Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Marwân-al-Qays Bousmah Essays on the Relationship Between Fertility and Child Mortality

This dissertation attempts to contribute to the understanding of current demographic trends in sub-Saharan Africa by examining the role of child mortality in shaping fertility behavior. In the first chapter of this dissertation, I examine the relationship between child mortality and fertility at the micro level. Count data models are employed to investigate the determinants of completed fertility of women from a Senegalese rural community. The global effect of child mortality on total and net fertility is found to be positive. I further identify an inverted-U shaped relationship between child mortality and net fertility. The implication is that health policies aiming at reducing child mortality have indirect effects on desired fertility; yet only a steep decrease in child mortality would be likely to trigger substantial fertility declines. In the second chapter of this dissertation, I analyze the effects of child mortality changes on fertility behaviors in an endogenous fertility model where child survival is stochastic. I adopt a functional form for the cost of children that allows for four different scenarios, each of which is representative of a particular socio-economic setting. Demographic transition theories usually predict a positive relationship between child mortality and total fertility. I prove analytically that this relationship can be reversed depending on the shape of the total child cost curve considered. My model can predict both positive and negative fertility responses to child mortality depending on whether children are “time-intensive” or “time-supplying”, respectively. I argue that this model can provide one explanation for the stalled demographic transition in today’s sub-Saharan Africa. Finally, the third chapter analyzes the effects of childhood mortality and morbidity on the fertility decision-making process among rural Senegalese women. I estimate nonlinear dynamic panel data models of fertility behavior. I am able to identify the causal effect of individual child mortality, and also that of community child mortality and morbidity, on subsequent fertility choices. The results provide consistent support for both the child-replacement hypothesis and the precautionary demand for children. I find that community child mortality and morbidity attributable to malaria, which capture exogenous changes in the epidemiological context, exert a joint influence on fertility behaviors. Community-level malaria incidence among children has a positive effect on subsequent fertility choices, and this positive effect is stronger the more the disease is fatal to children who are infected. I argue that the persistently high childhood disease incidence is not responsible per se for sub-Saharan Africa’s sluggish demographic transition. Rather, childhood morbidity contributes to the slow transition to the extent that uncertainty about child survival remains a major concern in the region.
On the thermal equilibrium state of large-scale flows

In a forced three-dimensional turbulent flow the scales larger than the forcing scale have been conjectured to reach a thermal equilibrium state forming a $k^{2}$ energy spectrum, where $k$ is the wavenumber. In this work we examine the properties of these large scales in turbulent flows with the use of numerical simulations. We show that the choice of forcing can strongly affect the behaviour of the large scales. A spectrally dense forcing (a forcing that acts on all modes inside a finite-width spherical shell) with long correlation times may lead to strong deviations from the $k^{2}$ energy spectrum, while a spectrally sparse forcing (a forcing that acts only on a few modes) with short correlated time scale can reproduce the thermal spectrum. The origin of these deviations is analysed and the involved mechanisms is unravelled by examining: (i) the number of triadic interactions taking place, (ii) the spectrum of the nonlinear term, (iii) the amplitude of interactions and the fluxes due to different scales and (iv) the transfer function between different shells of wavenumbers. It is shown that the spectrally dense forcing allows for numerous triadic interactions that couple one large-scale mode with two forced modes and this leads to an excess of energy input at the large scales. This excess of energy is then moved back to the small scales by self-interactions of the large-scale modes and by interactions with the turbulent small scales. The overall picture that arises from the present analysis is that the large scales in a turbulent flow resemble a reservoir that is in (non-local) contact with a second out-of-equilibrium reservoir consisting of the smaller (forced, turbulent and dissipative) scales. If the injection of energy at the large scales from the forced modes is relative weak (as is the case for the spectrally sparse forcing) then the large-scale spectrum remains close to a thermal equilibrium and the role of long-range interactions is to set the global energy (temperature) of the equilibrium state. If, on the other hand, the long-range interactions are dominant (as is the case for the spectrally dense forcing), the large-scale self-interactions cannot respond fast enough to bring the system into equilibrium. Then the large scales deviate from the equilibrium state with energy spectrum that may display exponents different from the $k^{2}$ spectrum.
Two new species of the genus Formosatettix Tinkham, 1937 (Orthoptera, Tetrigidae) from Guizhou and Chongqing, PR China

