Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Factors associated with puberty onset and reproductive performance of gilts

Reproductive efficiency is crucial to the sustainability of any swine herd. A female’s ability to contribute to the herd earlier, longer, and more proficiently impacts her individual performance characterizing her sow lifetime productivity. Factors that impact a female’s reproductive performance vary from genetic to environmental influencers such as seasonal infertility. Age at puberty onset represents a useful tool to identify sow lifetime productivity. To determine the positive influence of age at puberty onset, physical and physiological measurements taken on a group of gilts were used to identify the potential correlation with a gilt’s age when puberty is achieved. Vulva development after postnatal day 95 and body weight on postnatal day 75 showed to be correlated to a gilt’s ability to achieve puberty earlier or later than their counterparts. While age of puberty onset can increase reproductive performance, environmental factors such as heat stress can negatively impact a female’s reproductive performance. Heat stress is a major contributing factor to seasonal infertility and is associated with decreased farrowing rates, litter performance, and wean-to-estrus intervals. Mitigating the effects of heat stress is key to increasing a female’s reproductive success. To determine how heat stress affects reproductive performance as well as how gilts adapt to stress periods, females that were either tolerant or susceptible to pre-pubertal heat stress were identified, and their response during post-pubertal heat stress periods were evaluated. A gilt’s response to pre-pubertal heat stress has a positive correlation to her response to post-pubertal heat stress. Reproductive measures of fetal weight and crown-rump length were decreased in gilts susceptible to heat stress while corpora lutea diameter was increased in heat stress tolerant gilts when exposed to heat stress during breeding.
Design Note on a Serrated Choke (Correspondence)

The serrated choke described by Dr. Kiyo Tomiyasu and J. J. Bolus is a very effective device to employ whenever long cuts or gaps are present on the walls of rectangular waveguide. This communication is concerned with the application of a serrated choke to an X-band waveguide ring switch, wherein the waveguide was split longitudinally at opposite corners to form a rotor section and a stator section.
Effects of passive cooling on performance of silicon photovoltaic cells

In this study, an experimental research concerning the effects of passive cooling on performance parameters of silicon solar cells was presented. An aluminum heat sink was used in order to dissipate waste heat from a photovoltaic (PV) cell. Dimensions of the heat sink were determined considering the results of a steady-state heat transfer analysis. The experiments were carried out for different ambient temperatures and various illumination intensities up to 1 sun under solar simulator. Experimental results indicate that energy, exergy and power conversion efficiency of the PV cell considerably increase with the proposed cooling technique. An increase of ∼20% in power output of the PV cell is achieved at 800 W/m-super-2 radiation condition. Maximum level of cooling is observed for the intensity level of 600 W/m-super-2. Performance of PV cells both with and without fins increases with decreasing ambient temperature. Copyright , Oxford University Press.
How Does External Conflict Impact Social Trust? Evidence from the 9/11 Attacks as a Natural Experiment in the US

ABSTRACTSocial trust has enchanted social scientists due to its importance for both cooperation within societies and economic performance. This article provides a novel empirical study of whether external conflict affects trust. The possible ways that conflict could be related to trust are theoretically validated by two hypotheses on social group behavior. To identify the effect of external conflict on within-society trust, I interpret U.S. General Social Survey (GSS) trust data within a natural experiment with the terror attacks of 9/11 observed as the external conflict. Difference-in-differences estimations are in favor of the hypothesis that positive trust attitudes within a group are independent from external conflict.
Factors Influencing the Adoption of Exclusive Breastfeeding Practices Among Teenage Rural Mothers in Ogun and Oyo State, Nigeria

The feeding of an infant with breast milk only for six months exclusion of all other feeds, liquids or solids, including water except approved by medical doctor for a reason; within the first half year of life is referred to as exclusive breastfeeding (EBF). in spite of its numerous benefits, not every mothers practiced it because of one reason or the other. This study examined the factors influencing the adoption of exclusive breastfeeding practices among teenage rural mothers in Ogun and Oyo State, Nigeria. Explorative research design and multi-stage sampling method was used to select respondents for the study and structured questionnaire was administered to four hundred and fifteen (415) teenage rural mothers, In-depth interviews were also held with breastfeeding rural mothers and ten (10) focus group discussion session with grandmothers in the study area. The result reveals that 59.1% and 61.0% of the respondents were between the age range of 17 – 19 with the mean age of 19years and majority (81.4% and 93.0) was Yoruba in Ogun and Oyo State respectively. Majority (60.9% and 62.0%) of the respondents receive information about exclusive breastfeeding in the study location, while above half (51.6% and 55.5%) of the respondents in Oyo and Ogun State indicated that they practice exclusive breastfeeding in the study area. Most (36.3% and 37.5%) of the respondents in Oyo and Ogun States admitted that they breastfeed their child for more than 11 times on a daily basis in Ogun and Oyo State respectively. Result revealed that personal determination/experience (x̅ = 3.73 and 3.78), encouragement from their mothers (x̅ = 3.72 and 3.76) and nurse and midwife advice (x̅ = 3.70 and 3.55) in Oyo and Ogun State respectively. Regression result shows that factors such as age, household size, educational level, ethnicity, occupation and place of delivery are seen to be significant and have positive relationship with factor influencing the adoption of exclusive breast feeding in the study area. It was concluded that compliance to Exclusive Breastfeeding for six months was still minima in Ogun and Oyo State. The study therefore recommended that policies aimed at improving exclusive breastfeeding uptake should also incorporate significant others (grandmothers, mothers in- laws, and husbands) in the process of encouraging breastfeeding mothers.
Bridge Response and Heavy Truck Classification Framework Based on a Two-Step Machine Learning Algorithm

