Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Profit Efficiency and Poverty Status of Farmers in Selected Rice Growing Communities in Cross River State, Nigeria

Aim: This study analyzed the profit efficiency and poverty status of rice farmers in selected rice growing communities in Cross River State, Nigeria. Methodology: The multistage random sampling was used to select rice farming households in the study area. Primary data were collected by means of questionnaire. The mean per capita household expenditure (MPCHHE) and the P-alpha measures of poverty were used for the measurement of poverty while the Stochastic Profit Frontier (SPF) was used to obtain the efficiency estimates and determinants among the rice farming households. The logit regression model was also used to show the effect of some factors on poverty status of the rice farmers. Results and Discussion: The results showed that, out of the 64.32% of the farmers who were generally poor, 40.85% and 23.47% of them were assessed to extremely and moderately poor respectively. The incidence, depth and severity of poverty were 65.32%, 27.84% and 16.38% respectively. The study further showed that profit efficiency ranged between 0.34 and 1.0 with mean efficiency of 0.73, suggesting that there are opportunities for rice farmers in the State to increase their farm income with a view of reducing their poverty levels. The result indicate that educational level, farm size and efficiency negatively influenced poverty while sex, age, educational level, farm size, household size and farming experience were the main determinants of profit efficiency. Inadequate credit access, capital and supply of farm inputs; high cost of labour, poor marketing outlets, and near absence of modern processing facilities were the rice production constraints. Conclusion and Recommendations: The study has shown that rice farmers in the State were majorly poor and relatively efficient with opportunities for improvement. To improve the profit efficiency of rice farmers and reduce their household poverty status would require addressing some vital policy indicators that influenced them. Such policies should encourage experienced rice farmers to remain in production, the raising of the level of education of the poor through adult education, and provision of single digit interest loans and input subsidies to enable the farmers increase their farm sizes.
The Concept of Branding: Is It Relevant to Nursing?

This concept exploration examines branding and its relevance to nursing. Branding is used to differentiate products through use of symbols. The symbols are the brands that are designed to communicate the value of products. Nursing has had many identifying symbols, such as the nurse’s cap and the white uniform, but these symbols have failed to clearly communicate the essence of nursing. Lack of a distinct nursing brand has led to confusion about the discipline. The Roy adaptation model provides a view of branding as a process for clearly defining the profession, improving its image, and differentiating its role within the healthcare milieu.
Spectroscopie de saturation de haute précision et sensibilité en champ laser fort : applications aux molécules OSO4, SF6 et CO2 et à la métrologie des fréquences

Ce memoire presente des resultats theoriques et experimentaux obtenus a partir de l'etude des structures hyperfines dans la bande nu3 de la molecule oso4. L'observation a l'aide de lasers a co2 ultrastables et d'un spectrometre a tres haute resolution et l'analyse de structures hyperfines de 189oso4 et 187oso4 ont conduit a la determination tres precise de toutes les constantes hyperfines importantes des niveaux v3=0 et v3=1, grâce a l'observation de croisements de niveaux hyperfins. Une relation entre constantes de spin-rotation et de spin-vibration a ete montree et interpretee. La difference avec sf6 a ete expliquee. Les diverses contributions a l'interaction quadrupolaire electrique dans 189oso4 ont ete degagees; en particulier, le role de l'interaction de coriolis a ete mis en evidence. Une analyse detaillee de la signification des constantes hyperfines a ete menee et la comparaison avec les valeurs experimentales a mis en lumiere certaines difficultes et ouvert un nouveau champ d'investigation. La premiere observation d'une raie de saturation de co2 avec une resolution de 2 khz a ete effectuee et la frequence absolue d'une telle raie a ete mesuree a 50 hz pres grâce a la mise au point d'une technique de compensation de la derive du laser de reference qui a fortement ameliore les performances metrologiques du spectrometre; ceci represente un gain de 2 ordres de grandeur. Par ailleurs, une intercomparaison avec le systeme laser+fabry-perot du lptf a revele un accord au hz pres (3. E(14)) des deux systemes, demontrant ainsi leurs qualites metrologiques inegalees a 10 microns. Lors de l'etude des croisements de niveaux hyperfins, il est apparu que les raies de saturation en presence d'un champ laser tres intense presentaient une distorsion tres spectaculaire. Il a ete montre sur le plan experimental et theorique le role essentiel joue par la courbure des fronts d'
TRANSITION from the Classroom to the Web: Successful Strategies for Teaching Online

