Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of a Typical-Person Heuristic for the Prediction of Conformity Behavior

Conformity studies using an Asch’s (1952, 1956) line judgment task have inevitably deceived participants and incurred serious ethical problems. In the present study, a videotaped unanimous group-pressure situation of Furukawa, Ban, Hoshi, and Tabata’s (1986) conformity experiment was used to find unobtrusive alternatives to deception. Provided with full explanations of the true purpose and adopted deceptions of the real conformity experiment, participants in a typical-person heuristic condition were requested to imagine and answer with the responses a typical student of their university would give in this situation. Participants in a role playing condition were requested to answer with the responses they would give as if they were actual participants in this situation. As a control group, participants in a simple video-simulation condition were requested to answer with the responses they would give without any information about the true purpose and adopted deceptions. The mean of error responses was higher in the typical-person heuristic condition than either in the role playing or in the simple video-simulation condition. The ratio of error responses given by the typical-person heuristic group was identical to the ratio reported in Furukawa et al. (1986) and almost identical to the ratio reported in Asch (1956, Experiment 1). These findings
EFFECT OF PAVEMENT ROUGHNESS ON VEHICLE FUEL CONSUMPTION

Several published research reports have shown that vehicle fuel consumption increases as pavement roughness increases. The existence of such a relation is today of particular interest to state departments of transportation for use in cost-benefit analysis of potential highway improvement projects. For a variety of reasons, however, the results of the earlier studies are not readily usable in benefit calculations. Therefore, in 1980 the Wisconsin Department of Transportation conducted a local field study that sought to define, for practical application, the relation between automobile fuel consumption and pavement roughness. Three different automobiles traveled on five pavement sections that, collectively, represented a wide range of roughness. For these pavements, roughness was expressed in terms of serviceability index, as measured by Wisconsin's electronic road meter. Fuel consumption was measured by a specially designed fuel meter mounted in each test vehicle. To minimize the influence of variables other than pavement roughness on fuel consumption, test conditions and procedures were highly controlled. The collected data suggest that there is in fact a quantifiable, but very modest, increase in automobile fuel consumption as pavement roughness increases. Over the range of roughness typically associated with state trunk highways (serviceability values between 1.5 and 4.5), this increase was (a) about 1.5 percent, (b) linear, and (c) not related to vehicle size. For the entire range of roughness included in this study (serviceability values between 0.9 and 4.4), the increase in fuel consumption was about 3.0 percent, which suggests that the overall relation between fuel consumption and pavement roughness may be nonlinear. (Author)
Pattern of antibiotic use and physician’s opinion about the resistance against antibiotics used for treating Respiratory Tract Infections (RTIs) in Bangladesh: A cross sectional survey

Respiratory Tract Infections (RTIs) are major causes of illness, doctor visit and high rates of antibiotic prescriptions in Bangladesh. Over the past decades, emergence of antibiotic resistance has been recognized as an important public health problem across the globe. The current study was aimed to assess the physicians’ prescribing pattern of antibiotics in treating RTIs, their usages by patients and physicians’ opinion regarding the causes of antimicrobial resistance. This cross sectional survey was conducted by a self-designed standard questionnaire and data were collected manually over a two-month period from November 15, 2013 to January 18, 2014 in four cities of Bangladesh: Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi and Khulna. According to physicians’ opinion, the most frequently prescribed antibiotic for RTIs was levofloxacin (33.44%) followed by azithromycin (24.12%), cefixime (18.33%) and ceftriaxone (17.84%), respectively. Erythromycin was found to be the most resistant antibiotic (32.13%). Two or more antibiotics were prescribed in 43.94% of prescriptions. A total of 65.15% prescriptions had complete direction for antibiotics use and 46.97% patients completed full course of antibiotics. Although 86.36% prescriptions had no clinical test for using antibiotics, the percentages of patients’ disease recovery were 84.85% and noncompliance was 15.15%. Most of the physicians believed that self-medication of antibiotics results in the spread of bacterial resistance to antibiotics in RTIs. The present findings are important for public awareness and education in antibiotic use. These findings also have significance to the regulations of prescribing antibiotics in RTIs in Bangladesh. Jahangirnagar University J. Biol. Sci. 4 (2): 9-17, 2015 (December)
Inhibition of advanced glycation end products formation by stilbene and phenanthrene derivatives from Prosthechea michuacana in vitro and in vivo

