Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Non-Economic Damages in Medical Malpractice Appeals: Does the Jurisdiction Make a Difference?

This article assesses predictors of payouts and non-economic damages in medical malpractice cases decided by the Spanish Supreme Court from 2006 until 2010. Medical malpractice cases can be judged in administrative or civil courts, and this distinction heavily relies on the type of hospital where the medical accident took place (in general terms, administrative courts judge cases involving public hospitals and civil courts judge cases involving private hospitals). I find that cases decided by the Administrative Section of the Supreme Court are not more likely to receive damages than cases decided by the Civil Section. The probability of receiving compensation is significantly higher among cases involving permanent major/grave injuries. With respect to non-economic compensation amounts, there are no significant differences between Administrative and Civil cases. This result is confirmed by matching estimation and simulation exercises. There is evidence of vertical inequality according to the level of harm: cases involving permanent grave injuries are those receiving the highest non-economic damages, followed by permanent major, death, permanent minor and temporary /emotional cases. Differences in compensation awards between Administrative and Civil courts has been one argument widely used against the current separation of jurisdictions in many civil law tradition countries. The results found in this paper do not support this claim.
THE ROLE OF AGE, JOB EXPERIENCE, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, AND LENGTH OF MARRIAGE IN WORK-FAMILY CONFLICT OF MARRIED NURSES

The purpose of this study was to explore the role of age, job experience, educational attainment and length of marriage in work-family conflict. We employed a cross-sectional survey design in the study. The participants were 181 (173 female and 8 male) nurses selected through the purposive sampling technique among married nursing staff at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital. The mean age was 35.39 years (SD = 8.65, range = 21-59 years). Work-family conflict was assessed using the 9 items measuring the interference between work and family of the Multidimensional Work-Family Conflict Scale. Five hypotheses were tested in the study. Percentages, means, independent sample t-test, and one-way ANOVA were used for analyses. Results indicated nurses with BSc degree and above manifested significantly lower strain-based conflict than those with Registered Nurses Certificate and Midwife Certificate holders. Furthermore, nurses with BSc degree and above reported significantly lower behaviourbased conflict than those with Registered Nurses Certificate and Midwife Certificate holders. In terms of overall score, nurses with BSc degree and above reported significantly lower work-family conflict than those with Registered Nurses Certificate and Midwife Certificate holders. In conclusion, educational attainment and length of marriage are important determinants of work-family conflict among nurses and, therefore, should be considered by employers of labour, clinicians, and family life educators in identifying interventions aimed at overcoming the problem of work-family conflict.
Achievement attributions of preparatory class learners in learning English

The aim of the study was to find out the achievement attributions of preparatory class learners studying at pre-intermediate and intermediate level for their perceived success or failure, and to investigate whether there was a significant relationship between achievement attributions of learners, their gender and level of language proficiency. The data were gathered through a questionnaire and a follow up interview with the participants. First of all, the questionnaire was administered to 223 participants, university English preparatory students. Then, 50 of the participants were interviewed to gain more insight about the perceptions of the participants. The quantitative data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics and independent sample t-tests, and the qualitative data were analyzed by means of content analysis. The results revealed that successful learners ascribed “having a successful teacher” as the most important attribution. In addition, internal and controllable causes such as “having self-confidence”, “enjoying learning English” and “being interested in English” were the three outstanding attributions of successful learners. On the other hand, unsuccessful learners attributed their failure most to “lack of enough vocabulary” as well as to external, stable and uncontrollable factors such as “difficulty of exams”, “short education term to learn English”, and “lack of background education” at reasonably high level. In terms of gender, while females attributed success to studying English adequately, listening to the teacher carefully, reading books more than male learners, and getting help from others (friends, instructors, other sources) if necessary more than male learners, male learners found learning English easier than female ones. In terms of proficiency level, the learners of intermediate level were more likely to view learning English as an easy task. In addition, the learners of pre-intermediate level seemed to depend more on their instructors.
Harpacticoid copepod colonization of coral fragments in a tropical reef lagoon (Zanzibar, Tanzania)

Colonization experiments were conducted in a tropical lagoon (Zanzibar Island, off the coast of Tanzania) to investigate the temporal dynamics and mode of colonization of the harpacticoid copepods community on dead coral fragments. There was fast colonization of the coral fragments attaining a substantial diversity after only two days. The ability to colonize dead coral fragments is thought to be related to the morphology and life style of different harpacticoid species. Phytal taxa (e.g. Tisbidae) were fast colonizers, reaching high abundances during the initial colonization phase. Sediment-associated and eurytopic taxa (e.g. Ameiridae, Miraciidae and Ectinosomatidae) showed lower colonization rates and became the dominant group during the later colonization phase. Most species are able to colonize the coral fragments through the water column. However, colonization along the substrate surface is also considered to be an important colonization mode, especially for sediment-associated taxa, which showed lower colonization rates when migration through the sediment was hindered.
Dogmatic is problematic: Interpreting evidence for latitudinal gradients in herbivory and defense