Online courses are an integral part of nursing education programs. The responsibility for developing and teaching asynchronous online courses can be challenging, especially for neophyte educators. Two experienced educators discuss strategies for developing and enhancing selected aspects of asynchronous online courses. Practical, evidence-based aspects of designing, conducting, and evaluating web-based courses are presented. Examples from courses using WebCT are shown.
Dynamic Soaring of Sailplanes over Open Fields

Dynamic soaring of a sailplane in the earth’s atmospheric boundary layer was computationally investigated over a range of conditions to explore the feasibility of flying over a large vertical extent over open fields. A point-mass sailplane model was studied as well as a full six degree-of-freedom (6-DOF) piloted sailplane model. For the point-mass model, parameter sweeps were performed around a baseline 3-m (9.58-ft) wingspan sailplane having a weight of 15 kg (33 lb) and aspect ratio of 20. Results from the point-mass model show that in certain high wind conditions, dynamic soaring energy-conserving orbits are possible for flight trajectories extending from the ground to 185 m (607 ft) aloft. A 6-DOF piloted flight simulator was used, and it produced similar results that showed dynamic soaring over open fields for large vertical extents. Together these results support the conclusion that it is possible to perform dynamic soaring in high wind conditions through the full extent of the atmospheric boundary layer to high altitudes over open land with model-scale unpowered sailplanes having both high wing loadings and high lift-to-drag ratios.
A systematic review of algorithms with linear-time behaviour to generate Delaunay and Voronoi tessellations

Triangulations and tetrahedrizations are important geometrical dis- cretization procedures applied to several areas, such as the reconstruction of sur- faces and data visualization. Delaunay and Voronoi tessellations are discretization structures of domains with desirable geometrical properties. In this work, a system- atic review of algorithms with linear-time behaviour to generate 2D/3D Delaunay and/or Voronoi tessellations is presented.
Main Motivations of Students of Childhood Education and Primary Education to Become Teachers

Motivations are crucial to becoming a good teacher. This study examines the motivations of students of Childhood Education and Primary Education and their association with participants’ gender, program and age. 262 students at the CMI (University of Granada) studying educational degrees completed a paper-based questionnaire about their vocational and teaching motivations. Almost all the students (93.1%) in the Childhood and Primary Education programs are happy with their choice to become teachers, but 32.4% of these students did not choose education as their first option. Vocational motivations and the selection of educational degrees as the first option are different by gender, program and age. Male students studying Primary Education who were over 25 years old showed the highest vocational motivation. More male students under 25 years old studying Childhood Education reported that teaching was their first option in comparison to their counterparts. It is important to deepen students’ motivations to choose educational degrees. University programs have to ensure that their students develop management skills to deal with difficulties in the classroom. Moreover, it is also important to incorporate a training period in the successive years of the teacher training program as a key to working with vocational and teacher motivations in university. In any case, it would be crucial to develop a better social image of teacher in the society, because this factor can create a better world. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2016. v7n6p153
Percutaneous management of coronary bifurcation lesions: current perspective.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Coronary artery disease affecting bifurcations poses a challenge for percutaneous intervention. Several techniques and strategies for percutaneous management of bifurcation lesions have been described in the literature with variable data available for outcomes. In this review, we provide an overview of the strategies and techniques used for percutaneous intervention of bifurcation lesions with an update of recent technical developments and clinical evidence. RECENT FINDINGS The coronary bifurcation lesions of both left main and other coronary segments are best treated with a provisional stenting strategy where main branch is treated with a stent placement and side branch intervention reserved for angiographically or physiologically determined hemodynamically significant residual stenosis despite application of a proximal stent optimization technique. When a provisional stent strategy is not likely to be successful due to anatomic or morphologic lesion characteristics and a large side branch or distal left main bifurcation is involved, an upfront bifurcation stenting strategy with double kissing crush technique may provide the optimum results. Coronary imaging and fractional flow determination may guide lesion-specific management, facilitate device selection and improve clinical outcomes for percutaneous therapy for bifurcation lesions. SUMMARY Despite advances in technology and procedural techniques, percutaneous intervention of coronary bifurcation lesions remains challenging and associated with higher adverse outcomes compared with non bifurcation lesions. Among the several bifurcation strategies, a provisional stenting approach is preferred for technical simplicity and better long-term outcomes. Double kissing crush technique provides superior clinical results and should be preferred when a two stent strategy is indicated. Use of coronary imaging and physiology assessment should be incorporated in the algorithm of bifurcation interventions for greater technical and clinical success.
A Visual Language for the Modelling of Service Delivery Processes to Support Business Processes Management