In our previous study, we isolated from chloroform extract of the bulbs of orchid P. michuacana, three antioxidant compounds: two stilbene α-α ́-dihydro, 3 ́,5 ́,2-trimethoxy-3-hydroxy-4-acetyl-4 ́-isopentenyl stilbene, 5-[2-(3-hydroxy-5-methoxyphenyl)ethyl]-2-methoxyphenol (gigantol) and one phenanthrene 4,6,7-trihydroxy-2-methoxy-8-(methylbut-2-enylphenanthren-1-1 ́-4 ́,6 ́,7 ́-trihydroxy-2 ́-methoxy-8 ́-(methylbut-2 ́-enyl)-phenanthrene. Following the study, we investigated the ability of isolated compounds to inhibit advanced glycation in vitro. Bovine serum albumin was glycated in the presence of glucose or methylglyoxal. Amadori-rich protein was prepared by dialyzing lysozyme that had been glycated by ribose. We also evaluated renal function by checking formation of advanced glycation and tail tendon collagen quality in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. Also determined the effect on LDL and hemoglobin. Compounds can efficiently inhibit the formation of AGEs by trapping reactive methylglyoxal and showed potent anti-Amadorin activity. Also exhibited a significant inhibitory activity on the glycated hemoglobin (GHb and HbA1c). Compounds showed a protective renal effect and reduction in mice tail tendon collagen. Also the tested compounds are potent agents for protecting LDL against oxidation and glycation. We concluded that compounds from P. michuacana are potent antiglycation agents, which can be of great value in the prevention of diabetic glycation-associated-pathogenesis.
Can Carbon and Phosphorous Amendments Increase Native Forbs in a Restoration Process? A Case Study in the Northern Tall‐grass Prairie (U.S.A.)

In the northern Great Plains (United States), sites with less than 20% of native species are difficult to restore. We have experimented with a restoration method that shows some promise. It consists of systematically installing simulated small‐scale patches (8.0 m2 in size) over 25% of an old field and then seeding these patches with native species. The working hypothesis is that these patches will generate a constant source of propagules which in time will lead to increases in native species diversity within the surrounding grass matrix. The objective of this paper was to determine whether soil amendments should be used to facilitate the establishment and persistence of native species (primarily forbs) within these patches. We seeded the patches with a mixture of native grass and forb species and applied four soil treatments: P fertilization, C additions, C + P, and a control (no amendments). Results for the first 5 years were as follows: (1) seeded forb richness was mostly unaffected by soil amendments; (2) seeded and nonseeded forb biomass and density were substantially reduced by C additions, whereas they were unaffected or increased under P additions; (3) both seeded and non‐native grass biomass substantially increased with C additions; and (4) there was an inverse relationship between native seeded forbs and non‐native grass biomass. Our conclusions are that: (1) P amendments are a potential tool for enhancing native seeded forb biomass in simulated small‐scale disturbance patches; and (2) C additions, although enhancing seeded grass biomass do not reduce the biomass of non‐native grasses.
Unpacking the determinants of life satisfaction: a survey experiment

