Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of organic and ‘low input’ production methods on food quality and safety

The intensification of agricultural production in the last century has resulted in a significant loss of biodiversity, environmental problems and associated societal costs. The use of shorter rotations or monocropping and high levels of mineral fertilisers, pesticides and crop growth regulators may also have had negative impacts on food quality and safety. To reverse the negative environmental and biodiversity impacts of agricultural intensification, a range of different ‘low input’ farming systems have been developed and are now supported by EU and government support schemes. A range of recent reviews concluded that switching to low input, integrated or organic farming practices results in significant environmental benefits and increased biodiversity in agro-ecosystems. Some recent studies also reported higher levels of nutritionally desirable compounds (e.g. vitamins, antioxidants, mineral nutrients) in foods from organic and ‘low input’ production systems compared to food from conventional systems. The increasing demand and current price premiums achieved by foods from low input and especially organic production systems were shown to be closely linked to consumer perceptions about nutritional and health benefits of such foods. However, there are other studies reporting no significant differences in composition between low input and conventional foods, or inconsistent results. There is currently a lack of (a) factorial studies, which allow the effect of individual production system components (e.g. rotation design, fertility management, crop health management, variety choice) on food composition to be assessed and (b) dietary intervention or cohort studies which compare the effect of consuming foods from different production systems on animal and/or human health. It is therefore currently not possible to draw overall conclusions about the effect of low input production on food quality and safety. This paper will (a) describe the range of organic and other ‘low input’ standards, certification and support systems currently used, (b) summarise the currently available information on effects of organic and other low input crop production systems on the environment, biodiversity and food quality, and (c) describe the methodologies and results from subproject 2 of the EU-funded Integrated project QualityLowInputFood. This project focused on improving our knowledge about the effect of organic and low input crop and livestock production systems on food quality and safety parameters.
The Effects of Mathematics Strategy Instruction for Children with Serious Problem-Solving Difficulties

This study investigated the role of strategy instruction on solution accuracy in children with and without serious math difficulties (MD) in problem solving. Children's posttest solution accuracy was compared on standardized and experimental measures as a function of strategy conditions. Strategy conditions included curriculum materials that gradually increased the number of irrelevant propositions within word problems. Children in Grade 3 (N = 193) were randomly assigned to one of five conditions: materials + verbal strategies (e.g., underlining the question), materials + verbal + visual strategies, materials + visual strategies (e.g., correctly placing numbers in diagrams), materials only-no overt strategies, and an untreated control. Compared to children with MD in the control condition, posttest outcomes for children with MD on standardized measures improved significantly under verbal + visual conditions, whereas posttest scores on the experimental problem-solving measures improved under the materials-only condition. Those strategy conditions found least effective made substantial demands on children's working memory capacity. The authors discuss benefits and limitations of strategy instruction.
Using stable isotopes to trace long‐distance dispersal in birds and other taxa

The study of long‐distance dispersal (LDD) in animals may be advanced by recent applications of stable isotope analyses designed to track migratory organisms and to link populations throughout their annual cycle. This approach depends on there being enough isotopic difference in tissues among potential source populations such that individuals can be unequivocally assigned to their source. The isotopic mapping of such populations will be feasible only for species occurring in relatively few disjunct populations. However, the identification of isotopic outliers within known populations will be an extremely useful first step in the forensic application of stable isotopes to identify dispersal in general, and LDD in particular. The use of deuterium isotope analysis (δD) of tissues that can be assigned to its source (e.g. feather moult or its hair growth location) has provided a recent breakthrough in our ability to associate individuals with geographical origins at continental scales. The combination of this stable isotope with others and the ultimate combination of a variety of techniques, including the measurement of trace elements and molecular genetics markers, will undoubtedly improve resolution. The isotopic cataloguing of known history (i.e. philopatric) individuals within populations will be an important step in applying isotope techniques to evaluating LDD in any species. For aquatic insects, the isotopic marking of large numbers of individuals is possible through isotopic enrichment of local food webs using labelled compounds.
The Impact of Entrepreneurial Culture Dimensions on Entrepreneurial Intention: A Cross Cultural Study

This research aims to study the impact of entrepreneurial culture dimensions on the entrepreneurial intention. Six facets of entrepreneurial culture are defined from the literature. The relationship between our dependent and independents variables is measured by the questionnaire of Barbosa and al. [1]. We addressed our questionnaire to 112 students of engineering schools from Canadian and Moroccan engineering schools and we analyzed our research variables using 20.00 version of SPSS. In accordance with previous literature, the results of our survey indicate that there is no direct impact of entrepreneurial culture on the entrepreneurial intention. However, our findings confirm some positive correlations between entrepreneurial culture dimensions and entrepreneurial intention of Canadian and Moroccan engineering school students.
A SIMULATION ANALYSIS OF THE OPENING AREA OF ENTRANCE DOORS AND WINTER AIRFLOW INTO THE ENTRANCE HALL OF A HIGH-RISE OFFICE BUILDING