—Business process management aims to align the business processes of an organisation with customers’ needs. Such alignment is of particular importance for services and requires a good understanding of the interactions among the actors involved. Although several process modelling languages and a service design technique called ‘service blueprint’ provide good support for modelling of service delivery processes, the actual execution of service and networked interactions among actors seem to have not been sufficiently considered. To overcome these limitations, we developed the Service Journey Modelling Language. Each version of the language has been evaluated, and the results were used as input for the next version. Results from our case studies show that our language might supplement the management of business processes for services by aligning business processes with customer perspectives and by supporting depiction of the actual service journeys with networked interactions of involved actors using appropriate visual representations.
The Impact of Emotional Advertising on Consumer Buying Behavior for Home Appliance Products in Pakistan

This study was conducted to identify the impact of emotional advertising on consumer buying behavior. The research is limited to high involvement products specifically home appliance brands. It also aims to assess the most influential advertising appeal that impacts the buying decision of the consumers. A quantitative approach was used, and the questionnaire-based survey was conducted using a sample size of 200 respondents and their response to different appeals like love, humor, happiness and excitement were recorded. The hypothesized model has been tested using factor analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM). The results show a positive impact of emotions like love, humor and happiness in influencing the purchase intention of the consumers. The paper confirms the positive relationship between emotional advertising and consumer buying behavior with respect to the home appliance brands.
Is TB Testing Associated With Increased Blood Interferon-Gamma Levels?

The Republic of Ireland reports a relatively low prevalence of Johne’s disease (JD) compared to international counterparts. Postulated reasons for this include a lower average herd size and a grass-based production system. Ireland also engages in high levels of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) testing. As interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) is believed to play a key role in protecting against JD, it is our hypothesis that administration of purified protein derivative (PPD), as part of the bTB test, is associated with a systemic increase in IFN-γ production, which may potentially limit clinical progression of the disease. We studied 265 cows (202 Friesian and 63 “Non-Friesian,” e.g., JerseyX, Norwegian Red) to assess IFN-γ levels and Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) antibody response before and after the bTB test. As part of the compulsory annual bTB test, avian and bovine PPD were administered at two separate cervical sites. To assess IFN-γ production, blood samples were taken before and 72 h after PPD administration. MAP antibody response was assessed before and 10 days post-PPD administration. A significant increase in MAP antibody response was identified post-bTB compared to pre-bTB response (p < 0.001). Additionally, IFN-γ production significantly increased at the post-bTB time point (p < 0.001) compared to the pre-bTB test readings. This may indicate a beneficial effect of bTB testing in controlling JD.
DIMENSIONS OF PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT SUCCESS

Successful product development (PD) is indispensable for the competitiveness of a company and of strategic relevance. The contribution focuses PD performance measurement from an interdisciplinary perspective. From an engineering point of view PD can cover a wide range of purposes and activities and accordingly contributes from business administration point of view in fundamentally different ways to a company's success. To improve the hit-rate of existing KPIs a classification matrix is proposed which facilitates appropriate KPI application with regard to specific PD contexts.
Investigating Determinants of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Engagement in the Thai Hotel Sector

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become an integral part of the modern business paradigm (Porter & Kramer, 2006a) and correspondingly, research interest in CSR has grown among hospitality academics (Sheldon & Park, 2011). However, published CSR works tend to revolve around three core areas: debating the nature of CSR (e.g., Levy & Park, 2011), impacts on firm performance (e.g., Inoue & Lee, 2011), and customers’ or employees’ perspectives toward CSR (e.g., Tsai, Tsang, & Cheng, 2012). Less attention has been given to understanding why firms engage with CSR, despite researchers calling for a better understanding of the key factors driving CSR engagement, including a fuller discussion about the concept of engagement (e.g., Aguinis & Glavas, 2012; Graci & Dodds, 2008). Therefore, this thesis aims to investigate: What are the determinants of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Engagement in the Thai hotel sector? In this thesis, the term CSR engagement describes the business practices relating to social, cultural, and environmental issues, including their reasoning and motivation for managing and adopting policies, practices, and future intentions. A review of the literature in CSR highlights several issues, including a focus on studies examining environmental practices, rather than a broader spectrum of CSR activities.
A stakeholder approach to performance management in Botswana National Sport Organisations

ABSTRACT Rationale: Performance management is important to National Sport Organisations because it aims to ensure their transparency and accountability and offers an opportunity for improved service delivery to stakeholders. However, the role played by stakeholders in how performance management systems are used by National Sport Organisations remains unclear. This study investigates how different stakeholders influence the implementation of performance management among National Sport Organisations. Approach: Thirty-one semi-structured interviews and five focus groups targeting 14 Botswana Sport Organisations and 10 stakeholder categories were undertaken. Findings: Results reveal different stakeholders used influence strategies directly and indirectly to affect multiple performance management stages. Practical implications: This study informs sport managers on how stakeholders use influence strategies on performance management processes, thereby helping them to better manage and improve stakeholder relationships. Research contribution: The study contributes to understanding the development of performance management processes and how stakeholders influence internal processes within sport organisations.
Personalizing flow‐diverter intervention for cerebral aneurysms: from computational hemodynamics to biochemical modeling