Collecting information on heavy trucks and monitoring the bridges which they regularly cross is important for many facets of infrastructure management. In this paper, a two-step algorithm is developed using bridge and truck data, by deploying sequentially unsupervised and supervised machine learning techniques. Longitudinal clustering of bridge data, concerning strain waveforms, is adopted to perform the first step of the algorithm, while image visual inspection and classification tree methods are applied to truck data concurrently in the second step. Both bridge and truck traffic must be monitored for a limited, yet significant, amount of time to calibrate the algorithm, which is then used to build a classification framework. The framework provides the same benefits of two data collection systems while only one needs to be operative. Depending on which monitoring system remains available, the framework enables the use of bridge data to identify the truck’s profile which generated it, or to estimate bridge response given the truck’s information. As a result, the present study aims to provide decision-makers with an effective way to monitor the whole bridge-traffic system, bridge managers to plan effective maintenance, and policymakers to develop ad hoc regulations.
A wind tunnel study of the mean airflow around a simple representation of a merchant ship

An investigation has been carried out to measure mean velocities above a solid block located in a wind tunnel. A Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) system was used. The purpose of the investigation was to quantify the change in the mean flow speed caused by the bluff body and hence to determine the possible bias in wind speed measurement made from anemometers located above the superstructure of merchant ships. Possible sources of experimental error were investigated and resulted in; a) a blockage ratio correction which varied with position, b) the use of 2-dimensional maps of the free stream flow to obtain reference velocities and c) an estimate of a residual bias of up to 4 % in the PIV wind speed data. The wind speed was accelerated by up to 28 % compared to the free stream (or undistorted) wind speed. Close to the top of the block the wind speed is severely decelerated and the airflow reverses in direction. There was no dependence of either the pattern of the flow or of the magnitude of the wind speed bias on changes in wind directions of up to 30 degrees.
Death by E-mail Overload

Through the years, e-mail has grown out to become one of the main communication and information sources. Nowadays, e-mail is found to become a victim of its own success, as it is considered to be overused. Several downsides of e-mail are more and more becoming visible through the increasing availability and extensive use of e-mail. Some people experience an overwhelming feeling through e-mail becoming too much to handle. This phenomenon is referred to as e-mail overload. This research aims to identify the key factors contributing to e-mail overload, using previous literature and research combined with the conduction of qualitative research. More specific, a database from prior study conducted by Spoelstra (2007) is used to verify and identify key factors contributing to e-mail overload. Additionally, an indication of the symptoms related to feelings of e-mail overload and further recommendations are considered in this research, to enable diminishment of e-mail overload by providing suggestions for improvement. Eventually, several key factors are identified and recommendations are suggested.
Exploratory Experiments on Machined Riblets on Compressor Blades

During the last decades, riblets have shown a potential for viscous drag reduction. Several investigations and measurements of skin-friction have been completed in the boundary layer over a flat plate carrying riblets, mostly on thin foils. The purpose of the present study is to investigate machined riblet structures which are fabricated by grinding and laser machining. First tests dealing with machined riblets on flat plates are presented in this paper. Future investigations will examine the aerodynamic behaviour of machined riblets on NACA compressor blades. The specimens, flat plates and compressor blades, are tested in a linear cascade wind tunnel. Perfect trapezoidal riblets have been designed specifically to the flow parameters in this wind tunnel. Foils carrying the ideal riblets provide a basis for comparison with the riblets created by grinding and by laser machining. Parameters describing the geometry and the deviation from ideal riblets have been developed. It turned out that it is quite difficult to produce riblets satisfying the ideal geometrical requirements by machining. However, measurements in the wake of flat plates show that the laser shaped riblets as well as the ground riblets reduce pressure loss coefficients by up to 3.6%. © 2006 ASME
Women’s Inheritance Rights and Child Health Outcomes in India

