Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Drought Management Norms: Is the Middle East and North Africa Region Managing Risks or Crises?

The Middle East and North Africa region experiences severe socioeconomic and political impacts during droughts and faces increasing drought risk in future climate projections. The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction’s Sendai Framework and the International Drought Management Programme provide a global standard (a norm) to manage droughts through natural hazard risk reduction approaches. We use participatory engagement to evaluate whether norm diffusion has taken place in four countries. Data were collected in interviews, focus groups, workshops, and policy documents. Analysis reveals incomplete norm diffusion; stakeholders subscribe to relevant values, but national policies and implementation do not fully reflect the norm. Process tracing reveals that the availability of drought early warning data is a key barrier to risk reduction. Further more, a drought early warning system would not be feasible or sufficient unless paired with policy measures and financial mechanisms to reduce the political and economic costs of a drought declaration.
Generalized evidence for Bergmann’s rule: body size variation in a cosmopolitan owl genus

The eco‐geographical Bergmann's rule predicts that animals have smaller body size in warmer regions than in cold environments because of thermoregulatory reasons. Although this rule has been widely investigated, intraspecific analyses on cosmopolitan taxa are rare. We examined whether geographical variation in wing length, a proxy of body size, shows a Bergmannian pattern and can be explained by three mechanisms known to affect animal body size (heat conservation, resource availability and starvation resistance) in seven species of nocturnal raptors of the genus Tyto.
The relationship between cognitive ability and personality scores in selection situations: A meta‐analysis

Faking—the intentional distortion of answers by applicants—is a frequently occurring phenomenon found when personality tests are used for personnel selection (e.g., Anglim et al., 2018; Birkeland et al., 2006; Galić et al., 2012; Griffin & Wilson, 2012). In this context, interindividual differences in faking behavior are particularly problematic, as they can affect the applicants’ rank order and thus the validity of selection decisions (König et al., 2011; McFarland & Ryan, 2000; Mueller-Hanson et al., 2006; Raymark & Tafero, 2009). The majority of faking theories attribute these differences in applicants’ faking to two factors in particular (Ellingson & McFarland, 2011; Marcus, 2009; McFarland & Ryan, 2006; Snell et al., 1999): (a) applicants’ motivation to present themselves in a highly favorable way in order to improve their chances within the selection process, and (b) the abilities needed to manage the image they convey to the organization by distorting the answers in the required direction. Regarding the abilities aspect, some authors (e.g., Johnson & Hogan, 2006; Kleinmann et al., 2011) even suggested that part of the criterion validity of personality tests may be attributed to the fact that such abilities necessary for faking are also of great relevance in today's working world. In line with this argument, several theoretical models have identified applicants’ cognitive ability as a crucial determinant of the occurrence and magnitude of faking behavior (e.g., Marcus, 2009; Snell et al., 1999; Tett & Simonet, 2011). However, previous empirical results were inconclusive, while a substantial proportion of studies found a corresponding effect (Grubb & McDaniel, 2007; Levashina et al., 2014; Pauls & Crost, 2005), others did not (Furnham et al., 2008; Levashina et al., 2009; Mudgett, 2000; Schilling et al., 2020). Not only are results inconclusive, it is also unclear why there are such inclusive results. For example, faking of personality tests has been studied in the field and in the lab, and both research strategies have their advantages and disadvantages that could also matter for the relationship of cognitive ability (e.g., van Hooft & Born, 2012; Ryan Received: 26 February 2019 | Revised: 2 September 2020 | Accepted: 5 September 2020 DOI: 10.1111/ijsa.12314
The Moderating Effect Of Risk Management Committee On Corporate Governance And Financial Performance

This paper attempts to deepen a better understanding of corporate governance research, specifically board diversity among the top listed companies due to the inconclusive results occurring in the past studies. Therefore, the board diversity influences financial excellence through the moderating effect of risk management committee (RMC) was investigated. The content analysis was undertaken to obtain data from the corporate annual reports of top 100 PLCs. The Partial Least Squares technique was used to assess the proposed relationships. The findings reveal that director experience, board size, foreigner diversity and gender diversity are significantly correlated with financial achievement while the independent board is insignificant correlated with financial achievement. RMC is found to have no relationships with corporate governance characteristics towards superior financial returns. From a theoretical side, this paper extends the previous academic literature by applying resource-based view (RBV) to address that diverse boards perform better, in particular financial performance, than less diverse boards. The findings support the RBV that diverse boards are more likely to represent diverse stakeholders and to achieve better financial returns. On the practical standpoint, these findings provide companies, researchers and policymakers with new strategic insights into the board governance structures that need future research and further development.
Psychometric Validation of a Measure Assessing Functional Limitations of Students With Disabilities: An Adaptation of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0

