Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Eurasian Economic Union: a case of reproductive integration?

Abstract The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) appeared in January 2015 as the latest and most ambitious attempt at reconnecting the post-Soviet space. Building on the Customs Union between Belarus, Russia, and Kazakhstan (2010), and successfully extending membership to Armenia and Kyrgyzstan (2015), the EAEU not only connects a market of over 182 million people, but has the stated aim of utilizing European Union experience to achieve deep integration in a fraction of the time. Based on original fieldwork conducted in Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia, this article examines the kind of integration project currently under construction, as well as the EAEU’s ability to make a significant impact in the region. As argued, despite early achievements, the EAEU is very much limited to reproducing sovereignty rather than transforming it, marking a clear disconnect between rhetoric and reality. Moreover, when viewed from the perspective of the three “I”s – institutions, identity, and international context – even this modest reality faces significant barriers.
Teachers' perceptions of continuing professional development programmes in South Africa : a qualitative study

Effective professional development programmes help teachers to acquire the most recent knowledge of subjects and to use appropriate techniques to enhance student learning. The National Policy Framework for Teacher Education and Development attempts to address the need for suitably qualified teachers in South Africa. This qualitative inquiry aims to explain staff's perceptions of the provision of continuing professional development programmes in the light of the mentioned policy. The following two main categories have emerged from the data analysis : the provision and logistics of effective professional development programmes. Onderwysers se persepsies van voortgesette professionele ontwikkelingsprogramme in Suid-Afrika : 'n kwalitatiewe studie Doeltreffende professionele ontwikkelingsprogramme help onderwysers om die mees resente vakkennis te verwerf en om geskikte tegnieke te gebruik wat leer aansienlik kan bevorder. Die Nasionale Beleidsraamwerk vir Onderwysersopleiding en -ontwikkeling poog om te voorsien in die behoefte aan toepaslik-opgeleide onderwysers in Suid-Afrika. Hierdie kwalitatiewe ondersoek is daarop gemik om personeel se persepsies van die voorsiening van voortgesette professionele ontwikkelingsprogramme in die lig van bogenoemde beleid te verduidelik. Die ontleding van data het die volgende twee hoofkategoriee aan die lig gebring : die voorsiening en die logistiek van professionele ontwikkelingsprogramme.
The history of the dark and luminous side of Milky Way-like progenitors

Here we investigate the evolution of a Milky Way (MW) -like galaxy with the aim of predicting the properties of its progenitors all the way from $z \sim 20$ to $z = 0$. We apply GAMESH (Graziani et al. 2015) to a high resolution N-Body simulation following the formation of a MW-type halo and we investigate its properties at $z \sim 0$ and its progenitors in $0 6 the contribution of star forming mini-halos is comparable to the star formation rate along the MW merger tree. These systems might then provide an important contribution in the early phases of reionization. A large number of mini-halos with old stellar populations, possibly Population~III stars, are dragged into the MW or survive in the Local Group. At low redshift dynamical effects, such as halo mergers, tidal stripping and halo disruption redistribute the baryonic properties among halo families. These results are critically discussed in light of future improvements including a more sophisticated treatment of radiative feedback and inhomogeneous metal enrichment.
Radio emission from the X-ray pulsar Her X-1: a jet launched by a strong magnetic field neutron star?

Her X-1 is an accreting neutron star (NS) in an intermediate-mass X-ray binary. Like low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs), it accretes via Roche lobe overflow, but similar to many high-mass X-ray binaries containing a NS; Her X-1 has a strong magnetic field and slow spin. Here, we present the discovery of radio emission from Her X-1 with the Very Large Array. During the radio observation, the central X-ray source was partially obscured by a warped disc. We measure a radio flux density of 38.7 ± 4.8 μJy at 9 GHz but cannot constrain the spectral shape. We discuss possible origins of the radio emission, and conclude that coherent emission, a stellar wind, shocks and a propeller outflow are all unlikely explanations. A jet, as seen in LMXBs, is consistent with the observed radio properties. We consider the implications of the presence of a jet in Her X-1 on jet formation mechanisms and on the launching of jets by NSs with strong magnetic fields.
Clinical profile and outcome of pediatric bacterial meningitis: a prospective study from tertiary institute in Northern India