Abstract Does a legal change in women’s inheritance rights have long-term effects on child health outcomes? This paper examines the effect of an improvement in women’s inheritance rights on child nutritional health outcomes in India using a difference-in-differences estimation approach. We use the staggered implementation of the Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005 to investigate the impact of the reform on anthropometric indictors of child health: being underweight, stunted, and wasted. The findings of this study reveal that an improvement in women’s inheritance rights has a positive impact on children’s health and reduces the probability of nutritional deficiency in the child. We identify mechanisms such as increased educational levels, better marital outcomes, and improved intrahousehold bargaining power of women as potential pathways through which inheritance rights affect child nutritional health outcomes. The results of the paper lend credence to growing evidence that legal recognition of women’s inheritance rights can have sustained and second-generation effects, in spite of poor enforcement mechanisms and persistence of deep-rooted societal bias against women holding property.
Immunothrombosis Biomarkers for Distinguishing Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients From Noncoronavirus Disease Septic Patients With Pneumonia and for Predicting ICU Mortality

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. IMPORTANCE: Coronavirus disease 2019 patients have an increased risk of thrombotic complications that may reflect immunothrombosis, a process characterized by blood clotting, endothelial dysfunction, and the release of neutrophil extracellular traps. To date, few studies have investigated longitudinal changes in immunothrombosis biomarkers in these patients. Furthermore, how these longitudinal changes differ between coronavirus disease 2019 patients and noncoronavirus disease septic patients with pneumonia are unknown. OBJECTIVES: In this pilot observational study, we investigated the utility of immunothrombosis biomarkers for distinguishing between coronavirus disease 2019 patients and noncoronavirus disease septic patients with pneumonia. We also evaluated the utility of the biomarkers for predicting ICU mortality in these patients. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: The participants were ICU patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (n = 14), noncoronavirus disease septic patients with pneumonia (n = 19), and healthy age-matched controls (n = 14). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Nine biomarkers were measured from plasma samples (on days 1, 2, 4, 7, 10, and/or 14). Analysis was based on binomial logit models and receiver operating characteristic analyses. RESULTS: Cell-free DNA, d-dimer, soluble endothelial protein C receptor, protein C, soluble thrombomodulin, fibrinogen, citrullinated histones, and thrombin-antithrombin complexes have significant powers for distinguishing coronavirus disease 2019 patients from healthy individuals. In comparison, fibrinogen, soluble endothelial protein C receptor, antithrombin, and cell-free DNA have significant powers for distinguishing coronavirus disease 2019 from pneumonia patients. The predictors of ICU mortality differ between the two patient groups: soluble thrombomodulin and citrullinated histones for coronavirus disease 2019 patients, and protein C and cell-free DNA or fibrinogen for pneumonia patients. In both patient groups, the most recent biomarker values have stronger prognostic value than their ICU day 1 values. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Fibrinogen, soluble endothelial protein C receptor, antithrombin, and cell-free DNA have utility for distinguishing coronavirus disease 2019 patients from noncoronavirus disease septic patients with pneumonia. The most important predictors of ICU mortality are soluble thrombomodulin/citrullinated histones for coronavirus disease 2019 patients, and protein C/cell-free DNA for noncoronavirus disease pneumonia patients. This hypothesis-generating study suggests that the pathophysiology of immunothrombosis differs between the two patient groups.
Transient emission from microstrip interconnects: theoretical formulation and CAD modeling

A hybrid technique suitable for the space-time analysis of the transient spurious emission from microstrip interconnects is presented. The proposed technique requires the preliminary evaluation of the surface current excited on the microstrip interconnecting lines by means of a transmission line model accounting for dispersive effects. The radiated field is then computed in the frequency domain by applying the saddle-point asymptotic technique to the integral expression of the electric field involving the dyadic Green's function. The transient signals excited along the interconnects, and the corresponding radiated field, are finally determined by using the IFFT. Radiation mechanisms are investigated, and the influence of the structure's electrical and geometrical parameters is discussed.
Balanced scorecard usage and organizational effectiveness: evidence from manufacturing sector

