Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Study on Trade Restrictiveness of Agricultural Policies in Iran

In this paper the trade restrictiveness of agricultural policies in Iran was measured by the TRI index for the nine major agricultural products including wheat, rice, barely, maize, soybean, meat (beef meat), soybean oil, sugar and banana over the period 1981 to 2007. The main results indicate that there is no trend in above index and high volatility especially in 2006 and 2007 years due to considerable increases in tariff of sugar, rice, meat and oil. Based on calculated advalorem equivalents (AVEs) of non-tariff barriers (NTBs), these barriers have a significant contribution to the level of trade restrictiveness measured by the TRI index. Thus, neglecting the restrictiveness of NTBs identify can be very misleading. Moreover, two sets of protected products: First, Over-protected products (rice, oil, sugar and banana) which their actual tariffs are higher than their optimum ones. Second, Under-protected products (wheat, barely, maize, soybean and beef meat) which their actual tariffs are lower than their optimum ones. Due to this, we found that most products are heavily protected and trade policies in agriculture sector have the prohibitive role on welfare and import. This can lead to the decrease in domestic welfare level as well as country’s trade volume with trading partners. Thus, it is necessary to adjust Iran’s agricultural trade tariff regime in order to bridge the gap between the current structure of protection and optimum import duties.
Measurement of Information System Project Success Based on Perceptions of the Internal Stakeholders

In this research, adoption of the DeLone and McLean (D&M) information system (IS) success model and its adaptation with the project success theories were used to explore state of IS project success and to examine factors which affect its success. A survey towards the internal project stakeholder in an univerity with response rate 48% was carried out to collect the raw data for Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis. Majority of the participants (80.7%) stated that level of the project success is more than 50% where information quality, system quality, service quality, system use, and user satisfaction substantially explain 64.5% of variance in the success variable. The three quality factors together explain 43.2% of the variance of system use and 70.4% of the variance of user satisfaction. Although, a number of the findings were consistent with the prior studies, these findings also presented inconsistencies especially related to aspects of information quality and system use. Accordingly, researchers and practitioners will be stand to benefit from the information provided in this study and it is hoped that future research will build upon the findings reported herein as efforts are made to attain the IS project success especially in the sampled institution.
Correlation of Power Consumption for Several Kinds of Mixing Impellers

The authors reviewed the correlations of power consumption in unbaffled and baffled agitated vessels with several kinds of impellers, which were developed in a wide range of Reynolds numbers from laminar to turbulent flow regions. The power correlations were based on Kamei and Hiraoka's expressions for paddle and pitched paddle impellers. The calculated correlation values agreed well with experimental ones, and the correlations will be developed the other types of impellers.
Pesticide Tax, Cropping Patterns, and Water Quality in South Central Texas

Abstract The impact of an ad valorem pesticide tax on cropping patterns and pesticide use was examined in the South Central Texas Crop Reporting District. Output supply equations were econometrically estimated and used in the simulation. A 25 percent tax on pesticide was estimated to have major impacts on cropping patterns and on pesticide use. Assuming other input and output prices were unaffected, the supply of one important crop would fall by more than half. Demand for some of the highly soluble and persistent pesticides, which present the greatest threat to groundwater quality, would also decrease substantially (some as much as 50 percent).
The Use of Wastewater in the Irrigation of Agricultural Soils and its Contamination Effect by Trace Elements: A Review

Wastewater reuse (either raw or treated) for irrigation of crops is a common widespread practice around the world. This water provides the soil with many nutrient elements. However, it also results to organic and metallic contaminants. This may have a significant effect on the physico-chemical characteristics of the soil and the crops contamination. It is a fact that constitutes a huge risk which is both sanitary and environmental. This paper focuses on explaining the effect of the use of wastewater in the irrigation of the agricultural soils and crops and their contamination by trace elements.
A detailed framework to incorporate dust in hydrodynamical simulations

Dust plays a key role in the evolution of the ISM and its correct modelling in numerical simulations is therefore fundamental. We present a new and self-consistent model that treats grain thermal coupling with the gas, radiation balance, and surface chemistry for molecular hydrogen. This method can be applied to any dust distribution with an arbitrary number of grain types without affecting the overall computational cost. In this paper we describe in detail the physics and the algorithm behind our approach, and in order to test the methodology, we present some examples of astrophysical interest, namely (i) a one-zone collapse with complete gas chemistry and thermochemical processes, (ii) a 3D model of a low-metallicity collapse of a minihalo starting from cosmological initial conditions, and (iii) a turbulent molecular cloud with H-C-O chemistry (277 reactions), together with self-consistent cooling and heating solved on the fly. Although these examples employ the publicly available code KROME, our approach can be easily integrated into any computational framework.
Impacts of second‐generation biofuel feedstock production in the central U.S. on the hydrologic cycle and global warming mitigation potential

