Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Trends in woody vegetation cover in the Kruger National Park, South Africa, between 1940 and 1998

Changes in the cover and density of shrubs and trees were assessed from aerial photographs (1940, 1974 and 1998) as well as from fixed-point photographs taken in 1984 and 1996 in the Kruger National Park, South Africa. Woody cover (trees and shrubs combined) increased by 12% on granite substrates but decreased by 64% on basalt substrates over the past 58 years. Both these figures are expressed in terms of the initial values, respectively. The density of the large tree component of woody vegetation decreased on both substrates. Woody vegetation cover declined as fire return periods became shorter, but the relationship was weak. The increases in woody plant density and cover on granite are thought to be the result of decreased competition from grasses, which in turn is a result of overgrazing by wild herbivores whose numbers have been kept high through the provision of surface water. These effects were not seen on the relatively nutrient-rich basalts, where grasses can recover rapidly even after heavy grazing. The decline in overall woody cover on basalts is interpreted as a result of regular, short-interval prescribed burning over the past 40 years, while the universal decline in large trees seems to result from an interaction between regular, frequent fires and utilization by elephants. The implications for management are discussed.
The Relationship between Lexical Diversity and Genre in Iranian EFL Learners’ Writings

The present study investigated whether lexical diversity is sensitive to genre in Iranian intermediate EFL learners’ writings. It also aimed at determining the relationship between learners’ writing quality and lexical diversity in different genres. To this end, 30 intermediate EFL learners, studying English at the Language Center of Urmia University, were asked to write essays in three genres: argumentative, narrative and descriptive. The writings were scored both holistically and analytically by the researchers and a trained rater, yielding an inter-rater reliability of 0.84. Subsequently, lexical diversity was measured using Richards and Malvern (1997) VocD model of lexical diversity. Results obtained through correlational analyses and one-way Repeated Measures ANOVA indicated a significant difference between narrative and comparative, and also between narrative and argumentative genres in terms of lexical diversity. A positive relationship between lexical diversity and writing quality was found only in argumentative genre when scored analytically. The study may have implications for improving and predicting the quality of EFL learners’ writing.
Police and Security Officer Experiences of Occupational Violence and Injury in Australia

This study employed national workers' compensation data to examine and compare the nature and prevalence of work-related injuries and occupational violence experienced by Australian security officers and police between 2000 and 2008. The study found that while security officers' work-related injuries overall occurred at half the rate of police officers', the rates of occupational violence were about equal and followed the same trend over time — rising during the mid 2000s and then declining steadily. However, injuries to security officers appeared more serious than those experienced by police. Security officers were twice as likely to sustain a head injury and, on average, lost about six weeks more work than police. Compared with all other Australian occupations, security and police were in the top three highest claiming occupations for work-related injuries and deaths from occupational violence, with security officers at number one in both instances. The findings add to the very limited literature on injuries and violence experienced by police and security officers. However, the findings also show the need for more research on the specific situational factors involved in injuries and on what works in prevention.
Technical efficiency and its determinants in the European Union agriculture.

Th e study concerns the measurement of the technical effi ciency of agriculture in the 27 European Union (EU) countries in 2010. Th e studies were conducted based on the result-oriented DEA method assuming variable advantages of scale. Moreover, in the study, the factors aff ecting technical effi ciency were identifi ed, and the econometric modelling of their impact was performed with the use of the Tobit model. Th e studies indicate that across the 27 EU Member States, the level of the technical effi ciency of agriculture is diverse, and the diff erence between the states with the highest and the lo- west effi ciencies is 40%. Cyprus, Denmark, Greece, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Italy and Malta were iden- tifi ed as the countries with the thoroughly technically effi cient agriculture. In turn, the least technically effi cient agriculture is observed for the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia and Slovakia. Taking into account the factors deter- mining the technical agriculture effi ciency, it should be noted that the stimulants have proven to be such factors as: the soil quality, the age of the head of the household and the surcharges for investments. In turn, the size of the farm appeared to be irrelevant from the viewpoint of the technical effi ciency of the agricultural sector.
Tax Incentives and Corruption: Evidence and Policy Implications

The provision of tax incentives to enhance investments, may lead to corruption. However, this well known claim has never been tested empirically. Based on unique large cross-section sample data and 2SLS analysis, it presents first empirical evidence in which countries with high levels of tax incentives will usually face high levels of corruption. Second, it helps to resolve the debate whether tax incentives enhance or deter investments. The policy implication is that a country that desires to enhance investments, should consider first the negative indirect effects of tax incentives, through corruption, on economic activity in general and investments in particular.
The moderating effect of store image on the indirect relationship between socio-sensory experience and the purchase intention via social value