The 12-item World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0) has been used to assess functional impairments in various disability populations and has been shown to be applicable to the youth population. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II–Youth Version (WHODAS-Y). Results of the study revealed a two-factor solution, including the socio-cognitive index and self-care index. The WHODAS-Y measurement appears to be a reliable and valid measure of function impairment in transition-age youth with disabilities in a community setting. This assessment tool can be integrated in vocational rehabilitation practices and guide rehabilitation counselors in identifying needs and facilitators related to education and employment-related services, as well as understanding health care needs in youth with disabilities.
A comparative study of teaching and learning in German and Chinese vocational education and training schools: A classroom observation study

This study compares teaching and learning in German and Chinese vocational education and training (VET) schools. The adoption of teaching methods and instructional media are used as two descriptive dimensions. Relevant data on these factors were collected through systematic classroom observation. Generally, both similarities and differences can be noted between German and Chinese VET schools. The results concerning adoption of teaching methods and instructional media are discussed in the context of two factors: teacher education; and curriculum.
Self-care of Caregivers: Self-Compassion in a Population of Dutch Medical Students and Residents

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Objectives: The incidence of burnout in medical students and residents continues to outpace that of the general population. Self-compassion, a concept in the study of well-being, may moderate against adverse mental health outcomes. The aim of this study is to extend prior research by investigating self-compassion levels in relation to sociodemographic variables and self-reported burnout in Dutch medical students and residents. Methods: We used a cross-sectional survey design. After inclusion, 295 participants completed the online survey. Self-compassion was measured using the Self-Compassion Scale Short-Form. Self-defined burnout symptoms were measured using a single-item measure. Data were analysed using multiple linear regression. Results: Being male was associated with having higher levels of self-compassion (β=0.131, p<.001) as well as being of higher age (β=0.175, p<.001). Reporting burnout was negatively associated with self-compassion (β=-.412, p<.001). Discussion: This study substantiated previous research linking low self-compassion to burnout, and showed a potential increased vulnerability of young and female students. Further investigation of causality and the processes underlying self-compassion development are needed to investigate whether self-compassion interventions can enhance the well-being of medical students and residents.
Rheology and Catastrophic Phase Inversion of Emulsions in the Presence of Starch Nanoparticles

Emulsions stabilized by solid nanoparticles, referred to as Pickering emulsions, are becoming increasingly important in applications as they are free of surfactants. However, the bulk properties and stability of Pickering emulsions are far from being well understood. In this work, the rheological behavior and catastrophic phase inversion of emulsions in the presence of starch nanoparticles were studied using in-situ measurements of viscosity and electrical conductivity. The aqueous phase consisting of starch nanoparticles was added sequentially in increments of 5% vol. to the oil phase under agitation condition to prepare the emulsions. The emulsions were water-in-oil (W/O) type at low to moderate concentrations of aqueous phase. At a certain critical volume fraction of aqueous phase, catastrophic phase inversion of W/O emulsion to oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion took place accompanied a sharp jump in the electrical conductivity and a sharp drop in the emulsion viscosity. The W/O emulsions were nearly Newtonian at low concentrations of aqueous phase. At high concentrations of aqueous phase, prior to phase inversion, the W/O emulsions exhibited a shear-thickening behavior. The O/W emulsions produced after phase inversion were shear-thinning in nature. The comparison of the experimental viscosity data with the predictions of emulsion viscosity model revealed only partial coverage of droplet surfaces with nanoparticles. With the increase in the concentration of starch nanoparticles (SNPs) in the aqueous phase of the emulsions, the phase inversion of W/O emulsion to O/W emulsion was delayed to higher volume fraction of aqueous phase. Thus SNPs imparted some stability to W/O emulsions against coalescence and phase inversion.
Development of label-free gold nanoparticle based rapid colorimetric assay for clinical/point-of-care screening of cervical cancer

Cervical cancer is the fourth largest cancer, affecting women across the globe. Rapid screening is of vital importance for diagnosis and treatment of the disease, especially in developing countries with high risk populations. In this paper, we report a simple, novel and rapid approach for qualitative screening of cervical cancer. A label-free colorimetric technique (“C-ColAur”) involving the in situ formation of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) in the presence of clinical samples is demonstrated. The as-formed Au NPs, owing to the sample composition produced a characteristic color that can be used for the qualitative detection of malignancy. We demonstrated the proof of principle using clinical samples (cervical fluid) collected from both cancer affected and healthy individuals. The results of the detection technique, “C-ColAur” when compared with those of the existing conventional diagnostic procedures (i.e. Pap smear or biopsy), showed 96.42% sensitivity. With the detection time less than a minute and with no/minimal sample processing requirements, the proposed technique shows great potential for point-of-care as well as clinical screening of cervical cancer.
Biology and Molecular Biology of Ixodes scapularis