We present results of a survey experiment aimed at assessing context effects on reporting life satisfaction, exerted by raising awareness of fundamental life domains before eliciting overall life satisfaction, through questionnaire manipulations. Psychologists refer to similar context effects, generated by providing more details about the object of a subsequent evaluation, as ‘unpacking effects’. The longitudinal structure of our experimental design allows us to assess the effects of the questionnaire manipulation both between and within subject. In our sample of university students, asking subjects to report satisfaction with life domains before reporting overall satisfaction with life generates a robust unpacking effect, as it shifts upwards the subsequent mean overall life satisfaction evaluations. In addition, raising awareness about life domains significantly increases reliability and validity of self‐reported life satisfaction, by reducing the dispersion of responses and increasing the association between life satisfaction and life domain evaluations. We also detect heterogeneous effects across subgroups of our sample—such as people with children or in bad health—and discuss implications of these findings for research on life satisfaction.
All fiber Yb-Ho pulsed laser

For the first time we have suggested and realized passive Q-switched Yb-doped fiber laser with a saturable absorber based on Ho-doped fiber laser. The pulse duration was of 250 ns, the pulse energy – 70 μJ, the peak power – 300 W. The laser is perspective for technology processes. Possible ways of laser characteristics improving are discussed.
Spontaneous Inference Processes in Advertising: The Effects of Conclusion Omission and Involvement on Persuasion

An experiment investigated the relation between inference and persuasion. Subjects were exposed to an ad in which presence or absence of conclusions and level of involvement were manipulated orthogonally. Omitted conclusions were more likely to be inferred spontaneously in high than in low involvement conditions. Further, when conclusions were omitted and high involvement made spontaneous inference formation likely, brand attitudes were more favorable and accessible than attitudes formed in low involvement conditions. Brand attitudes based on spontaneous inferences were as favorable and more accessible than attitudes formed in explicit conclusion conditions. The effects of motivation and effort on inference are discussed.
Extramarital Affairs, Marital Satisfaction, and Divorce: Evidence from Hong Kong

This article provides the first empirical study on how the perceived changes of marital satisfaction affect marital stability using a unique data set obtained in Hong Kong. It is found that the change of marital satisfaction due to extramarital affairs clearly increases the probability of divorce, but it is not the only determinant of marital instability. In particular, the presence of dependent children in a family and good marital quality before the discovery of extramarital affairs would lower the probability of divorce. Moreover, this article generates several interesting policy implications. (JEL "D1", "J1") Copyright 2004 Western Economic Association International.
Assessing metacognitive knowledge: Development and evaluation of a test instrument

Educational processes in modern information societies require personal initiative – not only in institutional contexts but also in out-of-school and working environments. Besides cognitive competencies (e.g., reading or mathematical literacy), a person’s ability to regulate his/her own learning processes is therefore of particular importance for successful learning and working. Metacognition is a central component in the process of self-regulated learning. It is defined as cognition about cognition and encompasses two components: the knowledge component and the regulation component. To better understand how metacognition evolves and how its development is influenced by cognitive and motivational components, the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) aims at assessing different aspects of metacognition as well as self-regulation in the respective phases of the lifespan. The present paper gives an overview on the general approach of assessing metacognition and self-regulation within the NEPS, focusing on the assessment of one specific component of metacognition, namely, metacognitive knowledge. Results from two pilot studies on a newly developed test instrument (with two experimentally varied versions of the test) for secondary school students are presented. The results concerning the metacognitive knowledge test are discussed not only with regard to further developments within the NEPS but also with regard to their theoretical and practical implications.
Community-based Responses to HIV/AIDS in South Africa: An Evaluation of a Children’s Radio Programme

Abstract Children community radio programmes are among the very few programmes in Southern Africa that seek to raise HIV/AIDS knowledge and awareness on children. These programmes are designed to enable children to learn useful life skills as well as contribute to broader public awareness on issues facing Southern African children in the context of poverty and the HIV epidemic. The idea of ‘child-participation’ forms the core of children radio programmes. It locates the child as having a fundamental responsibility in the response to HIV/AIDS. The assumption is that children need to be capacitated with HIV/AIDS information to build awareness. This article focuses on the results of a process evaluation of a children radio programme conducted in South Africa. The purpose of the evaluation was to gather information related to programme implementation and performance. For this evaluation, qualitative methods comprising semi-structured interviews, observations and document analysis were used. In this evaluation, inductive thematic analysis was employed to establish how the children’s radio programme was being implemented. The results of the evaluation showed high levels of implementation fidelity.
Application of different anti-browning agents in order to preserve the quality of apple slices