It has long been believed that plant-animal interactions, including herbivory, are more intense toward the tropics. The more intense interactions in the tropics are thought to have selected for higher levels of defenses against herbivores. These ideas are fundamental to our understanding of global patterns in diversity, and for our understanding of plant-animal interactions. However, recent analyses have tended not to support the traditional hypothesis of higher herbivory and defenses at lower latitudes. Despite mounting empirical evidence, many ecologists have been slow to re-assess their beliefs. I show clear evidence for citation bias, with papers that support the traditional idea being cited over six times as often as papers that show higher herbivory at higher latitudes and over four times as often as papers showing higher defense at higher latitudes. I also highlight examples where interpretations that are counter to the available empirical evidence have been published in high profile journals. I suggest that providing rigorous empirical tests for ideas that have become widely established without appropriate testing should be a priority for ecologists. We need to make sure the objectivity of peer-reviewed science stands out from the mass of unchecked opinion available on the web.
On a likelihood interpretation of adjusted profile likelihoods through refined predictive densities.

In this paper a second-order link between adjusted profile likelihoods and refinements of the estimative predictive density is shown. The result provides a new straightforward interpretation for modified profile likelihoods, that complements results in Severini (1998a) and in Pace and Salvan (2006). Moreover, it outlines a form of consistency to second order between likelihood theory and prediction in frequentist inference.
Trade Credit as a Competitiveness Tool; Evidence from Developing Countries

Statistics show that the sale of goods on credit is widespread among firms even when they are financially constrained and thus face relatively high costs in providing trade credit. A possible explanation for this is the use of trade credit as a competitiveness tool. By analyzing both the impact of customer as well as producer market power on a firm’s decision to provide trade credit, we examine whether trade credit is indeed used as a way to lock in customers by firms in developing countries. Using a new dataset containing a large number of firms in 42 developing countries, we find strong evidence that an important driving force behind the decision to provide trade credit is the urge to be competitive. This especially holds for those firms that still have to establish a solid market reputation and for firms located in countries with an underdeveloped banking sector.
Has Borsa Istanbul Been Conceded Goals by Fenerbahҫe and Trabzonspor?

This study investigates match fixing accused 2011 Turkish football league’s Fenerbahce, Galatasaray, Besiktas and Trabzonspor football clubs matches and their share performance at Borsa Istanbul (BIS). If there is match fixing gossips, some investors could beat the market. If some club members throw a game, they also could beat the market. So we could claim there was insider trading. To undertake this assessment, daily data of the football clubs Fenerbahce, Galatasaray, Besiktas and Trabzonspor shares closing prices and volumes were collected on the Borsa Istanbul (BIS) for the period from 03 January 2005 to 30 September 2011. To investigate differences between accusation and non-accusation periods, we calculated returns and applied descriptive statistics, and the Kolmogorov Smirnov, Kruskal-Wallis and logistic regression tests. Although this study cannot claim there was match fixing and insider trading for FB and TS, it can be said there was a suspicious.
A model for removing sediments from open channels

The problems caused by suspended sediment overloading in open channels are of great importance to the hydraulic engineers. One of the important problems caused by the sediment overloading during flood seasons is the change in bed level and corresponding water level of rivers due to its deposition on the river bed. At the upstream reaches, the bed slope is high, velocity is high and hence the rivers carry large amount of sediment during flood seasons. In this paper, eighty-one experiments on a laboratory open-channel of cross-section dimensions (20*50) cm and (10) m long. The experiments include using sharp crested weir in the last third part of the channel. Three heights of weir are used; namely half width of channel (B), equal to the width, and 1.5 times the width of channel). Also, three bed slopes of the channel are used; namely 0.015, 0.0225, and 0.03). In all experiments, the values of discharge are limited between 100 and 300 l/min. The concentration of suspended sediment is measured upstream and downstream the weir through each experiment to calculate the sediment reduction ratio (SRR%). The results of the laboratory experiments showed that the sediment reduction ratio increases with the increase of weir height and reaches about (63%) at a channel bed slope of (0.015) and a weir height 1.5B. When the discharge is more than (100 l/min), the highest values of sediment reduction ratio are obtained for the three slopes used and at weir height of 1.5B. Key words: Open channel, sediment reduction ratio, model, removal.
The effects of communal land sub-division and land use changes on household waste production in the Southern rangelands of Kenya