Abstract Two new pygmy grasshopper species are described from PR China and are assigned to Formosatettix Tinkham, 1937, a large Asian tetrigin genus composed of species with reduced tegmina and hind wings: F. leigongshanensis Zha & Ding, sp. nov. from Guizhou and F. wulongensis Zha & Ding, sp. nov. from Chongqing. We provide descriptions of morphology and habit, supplemented with photographs. Flying organs of the genus Formosatettix are discussed and the genus is compared with other Asian genera with reduced flying organs, such as Formosatettixoides Zheng, 1994 and Alulatettix Liang, 1993 in Tetriginae, Deltonotus Hancock, 1904, Epitettix Hancock, 1907 and Pseudepitettix Zheng, 1995 in Cladonotinae, and Macromotettixoides Zheng, Wei & Jiang, 2005 and Pseudomacromotettix Zheng, Li & Lin, 2012 in Metrodorinae.
Effect of moist heat versus cold therapy on leg muscle cramp among patients on hemodialysis: randomized control trial

Background: Muscle cramps that occur during hemodialysis can result in shortening of treatment or reduction of fluid removal which may lead to inadequate clearance of waste products, fluid overload which significantly increase mortality risk. Aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of moist heat versus cold therapy on leg muscle cramp among patients on hemodialysis. Design: A randomized control clinical trial design was utilized to accomplish this study purpose. Research hypothesis: H1 &H2: The intervention groups who received either moist heat or cold therapy will have a significant lower mean pain and muscle cramp intensity score compared to the control group who received routine hospital care. H3& H4: There will be a difference between applying moist heat versus cold therapy on mean pain and muscle cramp intensity score among the intervention groups Sample: A sample of 90 adult male and female patients who met the inclusion criteria was invited to share in the research. Results:There were significant reduction in the intensity of pain and muscle cramp in the study groups more than control group. Moreover, moist heat therapy group was more effective than cold therapy to reduce intensity of pain and muscle cramp for patients on hemodialysis. Conclusion: moist heat and cold therapy are effective to reduce intensity of pain and muscle cramp for patients on hemodialysis . Recommendation: Further studies are required to explicate the effectiveness of heat vs cold therapy on leg muscle cramp among hemodialysis and pretonieal dialysis with large sample size of patients in different health care settings.
Poor Prognostic Factors of Spinal Ependymoma

Study Design: Single-center retrospective study. Purpose: We aimed to explore the postoperative prognostic factors for spinal intramedullary ependymoma. Overview of Literature: Ependymoma (World Health Organization grade II) is the most frequent intramedullary spinal tumor and is treated by total resection. However, postoperative deterioration of motor function occasionally occurs. Methods: Eighty patients who underwent surgical resection at Keio University and Fujita Health University in Tokyo, Japan between 2003 and 2015 with more than 2 years of follow-up were enrolled. A good surgical result was defined as an improvement in the modified McCormick Scale score by one grade or more or having the same clinical grade as was observed preoperatively. Meanwhile, a poor result was defined as a reduction in the McCormick Scale score of one grade or more or remaining in grade IV or V at final follow-up. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses of the following factors were performed in the two groups: sex, age, preoperative Visual Analog Scale (VAS), tumor location, the extent of tumor resection, hemosiderin caps, cavity length, and tumor length on magnetic resonance imaging. Results: At final follow-up, 15 patients were included in the poor results group and 65 in the good results group. In the univariate analysis, the factors related to poor results were as follows: higher age, preoperative McCormick Scale score severity, higher preoperative VAS, thoracic location, hemosiderin capped, and non-gross total resection (GTR). A multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted and showed that age, worse preoperative McCormick Scale score, and non-GTR were significant factors for poor prognosis. Conclusions: The independent risk factors for motor deterioration after ependymoma resection were age, worse preoperative McCormick Scale score, and non-GTR. Early surgery for patients with even mild neurological disorders could facilitate functional outcomes. These results may contribute to determining the optimal timing of surgery for spinal intramedullary ependymoma.
Effectiveness of skin to skin contact between mother and baby at birth on maternal and neonatal outcomes among parturients

Background: Third stage of labour is very crucial period in a women’s life. Previously uneventful first and second stage can become abnormal within a minute with disastrous consequences. In the third stage, the mothers face many problems like haemorrhage, retained placenta and inversion of the uterus. Early skin to skin contact at birth along with the breastfeeding process is protective against the incidence and severity of PPH. This study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of skin to skin contact between mother and baby at birth on maternal and neonatal outcomes among parturients. Materials and Methods: The objectives were to determine the effectiveness of skin to skin contact between mother and baby at birth on maternal outcomes among parturients and to determine the effectiveness of skin to skin contact between mother and baby at birth on neonatal outcomes among parturients. A quasi experimental research approach was used for the study. After obtaining permission from institutional ethical committee a total of 70 parturients admitted at labour room, Medical college hospital, Kottayam (35 each in control and experimental group) were selected for the study by purposive sampling technique. The data collection instruments were socio – personal and clinical data sheet, APGAR newborn scoring chart, observation checklist during third stage of labour, infant breastfeeding assessment tool (IBFAT), LATCH scale and modified maternal breastfeeding satisfaction evaluation scale (MBFES). Skin to skin contact between mother and baby at birth implemented in experimental group immediately after normal vaginal delivery for 30 minutes. Post-test for duration of third stage of labour, blood loss during third stage of labour, initiation of breast feeding, quality of first breast feeding and maternal satisfaction were performed within 80 minutes after normal vaginal delivery in control and experimental group. The data were tabulated and analyzed using descriptive and inf
EFFICACY OF CHITOSAN AS A POST SPACE IRRIGANT ON BOND STRENGTH OF FIBER POSTS LUTED WITH SELF-ADHESIVE CEMENTS: AN IN-VITRO STUDY