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how social-sensory experience influences purchase intention; moderated and mediated by store image and social value. The study is based on a sample of 420 respondents drawn from three retail stores belonging to three tier one retail chains in Nairobi-Kenya. Structural equation modeling is used to test the relationships between social-sensory experience, social value, and store image and purchase intention in a moderated mediated context. The software SPPS with process macro is used to compute the moderated mediated relationship using bootstrapping. The results show that store image moderates the mediated relationship between social-sensory experience and purchase intention via social value. The study contributes to the study on consumer behavior by demonstrating the complex interactions of key influencers in the consumer decision making process. Managers need to ensure that store environments are designed in a manner that they will offer a complete and memorable customer experience with every visit and encounter.
A Comprehensive Analysis of the Determinants of Swap Problem in the Supply Chain of the Petroleum Industry

Applying mathematical modeling to solve swap problems, specifically in the petroleum industry, have proven to help the decision makers to better determine what, where, and how much to swap in order to reduce supply chain (SC) costs and improve its surplus. However, for a better determination of the alternatives and a more profound evaluation of the tradeoffs among them, a comprehensive analysis of the results and a thorough investigation of their impact on the parties involved in swap are crucial. This research performs a detailed sensitivity analysis of the swap problem to examine the effect of different operational parameters on the cost savings realized along the supply chain of the organizations involved in swap. Findings of this study suggest that, if performed properly, swap can significantly reduce supply chain costs and may result in substantial savings, creating a win-win situation for all parties engaged in swap.
EXTRACTION AND MEASUREMENT OF COSMOGENIC IN SITU

Unlike C that is produced in the upper atmosphere by the N(n,p)C reaction, in situ C is produced within minerals at the earth’s surface by a number of spallation reactions including O(n,α)C, O(n,2pn)C and N(n,p)C (Gosse & Phillips, 2001). A range of cosmic-ray produced radionuclides including Be, Al and Cl, which are formed in surface minerals, are now used to establish ages for formerly un-dateable deposits, however, their long half-lives render them insensitive to recent events and rapidly eroding deposits. Pure quartz (SiO2) is an ideal mineral for in situ C dating due to its lack of cleavage in the mineral grains, ensuring resistance to contamination by atmospheric C. This resistance to weathering under surface conditions, coupled with the relatively short half-life of 5730 years, provides a unique cosmogenic nuclide tool for the measurement of rapid erosion rates (>10 cm yr) and events occurring over the past 25,000 yr (Lal, 1991). Furthermore, recent advances in C dating by AMS have provided the opportunity to measure the very small quantities of carbon that can be extracted from quartz. The vacuum system that I have designed and built to extract carbon from quartz is based on that used at the University of Arizona (Lifton 1997), which uses resistance heating of samples to a temperature of approximately 1100oC in the presence of lithium metaborate (LiBO2) to fuse the quartz. In the presence of O2, any carbon present is released and oxidised to CO2, which is subsequently cryogenically trapped and graphitised for AMS measurement. In previous work (Naysmith et al., 2004) it has been shown that the extraction system produced a stable blank value but when running Lifton’s PP-4 standard sample, the system generated larger volumes of CO2 but only half the number of carbon atoms compared to Lifton. In this study,
An Experimental Research on the Transfer of Mathematics Skills Based On Self-Monitoring Strategy

This research investigated the different influences of skill transferring in mathematics, which was produced through the strategy of excessive with similar examples and monitoring oneself from the preparation work to implementation and subsequent investigation. The methods used for evaluation data included an IQ test, a targeted transferring test, formative assessment, summative assessment, an objective interview, and individual tracking observation. The results showed that the strategy of monitoring oneself was better than excessive exercise with similar examples in enhancing the transferring of skill.
Foreign Aid, Aid Effectiveness and the New Aid Paradigm: A Review

This study examines the effects of regulatory framework and legal system on the private action towards environmental quality among food processing firms in Sri Lanka. An Environment Regulation Responsiveness Index, reflecting compliance to solid waste management practices, was used as the measure of firms perception on environment regulation. The results highlight that compliance by the majority of firms was relatively low, especially among the small scale firms, suggesting that the decision maker on environment quality did not consider government regulation as an impotant factor to act on the environment. This calls for a critical revision and adjustments to the policy on environmental quality management both at the national and provincial level in order to promote voluntary action by firms.
Australian Island Arks: Conservation, Management and Opportunities