Biofuel feedstocks provide a renewable energy source that can reduce fossil fuel emissions; however, if produced on a large scale they can also impact local to regional water and carbon budgets. Simulation results for 2005–2014 from a regional weather model adapted to simulate the growth of two perennial grass biofuel feedstocks suggest that replacing at least half the current annual cropland with these grasses would increase water use efficiency and drive greater rainfall downwind of perturbed grid cells, but increased evapotranspiration (ET) might switch the Mississippi River basin from having a net warm‐season surplus of water (precipitation minus ET) to a net deficit. While this scenario reduces land required for biofuel feedstock production relative to current use for maize grain ethanol production, it only offsets approximately one decade of projected anthropogenic warming and increased water vapor results in greater atmospheric heat content.
Monday effect and institutional holdings on tourism stocks: the Taiwan Security Exchange Evidence

This paper attempts to investigate the Monday effect, in which the average Monday returns are significantly negative, upon Agent Cost Theory and Efficient Market Theory. The total number of usable observations includes data from 20 tourism firms, and the data frequency is weekly. The empirical results report that the “traditional” Monday effect does not occur for tourism stocks on the Taiwan Security Exchange and further indicate that positive returns on the last weekly trading day (especially when it is a Friday) is one of the factors to result in positive Monday returns. Moreover, regression analyses uncover a finding that institutional holdings and Monday returns are not significantly correlated, which is inconsistent with most of the literature. In addition, Monday exchange rate movements and Monday returns – the relationship of which has been neglected in the literature – are negatively correlated, suggesting that positive Monday returns coincide with the appreciation of the New Taiwan Dollar. Based on the above findings, this paper argues that institutional holdings tend to purchase stocks on Monday after positive Friday returns, which may be the reason for Monday appreciation.
Teacher Communication Behavior and its Association With Students' Cognitive and Attitudinal Outcomes in Science in Taiwan

In the study described in this article a questionnaire was employed that can be used to assess students' and teachers' perceptions of science teachers' interpersonal communication behaviors in their classroom learning environments. The Teacher Communication Behavior Questionnaire (TCBQ) has five scales: Challenging, Encouragement and Praise, Non-Verbal Support, Understanding and Friendly, and Controlling. The TCBQ was used with a large sample of secondary science students in Taiwan, which provided additional validation data for the TCBQ for use in Taiwan and cross-validation data for its use in English-speaking countries. Girls perceived their teachers as more understanding and friendly than did boys, and teachers in biological science classrooms exhibited more favorable behavior toward their students than did those in physical science classrooms. Differences were also noted between the perceptions of the students and their teachers. Positive relationships were found between students' perceptions of their teachers' communication behaviors and their attitudes toward science. Students' cognitive achievement scores were higher when students perceived their teacher as using more challenging questions, as giving more nonverbal support, and as being more understanding and friendly. The development of both teacher and student versions of the TCBQ enhances the possibility of the use of the instrument by teachers. fl 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 39: 63-78, 2002
Effect of aqueous chlorhexidine on skin colonization with gram negative bacteria in preterm infants admitted in NICU: a blinded RCT

Background: Aqueous chlorhexidine applied repeatedly may predispose to increased gram negative bacterial colonization in preterm skin due to its higher bactericidal action against gram positive bacteria and absence of alcohol. The objective was to study the difference in rates of gram negative bacterial colonization in skin swabs taken from axilla and groin on day 7 after multiple applications of 0.5% aqueous chlorhexidine and placebo (sterile water). Methods: Double blinded, randomised controlled trial recruiting preterm infants(28-34weeks) weighing ≥1000grams, stratified(28-31:32-34week) and randomly allocated to receive multiple body cleansing every 48hours starting from 6hours within birth during first postnatal week. Intervention group received cleansing with 0.5%chlorhexidine wipes and controls cleansed with similar looking sterile water wipes. Comparison of Proportions of swabs showing Gram negative bacterial growth in swabs taken from axilla and groin on day 7 of life after 3 cleansings (primary), at recruitment, 24 and 48 hours after first cleansing (secondary) were outcomes measured.Results: Of 137 eligible neonates, 120 enrolled and 59 infants received chlorhexidine cleansing and 61 received sterile water. At the end of first week, the rate of skin colonization with gram negative bacteria after multiple applications of 0.5% aqueous chlorhexidine was comparable with sterile water cleansing in both axilla (40.9% vs 51.1%, p=0.432) and groin (60.7% vs 54.3%, p=0.592). There was no difference in the rate of gram negative bacterial colonization in axilla and groin skin at 24 and 48 hours after single application also.Conclusions: Aqueous chlorhexidine even after multiple cleansings at 48hours intervals soon after birth has not predisposed to colonization with gram negative bacterial in preterm infants admitted in NICU.
PERFORMANCE OF POROUS MARINE STRUCTURES OF SINGLE AND DOUBLE PERFORATED SEAWALLS IN REGULAR OBLIQUE WAVES