ABSTRACT Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of chitosan as a post- space irrigant on bond strength of glass fiber posts luted with self-adhesive resin cements. Methodology: thirty single rooted human mandibular premolars with similar dimensions were decoronated to a standard root length of 15mm, endodontically treated and subjected to post preparation to a 10mm length. Specimens were randomly divided in to 3 groups according to the post space irrigant (PSI) to be used in to group (Saline, EDTA, Chitosan) n=10 each. Following irrigation procedure glass fiber posts (GFP) (Glassix radiopaque, H Nordin, Chailly/Montyreux, Switzerlandand) were cemented using self-adhesive resin cement (RelyX U100). Specimens were sectioned perpendicular to the long axis into 1mm thick slices. Three slices (one representative of each root third) from each specimen were subjected to push- out test and bond strength in MPa was statistically analyzed. Results: the bond strength was significantly higher in both EDTA and Chitosan groups than saline group P < 0.001. Bond strength was significantly affected by the region of the root canal P< 0.001. Conclusion: PSI affects the bond strength of GFP luted with self-adhesive resin cements. Chitosan can serve as a safer alternative for EDTA as a chelating agent. Chitosan as a PSI has a positive influence on the bond strength of GFP luted with self-adhesive resin cements.
Development of Reading Comprehension

Given the central role of television in most children's lives, it is important to understand its potential positive and negative effects on a variety of cognitive, academic, social, behavioral, and attitudinal outcomes. A study aims to explore the relation between early television viewing and later reading achievement. Motivating the research is the growing evidence that young children's attention to and comprehension of television is more sophisticated than previously thought. Although preschoolers have some difficulty understanding full-length adult programs, they are adept at making sense of televised segments produced specifically for their age group. Results of recent research suggest that there is considerable overlap between the comprehension processes that take place during reading and those in prereading television viewing. Present research uses a longitudinal design in which media habits, various kinds of television and text comprehension skills, and background variables for children at three time periods spaced two years apart are assessed. To date, 28 preschool four-year-olds and 95 first grade six-year-olds in the Minneapolis area have been tested. Participants view televised programs (episodes of "Rugrats") and then complete a range of comprehension tasks. In addition, they receive a series of comprehension and early literacy tests. Preliminary results reveal that although both groups perform better on the television memory and comprehension test than on the test of aural story memory and comprehension, individual differences are highly consistent across media. Performances on the memory and recall tasks were very strongly related. Once data collection is completed, other analyses will be conducted. (Contains 30 references.) (NKA) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. http://wwvv.ciera. org/library/archive/2001-02/200102pv.pdf
The Number of Topics Optimization: Clustering Approach

Although topic models have been used to build clusters of documents for more than ten years, there is still a problem of choosing the optimal number of topics. The authors analyzed many fundamental studies undertaken on the subject in recent years. The main problem is the lack of a stable metric of the quality of topics obtained during the construction of the topic model. The authors analyzed the internal metrics of the topic model: coherence, contrast, and purity to determine the optimal number of topics and concluded that they are not applicable to solve this problem. The authors analyzed the approach to choosing the optimal number of topics based on the quality of the clusters. For this purpose, the authors considered the behavior of the cluster validation metrics: the Davies Bouldin index, the silhouette coefficient, and the Calinski-Harabaz index. A new method for determining the optimal number of topics proposed in this paper is based on the following principles: (1) Setting up a topic model with additive regularization (ARTM) to separate noise topics; (2) Using dense vector representation (GloVe, FastText, Word2Vec); (3) Using a cosine measure for the distance in cluster metric that works better than Euclidean distance on vectors with large dimensions. The methodology developed by the authors for obtaining the optimal number of topics was tested on the collection of scientific articles from the OnePetro library, selected by specific themes. The experiment showed that the method proposed by the authors allows assessing the optimal number of topics for the topic model built on a small collection of English documents.
Use of Hydrophylic Polymers in Horticulture

