Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of bovine of schistosomosis in and around Nekemte, East Wollega zone, Western Ethiopia

A cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2016 to May 2016 at Guto Gida District, Nekemte, Ethiopia to determine the prevalence of bovine schistosomosis. Simple random sampling method was used to select the study animals and sedimentation technique was applied for finding Schistosoma eggs from fresh fecal samples. Out of 384 fecal samples examined, 22 were found positive indicating an overall prevalence of 5.7% schistosomosis in the study area. The prevalence of bovine schistosomosis was higher in Jirenga kebele (9.1%) than Gaarii kebele (4.6%) and Dalo kebele (3.7%). However, no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of bovine schistosomiasis in relation to origin was found. Similarly, there was no statistically significant difference observed between both sexes (P>0.05). The prevalence in body condition category was reported relatively higher in poor body condition (8.4%) and lower in good body condition (3.8%). However, no statistically significant differences appreciated among the three body condition categories (P>0.05). The finding indicated that, schistosomosis should be taken into consideration as one of the major limiting factor to livestock productivity at Guto Gida District. The control measures against schistosomosis must be designed to target either the parasite or the snail intermediate host. Key words: Bovine, Guto Gida, prevalence, schistosomiasis
Performance of two cassava varieties submitted to different spacings, grown in the cerrado region

A mandioca e a quarta cultura na producao de alimentos mais importante do mundo e a principal na regiao tropical. A produtividade media entre os produtores de mandioca no Tocantins e de apenas 15 toneladas por hectare. Desta forma, existe uma carencia de informacoes sobre a cultura da mandioca, o que torna necessario a realizacao de estudos e avaliacao da cultura quanto as suas caracteristicas. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o desempenho de duas variedades de mandioca (brava e mansa), em funcao de diferentes espacamentos. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi em esquema fatorial 2 x 3 x 4, sendo duas variedades, IAC 12 (brava) e a Cacau (mansa) e tres espacamentos (0,90 x 0,50m), (0,90 x 0,70m), (0,90 x 0,90m), com quatro repeticoes. As variaveis avaliadas foram: a) Altura de Planta (AP); b) Peso da Raiz (PR); c) Teor de Amido (TA); d) Massa Seca da Raiz (MS); e) Determinacao do pH da Massa da Mandioca. Os valores obtidos foram submetidos a analise de variância e as medias comparadas pelo teste de Tukey a 5% de probabilidade. A variedade Cacau cultivada sob os tres espacamentos foi a que melhor se destacou quanto a caracteristica altura de plantas. Na medida em que se aumentou os espacamentos, a producao de massa seca de raizes diminuiu. Os valores de pH e teor de amido das raizes nao foram influenciados pelos espacamentos e variedades. O espacamento que melhor se ajustou em funcao da produtividade de raizes de mandioca foi o de (0,9 x 0,7 m), sendo esta uma opcao viavel ao produtor que proporcionara menor gasto de manivas por area plantada e rentabilidade para as condicoes de cultivo do estado do Tocantins.
Predicting Facebook Fans’ Continuance Intention to Interact with Facebook Hospitality Company Fan Pages

This study proposes and tests a new synthesized model by integrating the expectation-confirmation model, the technology acceptance model, one affective factor and two information-sharing factors to examine fans’ intention to continue interacting with hospitality company pages. Facebook fans from Taiwan are recruited as participants via an Internet survey. Data from 354 usable questionnaires were tested against the research model using the structural equation modeling approach. The results show that satisfaction has the most pronounced effect on fans’ continuance intention, followed sequentially by significant but weaker predictors: perceived enjoyment, perceived usefulness, and attitude. Meanwhile, expected relationships and altruism are both verified as having a notable influence on fans’ continuance intention by affecting their attitude toward company’s page. This study targeted Facebook fans of hospitality business pages. Therefore, a validation using another large sample gathered elsewhere is required to generalize the findings. The findings of this paper can give both page managers and academics an increased understanding of fans’ continuance intention to interact with company fan pages; the results may then be employed as a guideline to develop more appropriate business strategies for hospitality organizations by which to promote their products/services. The proposed model is a new synthesized model; little research has been done on examining Facebook fans’ continuance intention toward interacting with hospitality company fan pages. This study contributes to an understanding of the factors that influence fans’ intention to continue interacting with company fan pages through an empirical investigation, and especially its targeting of fans’ perception.
Simulated Analysis of Soil Heat Flux Using Temperature Deviation Curve Model