Background: Meningitis is one of the fatal infections occurring in infants and older children. In acute bacterial meningitis (ABM), inflammation of the leptomeninges is triggered by bacteria present in the subarachnoid space. ABM is associated with a high rate of acute complications and long-term morbidity. Aim of our study was to determine the incidence, etiological profile and complications of acute bacterial meningitis amongst children belonging to one month to five years of age.Methods: The present study was conducted over a period of one year and diagnosis of meningitis was made on basis of history, examination and laboratory investigations. Clinical features were recorded on case sheet. Lumbar puncture was done, and CSF was sent for biochemical analysis, cell counts, staining, culture and latex agglutination test (LAT). Results: Out of total 1560 admitted cases (1 month to 5years age group), 160 cases were suspected with meningitis while 57 cases were confirmed to have ABM. Most (59.6%) cases belonged to 3 months to 1-year age group and males outnumbered the females by a ratio of 2:1. Group B Streptococcus (45.6%) was most common pathogen in 45.6% cases followed by Streptococcus pneumoniae (21%) and Hemophilus influenzae (10.52%). Seizures (45%) and increased ICP (28%) were main acute complications observed during hospitalization while hemiparesis 9.6%, monoparesis 4.8%, seizures 38%, vision and hearing deficits were the sequelae observed on follow up examination. These complications were predominantly contributed by S. pneumoniae and H. Influenzae.Conclusions: The incidence of ABM is still high and Group B streptococcus is main pathogen even in post neonatal period. The complications of ABM are markedly higher in cases of S. pneumoniae, H. Influenzae meningitis in comparison to Group B streptococcus meningitis. Formulating standard protocols for management of ABM and rational antibiotic use to prevent resistance is the need of hour.
Field Test of Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus Polyphemus) Population Estimation Techniques

Abstract : The Army is very concerned about the preservation of Threatened and Endangered Species (TES) that make their home on Army training lands. The gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) is one species that the Army is particularly concerned about. To ensure that the Army is able to execute its training mission requirements while mitigating adverse impacts to the gopher tortoise, installation natural resource managers have to track species abundance in a consistent and statistically comparable manner from year to year. This requires that the Army exercise great diligence in identifying methods to derive species abundance that can meet all levels of terrain and vegetative conditions present in a species habitat. The objective of this research was to conduct field tests to evaluate the line transect, total count, sample count, and double observer methods for estimating gopher tortoise burrow abundance and compare them in respect to efficacy, precision, and cost of application. This report contains a discussion of the field tests and recommendations for installation natural resource managers.
Environmental Policy and Economic Growth: Empirical Evidence from Europe

The aim of this study is to determine whether environmental policies affect economic growth. Using a standard model of economic growth and a panel of European data, there is evidence that environmental taxes have had a negative effect on economic growth over the last ten years, indicating the ‘double dividend’ does not hold. This effect is particularly evident when other distortionary taxes are included in the model. A second contribution of this study is to incorporate the complimentary measure of renewable energy provision into the model. Again the results indicate a negative relationship between renewable energy and economic growth, offering support for the curse of natural resources.
Photocatalytic activity of nanopolyaniline (NPA) on phenol degradation

Nanopolyaniline (NPA) has been synthesized by chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline and characterized using Fourier transmission infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and ultra-violet visible techniques. XRD patterns confirm that NPA has crystallite size of 37 nm with monoclinic structure and UV-visible spectra indicate its band gap energy is 1.96 electron volts. Photocatalytic efficiency of as-synthesized NPA was studied using degradation of phenol as a probe. Effects of photocatalyst load, pH and phenol initial concentration on the degradation of phenol were investigated. Using phenol initial concentration (50 mg L-1) and optimum photocatalyst load (200 mgL-1) and pH 10, degradation of phenol at 3 h was 93.5%. Degradation of phenol follows first order kinetics with rate constant (k) 1.62×10-2 min-1. Key words: Degradation, photocatalytic efficiency, polyaniline, phenol, X-ray diffraction (XRD).
Corporate Governance Quality and Audit Quality in Malaysia

This paper examines the impact of corporate governance quality on audit quality in Malaysia. The sampling frame is 457 Malaysian non-finance listed companies, over the periods 2003 to 2007 (pre-2007 Code period) and 2008 to 2012 (post -2007 Code period), consisting of 2,285 observations for each period. This study uses pooled ordinary least square (OLS) to test the research hypotheses and model. The results show that the effectiveness of the audit committee (AC) has no significant influence on audit fees in the pre- and post-2007 Code period, and the effectiveness of the board has no significant influence on audit fees in the pre-2007 Code period, although it has significant influence on audit fees in the post-2007 Code period. The results suggest that the existing corporate governance framework in relation to AC has limitation in its governance role on audit process. Our study contributes to existing literature conducted in the US, the UK and Australia where their institutional settings are different from that of Malaysia. In addition, our study is based on the 2007 Code’s recommendation which contributes to the previous research conducted in Malaysia and provides an insightful evidence to the regulator on the corporate governance regime in Malaysia.
The role of rodents and small carnivores in plague ende- micity in Tanzania