Summary. Hydrophylic polymers aresynthetic, water-absorbing monomersof high molecular weight. They havebeen used as absorbents in the diaperindustry for the past 30 years. Poly-mers differ from each other in thespecific monomer building block,amount of water absorbed per gramof material, particle size and distribu-tion, response to salinity, and cost.While there are only four differentmonomers used in the production ofpolymers, there are several dozenpolymers available commerciallyunder different trade names. Benefitsderived from polymer application tosoil or artificial medium include:increase in water-holding capacity,increase in pore size/number, increasein soil nutrient reserves, and reduc-tion in soil compaction. Initial use ofpolymers was reported in greenhouseproduction in the late 1970s, but isnow used in the production of fruits,vegetables, and turf. Development ofapplication equipment has the poten-tial to expand the use of polymers tolarge commercial growers. Department of Horticulture, The Pennsylvania StateUniversity, University Park, PA 16802.
Let's have lunch! A study on the relation between hospitality, service quality and experience marketing and guest satisfaction in restaurants

Justification of the topic: The city of São Paulo is the region of the country with the highest concentration of restaurants and bars, employing around 780,000 people, and in 2015 revenue amounted to over BRL$ 30 billion. From the perspective of hospitality, service quality and the experience while consuming the product are intimately related to satisfaction and consequently, to loyalty. Therefore, this study is initially justified according to these aspects. Purpose: The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of hospitality, service quality, and experience marketing on the perception of satisfaction among lunchtime restaurant guests on weekdays in the city of São Paulo and their loyalty. Methodology/Design: This study is characterized as quantitative descriptive and used a questionnaire with a seven-point Likert scale. For the data collection, we used the forms tool on the Google Docs platform and the data collection period was in March and April, 2017. We used non-probability sampling composed of 269 participants and the multivariate data analysis technique of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Findings: We observed that the sample was predominantly female, over 30 years of age, who spent between BRL$ 30.00 and BRL$ 50.00 per day and with higher education. We would like to point out that despite the positive empirical results of the study, they should not be generalized, since this sample characterizes a specific group in the city of São Paulo. Originality: This study provides new insights for the 1 Anhembi Morumbi University (UAM), São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Theoretical Referential, Data Collection, Data Analysis, Research Report and Final Review. 2 Anhembi Morumbi University (UAM), São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Theoretical Referential, Data Collection, Data Analysis, Research Report and Final Review. 3 Anhembi Morumbi University (UAM), São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Theoretical Referential, Research Report and Final Review. Paper submitted in: 03/10/2017. Paper accepted in: 10/11/2017. Paper
Training guidelines for humanised nursing care: an integrative literature review Orientaciones formativas para un cuidado humanizado en enfermería: una revisión integrativa de la literatura

Introduction: Communication and interpersonal relationships are the most essential elements of humanised care. The process of recovery is fostered by establishing relationships outside of physical care through the humanisation of actions in the care plan. However, in both nursing training and nursing practice, the inertia of a technical and neo-positivist approach persists and such aspects are therefore neglected. Objective: To provide more specific knowledge on the importance of considering nursing care from a biopsychosocial perspective, with a humanised approach, placing special emphasis on communicative skills and interpersonal relationships as essential elements. Methods: An integrative literature review, with a critical analysis of the literature consulted, including original articles and reviews published in Spanish, Portuguese, and English from 2013 to 2018. The SciELO, MEDLINE/PubMed, Web of Science, and CUIDEN databases were searched. Results: The following four categories emerged from this analysis: 1) communicative and emotional skills as essential elements of humanised care; 2) the necessary emotional and communicative training in nursing education; 3) other factors contributing to humanised care; and 4) methodological changes and pedagogical resources for the communicative and emotional training of lecturers, students, and nursing professionals. Conclusions: There is a need to develop, in a more pedagogical and profound way, training programmes in nursing on emotional skills and communication for humanised care.
Dehulling effect of dietary administered white lupine seeds on the blood biochemistry of broilers

The aim of the study was to assess the effect of the partial or complete dietary replacement of crude protein (CP) from soybean meal (SBM) with CP from the meal of whole (trial 1) or dehulled (trial 2) white lupine (WL) seeds on the blood plasma biochemical indicators in broilers. Chickens of the control (C) group were fed diets containing the SBM as the main protein source in the feed. It results from the findings that the complete and also partial replacement of CP from the SBM by CP from the meal of whole WL seeds in diets led to a decrease in the plasma cholesterol and triacylglycerides (TAG) levels (P < 0.001). Concerning the dietary administration of dehulled WL seeds, only the complete replacement of CP resulted in a decrease in the plasma glucose and TAG levels in 35-day-old broilers (P < 0.05). In addition, when including the dehulled WL seeds into the diet, an increase in the plasma aspartate aminotransferase activity was found in both the E1 and E2 groups (P < 0.01). Based on the results found, it can be stated that the use of meal from whole WL seeds seems to be a promising protein feed component which has beneficial effects on the health of broilers.