Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
How farmers benefit from plant clinics: an impact study in Bolivia

Between 2000 and 2009, nine plant clinics in three agro-ecological areas of Bolivia (Andes, lowlands and valleys) served about 800 communities in an area roughly 300 × 100km. Over 6000 farmers consulted these clinics with 9000 queries. Many found the advice so useful that they visited the clinics repeatedly. A survey of 238 clinic users found that most adopted the clinics' recommendations. Fruit and vegetable growers who followed the clinic recommendations tended to spend less on pesticides. As for certain crops like potato, citrus and peach palm, a modest increase in pesticides helped improve the quality and quantity of the harvest. Farmers improved their incomes by following the clinics' advice. The poorest farmers enjoyed the greatest increase in income per hectare. This was the first study to explore the impact of plant clinics; future studies need to be improved, for example by obtaining baseline data and by comparing clinic users to their peers who have not used clinics.
Children’s views of their teacher’s role in helping them learn mathematics

This paper reports on data from 183 nine-to eleven-year old children attending six Waikato schools. An analysis is provided of children’s responses to a question about their teacher’s role in helping them learn mathematics. Four major roles were identified, including mentor, classroom manager, transmitter of information, and arbiter of decisions. The implications for students’ mathematics learning of viewing their teacher in each of these roles are then discussed. The importance for teachers of recognising the ways they are perceived by their students is also considered.
Factors Associated with Perceived Time Pressure among Employed Mothers and Fathers

Research suggests that the perception of being pressed for time is increasing in many Western societies and that such perceptions are linked with social and mental well-being. The aim of this study was to clarify the family and work-related characteristics associated with perceived time pressure in a sample of Canadian working mothers and fathers. A telephone survey of 1160 employed parents (674 women and 486 men) conducted in a mid-size Canadian city in 2005 provided the data for this study. Results of the multiple linear regression analyses showed that both role occupancy and role quality was related to perceived time pressure and that the nature of these relationships depended on gender. For mothers, the following factors were associated with increased time pressure: occupancy of an unpaid caregiving role, parenting a child with at least one health/behavioral problem, and the perception of parenting as draining or anxiety provoking. Regarding the paid work environment, women who were categorized as high strain (i.e., high demands/low control) or active (high demands/high control) also reported higher levels of time pressure. For fathers, greater perceived time pressure was associated with: occupancy of the partner role, the perception of parenting as draining, being a multiple job holder and having a high strain (i.e., high demands/low control) or active (high demands/high control) psychosocial work environment. Limitations of the study are discussed as are the policy implications of the findings.
The Impact on Child Health from Access to Water and Sanitation and Other Socioeconomic Factors

In this paper we examine the impacts on child health, using diarrhoe as the health outcome (amongst children living in households), with access to different types of water and sanitation facilities, and from other socio-econoic and child specific factors. Using cross-sectional health survey data for India, we employ the propensity score method to match children belonging to different treatment groups, defined by water types and sanitation facilities, with children in a control group. We also employ non-matching techniques to compare our results and to check for their robustness. Our results indicate that disease-specific awareness has strong marginal effects on reducing the predicted probabilities of diarrhoeal outcomes in young children, which are consistent across the models utilised. We also find disease-specific awareness to have the largest impact on reducing the burden of disease from diarrhoea across a select group of predictors.
The role of short-term synaptic plasticity in neuronal microcircuit

Neuronal microcircuit is built by neurons connected with dynamic synapses. Short-term synaptic plasticity is one form of the synaptic dynamics, which plays various roles in the circuit information processing and computation. To analyze the function of short-term synaptic plasticity in feed-forward inhibitory (FFI) circuits, electrophysiological experiments on acute mice brain slices and computational model simulations have been applied. Feed-forward inhibitory circuit is composed of an excitatory input synapse, an interneuron and an inhibitory output synapse. Two cerebellar FFI circuits (basket cell mediating somatic FFI and stellate cell mediating dendritic FFI) have been analyzed in parallel in this work to compare their input/output synaptic dynamics, the intrinsic firing property of interneurons and the circuit output dynamics. It is shown that these two FFI circuits differe only on their input synaptic dynamics, and their circuit output dynamics are tightly regulated by the input synaptic dynamics because the interneurons (both basket and stellate cell) transform the magnitude of the synaptic input into the rate of their firing output lineally. Computational simulation has further demonstrated that the circuit output dynamics is determined to be depressing when the input synapse is depressing, while the output is a balance between the input and output synaptic dynamics when the input synapse shows facilitation. In summary, short-term synaptic plasticity performs the temporal tuning function in the neuronal circuit.
Will selection for decrease faecal worm egg count result in an increase in scouring.