This paper presents the computational modeling of a variety of flow‐diverting stents, deployed in a number of patient‐specific aneurysm geometries. We consider virtual device deployment and hemodynamics as well as thrombus formation, with the scope to assess pre‐operatively the efficacy of specific devices in treating particular aneurysms. An algorithm based on a linear and torsional spring analogy is developed for the fast virtual deployment of stents and similar minimally invasive devices in patient‐specific vessel geometries. The virtual deployment algorithm is used to accurately deploy a total of four stent designs in three aneurysm geometries. A variety of different flow‐diverting stent designs, representing the commercially available and the entirely novel, are presented, varying in both mesh design and porosity. Transient computational hemodynamics simulations are performed on multiple patient‐specific geometries to predict the reduction in aneurysm inflow after the deployment of each device. Further, a thrombosis initiation and growth model is implemented, coupled with the hemodynamic computations. Hemodynamic simulations show large variations in flow reduction between devices and across different aneurysm geometries. The industry standard of flow‐diverters with 70% porosity, assumed to offer the best compromise in flexibility and flow reduction, is challenged in at least one aneurysm geometry. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Relevance of the absorptive capacity in firms’ innovation strategies measured via bibliometric analysis

Absorptive capacity (ACAP) as a function of systematic knowledge management is widely recognized as the catalyst for successful innovation performance in firms, particularly when it comes to identifying business opportunity information from the outside world and assimilating it into a firm’s innovation process. The concept of absorptive capacity became a widely researched topic in the area of organization and management, consequently, the definition of the ACAP components, its operationalization and outcomes, is extremely heterogeneous and has greatly affected the research production on ACAP. Therefore, the question arising is: Which approach to absorptive capacity will enable it is being truly recognized as a concept at a global level, and in which areas of economy and business is ACAP most frequently encountered, particularly when it is connected to innovation processes? Based on a sample of 1288 papers within Web of Science Core Collection, this paper presents a bibliometric analysis of relevant publications on ACAP with the specific aim of gaining a deeper insight into the relevance of the impact of absorptive capacity on a firm’s innovation strategy. The results were systematized in a form of quantitative bibliographic review. The purpose of the analysis was to determine the existing level of the empirical and theoretical efforts in the research on ACAP, with a particular focus on firms and their innovation processes as well as knowledge management processes.
Nitrate deficiency decreased photosynthesis and oxidation-reduction processes, but increased cellular transport, lignin biosynthesis and flavonoid metabolism revealed by RNA-Seq in Oryza sativa leaves

Rice cultivar “Weiyou916” (Oryza sativa L. ssp. Indica) were cultured with control (10 mM NO3-) and nitrate deficient solution (0 mM NO3-) for four weeks. Nitrogen (N) deficiency significantly decreased the content of N and P, dry weight (DW) of the shoots and roots, but increased the ratio of root to shoot in O. sativa. N deficiency decreased the photosynthesis rate and the maximum quantum yield of primary photochemistry (Fv/Fm), however, increased the intercellular CO2 concentration and primary fluorescence (Fo). N deficiency significantly increased the production of H2O2 and membrane lipid peroxidation revealed as increased MDA content in O. sativa leaves. N deficiency significantly increased the contents of starch, sucrose, fructose, and malate, but did not change that of glucose and total soluble protein in O. sativa leaves. The accumulated carbohydrates and H2O2 might further accelerate biosynthesis of lignin in O. sativa leaves under N limitation. A total of 1635 genes showed differential expression in response to N deficiency revealed by Illumina sequencing. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis showed that 195 DEGs were found to highly enrich in nine GO terms. Most of DEGs involved in photosynthesis, biosynthesis of ethylene and gibberellins were downregulated, whereas most of DEGs involved in cellular transport, lignin biosynthesis and flavonoid metabolism were upregulated by N deficiency in O. sativa leaves. Results of real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) further verified the RNA-Seq data. For the first time, DEGs involved oxygen-evolving complex, phosphorus response and lignin biosynthesis were identified in rice leaves. Our RNA-Seq data provided a global view of transcriptomic profile of principal processes implicated in the adaptation of N deficiency in O. sativa and shed light on the candidate direction in rice breeding for green and sustainable agriculture.