This chapter describes the biology of the tick Ixodes scapularis in relation to its role as the vector of the Lyme disease agent, Borrelia burgdorferi . Following a review of the internal anatomy of the tick, we review basic molecular processes that contribute to an understanding of the dynamics of the tick’s specialized parasitic processes, including attachment behavior, salivation; silencing of host anti-inflammatory responses to enable blood ingestion at the dermal feeding site; hemoglobin digestion and reproduction. The chapter is divided into three parts: 1) systematic and anatomical characteristics of ticks; 2) host finding, attachment, salivary disruption of host defenses, blood feeding and digestion; and 3) molecular regulation of tick bodily functions and reproduction. In the first part, we review the systematics of ticks and the taxonomic position of the vector of Lyme disease, I. scapularis , compared to other tick species. Next, we review the general organization of the tick body, including (a) the mouthparts essential for sucking blood, (b) the powerful sucking pharynx, (c) the midgut and its role in blood and hemoglobin digestion, (d) the salivary glands and their complex cellular organization, (e) the synganglion (a fused central nervous system) responsible for controlling all body functions, (f) the reproductive organs, and (g) the tracheal system that facilitates air intake and removal of CO 2 . In the second part, we highlight the role of the tick’s salivary glands in secreting a remarkably complex array of anti-hemostatic molecules that modulate the bite site in the host skin and how these salivary molecules facilitate the lengthy blood-sucking process. We also describe how ticks capture hemoglobin and internalize it in midgut epithelial cells for intracellular digestion, followed by the sequestration of heme into specialized hemosomes for disposal as hematin. We also will review the neural control of regulation of tick salivary glands, blood uptake, hemoglobin digestion, blood meal concentration, water/salt elimination, vitellogenesis and receptor mediated vitellogenin uptake in the developing oocytes and their oviposition.
Epigenetic Changes and Cardiovascular Risks among Workers Occupationally Exposed to Iron and Zinc

Introduction: Several metals such as Iron and Zinc were found at high concentration in foundry particulate matter and demonstrated to have procoagulant effects, these effects may occur through epigenetic changes of pro-inflammatory genes. So, Iron and Steel workers are at a high risk for cardiovascular diseases. Aim of work: Evaluation of the risk of thrombosis and cardiovascular diseases among individuals occupationally exposed to Iron and Zinc. Materials and methods: A descriptive cross sectional comparative study was performed on 60 persons working in Iron and Steel factory and 60 subjects used as control group with no history of occupational exposure to Fe or Zinc. All study population was subjected to personal interview with specially designed questionnaire. Serum Iron and Zinc levels together with Endogenous thrombin potential (ETP) test were measured. Assessment of methylated DNA of Endothelin-1 (EDN1) and Nitric-oxide synthase-3 (NOS3) genes were performed. Results: the current study showed highly statistically significantincrease of serum Iron, Zinc levels and percentage of ETP among exposed group when compared to the control with Mean ± SD 125.6±22.9, 110.9±19.2,168±0.5 vs 63.6±15.3, 42.5±7.2, and 102.22±12.36 respectively. There was also a significant decrease of methylated DNA of EDN1and NOS3 genes among exposed group with Mean ± SD 0.71±0.3, 0.75±0.3 versus 1.51±1.01,4.09±0.68 respectively among the control group. Serum levels of Iron and Zinc and percentage of ETP were negatively correlated with methylated DNA of NOS3 and EDN1 genes r= -0.304, r=-0.450, r=-0.259, r= -0.787, r= -0.866 and r= -0.618 respectively (p value <0.005), while positive correlation were detected between Iron and Zinc levels with ETP (r= 0.692 and r=0.625). It was found that Iron, Zinc and NOS3 are determinants for END1 while the latter is the only predictor for NOS3. Conclusion: The risk of thrombosis and cardiovascular diseases were related to occupational exposure to high levels of Iron and Zinc. So, regular wearing of good quality’s personal protective equipment, especially masks and gloves, is highly recommended to decrease exposure to these metals.
Contrasting tocol ratios associated with seed longevity in rice variety groups