Soil heat flux have shown prospects for researchers not only in the agricultural and infrastructure standpoint but also in the health sector. The temperature curve model was applied to determine the soil heat flux from a given data of soil temperature. Beyond the purpose of the research, it was discovered that soil heat flux has some other unknown parameters to aid its measurement.
Determination of aflatoxin M1 in bovine milk from the Alagoas/Brazil State dairy belt by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)

Milk is considered a nutritionally noble food and is therefore suitable for feeding children and adults. However, contamination of milk by mycotoxins may pose a health risk to the consumer. Aflatoxins, mycotoxins produced by fungi of the genus Aspergillus, can be found in several food products, including milk and its derivatives, which reinforces the importance of this type of study on the occurrence of the aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in raw milk. We analyzed 45 samples of raw bovine milk from expansion tanks from 23 farms in different municipalities of the dairy belt of the state of Alagoas/Brazil. Samples were collected directly from the cooling tanks and transported under refrigeration for analysis. The method used for the extraction of AFM1 was that proposed by the Adolfo Lutz Institute. On the other hand, the detection of AFM1 occurred by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) by identifying retention times. The results of the analyses indicated that none of the collected samples presented contamination by aflatoxin M1, thus indicating that the milk commercialized in Alagoas shows a good quality against this toxic agent. Key words: Aflatoxin M1, bovine milk, Alagoas.
Does Immigration Undermine Public Support for Integration in the European Union?

It is well established that negative attitudes towards immigrants are strongly associated with lower public support for European integration. But the impact of actual immigration levels on immigration attitudes is still contested. As a result, the relationship between immigration levels and EU public support remains uncertain from a theoretical point of view. We offer an empirical study of the link between immigration from the new EU member states from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and EU support at the regional level in Spain, France, Ireland and The Netherlands. The results of the analyses suggest that in all four countries immigration from CEE had negative effects on support for European integration in the host societies. In short, immigration seems to undermine integration, although internal migration within the EU is necessary for the successful functioning of its economic union and the future of political integration.
Challenges, success factors and strategies for women’s career development in the Australian construction industry

Construction is traditionally a male industry. Women have long had difficulties entering or advancing their career in construction. Evidence shows that a diversified workforce with gender balance will bring about higher levels of productivity. Despite the importance of this issue, there have been limited studies on women’s career development in construction. This study aims to investigate women’s career development in the Australian construction industry, with objectives to evaluate the challenges and success factors of women’s career development in the construction industry and provide strategies for narrowing the gender imbalance. A mixed approach of questionnaire survey and interview were conducted with female practitioners in the construction industry. Forty-three completed questionnaires were received and 10 interviews were conducted. Stress, family-work balance, and negative perception towards women in construction were the top three challenges identified. Dedication, determination, and independence were the top three success factors of women in construction. This study recommends construction employers consider providing personal development programs and flexible working arrangement for their female employees. Significance of this study lies on contributing to understanding women’s career development in construction. Findings will be useful for government and professional institutions to promulgate strategies for advancing women’s career development in construction.
Generations and turnout : The generational effect in electoral participation in Finland

The relationship between age and turnout has been curve-linear as electoral participation first increases with age, remains relatively stable throughout middle-age and then gradually declines as certain physical infirmities set in (see e.g. Milbrath 1965). Alongside this life-cycle effect in voting, recent pooled cross-sectional analyses (see e.g. Blais et al. 2004; Lyons and Alexander 2000) have shown that there is also a generational effect, referring to lasting differences in turnout between various age groups. This study firstly examines the extent to which the generational effect applies in the Finnish context. Secondly, it investigates the factors accounting for that effect. The first article, based on individual-level register data from the parliamentary elections of 1999, shows that turnout differences between the different age groups would be even larger if there were no differences in social class and education. The second article examines simultaneously the effects of age, generation and period in the Finnish parliamentary elections of 1975–2003 based on pooled data from Finnish voter barometers (N=8,634). The results show that there is a clear life cycle, generational and period effect. The third article examines the role of political socialisation in accounting for generational differences in electoral participation. Political socialisation is defined as the learning process in which an individual adopts various values, political attitudes, and patterns of actions from his or her environment. The multivariate analysis, based on the Finnish national election study 2003 (N=1,270), indicated that if there were no differences in socialisation between the youngest and the older generations, the difference in turnout would be much larger than if only sex and socioeconomic factors are controlled for. The fourth article examines other possible factors related to generational effect in voting. The results mainly apply to the Finnish parliamentary elections of 2003 in which we have data available. The results show that the sense of duty by far accounts for the generational effect in voting. Political interest, political knowledge and non-parliamentary participation also narrowed the differences in electoral participation between the youngest and the second youngest generations. The implication of the findings is that the lower turnout among the current youth is not a passing phenomenon that will diminish with age. Considering voting a civic duty and understanding the meaning of collective action are both associated with the process of political socialisation which therefore has an important role concerning the generational effect in turnout.
Investigating the Extent to Which Assessment Practices in Zimbabwe’s 2-5-2 Teaching Practice System Enhance Continuous Improvement of Student Teachers’ Teaching Skills