Australia is the custodian of a diverse range of continental and oceanic islands. From Heard and Macquarie in the sub-Antarctic, to temperate Lord Howe and Norfolk, to the tropical Cocos (Keeling) Islands and the islands of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia’s islands contain some of the nation’s most iconic fauna, flora and ecosystems. They are a refuge for over 35% of Australia’s threatened species and for many others declining on mainland Australia. They also have significant cultural value, especially for Indigenous communities, and economic value as centres for tourism. Australian Island Arks presents a compelling case for restoring and managing islands to conserve our natural heritage. With contributions from island practitioners, researchers and policy-makers, it reviews current island management practices and discusses the need and options for future conservation work. Chapters focus on the management of invasive species, threatened species recovery, conservation planning, Indigenous cultural values and partnerships, tourism enterprises, visitor management, and policy and legislature. Case studies show how island restoration and conservation approaches are working in Australia and what the emerging themes are for the future. Australian Island Arks will help island communities, managers, visitors and decision-makers to understand the current status of Australia’s islands, their management challenges, and the opportunities that exist to make best use of these iconic landscapes.
Is There a Basis for the Notion of Athletic Identity

Just as identity is a complex multidimensional construct, so 'athletic identity' is likely to consist of a constellation of attributes. The present study explored relations between athletic identity, as measured by the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS: Brewer, Raalte, & Linder, 1993) and aspects of self-concept, as measured by the Self-Description Questionnaire III (SDQ: Marsh, 1989). The participants in the study were 917 athletes (476 females) on sporting scholarships linked with the Australian Institute of Sport and were therefore a group for whom the term “athletic identity” has strong relevance. The SDQ requires respondents to rate the accuracy and importance of characteristics as selfdescriptors. No relationships were found between AIMS athletic identity and accuracy scores on SDQ sporting self-concept but there were gender-linked relationships between athletic identity and different aspects of SDQ academic self-concept. For the SDQ importance ratings, significant relationships were observed between athletic identity and sporting self-concept for both genders and also between athletic identity and verbal self-concept for females. We discuss what the findings mean for the notion of athletic identity.
TOTAL PHENOLIC, TOTAL FLAVONOID CONTENTS AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF A FEW INDIGENOUS FRUITS GROWN IN MANIPUR

Fruits are excellent sources of natural antioxidants, flavonoid and phenolic compounds. Methanolic extracts and petroleum ether extracts of 3(three) wild fruits have been measured by DPPH (1, 1-diphenyl, 2-picrylhydrazyl radical) method for antioxidant activity, Folin-Ciocalteu method for phenolic content and AlCl3 colorimetric assay for flavonoid contents respectively. The result indicates that high anti-oxidant, flavanoids and phenolic contents were observed in the methanolic extracts of the fruits as compared to the petroleum ether extracts. These results also confirmed that all the complex molecules like flavonols, polyphenols etc. are soluble in methanol as compared to petroleum ether. KEY WORDS Anti-oxidant Flavonoids Phenolic Fruits
Intercropping Barley (Hordeum vulgar L.) and Lentil (Lens culinaris L.): Yield and Intercropping Advantages

Effect of intercropping of lentil with barley was studied at Department of Agronomy, University of Zabol, on a sandy loam soil during autumn 2011 growing season in order to determine biological and economical yield of barley (Hordeum vulgar L.) mixed with lentil (Lens culinaris L) cultivar mono cropped or intercropped in replacement series design. The treatments were compared in a randomized completely block design (RCBD) with five levels of row intercropping that was included: sole barley (6 row barley), 4 row barely + 2 row lentil, 4 row lentil + 2 row barley, 3 row barley + 3 row lentil and sole lentil (6 row lentil) in three replication. Results indicated that intercropping system affected many characteristics such as plant height, biological and economical yield. Intercropped barley with lentil was far more effective than mono crop barley to produce yield and land equivalent ratio. The highest of LER for economical yield was obtained at 3 row barley + 3 row lentil (2.61) and the least of LER was obtained by 2 row barley + 4 row lentils. The results were shown that for get maximum production barely should be sown as an intercrop to lentil and the best treatment was It 3 row barley + 3 row lentils in sistan region. Thus It can be concluded that mixture were advantageous compared to both sole crops of barley and lentil.
Investigating the Effect of Selected Marketing Efforts in Brand Equity Creation and Its Cross-Cultural Invariance in Emerging Markets