In the past few decades, the inhabitants of now Kajiado County in the southern rangelands of Kenya have experienced changes in land tenure and in land use that have impacted other aspects of their livelihoods as well as the environment. The study sought to examine these changes within the context of their potential influences on the household production and management of solid waste. Local residents from three different study areas were interviewed using questionnaires which included questions pertaining to basic demographic information, to land ownership and use, and to knowledge and behaviors regarding organic and inorganic household waste. The study revealed that while some characteristics of waste management were affected by land tenure and use, the use of waste from agricultural farms to feed livestock as a waste disposal method worked well for most households. Whereas some respondents burned their solid wastes others just left waste to litter in the compound. The majority of the results indicated that present changes in land tenure and land were key factors in influencing solid waste generation in the region. However, the study highlights several concerns about the lack of education and infrastructure for proper waste management which deserved attention. The study concluded that there was a relationship between solid waste generation and the nature of land use; agriculturalists produced more waste due to sedentarisation than pastoralists. Proper infrastructure and sensitization on solid management are keys to the negative impacts of solid waste to the inhabitants of the southern rangelands of Kenya. Key words: Solid waste, land tenure, land use, waste management, sedenterisation.
EXPLORING THE EFFECT OF HEALTH ON ECONOMIC GROWTH IN NIGERIA: A VECTOR ERROR CORRECTION MODEL APPROACH

This paper seeks to investigate the effect of health on economic growth in Nigeria using secondary data from the period 1980 to 2013. Time series properties of the data was tested with ADF and PP unit root test which was followed by a test of the long run relationship among the variables using Johansen-Juselius cointegration test, VECM and granger causality test. The result of the unit root test revealed that all the variables were stationary at first difference i.e I(1) while Schwarz Information Criterion (SC) confirmed the appropriateness of two lag length and the trace statistic and the max-Eigen statistic Johansen cointegration test both revealed the existence of five cointegrating equation. The VECM result showed that all the explanatory variables were in line with the a priori expectation and the model satisfied the stability condition while the granger causality result depicts a uni-directional relationship between health indicators and economic growth in Nigeria. Therefore, it was suggested that government should increase the allocation of fund to the health sector and develop strategies for the monitoring of the disbursement of such fund as well as increase the awareness of the availability of various health services to the society.
The Influence of Laser Welding on the Mechanical Properties of Dual Phase and Trip Steels

Nowadays, a wide range of materials is used for car body structures in order to improve both the passengers’ safety and fuel consumption. These are joined by laser welding and solid state fiber lasers being used more and more in present. The article is focused on the research of laser welding influence on the mechanical and deformation properties, microstructure and microhardness of advanced high-strength steels: high-strength low-alloyed steel HC340LA, dual phase steel HCT600X and multi-phase residual austenite steel RAK40/70. The proper welding parameters have been found based on weld quality evaluation. The specimens for tensile test with longitudinal laser weld were used to measure mechanical and deformation properties. Microstructure and microhardness of laser welds were evaluated in the base metal, heat affected zone and fusion zone. The higher values of strength and lower ones for deformation properties of laser-welded materials have been found for dual and multi-phase steel. The microhardness strongly depends on the carbon equivalent of steel. Deformation properties are more sensitive than strength properties to the change of microstructure in the fusion zone and heat affected zone.
Values and Support for Immigration : A Cross-Country Comparison

In this article, we estimate and compare the effects of two value dimensions taken from the theory of basic human values—namely, self-transcendence and conservation—on attitudes toward immigration in 19 countries. Data from the first wave (2002–03) of the European Social Survey (ESS) is utilized for the analyses. This cross-national survey measures basic human values with a new 21-item instrument. Attitudes toward immigration are operationalized using two dimensions: willingness to allow immigrants into the country and rejection of conditions to allow them. Effects of the value dimensions on immigration attitudes are compared across 19 nations using multiple-group multiple-indicators structural equation modelling (MGSEM). We hypothesize that these effects are equal across countries. The critical statistical legitimacy for comparing these effects across countries is discussed in detail, and partial measurement invariance is evidenced. The MGSEM provides strong support for our hypotheses in 17 countries: self-transcendence displays a positive effect on support for immigration, and conservation a negative effect. This result is robust also after accounting for several individual and contextual variables. Effects are found to differ a little across countries. It is shown that clusters of countries with equal effect sizes can be distinguished, and possible explanations for effect size differences are discussed.
Synthesis of gold nanoparticles by the fungus Aspergillus niger and its efficacy against mosquito larvae