Heritabilities of, and the genetic and phenotypic correlations between clean fleece weight (CFW), fibre diameter (FD), staple strength (SS), body weight (BWT), faecal worm egg count (FWEC) and faecal consistency score (FS) were estimated in an unselected Merino flock. These parameters were used to predict the correlated genetic responses in these traits to different degrees of selection on FWEC. The results suggest that in a Mediterranean environment, the genetic gains in CFW will probably decline but the gains in scouring and BWT will stay relatively constant with increasing amounts of selection pressure on FWEC.
An Analytical Theory of the Signal-to-Noise Ratio of Hall Plates with Four Contacts and a Single Mirror Symmetry

This work gives an analytical theory of the signal-to-thermal-noise ratio (SNR) of classical Hall plates with four contacts at small magnetic field. In contrast to previous works, the symmetry of the Hall plates is reduced to only a single mirror axis, whereby the average of potentials of the two output contacts off this mirror axis differs from the average of potentials at the two supply contacts on the mirror axis, i.e. the output common mode differs from 50%. Surprisingly, at fixed power dissipated in the Hall plate, the maximum achievable SNR is only 9% smaller for output common modes of 30% and 70% when compared to the overall optimum at output common modes of 50%. The theory is applied to Vertical Hall effect devices with three contacts on the top surface and one contact being the buried layer in a silicon BiCMOS process. Geometries are found with large contacts and only a moderate loss in SNR.
Cross-Racial Envy and Underinvestment in South Africa

Trust games are employed to investigate the effect of heterogeneity in income and race on cooperation in South Africa. The amount of socio-economic information available to the subjects about their counterparts is varied. No significant behavioural differences are observed, when no such information is provided. However, when the information is available, it significantly affects individual trust behaviour. The low income subjects from both racial groups invest significantly less in partnerships with the high income subjects of the other racial group than in any other partnership. We attribute this behaviour to cross-racial envy, which on aggregate may lead to substantial underinvestment in the economy.
Profile and Outcome of Eclampsia in a Rural Tertiary Hospital

Objective : to study the profile and outcome of eclampsia in a rural tertiary hospital. Materials and Method : the study was conducted over a period of one year 1.1. 2012- 31.12. 2012 in all eclampsia patients. All antenatal eclampsia were terminated irrespective of gestational age. All patients were treated with Magnesium Sulphate (MgSO 4). Blood Pressure (BP) of the patients was controlled with sublingual / intranasal /oral nifedipine and oral labetalol. Results : incidence of eclampsia was 3.57%, case fatality rate was 3.57%. 29.76% maternal death was due to eclampsia. 84% patients had antepartum eclampsia and 16% patients admitted with postpartum eclampsia. 84% of patients belonged to <25yr age among them 34.42% patients were teen aged. Primigravida accounted for 84% cases. Severe hypertension was seen in 45.57% patients. 6(0.85%) patients had BP <140/90 mm of Hg. In majority (55.28%) MgSO 4 regimen could be started 12 hrs after first fit. Most (97.45%) patients delivered within 12hrs of admission. 9 mothers died before delivery. 65.36% patients had vaginal delivery. Caesarean section (CS) was done for 16.80% patients. 90.74% babies were live. Perinatal mortality was 17.18%. 36% cases died within 12hr of admission and remaining death occurred 12 hrs after admission. Cerebral hemorrhage (40%) was the most cause of death. 28% patients died of pulmonary edema 12% death was due to postpartum hemorrhage, hepatic coma was responsible for 2 deaths. One patient died of aspiration, one mother succumbed to septicemia. Acute renal failure led one death. Conclusion : eclampsia is a reflection of poverty illetaracy and lack of awareness. So to avert the maternal death due to eclampsia we have to improve our existing health care facility at the same time awareness, female literacy have to be increased to avail the existing health care facility.
OPPORTUNITIES OF TRANSFORMATIVE STUDENT LEARNING – THE CASE OF THE ERASMUS+ PROGRAMME

This article indicates that university-based mobility programmes enable communication between students and academics from different countries, creating potentially favourable circumstances to distance themselves from the hitherto-accepted habits and, as a result, can lead to transformative learning. The theoretical basis is J. Mezirow’s theory of transformative learning. The results of research conducted among the students participating in the Erasmus+ programme are analyzed. A survey questionnaire was used to assess the changes in selected mental habits observed by the above-mentioned students. According to the collected data, more than half of the respondents reported strengthening as many as 13 out of the 16 listed mental habits.
Assessing students’ beliefs, emotions and causal attribution: Validation of ‘Learning Conception Questionnaire’