In the present paper we examine the performance of two very common types of wave absorbing porous marine structures under regular oblique waves. The first structure consists of a single perforated vertical seawall, whereas the second consists of two perforated vertical seawalls creating what is called a chamber system (Jarlan type breakwater). The structures are surface piercing thus eliminating wave overtopping. Two methods are used for the present investigation. In the first method the problem of the interaction of obliquely incident linear waves upon a pair of porous vertical seawalls is first formulated in the context of the linear diffraction theory. The resulting boundary integral equation, which is matched with far-field solutions represented in terms of analytical series with unknown coefficients, and appropriate boundary conditions at the free surface, seabed and seawalls, is then solved numerically using the multi-domain boundary element method. In the second method a semi-analytical solution is developed by means of the eigenfunction expansions and a minimization approach using a least square method. In both methods the dissipation of the wave energy due to the presence of the perforated seawalls is represented by a simple yet effective relation in terms of the porosity parameter appropriate for thin perforated walls. The results are presented in terms of reflection and transmission coefficients, and the wave energy dissipation. Effects of the incident wave angles, porosities and depths of the walls and other major parameters of interest are explored.
Sentiment and returns: an analysis of investor sentiment in the South African market

Modern financial theory generally has no room for investor sentiment. The standard argument is that in highly competitive financial markets, suboptimal trading behaviour such as paying attention to sentiment signals unrelated to fundamental value will be eliminated quickly by aggressive arbitrageurs. However, research in recent years illustrates that investor sentiment has a significant impact on the cross section of stock returns. This study contributes to the debate by examining the relationship between investor sentiment and stock returns in the South African Market. Theory predicts that a broad wave of sentiment will disproportionately affect stocks whose valuations are highly subjective and are difficult to arbitrage. To test this prediction we construct an aggregate measure of investor sentiment from several proxies and study the impact that it has on stock returns. The results indicate that investor sentiment has a strong impact on share returns in South Africa. When sentiment is low, subsequent returns are relatively high on smaller stocks, high volatility stocks, extreme growth stocks, and young stocks. When sentiment is high, on the other hand, these patterns fully reverse.
Radial structures and nonlinear excitation of geodesic acoustic modes

Geodesic acoustic modes (GAM) are shown to constitute a continuous spectrum due to radial inhomogeneities. The importance and theoretical as well as experimental implications of this fact are discussed in this work. The existence of a singular layer causes GAM to mode convert to short-wavelength kinetic GAM (KGAM) via finite ion Larmor radii; analogous to kinetic Alfvén waves (KAW). Furthermore, it is shown that KGAM can be nonlinearly excited by drift-wave (DW) turbulence via 3-wave parametric interactions, and the resultant driven-dissipative nonlinear system exhibits typical prey-predator self-regulatory dynamics, consistent with recent experimental observations on HL-2A. The degeneracy of GAM/KGAM with beta-induced Alfvén eigenmodes (BAE) is demonstrated and discussed, with emphasis on its important role in the complex self-organized behaviors of burning plasmas.
Retrograde Ag-enrichment in fahlores from the Coeur d’Alene mining district, Idaho, USA

Abstract Tetrahedrite fahlores from the Coeur d’Alene mining district (Idaho) have been found to be enriched in Ag by the Ag-Cu exchange reaction which occurred during cooling following galena mineralization. This solid state reaction resulted in quantitative removal of Ag (in a AgSbS2 component) from galena and development of bournonite coronas on fahlore grains. The reaction produced a distinct population of high-Ag fahlores found in galena-rich samples and accounts for all of the bournonite mineralization. The most argentian of these high-Ag fahlores examined in this study (molar Ag/(Ag+Cu) = 0.303±0.011 and 0.336±0.011) are found in samples which achieved saturation with respect to other Ag-sulfosalts, namely pyrargyrite and polybasite and diaphorite, respectively. Multiple lines of evidence for the Ag-Cu exchange reaction are presented in this paper which applies mass-balance constraints and a thermodynamic database for sulfides/sulfosalts to microprobe analyses and textural observations, and to bulk production data. This solid-state reaction may explain why previous district studies have been unable to demonstrate convincingly primary fahlore zoning. Based on the Ag/(Ag+Cu) of fahlores coexisting with other Ag-sulfosalts and Fe-Zn partitioning between fahlore and sphalerite, we estimate that fahlore compositions were frozen in by 175°C. Examining the composition data for other Ag tetrahedrite fahlores found in the Coeur d’Alene district and elsewhere, we conclude that the thermodynamic database provides an accurate description of phase equilibria, except possibly for very Fe-rich systems where further studies of the Fe-Zn partitioning between fahlore and Fe-rich (Zn,Fe)S phases and of the thermodynamics of Fe-rich (Zn,Fe)S phases are warranted.
Relative growth, sexual maturity, and breeding season of three species of the genus Persephona (Decapoda: Brachyura: Leucosiidae): a comparative study