Abstract Vitamin E (tocols) is a key metabolite for efficient scavenging of lipid peroxy radicals that cause membrane breakdown during seed ageing. However, in rice, this hypothesis has been tested for very few lines only and without considering intraspecific variation in genomic structure. Here, we present a correlation study between tocols and seed longevity using a diverse rice panel. Seeds of 20 rice accessions held in the International Rice Genebank at the International Rice Research Institute, representing Aus, Basmati/Sadri, Indica, temperate Japonica and tropical Japonica variety groups, were used for tocols analysis (quantification of α-, β-, γ- and δ-tocopherol/tocotrienol by ultra-performance liquid chromatography) and storage experiments at 45°C and 10.9% seed moisture content. To examine the effects of DNA-haplotype on the phenotype, the 700 K high-density single-nucleotide polymorphism marker dataset was utilized. Both seed longevity (time for viability to fall to 50%; p 50) and tocols content varied across variety groups related to the heterogeneity in the genetic architecture. Among eight types of tocol homologues, α-tocopherol and γ-tocotrienol were significantly correlated with p 50 (negatively and positively, respectively). While temperate Japonica varieties were most abundant in α-tocopherol, Indica varieties recorded 1.3- to 1.7-fold higher γ-tocotrienol than those of other groups. We conclude that the specific ratio of tocol homologues rather than total tocols content plays an important role in the seed longevity mechanism.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on risk perceptions: differences between ethnic groups in Germany

ABSTRACT Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, people perceive their health and finances to be at greater risk than before. Using data from CILS4COVID, an add-on study to the German long-term project CILS4EU-DE, surveying young adults aged 24–26, we show that these risk perceptions are prevalent in populations with a former Yugoslavian, Turkish, and Asian background, although we find only few differences between the German majority and the ethnic minority groups overall. Contrary to expectations, we were not able to fully explain these systematic differences with sociodemographic, experiential and sociocultural factors. Nevertheless, our analysis provides important insights into mechanisms underlying the increased perception of risk during the pandemic irrespective of respondents’ ethnic origin.
Reversals of coherent structures in turbulent mixed convection

Abstract Reconfiguration events in turbulent mixed convection, i.e. the superposition of thermal and forced flow contributions, at the two different Richardson numbers $Ri=1.5$ and $Ri=3.7$ and similar Rayleigh numbers of $Ra \approx 10^8$ are investigated with tomographic particle image velocimetry in combination with local temperature measurements. For both cases, the three-dimensional velocity fields reflect diagonally aligned large-scale circulations (LSC) switching their alignment by rotating their axes around a pivot located at the centre of the LSC, while the temperatures perform a translation movement of the structures in agreement with earlier temperature-based investigations. For the high $Ri$ case, the switching process of the observed spontaneous reconfigurations is induced by a reversing thermal flow contribution while the forced flow contribution is constant. Furthermore, it is shown that a secondary roll structure, which drives the reconfiguration process in Rayleigh–Bénard convection, also exists in mixed convection. However, in the latter, the flow reversals are triggered by different structures which accumulate and release their kinetic energy according to a proper orthogonal decomposition analysis. In contrast, for the low $Ri$ case, the structure formation during continuous reconfigurations is governed by a Taylor- or Görtler-type instability. This means that the forced convection substantially affects the reconfiguration mechanism of these structures. Therefore, the reconfigurations cannot be described by a simple superposition of structures associated with the two flow contributions as for the high $Ri$.
Nutrient demand of the carrot crop

The existing literature for the recommendation of fertilizers and diagnosis of the nutritional status of the carrot crop is outdated because it contemplates productivities lower than those currently obtained. The objective of this research was to characterize the nutritional demand of the carrot crop by estimating the dry matter content of the roots, the coefficient of biological utilization of the nutrients and the harvest index of dry matter and of the mineral nutrients, in order to indicate fertilizers according to the desired productivity for winter and summer cultivations. We sampled 210 carrot plots located in the Alto Paranaiba region, Minas Gerais, Brazil, during 2012 and 2013. We determined the content of dry matter of the roots, the coefficient of biological utilization of the nutrients in the roots and leaves and the harvest index of dry matter and nutrients in the crop. Data were grouped in two groups of cultivations: Winter and summer. The harvest index of dry matter and of nutrients was bigger for the winter cultivars. Regardless of the growing season, the N, P, K, Mg and B were retained in greater amounts in the roots. Phosphorus had the highest harvest index, and the Cu, the lowest. The differences were insignificant in the nutritional demand of N, P, Ca, S, B, Cu and Zn between winter and summer cultivars for the average productivity obtained in each season. In the summer cultivars, the carrot accumulates greater amounts of Fe and lower of K, Mg and Mn when compared to winter. The modeling of the nutritional demand of the carrot crop can be carried out depending on the desired productivity and growing season. Key words: Nutrients balance, Daucus carota, nutritional demand, nutrients recommendation.