Students’ conceptions of learning represent an influential factor for learning, yet the few existing studies used measures with limited validity and lacked to provide a model for middle school students. This research aimed to provide a preliminary validation of ‘Learning Conception Questionnaire’ (LCQ) by Liverta Sempio and Marchetti (2001) aimed to measure conceptions of learning in a holistic way by including belief, academic emotion, and causal attributions. In the current study, the factor structure was tested in a sample of 212 middle school students. Exploratory factor analysis (EFAs) and Confirmatory factor analysis (CFAs) showed that the factor structure of the comprehensive measure of conceptions of learning used could be described across three domains (Belief: Comparative Fit Index [CFI] = .98, Standardised Root Mean Square Residual [SRMR] = .06; Emotions: CFI = .89, SRMR = .07; Causal attribution: CFI = .92, SRMR = .06), with significant relationships. Implications and future ways of research were discussed. Keywords : academic emotion; belief; causal attribution; statistical validation; students’ conceptions of learning
The Economic Consequences of Voluntary Environmental Information Disclosure

A significant body of accounting and finance literature has witnessed an increase in the demand for company’s environmental information over the past few decades. Using data of Australian companies from 1998 to 2000, this study provides an analysis of environmental disclosure in companies’ annual reports. The evidence indicates that companies do respond to the increased demand for environmental disclosure by providing more environmental-related information in their annual report. Although the requirement to disclose environmental information in annual reports has not kept pace with the legislative reform, there has been a significant increase of these disclosures from 1998 to 2000. We also find that most of the disclosures are covered in the Director’s Report across industries. This paper also evaluates the economic consequences of these disclosures. The importance of the environmental disclosures to the value of the company is examined by investigating the relationship between the environmental information disclosed in the annual report and the company’s share price.
Public Pension Accounting Rules and Economic Outcomes

We find a negative association between a state׳s fiscal condition and the use of discretion in applying Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) rules to understate pension funding gaps. We also find that the use of discretion is negatively associated with states’ decisions to increase taxes and cut spending. In addition, we find that the funding gap understatement is positively associated with higher future labor costs. Importantly, this association is primarily attributable to the GASB methodology, which systematically understates the funding gap. This suggests that the GASB approach is associated with policy choices that have the potential to exacerbate fiscal stress.
Restoration of Degraded Gray Images Using Genetic Algorithm

This Image deblurring aims to eliminate or decrease the degradations that has been occurred while the image has been obtained. In this paper, we proposed a unified framework for restoration process by enhancement and more quantified deblurred images with the help of Genetic Algorithm. The developed method uses an iterative procedure using evolutionary criteria and produce better images with most restored frequency- content. We have compared the proposed methods with Lucy-Richardson Restoration method, method proposed by W. Dong (34) and Inverse Filter Restoration Method; and demonstrated that the proposed method is more accurate by achieving high quality visualized restored images in terms of various statistical quality measures.
Foreign Direct Investment, Intellectual Property Rights and Economic Growth: A Panel Study for Arabic Countries

The main purpose of this paper is to examine the role of the protection of intellectual property rights (IPR) in Arab countries to encourage developed countries to transfer their technologies to Arab countries and its impact on economic growth using panel data of seven Arab countries in terms of patent protection, foreign direct investment (FDI) and the specific characteristics of each country for the period 1970–2011. The results of our simultaneous equations model suggest that FDI affects negatively growth in total factor productivity (TFP). They show that IPR protection stimulates TFP growth by attracting FDI and technology flows.
Optical properties of polyaniline doped PVC-PMMA thin films

The optical transmission and UV-VIS absorption spectra have been recorded in the wavelength range 450-1000 nm for different compositions of polyaniline doped PVC-PMMA thin films. The absorption coefficient (a), optical energy gap (E opt ), refractive index (no), optical dielectric constant (e ∞ '), constant B and ratio of carrier concentration to the effective mass (N/m*) have been evaluated. The effects of doping percentage of polyaniline on these parameters have been discussed and the nonlinear behaviour for all the parameters are investigated.
Elemental composition of otoliths used to trace estuarine habitats of juvenile gag Mycteroperca microlepis along the west coast of Florida