A simplified method is proposed for estimating the opening area of frequently used entrance doors and analyzing the outdoor airflow rate through entrances into a highrise office building due to the stack effect. The author tried to develop a precise simulation model for predicting the opening area changes of automatically operated sliding doors when people pass through them. In addition, through numerical analysis, a simplified estimation method is proposed of the average opening area of doors dependent on the door specifications and the number of people passing through them. Furthermore, changes in the opening area of entrance doors and the outdoor airflow rate through them on a winter day were predicted using measured entrance traffic data in a Tokyo office building.
Working Paper Series ES Economics / Strategy “ Accounting and Litigation Risk ”

Litigation risk has been hypothesized to affect managerial behavior in a number of ways. An understanding of the determinants of litigation risk is a necessary first step to analyzing managerial behavior. We examine the determinants of an ex-ante measure of litigation risk, namely, Directors and Officers (D&O) liability insurance premium. We find that accounting risk is priced by D&O insurers. There is only limited evidence of traditional corporate governance measures getting priced. We also find some support that certain provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, 1995 created specific litigation risk. Additionally, we present evidence that pricing for D&O premiums is lower for companies which adopted limited liability provisions to limit directors’ exposure to litigation risk. Thus, adoption of these provisions can be a useful tool to reduce litigation risk. Finally, we find that the historical rise in insurance premium from 2001 to 2002 is associated with an increase in concerns about accounting quality. We thank Tillinghast-Towers Perrin for insurance data. We would like to thank several industry participants who have shared their valuable time with us. In particular, we wish to thank Elissa Sirovatka of Tillinghast, David Allan of General Reinsurance Corporation, Dan Bailey of Bailey Cavalieri LLC, Michael Early and Frank Kastelic of the Chicago Underwriting Group, Lori Fuchs of Honeywell, Phil Norton of Arthur J. Gallagher and Co. and Paul Van Zuiden of Risk Management & Insurance Consulting LLC. We would also like to thank Shyam Sunder, Jake Thomas, Brian Mittendorf, Peter Wysocki, Scott Richardson and participants of the Yale SOM Fall Accounting Research Conference for very useful comments. We also thank Heowk Kiat Koh for assistance with data collection. Any errors are the responsibility of the authors. Corresponding author: Ganapathi Narayanamoorthy, Yale School of Management, 135 Prospect Street, Box 208200, New Haven, CT 06520-8200, ph: 203 432 5787. Part of the data used in the study has been purchased by Yale University from Tillinghast-Towers Perrin and availability of that data is subject to the terms of the agreement covering the purchase.
Inte syst

Material and methods. Thirty bilayered beam-shape specimens were prepared and divided into 2 groups according to liner application. The specimens in each group were subdivided into 3 subgroups in accordance with 3 different veneer thicknesses. A fracture mechanics test was used on each specimen, and the energy release rate, G, and phase angle, j, were calculated according to the experimental results. A video microscope was used to monitor the crack propagation, and a scanning electron microscope was used to identify the fracture mode after testing. Two-way ANOVA and the Tukey honestly significant difference test were performed to analyze the experimental data (a1⁄4.05) .
Other The Ethics Writings of

Roger A. Brumback, MD (1953-2013), a renaissance man, shared with the world his knowledge and opinions on many subjects. Thus, it should come as no surprise that ethics did not escape Dr Brumback’s consideration. Reading Dr Brumback’s vitae, I came across several publications that afford insights into topics that tugged at his moral fabric. Dr Brumback was a steadfast defender of the scientific method. Reading his commentaries, one gets the sense that Dr Brumback felt personally attacked when quackery challenged science. In addition, and as long-time Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Child Neurology, Dr Brumback considered it a personal affront every time a paper he published, or for that matter published by any scientific journal, had to be retracted or corrected. In the following paragraphs, I review a selection of Dr Brumback’s ethics writings.
Short title : Threatened abortion outcome during anticoagulation treatment Outcomes of threatened abortions after anticoagulation treatment to prevent recurrent pregnancy loss 5

We aimed to determine the outcome of threatened abortion in women treated 35 with low-molecular weight heparin (LMWH) for recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). Data of women with RPL who experienced threatened abortion while taking LMWH between 2007 and 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. All patients received the LMWH, enoxaparin (40 mg). Thrombophilia was present in 38 (33.3%) women, including 11 (9.6%) with antiphospholipid syndrome 40 (APLS). The overall live birth rate was 58.8% (67/114). Live birth rates were 87.2% (41/47 patients) and 38.8% (26/67 patients) among those who discontinued versus those who continued LMWH treatment, respectively (P < 0.0001). Among APLS patients, live births resulted in eight of the nine women who continued LMWH. In multivariate analysis, discontinuation of LMWH was 45 the only significant predictor of live birth outcome (P < 0.0001). Thrombophilia, presence of subchorionic haematoma, and severity of bleeding were not found to
Title Perceptual impact of bursty versus isolated packet losses in H . 264 compressed video Permalink