Between 1974 and 2003, blood samples were collected from wild and commensal rodents, and wild and domestic small carnivores in selected villages of seven districts in Tanzania that have experienced human plague outbreaks and seven districts that have not experienced any outbreak of the disease. The samples were tested for antibodies against Yersinia pestis Fraction I antigen, using passive haemagglutination (PHA) or ELISA tests. Of the 3354 rodents and 558 small carnivores from the plague infected districts, 122 (3.6 %) rodents (captured in Mbulu and Lushoto districts) were plague positive ; 29 (5.2 %) small carnivores from Mbulu, Arumeru, Hai and Lushoto districts were plague positive, 28 of these were domestic dogs (Canis familiaris). PCR tests showed that 17.5 % of 211 rodents tested from Lushoto contained Y. pestis DNA. In the non-infected districts, 1545 rodents and 171 domestic dogs were tested. 11 (0.7 %) of the rodents (captured in Monduli, Chunya and Masasi districts) were plague-positive. In Masasi district, 10.4% (7/67) of the rodents and 43.6% (17/39) of the dogs were positive for anti-Y. pestis IgG. It was concluded that wild and commensal rodents as well as wild and domestic small carnivores play a potential role as reservoirs and/or carriers of sylvatic plague in Tanzania, and that the disease exists in areas where human plague outbreaks have not occurred before. In order to update the distribution of the disease it is pro- posed that further epidemiological surveillance activities are established.
Seasonal Levels of Essential Metals in Fresh and Fried Marine Shrimp and Fishes from Lagos Lagoon, Nigeria

Transition metals are essential for health, forming integral components of proteins involved in all aspects of biological function. However, in excess these metals are potentially toxic, and to maintain metal homeostasis organisms must tightly coordinate metal acquisition and excretion. The diet is the main source for essential metals, but in aquatic organisms an alternative uptake route is available from the water. The levels of Zinc, Iron and Manganese accumulation in marine fish, shrimp and water were investigated in this study to cover the two major seasons in Nigeria. Water and samples of fish and shrimps were pooled weekly for five weeks between November and December 2007 during the dry season and repeated in April 2008 during the rainy season and analyzed using standard methods. The results obtained showed that the levels of bioconcentration of Zinc, Iron and Manganese in shrimp and fish were significantly higher than the levels of accumulation in water. The result also revealed temporal differences, with higher bioconcentration values observed during the rainy season. The highest bioconcentration of trace metal detected was Zinc, in fried fish (15.7 mg/l) and fried shrimp (11.1 mg/l). However, the value of Zinc is lower than the FAO recommended limits (30 mg/kg), although its relatively high level suggests a high bioavailability of the heavy metals in the studied water body.
Identifying Gait Abnormalities in Patients with Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome

OBJECTIVE: To determine the biomechanical gait characteristics and quality of life of adults with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) and how their gait compares to the gait of healthy controls. METHODS: Gait analyses were performed on 18 participants (9 FAI, 9 control) while walking barefoot in the Wolf Orthopeadic Biomechanics Lab. In addition, FAI participants completed general and region specific quality of life questionnaires. RESULTS: Hip moment (5.2%BW*ht vs. 4.96%BW*ht), toe out angle (12.36° vs. 8.15°), and lateral (3.55° vs. 2.18°) and forward (4.34° vs. 3.93°) pelvic tilt were not statistically different between groups. Trunk lean (1.33° vs. 0.36°), hip flexion angle (25.74° vs. 24.23°), & hip power (1.22W vs. 0.61W; p-value=0.32) were greater in the control group.CONCLUSION: The small sample size of this study does not allow the authors to make conclusions on the abnormalities in gait biomechanics in FAI patients. Further research with larger sample sizes is warranted.
Baseline Study of Reproductive Performances of Indigenous Rams in Bangladesh

Selection of breeding rams would be the prerequisite for getting better fertility can be accomplished through selecting some important reproductive traits. Cited information regarding reproductive performances of ram necessary for breeding programme is absent in our country (if available). The objective of the present study was to measure the reproductive performances of indigenous rams. Ram lambs were selected on the basis of indigenous characteristics. They were maintained on natural grazing with lump some amount of concentrate. Body weight and growth rate, scrotal circumference and its growth rate, BCS and libido index were measured weekly. Age, body weight, BCS and scrotal circumference at puberty were recorded. Semen was collected once a weak using artificial vagina and subjected for evaluation of volume, color, density, mass motility, concentration, motility, functional integrity and normal morphology of spermatozoa. The body weight, BCS, scrotal circumference, growth rate of body weight and scrotal circumference were 20.8±0.6(kg), 3.6±0.1, 22.8±0.2(cm), 17.0±0.6(g/d), 1.6±0.2(mm/15d), respectively. Age, body weight, BCS and scrotal circumferences at puberty were 6.8±0.1(months), 10.0±0.4(kg), 3.2±0.1, 18.6±0.7(cm), respectively. The volume, density, mass motility, concentration were 1.2±0.0ml, 2.9±0.0, 4.3±0.0 and 4.1±0.7x10 9 , respectively. The rate of motility: 89.0±0.2, 72.4±0.2, 62.0±0.6, viability: 91.8±0.1, 75.6±0.2, 64.8±0.6, functional integrity: 87.3±0.2, 69.1±0.2, 50.2±0.5 and normal spermatozoa were 94.0±0.1, 77.3±0.1 and 75.0±0.2 in fresh, chilled and frozen semen, respectively.
Defining a Profession: The Role of Knowledge and Expertise