Purpose This study aims to investigate the drivers and impact of balanced scorecard (BSC) usage on organizational effectiveness in manufacturing companies. The objectives of the paper were to assess the organizational factors affecting the usage intensity of the BSC; the relative benefits of BSC determining its adoption speed; and the extent to which BSC usage enhances organizational effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted a survey research design. Data collection was through a structured questionnaire administered on senior accounting/ finance personnel of 300 manufacturing companies that are members of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria. Binary logistic regression analysis, discriminant analysis and structural equation modeling (maximum likelihood estimation method) were used to analyze survey data obtained from 104 BSC adopters. Findings Result shows that the three organizational factors affecting BSC usage intensity are affiliation to a foreign entity, availability of specialist skills and business strategy (strategic pattern). The strongest predictor is, however, the availability of specialist skills. The strongest determinants of the BSC adoption speed are the need for financial stability and the importance of customer feedbacks. The impact of BSC usage on organizational effectiveness is positive, statistically significant but weak. The inability of BSC usage to contribute appreciably to organizational effectiveness is attributable to the lack of integration among the performance measures in the BSC framework and the shallow usage rate of BSC. Practical implications Although it is commendable that financial stability and customer satisfaction strongly drive BSC adoption speed, the low rating recorded by other factors related to product development, employee development and process improvement suggests that the performance measures in the BSC framework are not used in an integrative manner. This also confirms that the BSC, like other innovative management accounting techniques, is applied at a rudimentary level by organizations in Nigeria. Originality/value The current study contributes to knowledge by exposing the organizational factors and relative benefits driving BSC adoption. It provides empirical evidence on why the BSC may not deliver the optimal benefit of improving organizational effectiveness despite its popularity and potential as an integrated performance measurement (IPM) apparatus that can add value to organizations. The paper adds to the scarce literature on IPM in developing countries. Drawing from the result that availability of specialist skills is the strongest predictor of BSC usage intensity, the practice of enmeshing the management accounting function with general accounting/finance should be discouraged.
Optimized E-Plane T-Junction Series Power Dividers

A rigorous design theory for compact rectangrdar waveguide power dividers with unsymmetrical series E-plane T-junctions of suitably optimized different waveguide heights and distances is described. The method is based on field expansion in normalized eigenmodes which yield directly the modal S-matrix of two appropriate key building blocks. The immediate modal S-matrix combination of the individual structures includes the effects of all step discontinuities and their mutual higher order mode interaction. Computer-optimized -3.01 dB, -4.77 dB, and -6.02 dB power divider examples achieve about +-0.25 dB coupling deviation at the output ports, together with about 30 dB return loss at the input port, for the chosen design frequencies of 12 GHz, 31.6 GHz, and 15.5 GHz. The -4.77 dB power divider provides a bandwidth of about 8 percent. The theory is verified by measurements.
EXTENT OF CODE-SWITCHING OF ENGLISH AND KISWAHILI DURING ENGLISH LESSONS IN PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN ELDORET WEST SUB-COUNTY, KENYA

English is a language of international communication hence it has special place in educational systems of most countries in the world. In Kenya, English is a language of instruction as well as examinable subject in Kenyan schools. In addition, Kiswahili is a national language which is used by both learners and teachers leading to code-switching. The purpose of the paper was to establish the extent of code-switching in English and Kiswahili during English lessons in public primary schools. The study adopted descriptive survey design and mixed methods approach. The target population was 243 teachers of English, 64 grade three teachers and 2176 learners in primary schools in Eldoret West Sub-County, Kenya. The sample size was 33 teachers of English, 8 grade three teachers and 292 learners. Both quantitative and qualitative data was collected through the use of questionnaires, interviews and observation schedule. Piloting of research instruments was conducted in the nearby Wareng Sub County which shares similar characteristics as the study area. Validity was ensured through expert judgment while reliability was tested using Cronbachs alpha coefficient after piloting. The data was analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative techniques. Quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics frequencies and percentages while content analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. The study found out that majority (56.5%) of teachers used code switching most of the time while explaining meaning of words and most (50.4%) of the teachers of English used code switching as a way of explaining grammar in an explicit manner while most (41.2%) of the teachers used code switching to introduce unfamiliar topics to learners during English lessons. The findings will benefit the Government of Kenya in formulating language policies for schools. The study will also be of significance to teachers of English in coming up with the strategies to boost performance of English.
Laboratory screening of entomopathogenic fungi and nematodes for pathogenicity against the obscure mealybug, Pseudococcus viburni (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae)

ABSTRACT Pseudococcus viburni (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), the obscure mealybug, is a serious polyphagous, cosmopolitan agricultural insect pest that affects deciduous fruit production in South Africa. The presence of the mealybug in orchards results in significant damage to crops, with economic implications. The potential use of two entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) and entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN), as biological control agents against P. viburni, was assessed under laboratory conditions, using screening bioassays. The EPF isolates, Metarhizium robertsii (6EIKEN) and M. pinghaense (5HEID), tested at a conidial concentration of 1 × 107 conidia/ml, proved to be effective against the adult stage female mealybugs, causing 96% ± 6% and 91% ± 13% mortality, respectively, 7 days post inoculation, when incubated at 25°C with humidity levels of > 95%. Heterorhabditis indica, applied at a concentration of 200 infective juveniles per insect, was found to be the most effective EPN against P. viburni, causing 79% mortality, 48 h post inoculation, while incubated at 25°C. Further bioassays showed a positive correlation between insect mortality and conidial concentration as well as exposure time. The study represents the first report on the pathogenicity of multiple local and commercial EPF isolates to control P. viburni and several local EPN isolates against P. viburni.