When video packets are lost in congested networks, one loss pattern creates a different visual impact than another. We conduct a subjective experiment with H.264 videos and conclude that isolated losses are better than bursty losses in terms of perceptual video quality. A network-implementable video quality model is developed for a router to drop packets so as to achieve good visual quality.
Degree of Financial and Operating Leverage and Profitability of Insurance Firms in Ghana

The profitability of any business entity for a particular time period can be conceptualized as the final outcome of its investing and operating activities. This paper investigated how profitability of insurance firms in Ghana, is influenced by working capital management and leverage using 18 firms. The current ratio was taken as representative of the result of working capital management policy and financial leverage and operating leverage as the bench mark for capital structure. Supplementary analysis was also undertaken to assess the impact of premium growth, GDP and firm size on profitability. Panel data methodology was used to determine whether profitability of insurance companies is related to selected indicators in accordance with the accepted finance theory. Furthermore, the research results found that, degree of financial leverage and liquidity are inversely related to profitability while operating leverage is positively related to profitability. Key words: Profitability; Working capital management; Operating and financial Leverage
The effect of dietary supplementation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae dried yeast on lambs meat quality

The effect of supplementary dried brewer’s yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, during 100 days rearing period on meat quality of lambs was investigated. Twenty four male Kamieniecka breed lambs were divided into two groups: I control, II experimental supplemented with preparate Inter Yeast® S, containing Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Meat quality was determined on samples of M. longissimus lumborum (LL) and M. quadriceps femoris (QF), based on the following parameters: chemical composition, physicochemical properties, the fatty acid composition and profile of intramuscular fat, and sensory properties. Meat of lambs from group II contained more dry matter (0.78%) and intramuscular fat (0.33%), compared with control lambs (P<0.01). An increase the red colour component a* (P<0.01) and improvement the waterholding capacity (P<0.01) of meat were also found in the experimental group. The concentrations of C14:1, C18:2 and C22:6 fatty acids (P<0.05) and conjugated linoleic acid C18:2 cis9trans11 were higher (P<0.01) and the content of C20:4 was lower (P<0.01) in the intramuscular fat of lambs from group II. The above changes had no influence on the sensory properties of meat. The content of dry matter and protein was higher, and cooking loss was lower (P<0.001) in LL than in QF muscle. The sensory properties were better in QF muscle.
Seed mass variation, germination time and seedling performance in a population of Pinus nigra subsp. salzamannii

Seed size and germination time are related to factors affecting natural regeneration of forest stands. Sources of seed mass variation and the effect of seed mass on seedling performance were investigated in a Pinus nigra subsp. salzmannii population. From eight maternal plants, seed mass variation was characterized for two crops at the within-individual level by mean, coefficient of variation, skewness and kurtosis values. Fifty seeds were planted in each of two substrate types, to monitor emergence, and survival and seedling performance during one growing season. Most variation in seed mass occurred within trees (c. 61%), rather than between them (c. 39%). Seed mass influenced emergence, depending on substrate type and mother plant. There were between-tree differences in the date of emergence, and a negative relationship was found between seed mass and date of emergence for the pine-seeds sown in peat substrate. The growth of seedlings was positively related to seed mass. It was argued that successful establishment of seedlings appears to be dependent on mother plant identity associated to seed traits, and that Pinus nigra stands could achieve regeneration by two different alternatives, depending on whether environmental variance overwhelms genetic variation.
Selective Migration and Neighbourhood Deprivation: Evidence from 2001 Census Migration Data for England and Scotland

Selective migration flows are thought to be a key means by which the intended benefits of area-based initiatives `leak out' of target areas, undermining their effectiveness. To date, direct evidence on the scale or impact of these flows has been weak since they are difficult to assess using survey methods. Using 2001 census data for England and Scotland, this paper looks at the scale and composition of flows for deprived neighbourhoods with a particular focus on educational attainment. It analyses the impacts of these flows on the characteristics of deprived areas, exploring differences between regions and comparing neighbourhoods involved in two major regeneration programmes with other deprived areas. The paper shows that selective migration flows do serve to reinforce spatial segregation but that the scale of this effect appears very modest and that impacts vary between regions. Flows for the regeneration areas are less adverse than for similarly deprived neighbourhoods.
Recognition of Speech of Normal-hearing Individuals with Tinnitus and Hyperacusis