Abstract The study sought to establish the experiences and perceptions held by mentors, teaching practice lecturers and student teachers on the extent to which assessment practices of student teachers on teaching practice enhance continuous improvement of their teaching skills and competences in Zimbabwe’s 2-5-2 teacher education programme. The mixed methods design was used to collect data in two phases. The first phase used questionnaires to collect survey quantitative data while the second phase collected qualitative data through interviews, focus group discussions and document analysis. The researchers sampled 28 teaching practice lecturers, 100 mentors and 100 final year student teachers from the ten national primary teacher education institutions to participate in the first phase. Three teaching practice lecturers, three mentors and three focus groups of six students each were conveniently selected from neighbouring host schools for interviews in the second phase. The research findings revealed that student teachers in Zimbabwe’s 2-5-2 teaching practice were formally assessed through lesson observations only by lecturers and mentors while peer or collegial assessment existed on voluntary basis among student teachers. The study further revealed that Zimbabwe’s 2-5-2 teaching practice did not use any form of self assessment practice to promote continuous improvement of student teachers’ teaching skills and competences during teaching practice. The study recommends the adoption of self assessment practices to complement the current lesson observation assessment practices and formalization of peer/collegial assessment.
Enhancement of field squeezing using coherent feedback

The theory of quantum feedback networks has recently been developed with the aim of showing how quantum input-output components may be connected together so as to control, stabilize, or enhance the performance of one of the subcomponents. In this paper, we show how the degree to which an idealized component (a degenerate parametric amplifier in the strong-coupling regime) can squeeze input fields may be enhanced by placing the component in loop in a simple feedback mechanism involving a beam splitter. We study the spectral properties of output fields, placing particular emphasis on the elastic and inelastic components of the power density.
Use of the Planning Outreach Liaison Model in the Neighborhood Planning Process: A Case Study in Seattle's Rainier Valley Neighborhood

Our study examines a nontraditional engagement process employed by the City of Seattle during neighborhood plan updates. Adapting the trusted advocates model from the public health field, the city hired planning outreach liaisons (POLs) from 13 diverse community groups to solicit input from traditionally underrepresented residents. To explore the efficacy of this approach, we collected data through interviews with residents, neighborhood leaders, community development firm employees, university researchers, and municipal staff; a review of planning documents; observation at planning meetings. We found that the POLs effectively engaged underrepresented groups—including more than 1,200 stakeholders—particularly those characterized as self-organized, centralized or having strong social networks and were important in the advancement of democratic principles. Greater transparency by the city about process goals and constraints, along with strategies to address power issues, may have facilitated better communication and relationship building among the city, newly enfranchised residents, and the “usual suspects. ”
Functional Outcome of Proximal Femoral Nail in Unstable Peritrochanteric Fractures of Femur

Fractures around the trochanteric region of femur are one of the commonest fractures encountered in orthopaedics. The incidence of this fracture increases with advancing age. Growing number of population and road traffic accidents have resulted in an enormous increase in these types of fractures. In younger patients the fractures usually result from high energy trauma like RTA and fall from height and accounts for only ten percent. Older patients suffering from a minor fall can sustain a fracture in this area due to osteoporosis or pathological fracture and this accounts for 90%.
SOURCE CREDIBILITY: ON THE INDEPENDENT EFFECTS OF TRUST AND EXPERTISE

Marketing researchers and practitioners have tended to assume that a more trustworthy source is more credible than a less trustworthy source. However, previous studies have either confounded trustworthiness with expertise and/or attractiveness, or found that trustworthiness did not influence persuasion. In the 2 x 3 between subjects factorial experiment three levels of source expertise were crossed by two levels of trustworthiness. Careful pretesting assured that the manipulations did not influence ratings of source attractiveness. The results supported the hypotheses developed from attribution theory that sources perceived to have external reasons for making a persuasive argument will be discounted. In addition, the results revealed that expert sources influenced perceptions of the product's qualities.
A Coccoid Bacterial Parasite of Naegleria sp. (Schizopyrenida: Vahlkampfiidae) Inhibits Cyst Formation of its Host but not Transformation to the Flagellate Stage

