among individuals. It may, for instance, be caused by differences in genes coding for drug-transport proteins and metabolizing enzymes, amount of body fat, age, sex, patient compliance, diet or disease progression. For anticancer agents, the combination of a high variability and a narrow therapeutic window may cause adverse side events, with additional suffering for already afflicted patients and with high costs for society. The work in this thesis aims to explore the possibilities for individualized treatment of two specific anticancer drugs, paclitaxel and imatinib, by developing mathematical models to investigate their pharmacokinetic variability. In Paper I, two existing population pharmacokinetic models for paclitaxel are compared using a clinical study comprising thirty-three women treated for ovarian cancer. Using identifiability and sensitivity analysis, it is shown that a model describing the relation between total, unbound, and bound drug can be used with at least as good fit as a more empirical model, although only total plasma concentrations of paclitaxel are available. In Paper II, the conclusions from Paper I are used to expand the mechanism-based model for paclitaxel to also include three metabolites. It is shown that the solubilizer Cremophor EL seems to have a strong effect on the kinetics of the two hydroxy-metabolites. Clearance of the main metabolite 6α-hydroxypaclitaxel (fraction metabolized) was significantly correlated (p < 0.05) with the ABCB1 allele G2677T/A. Individuals carrying the polymorphisms G/A (n = 3) or G/G (n = 5) showed a 30% increase, whereas individuals with polymorphism T/T (n = 8) showed a 27% decrease relative to those with the polymorphism G/T (n = 17). In Paper III, a population pharmacokinetic model for imatinib is developed using data from a clinical study including fifty men and women on long-term treatment for gastrointestinal stromal tumour. It is shown that the pharmacokinetics is best described using a model with time dependent apparent bioavailability and absorption rate, which are decreased by approximately 30% and 50%, respectively, after three months of treatment. In addition, apparent clearance of imatinib was associated with the size of the liver metastasis, and was decreased by almost 4% for every 100 cm3 of liver metastasis. In Paper IV a semi-physiologically based pharmacokinetic model for paclitaxel and its metabolites is developed using existing models and data available in the literature. Sensitivity analysis of hepatic uptake, metabolism and efflux of the substances predicts systemic plasma concentrations of 6α-hydroxypaclitaxel to be sensitive to changes in the capacity of the ABCB1 transporter.
Influence of MWCNTs Doping on the Structure and Properties of PEDOT:PSS Films

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) doped with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) films is fabricated on quartz substrates by spin coating method. The effects of MWCNTs on the structure and properties of PEDOT:PSS film have been investigated. X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and Fourier transform Raman spectroscopy (FTRM) show that the crystallization behavior and the main chain of PEDOT:PSS are not changed. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) shows that individual nanotubes are well dispersed in the PEDOT:PSS matrix. Moreover, some nanotubes overlap into a net-like structure, forming new conductive channels, which can enhance efficiently the film conductivity. The conductivity of PEDOT:PSS film doped with a lower percentage of MWCNTs (0.2 wt%) is 9.16 S/cm, higher than that of pure PEDOT:PSS film (0.28 S/cm), although the optical transmission of PEDOT:PSS decreases a little after the addition of MWCNTs. The interaction between MWCNTs and PEDOT:PSS during melt mixing is also given a possible explanation.
Polymerase Chain Reaction Detection of C. pseudotuberculosis in the Brain of Mice Following Oral Inoculation

The aim of present study was to detect the presence of C. pseudotuberculosis in the brain of the mice following oral inoculation as a model using PCR. Caseous lymphadenitis is a chronic and subclinical disease of sheep and goats which has universal distributions, presenting enormous animal and flock prevalence. Total of 16 mice were used for this study, 8 mice were inoculated orally with 1.0 mL sterile phosphate buffered saline pH 7, while another 8 mice were inoculated with 1.0 mL of 10 9 colony forming unit of C. pseudotuberculosis. Seven different organs were collected during post mortem for the detection of C. pseudotuberculosis. The result indicated 3 positive samples in lymph nodes, 5 in the brain and 1 in the liver. The PCR used in the present study may successfully be applied for the detection and diagnosis of C. pseudotuberculosis in the brain of the mice following oral inoculation.
THE EFFECT OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE PRACTICES ON EARNINGS MANAGEMENT OF COMPANIES LISTED AT THE NAIROBI SECURITIES EXCHANGE

The objective of the study was to establish the effect of corporate governance practices on earnings management of companies listed at the Nairobi Security Exchange (NSE). The target population consisted of the 49 companies that had been continuously and actively trading at the NSE between January 2010 and December 2012. Secondary data was used covering the period 2010 to 2012 and analyzed using linear regression to test the effect of the independent variables on the dependent variable. The study found that earnings management is negatively related to ownership concentration, board size and board independence but positively related to board activity and CEO duality. The study recommended the need for effective corporate governance practices in listed companies in Kenya to contribute to reduced earnings management and avert possible collapse of listed companies in Kenya.
Family ownership and the cost of under-diversification

We argue that the cost to a family of holding a large block of shares in a company, or under-diversifying, is reflected in the diversification benefits that the family forfeits. These costs can be substantial. For example, given a constant relative risk aversion parameter of 2, the median cost to our sample of families controlling large Swedish firms is 13% of the market value of firm's shares. We find that this cost is reduced by pyramid structures but not by the use of dual class shares.
Analysis of Coupling Effectiveness on Concealed Signal Cable Slot with Different Shapes

It is important to study the shielding effectiveness to reduce the electromagnetic interference and to protect electronic components. Taking the concealed signal cable which is set in shielding shell as the research object. The influence of different slot shapes on shielding effectiveness was analyzed by applying the mixed methods (Quadric FE-BEM). The results show that the coupling capacitance of a trapezoidal slot is the biggest, the one of rectangular slot is medium, and the one of a taper slot is the smallest for shielding pair cable, but their change trend are almost the same. In addition, with the various slot shapes width increasing, shielding pair cable coupling capacitance is little changed. The study is instructive for more effective to defense EMI and will improve the agricultural concealed shielding cable electromagnetic compatibility. Copyright © 2014 IFSA Publishing, S. L.
Is That a Finger in My Chili?

A study of the effects of reconstructive memory points the way to dealing with the damage to a business’s reputation that follows an instance of negative publicity. The study contradicts the commonly held myth that it is best to avoid communicating for a time and let consumers “forget” an unfortunate incident. Instead, given what is now known about reconstructive memory processes, the crisis situation can be used as a means to reestablish a relationship with consumers. This research investigation proposes that postcrisis communication efforts should be focused on emotionally connecting with consumers via autobiographical-referencing advertising. Moreover, although the study focuses on crisis management, the lessons of reconstructive memory can be applied to all phases of brand management.