The spatial relationships and relative contributions of known juvenile gag Myctero- perca microlepis habitats to specific fishery grounds and populations along the Florida west coast are virtually unknown. To determine if otolith composition is a valid tracer of specific nursery sites and can be used to classify adult fish to their nursery area, chemical concentrations in juvenile gag otoliths (Li, Na, K, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Mn, Cu, Pb, δ 13 C and δ 18 O,) were measured for 4 nursery areas along the Florida west coast in 1992, 1995 and 1996. Classification of fish to nursery area was by para- metric discriminant function analysis and neural network simulation; both gave similar results in the spatial and temporal patterns of classification error and in identification of important classification variables (Mn, Sr and δ 13 C). Classification success rates ranged from 66 to 100%. Interannual vari- ability in otolith composition had a negative effect on classification success rate at the spatial scale of site separation ( 300 km) the year effect was reduced and class- ification success remained high without consideration of year class. Analysis of classification errors supports the separation of sites into northern and southern groups. The observed negative trend in otolith Sr and positive trend in otolith Mn with increasing latitude are positively correlated with cor- responding trends in groundwater Sr and sediment Mn, respectively, which are hypothesized to be the proximal causes for the otolith trends. Otolith composition is a valid technique for classifying juvenile gag to estuarine habitats along the west coast of Florida. Classification error rates of less than 10% are obtained when the year class of the fish is considered. Similar error rates were achieved across multi-year data at regional spatial scales.
Preferential burial of permafrost‐derived organic carbon in Siberian‐Arctic shelf waters

The rapidly changing East Siberian Arctic Shelf (ESAS) receives large amounts of terrestrial organic carbon (OC) from coastal erosion and Russian-Arctic rivers. Climate warming increases thawing of coastal Ice Complex Deposits (ICD) and can change both the amount of released OC, as well as its propensity to be converted to greenhouse gases (fueling further global warming) or to be buried in coastal sediments. This study aimed to unravel the susceptibility to degradation, and transport and dispersal patterns of OC delivered to the ESAS. Bulk and molecular radiocarbon analyses on surface particulate matter (PM), sinking PM and underlying surface sediments illustrate the active release of old OC from coastal permafrost. Molecular tracers for recalcitrant soil OC showed ages of 3.4–13 14C-ky in surface PM and 5.5–18 14C-ky in surface sediments. The age difference of these markers between surface PM and surface sediments is larger (i) in regions with low OC accumulation rates, suggesting a weaker exchange between water column and sediments, and (ii) with increasing distance from the Lena River, suggesting preferential settling of fluvially derived old OC nearshore. A dual-carbon end-member mixing model showed that (i) contemporary terrestrial OC is dispersed mainly by horizontal transport while being subject to active degradation, (ii) marine OC is most affected by vertical transport and also actively degraded in the water column, and (iii) OC from ICD settles rapidly and dominates surface sediments. Preferential burial of ICD-OC released into ESAS coastal waters might therefore lower the suggested carbon cycle climate feedback from thawing ICD permafrost.
Minority Business Start-Up, Survival and Financing in the U.S.

In spite of an overall increase in minority self-employment, the difference between the percent of self-employed black and white Americans is still striking (11.6% vs 3.8% respectively). We use the data from the Kaufman Foundation survey to examine whether the use of commercial financing has a different impact on the survival of black owned firms compared to that of other groups. Since the survival of a startup is largely determined by the owners‟ human capital, we use propensity score matching method to address the endogeneity problem, and panel data and survival models to account for the fact that survival rates change significantly with the age of the business. Our results suggest that the use of commercial financing reduces the exit rates of new firms regardless of the race of their owners but that the reduction is smaller for black owned businesses. We attribute this differential to unobserved heterogeneity probably linked to owners‟ startup capital. JEL Codes: J15, M13, L26
Internet Addiction of College Students from the Psychological Perspective

With the rapid development of network, the phenomenon of Internet addiction is prevalent on campuses, which has produced a variety of negative effects on college students in terms of learning, living, working and so on. In recent years, there are many research literatures on Internet addiction overseas, covering all aspects of this psychological phenomenon. Moreover, domestic research on Internet addiction started late. In the light of the fact that college students do not have clear understanding on hazards of Internet addiction, it generally shows their selfcontrol is poor. They do not believe they can control their behavior and results and give up taking responsibility for the results and tend to agree network identity. Based on this phenomenon, we propose the network psychological source control concept. In view of the close contact between the excessive use of the network and the individual time management, this study selected the time dimension of personality characteristics on Internet addiction as another influencing factor, and explored the integrated influence of the psychological source control to Internet addiction.