The paper highlights the importance of resurrecting the debate about how to define a profession. The drive to define a profession is traced back to the taxonomic approach – encompassing the work of trait and functionalist writers – in which professions were seen as possessing unique and positive characteristics, including distinctive knowledge and expertise. A range of critical challenges to this approach are then considered, particularly as they relate to the role of knowledge and expertise in defining a profession, covering interactionism, Marxism, Foucauldianism and discourse analysis. However, the most effective challenge to the taxonomic approach is considered to be the neo-Weberian perspective based on a less broadly assumptive and more analytically useful definition of a profession centered on exclusionary closure. With reference to case studies, the relative merits of neo-Weberianism compared to taxonomic and other approaches are examined in relation to the role of knowledge and expertise and delineating professional boundaries.
The drying and wetting effects on clogging and pollutant removal through porous pavements Les effets du séchage et du mouillage sur l'élimination de polluants et sur le colmatage de chaussées poreuses

This paper presents the key findings of a laboratory investigation into the effects of dry and wet weather periods on the clogging behaviour and pollutant removal efficiency of three porous pavement types over their lifespan. These pavements were monolithic Porous Asphalt (PA), Permapave (PP), and modular Hydrapave (HP). The pavements were randomly dosed with four different flow rates over a period of 13 days, which is equivalent to the average annual rainfall of Brisbane, Australia (1200 mm). A drying event of 3 hours duration was simulated between every flow. Inflow and outflow samples were collected and analysed for Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Total Phosphorus (TP) and Total Nitrogen (TN). To evaluate the rate of clogging, a 1 in 5 year Brisbane storm event was simulated in the 6 th , 8 th , 12 th and 16 th week. Under normal rainfall conditions, none of the pavements showed signs of clogging even after 15 years. However, under storm conditions, both PA and HP started to pond after 12 years of equivalent dosing, while Permapave showed no signs of clogging after 18 years. The drying showed no effects on TSS removal, with all systems achieving near 100% removal. The average TP removal was 20 % for all flows except for low flow, which had a significant amount of leaching over time. Leaching was also observed in TN during all flows except high flows. The TSS, TP and TN results observed during storm events were similar to that of high flow.
Thinning and stretching of the plasma sheet

[1] With Cluster observations in the magnetotail we study dynamics of plasma sheet thinning and stretching during 39 intervals associated with substorm growth phases. The cross-tail current density and normal magnetic field generally scale as Bn ∼ TpNp1/2/J0, but with frequent transient variations. Typical pre-onset values are Bz ∼ 1–2 nT, J0 ∼ 4–8 nA/m2, thickness (Harris estimate) >3000 km. A current density increase in each particular event is not accompanied with a corresponding number density increase. About 30% of the events are characterized by a large (>5 nT) field component parallel to the current (in most of cases equal to By), implying adiabatic particle dynamics even with small Bz. Most local onsets, associated with the ends of thin sheet intervals, were accompanied with tailward plasma flows. In some cases embedded current sheet structure was detected and, therefore, estimation of thickness requires caution.
Air Temperature Measurement Errors in Naturally Ventilated Radiation Shields

Abstract Two sources of systematic errors are considered for estimating air temperature. The first source is ambiguity of the definition of the standardized measurement height over vegetated surfaces of varying heights. Without such a standardization, evaluation of the horizontal air temperature gradient is contaminated by the vertical variation of air temperature. This error is generally small in daytime unstable conditions, but increases with increasing stability at night. In an attempt to reduce such error, the use of the zero-plane displacement height for standardizing the measurement height is proposed. The second source of systematic errors is radiative forcing on the sensor–shield systems. A series of experiments is performed over a grass field to investigate the radiatively induced error in the air temperature estimate by the Onset HOBO Pro thermistor in a naturally ventilated multiplate shield. The magnitude of this error is estimated by comparing air temperature measurements by a platinum resist.