Summary Introduction: Tinnitus and hyperacusis are increasingly frequent audiological symptoms that may occur in the absence of the hearing involvement, but it does not offer a lower impact or bothering to the affected individuals. The Medial Olivocochlear System helps in the speech recognition in noise and may be connected to the presence of tinnitus and hyperacusis. Objective: To evaluate the speech recognition of normal-hearing individual with and without complaints of tinnitus and hyperacusis, and to compare their results. Method: Descriptive, prospective and cross-study in which 19 normal-hearing individuals were evaluated with complaint of tinnitus and hyperacusis of the Study Group (SG), and 23 normal-hearing individuals without audiological complaints of the Control Group (CG). The individuals of both groups were submitted to the test List of Sentences in Portuguese, prepared by Costa (1998) to determine the Sentences Recognition Threshold in Silence (LRSS) and the signal to noise ratio (S/N). The SG also answered the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory for tinnitus analysis, and to characterize hyperacusis the discomfort thresholds were set. Results: The CG and SG presented with average LRSS and S/N ratio of 7.34 dB NA and −6.77 dB, and of 7.20 dB NA and −4.89 dB, respectively. Conclusion: The normal-hearing individuals with or without audiological complaints of tinnitus and hyperacusis had a similar performance in the speech recognition in silence, which was not the case when evaluated in the presence of competitive noise, since the SG had a lower performance in this communication scenario, with a statistically significant difference.
Basic Education in Kenya: Focus on Strategies Applied to Cope with School-based Challenges Inhibiting Effective Implementation of Curriculum

This study explored strategies applied to cope with challenges inhibiting effective implementation of basic education curriculum in Kenya. The study was framed by the constructivist theory. Convenience sampling was used to select a sample of 205 primary and secondary school teachers and employed mixed methods to collect and analyze data. It was found that despite the gains made in accelerated enrollment in , and quality of education since the launch of free primary education ( FPE) and Free Day Secondary Education(FDSE) in Kenya at the national level, there still remain pockets within Kenyan geographical regions which have remained behind in attaining effective implementation of curriculum, resulting into low academic achievement. Among the key challenges affecting effective implementation of basic education include: insufficient physical facilities and instructional resources to cope with the exponential growth of student population resulting from the abolition of school fees and introduction of FPE and FDSE; inadequate teachers resulting in high teaching load prompting the use of ineffective teaching methods; Lack of motivation of the teaching force resulting into insufficient focus on the learner and thus creating little room for use of modern teaching techniques that require individualized teaching, amongst others. As a result, the copping strategies employed both at the Ministry of Education level; school level and teacher level have not been effective in ensuring the provision of equitable and quality education. Given the fast approaching deadline of 2015 for meeting the internationally agreed goals and commitments, the international development partners and other key education stakeholders should come forward and generously support educational development , especially the aspects that enhance effective implementation of basic education in Kenya, strictly in line with national priorities. In doing so, Kenya will not only be on track towards the attainment of the internationally agreed goals that appertain to education, but the attainment of quality EFA will be within reach. [309 words]
Minimum Investment Requirements, Financial Market Globalization, and Symmetry Breaking

We incorporate wealth heterogeneity and the minimum investment requirements in the model of Matsuyama (2004, Econometrica) and provide a complete characterization of symmetry breaking. In particular, we identify the extensive margin of investment as a key channel through which the interest rate may respond positively to capital accumulation, or equivalently, the interest rate can be higher in the rich than in the poor countries. Then, financial market globalization may lead to “uphill” capital flows from the poor to the rich countries, which widens the initial cross-country income gap and leads to income divergence among inherently identical countries, a phenomenon that Matsuyama calls symmetry breaking.
Effect of Chordwise Flexibility and Depth of Submergence on an Oscillating Plate Underwater Propulsion System

The first part of this work was dedicated to the experimental study of basic principles of oscillating plate propulsors undergoing a combination of heave translation and pitch rotation. The oscillation kinematics are inspired by swimming mechanisms employed by fish and some other marine animals. The primary attention was the propulsive characteristics of such oscillating plates, which was studied by means of direct force measurements in the thrust-producing regime. Experiments were performed at constant Reynolds number and heave amplitude. By varying the Strouhal number, experimental depth and chordwise flexibility of the plate it was possible to investigate corresponding changes in thrust and hydromechanical efficiency. After numerous measurements it was possible to establish an optimal set of parameters, including the system’s driving frequency, the ratio of rigid to flexible segment length of the plate and the range of Strouhal number, that led to a peak efficiency near 80%. The experiments for different values of chordwise flexibility showed that greater flexibility increases the propulsive efficiency and thrust compared with similar motion of the purely rigid foil. By submerging the plate at different depths, it was observed that the proximity of the propulsor to the channel floor led to overall increase in the thrust coefficient. However the increase in thrust coefficient was pronounced in