Background: The fungus Aspergillus niger has been selected for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The authors report the role of fungi in the synthesis of AuNPs. Additionally, the larvicidal efficacy of these AuNPs was tested using the larvae of three mosquito species: Anopheles stephensi, Culex quinquefasciatus, and Aedes aegypti. Methods: The AuNPs were characterized through microplate reader analysis, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The larvicidal efficacy was tested against all larval stages of A. stephensi, C. quinquefasciatus, and A. aegypti and calculated by probit analysis at six different log concentrations at the time points of 24, 48, and 72 hours. Results: The AuNPs synthesized by A. niger were found to be more effective against the C. quinquefasciatus larvae than the A. stephensi and A. aegypti larvae. All larval instars of C. quinquefasciatus showed 100% mortality after 48 hours of exposure to the AuNPs synthesized by A. niger. Conclusion: The results suggest that the use of AuNPs synthesized by fungus can be a more rapid and environmentally friendly approach for mosquito control than current approaches. This could potentially lead to a new vector control strategy.
Comparison of Volatile Compounds of Fresh Boletus edulis and B. pinophilus in Marmara Region of Turkey

Boletus edulis and B. pinophilus are commonly consumed edible species of Boletus spp. in Turkey, which are also exported to some European countries. In this study, twenty-three volatile compounds were determined with Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction / Gas Chromatography / Mass Spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC/MS) in both B. edulis and B. pinophilus . 1-octen-3-ol (79.75), 2-octen-1-ol (13.18), 1-octen-3-one (2.52), (E)-2-octenal (1.21) in B. edulis and 1-octen-3-ol (55.97), 2-octen-1-ol (13.55), 3-octanone (7.43), (E)-2-octenal (6.79), 1-octen-3-one (5.80) and 1,7,7-trimethyl-heptan-2-one (2.04), 2-propenoic acid (1.95) and 1,3-octadiene (1.75) in B. pinophilus were identified as main volatile aroma compounds (%), respectively. The present study is the first report on the volatile constituents of B. edulis and B. pinophilus collected from Turkey.
Revisiting the probabilistic definition of drought: strengths, limitations and an agrometeorological adaptation

Drought is a slow-moving hazard that occurs in virtually all countries of the world. In the light of this, several indices have been developed to improve the detection of drought’s onset, as well as quantifying other features of this phenomenon. The Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) is often used in order to characterize meteorological droughts. In addition, this index is largely used by Brazilian’s agricultural institutions. In order to add important information to the drought literature, this review article described a general definition of drought, evaluated it from a statistical point of view, and also described the SPI strengths and limitations. An adaptation of the SPI that aims to develop a probability-based agricultural drought index was also presented. The results obtained herein, associated with several studies carried out throughout the world, demonstrated that the SPI is not an agricultural index. It is just a mathematical approach developed to transforming skewed distributions into the Gaussian form. If this standardization cannot be achieved, the use of this index becomes meaningless. Therefore, a normality test should be used in establishing a temporal lower limit for the SPI computations. It was also verified that for periods in which the probability associated with the zero precipitation value is close to 0.5, the SPI may erroneously indicate the end of an existing drought (or a decrease in its severity) in the presence of a decrease in the actual evapotranspiration values.
Underemployment in the Turkish Labor Market

Using individual-level data from Household Labor Force Surveys for the period 2009-2015, this paper examines the determinants of underemployment in the sample of wage and salary earners in Turkey. Findings from Probit estimations indicate that the effect of gender on the likelihood of underemployment is not statistically significant, and there is a negative association between educational attainment and the likelihood of underemployment. Within the group of higher educated individuals, there are important differences across fields of study.
Teaching the Nature of Science in the Nature: A Summer Science Camp

Teaching the nature of science has been one of the main goals of science education in recent years. In order to teach the nature of science in a way that would be appealing to children, a summer science camp was organized in this study. The science camp was held in an area, which was located near a beautiful lake by a mountain. 34 students who were in grades 6 to 8 participated in the camp. The first three days of the camp program were aimed at developing background for inquiry and collaboration skills. Later, the students conducted guided-inquiry on a research question that they asked about nature in small groups for two-days. Each group prepared a poster and presented it to their families on the last day of the camp. A few explicit Nature of Science (NOS) activities were carried out throughout the camp program. Views of Nature of Science questionnaire version D (VNOS D) (Lederman & Khishfe, 2002) was applied as pre- and post-test in order to determine the effectiveness of the camp in introducing NOS. The results showed that the camp program helped the students develop informed views of empirical and tentative nature of NOS. On the other hand, the camp program was less effective in developing informed views of imaginative and creative nature of science and least effective in introducing theory ladeness of scientific knowledge, scientific models and difference between observation and inference.