Summary. A non-thermophilic Naegleria species isolated from an aquarium for ornamental fishes harboured coccoid Gram-negative bacteria of 1µm in diameter as endocytobionts multiplying by binary fission. These intracytoplasmic bacteria, called “KNic” inhibited cy st formation of their host, but not its transformation to the flagellate stage. Consequently the resulting flagellates contained these intracel lular parasites as could be verified by electron microscopy. The endocytic bacteria could not be grown on eight different bacteriological media under va rious atmospheric conditions. The ribbon-like roughly hexagonal surface of the bacteria as shown by SEM is responsible for the spiny appearance a s seen by TEM. The successful axenisation of the infected host amoebae made it possible to harvest pure bacterial suspensions for cocultivatio n assays with different free-living amoebae and Dictyostelium discoideum. As a result, an extremely wide host spectrum of the endocytobionts could be determined including other Naegleria spp. , acanthamoebae, and members of the genera Hartmannella, Vahlkampfia, and Balamuthia. Successful infection of four additional Naegleria strains with the coccoid endocytobionts resulted also in impairment of the capability to form cysts but did not interfere with transformation to the flagellate stage. Dictyostelium discoideum as a member of the Acrasiales was also highly susceptible to infection with the Gram-negative bacteria inducing a strong disturbance of their normal aggregation pattern.
The effect of some insecticides, natural compounds and tomato cv. Venezia with Mi gene on the nematode Meloidogyne ethiopica (Nematoda) reproduction

Root-knot nematode (RKN) Meloidogyne ethiopica is quite unknown tropical plant parasitic species found in Slovenia and Europe in 2003 for the first time. The species is able to parasitize several economically important agricultural crops and therefore is very difficult to control. In our research, several approaches which can be used for M. ethiopica control were tested in pot experiment. The effects of some insecticides which are often used in the production in greenhouses, natural compounds as aqueous extract of Tagetes erecta, and the commercial natural product Azadirachtin (NeemAzal-T/S) extracted from the seeds of Indian Neem tree (Azadirachta indica) on the M. ethiopica reproduction were assessed. Test plants treatments with natural compounds reduced nematode multiplication by nearly 3 – 6 times compared to control while foliar application of Thiacloprid as well as Imidacloprid had no effect on nematode reproduction. The treatment with Volaton G granulates (Phoxim) for ground application resulted in no nematode multiplication. Additionally, M. ethiopica reproduction ability on the tomato cultivar “Venezia” which have a Mi gene for resistance to M. incognita was tested.
APPLICATIONS OF REMOTE SENSING IN HYDROLOGY by

This paper is a summary of the potential applications of remote sensing in the field of hydrology. It includes an introduction to remote sensing, the physical principles of electromagnetic energy and many of the available sensors. Operational uses and research applications of remote sensing in areas related to watershed management are summarized. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE INTRODUCTION 1 Objectives 2 Thi s Report 2
Secondary Mathematics Teachers: What they Know and Don't Know about Dyscalculia

Although much research on teachers’ knowledge and attitudes towards their students with dyslexia has been accumulated, students with dyscalculia have not gained the same attention. Teachers’ knowledge about the nature and characteristics of students with dyscalculia seems to be limited and this has a strong impact on their instructional decisions. In secondary education, where teachers’ pre-service educational programs are more focused on the scientific subject instead of appropriate instructional methods, teachers’ knowledge about dyscalculia has not yet been taken into account. The aim of this study was to examine the extent to which mathematics teachers know what dyscalculia is, and what its features are. Possible differences that may occur between teachers with and without special education training were also examined, as well as differences that may occur as a result of their working experience. One hundred and fourteen secondary mathematics teachers, with an average service time of twelve years, completed an electronic questionnaire in which they had to respond to 19 questions about the definition, the content and the major characteristics of dyscalculia. Although they seemed to understand the innate profile of dyscalculia, 31% of them attributed dyscalculia to learning gaps resulted by student absence from school while 67% of the teachers felt that mistakes of students with dyscalculia in solving algorithms may be reduced if more time is provided to the students. Furthermore, confusion prevailed regarding skills of students with dyscalculia to solve word problems. The findings in this study contribute to the ongoing discussion on the appropriate education and training of secondary mathematics teachers, which should not neglect the special characteristics and difficulties of students with dyscalculia. The teachers’ knowledge about dyscalculia is suggested as the base for the design of appropriate teaching practices to address specific learning disabilities in math.