Apple cultivar ‘Auksis’ was chosen for testing in the research of anti-browning efficiency by slicing and treating them with anti-browning agents: solutions of sea buckthorn, quince and currant juices and NatureSeal® AS1. Therefore, impact of the treatment by sea buckthorn, quince and white currant diluted juice, and solution of 4% and 5% antioxidant NatureSeal® AS1 on browning of fruit slices was evaluated. Strained apple slices were packed into polypropylene boxes and stored in refrigerator for 12 days at 4 °C temperature. During storage samples were analysed every third day by estimating changes in colour, content of vitamin C, total phenolic content, antioxidant activity (FRAP, DPPH). The best results of efficiency for used anti-browning agents on the quality of fresh-cut apple slices were reached by treating them with 5% NatureSeal® AS1 solution. The selected anti-browning agent provided higher content of vitamin C, phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity (FRAP, DPPH) in the product, as well as maintained initial light colour of apple slices in comparison with other anti-browning agents.
Ownership Concentration and Corporate Social Performance: an Empirical Evidence for European Firms

The relationship between the social performance (CSP) and the financial performance of business corporations has been a topic of interest and controversy and serious empirical research on the association between financial and social performance indicators has been going on for several decades. In this paper we supplement existent research by studying the link between CSP and ownership structure in Europe. Neither theory nor empirical studies seem to agree to what effect is more likely to emerge or under what conditions large shareholders are beneficial or not to the firm’s other stakeholders. To our knowledge there are very few empirical studies on CSR that take into account the firm’s ownership structure and there is no empirical evidence for Europe. Ownership structure can affect positively corporate financial performance. One can argue that large shareholders tend to keep a stake in the firm on a long-term basis; therefore, given funds availability, managers can more easily adopt strategies that yield on CSR as a possible source of competitive advantage. Moreover, due to their greater visibility to general public, major shareholders have the incentive to promote corporate socially responsible activities especially those that have a strong social impact on the community. The presence of a higher ownership concentration can lead to a higher level of CSP, as a result of mitigation of agency costs. When financial performance is strong, the presence of major shareholders may prevent management from attempting the opportunity to “cash in” by reducing social expenditures in order to take advantage of the opportunity to increase their own short-term private gains. Ownership structure can also have an expected negative relationship with CSP: if the large shareholder has only a temporary stake in the firm, he may prevent management from allocating funds on long- term horizon investments, such as those in CSR. The same result would be possible in presence of low level of financial performance: in this case, large shareholders may exercise their control over management decisions, in order to maximize shareholders’ wealth. We use a sample of European firms during the period 2001-2003, to test our hypothesis. The observations are displayed divided on the three main different European CG systems –Anglo-Saxon, Germanic and Latin- to which each company belongs.
The Dynamic Risk of Heavy Episodic Drinking on Interpersonal Assault in Young Adolescence and Early Adulthood

This study examines the extent to which variation in violent behaviour can be explained by variation in drinking patterns in late adolescence and early adulthood using panel data of regular drinkers aged between 16 and 29 in England and Wales. Multilevel models explore individuals’ propensity to commit assault controlling for their drinking behaviour. Results suggest that males and younger people are more likely to commit assault offences and that around 60 per cent of the variation in assault is between people, the remainder being within people between occasions. Heavy episodic drinking is a significant predictor of assault in all models. Collectively, the findings point to a periodic association between drinking patterns and violent outcomes, supporting evidence of other forms of contemporaneous association.
High Trade Costs and Their Consequences: An Estimated Model of African Agricultural Storage and Trade