The relative growths of Persephona lichtensteinii, P. mediterranea, and P. punctata were investigated on the south-eastern Brazilian coast, focusing on differences in the growth rates between immature and mature phases, the onset of morphological sexual maturity, and the breeding seasons of these species. Crabs were collected every two months from January 1991 through to November 1992, from a shrimp fishing boat equipped with two otter-trawl nets. Significant differences in the patterns of body growth were observed between immature and mature phases of all three species. Changes in the growth rates of the chelipeds (males) and abdomen (females) observed for P. lichtensteinii, P. mediterranea, and P. punctata, seem to be related to the puberty moult for both sexes. Males of P. mediterranea and P. punctata reached larger mean sizes of carapace width than females, whereas no difference was recorded for P. lichtensteinii. The body size at which 50% of males attained sexual maturity was also larger in P. mediterranea and P. punctata, and smaller in P. lichtensteinii. The absence of a pronounced sexual dimorphism and the size at the onset of sexual maturity observed only for P. lichtensteinii might be explained by distinct reproductive strategies of males. The presence of ovigerous females during the entire sampling period suggests that all three species have a continuous reproduction pattern at the Ubatuba region. Future studies on the population structure, functional maturity, and mating system should improve the understanding of factors driving the biology and ecology of these species at a subtropical region.
Magnitude determination using duration of high frequency energy radiation and displacement amplitude: application to the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake

We have applied a technique to determine earthquake magnitudes, using durations of high frequency energy radiation and the maximum displacement amplitudes, to the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake. The estimated duration of high frequency energy radiation and magnitude are 170.5 s, and 8.96, respectively. This agrees well with preliminary analyses for this earthquake. Compared with the December 26, 2004, Sumatra earthquake (Mw 9.0), this event is characterized by a shorter duration of high frequency energy radiation and a larger displacement amplitude. The measured durations of high frequency energy radiation show azimuthal dependence, which indicates rupture propagation in the southwest direction. This result, together with rupture models obtained by other studies using lower frequency seismic signals or tsunami waveforms, suggests that there were two distinct rupture propagations in this event: one in a southwest direction from which high frequency energies were radiated efficiently, and the other in an east direction from which a very large seismic moment was released. We measured the time differences between P-wave arrivals and the times at which the absolute amplitudes of high bandpass (2–4 Hz) filtered P-waves became the largest. Most of the measured time differences, normalized by twice the centroid time shift, are in the range between 50 and 80 per cent. This is consistent with the frequency distribution that we obtained previously for a set of 68 large shallow earthquakes.
Lithospheric domains and controls on kimberlite emplacement, Slave Province, Canada: Evidence from elastic thickness and upper mantle composition

We have mapped the deep structure of the Slave craton by combining analysis the effective elastic thickness (Te) with data on mantle samples from numerous kimberlites. Three‐dimensional mapping of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM), using mantle‐derived xenoliths and xenocrysts in kimberlites, has shown that much of the craton is underlain by a strongly layered SCLM; a highly depleted upper layer (low in basaltic components Ca, Al, Fe) is separated from a relatively fertile lower layer by a sharp boundary. This boundary lies at 140–150 km depth in the Lac de Gras area and shallows to ≤100 km in the northern and southern parts of the Craton. Weak lithosphere (Te < 25 km) on the northern edge of the craton may reflect the intrusion of the Mackenzie Plume (circa 1270 Ma). The strongest lithosphere (Te > 56 km), in the younger eastern part of the craton, is separated from the older western part by a zone of steep Te gradient parallel to the major locus of kimberlite intrusion, which may map the deep extension of the boundary between the two domains. Another strong Te gradient across the Kilohigok Basin accompanies a marked compositional change in the upper layer of the lithospheric mantle; the Basin probably marks a major translithospheric fault. Correlations between Te and mantle composition suggest that Te is strongly influenced by the rheology of the upper mantle.