In the field of brand management, numerous studies have been conducted on brand equity conceptualization, measurement and validation. Also, previous researchers have shown that consumer-based brand equity via its dimensions can be created and maintained through a companyi¯s marketing mix activities. Brand equity according to Keller, is the differential effect of brand knowledge on consumer response to the marketing activities performed on the brand. Due to cultural differences, consumersi¯ reaction will differ and thus these marketing efforts will have varying results in different markets. Drawn from both Aakeri¯s & Kelleri¯s conceptualizations of brand equity, the current study develops a brand equity creation process model similar to Yoo et al.i¯s and examines its cross-cultural invariance through a structural invariance test using data from two important growing marketsiaGhana and China. Results prove that some marketing efforts and dimensions of brand equity have invariant effects on brand equity across the Ghana and Chinese samples. Specifically, the effect of price on perceived quality was not equivalent in both markets. Relationship among brand equity dimensions were also not equivalent, however these dimensions all show an equivalent, positive effect on brand equity. Managerial implications for international brands and limitations for future research are discussed.
The Benefits of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) on Diabetes Distress and Glycemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes

Introduction: This study was designed to determine the effectiveness of combined group Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in improving diabetes distress and glycemic control among 60 adults with type 2 diabetes. Methods: Half the participants were the experimental group (n = 30), and the other half was the control group (n = 30). Group therapy consisted of eight sessions for three months. Measures obtained at pre-test and post-test included the Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS-17) and blood examination to examine the level of HbA1c. Result: The results indicated that group CBT had significant effects on the amelioration of diabetes distress and level of HbA1c among the participants of the experimental group. Conclusion: The effectiveness of group CBT in the maintenance of good diabetic control in people who are suffering from type 2 diabetes was successfully demonstrated. Please click PDF below to download the full paper.
Functional analysis of the CAF 1 protein

The CAF1 protein is a component of the CCR4-NOT deadenylase complex. While yeast CAF1 displays deadenylase activity, this activity is not required for its function in vivo, and CCR4 is the primary deadenylase in the complex. In order to identify CAF1-specific functional regions required for deadenylation in vivo, we targeted for mutagenesis six regions of CAF1 that are specifically conserved among CAF1 orthologs. Defects in three regions of the CAF1 protein (residues 173-175, residues 255-257 and residues 340-342, alleles caf1-1, caf1-3 and caf1-6, respectively) were found to dramatically reduce the rate of deadenylation in vivo and to result in typical caf1 deletion phenotypes without critically affecting the ability of CAF1 to bind CCR4. In contrast, defects in residues 213-215, which were defined as the site required for binding CCR4 (caf1-2 allele), reduced the rate of deadenylation to a lesser extent than did caf1-1, -3 or -6 and its in vivo phenotypes were correspondingly less severe than these other alleles. The caf1-1, -3, and -6 alleles or a caf1 deletion, unlike that of ccr4 or caf1-2, were synthetically lethal with defects in DHH1, a decapping regulator that is involved in controlling translation, and with certain defects in poly(A) binding protein (PAB1) that display decreased rates of translation and deadenylation. A caf1 deletion also had a more significant effect on translation than did ccr4. These and other genetic experiments suggest a role for CAF1 in translation separate from that of CCR4. Conversely, a pab1 translation defect that did not affect deadenylation by itself or with ccr4 severely blocked deadenylation when coupled with a caf1 deletion. These results support a role for CAF1 in communications between translation and deadenylation that are required for both processes.
A Computational Study of The Effect of Blade Thickness on Performance of Vertical Axis Wind Turbine

Vertical axis wind turbine with straight blade is one of the modern vertical axis wind turbines for converting wind to electrical energy. Power production capability at low speed and turbulent winds and, low disturbing noise with good appearance, makes it suitable to use small scale of this type turbine in urban areas. In view of considering importance of blade aerodynamics in turbine performance, the flow over vertical axis wind turbine with straight blade is simulated by two dimensional computational fluid dynamics. In this regard, several conventional NACA series airfoils are chosen and the effect of airfoil thickness on turbine performance was studied. Blade geometry and grid generation were created in Gambit modeling software and, Fluent software which is based on finite volume method is used for solving the problem. For Numerical solution of unsteady flow around the airfoil, the Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) have been used. The simulation results and comparison of power coefficient of vertical axis wind turbine in different thickness blades showed NACA 0012 airfoil has the best coefficient of performance in a range of tip speed ratio (λ>4). Such values are selected for tip speed ratio, so that the dynamic stall area of the blade to be prevented.