How large are trade costs in the world's poorest countries and what are their consequences? I explore this question using a new dataset I have assembled of monthly prices and production of 6 staple grains from 2003 to 2013 in 230 market catchment areas covering all 42 countries of continental sub-Saharan Africa. I estimate and solve a spatial temporal model of monthly storage and trade under uncertainty including storage in each of the 230 markets, overland trade between 413 pairs of markets, and trade with the world market through 30 ports. I then re-solve the model for a counterfactual scenario in which trade costs are lowered to match transportation costs in the rest of the world. I find median intra-national trade costs over 5 times higher than elsewhere in the world along with significant extra costs for trade across borders and with the world market. Lowering trade costs for staple grains results in a 46.4% drop in the average food price index, a contraction in the agriculture, storage, and trade sectors, and a net welfare gain of 2.4% ($125 billion equivalent variation). I show that 87.5% of this welfare gain can be achieved by lowering trade costs through ports and along key links representing just 18% of the trade network, supporting a corridor-based approach for infrastructure investment and trade policy. In an extension, I find that the effects of agricultural technology adoption depend crucially on trade costs, with farmers only benefiting from technology adoption when trade costs are low.
Gas Production From a Cold, Stratigraphically Bounded Hydrate Deposit at the Mount Elbert Site, North Slope, Alaska

Gas Production From a Cold, Stratigraphically Bounded Hydrate Deposit at the Mount Elbert Site, North Slope, Alaska G.J. Moridis 1 , S. Silpngarmlert 2 , M.T. Reagan 1 , T. Collett 3 , and K. Zhang 1 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Rd., Berkeley, CA 94720 ConocoPhillips, P.O. Box 2197, Houston, TX 77252 U.S. Geological Survey, Denver Federal Center, Box 25046, MS-939, Denver, CO Abstract As part of an effort to identify suitable targets for a planned long-term field test, we investigate by means of numerical simulation the gas production potential from unit D, a stratigraphically bounded (Class 3) permafrost-associated hydrate occurrence penetrated in the Mount Elbert well on North Slope, Alaska. This shallow, low-pressure deposit has high porosities ( φ = 0.4), high intrinsic permeabilities (k = 10 -12 m 2 ) and high hydrate saturations (S H = 0.65). It has a low temperature (T = 2.3 – 2.6 o C) because of its proximity to the overlying permafrost. The simulation results indicate that vertical wells operating at a constant bottomhole pressure would produce at very low rates for a very long period. Horizontal wells increase gas production by almost two orders of magnitude, but production remains low. Sensitivity analysis indicates that the initial deposit temperature is by the far the most important factor determining production performance (and the most effective criterion for target selection) because it controls the sensible heat available to fuel dissociation. Thus, a 1 o C increase in temperature is sufficient to increase the production rate by a factor of almost 8. Production also increases with a decreasing hydrate saturation (because of a larger effective permeability for a given k), and is favored (to a lesser extent) by anisotropy. Keywords hydrates; permafrost; methane; gas production 1. Introduction 1.1. Background Gas hydrates are solid crystalline compounds in which gas molecules (referred to as guests) occupy the lattices of ice crystal structures (called hosts). Their formation and dissociation is described by the general equation G + N H H 2 O = G•N H H 2 O, where N H is the hydration number, and G is a hydrate-forming gas. Natural hydrates in geological systems contain G = CH 4 as their main gas ingredient, and occur in two distinctly different geologic settings where the necessary conditions of low T and high P exist for their formation and stability: in the permafrost and in deep ocean sediments. Although the magnitude of the CH 4 resource trapped in hydrates is the subject of rigorous debate, and the estimates vary widely between 10 15 and 10 18 ST m 3 (Sloan and Koh, 2008; Milkov, 2004; Klauda and Sandler, 2005), there is general consensus that it is huge, easily exceeding the total energy content of the known conventional fossil fuel