Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Organic and mineral fertilization on productivity and postharvest of okra

Mineral fertilization promotes good results for the components of production and quality of okra fruit; however, it raises the cost of production, making it, sometimes, unviable to the small producers. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate organic and mineral fertilization in different forms, in the components of production, productivity, and quality of okra fruits. The experiment was carried out, under full sunlight, in a completely randomized design (CRD), with six replications. The treatments corresponded to the different forms of fertilization, being: MF = mineral fertilization with NPK (100% of the recommended dose); BF = fertilization with bovine biofertilizer (100% of the NPK contents); VA = fertilization with vegetable ash (100% of NPK contents); MFBF = mineral fertilizer (50%) + bovine biofertilizer (50%); MFVA = mineral fertilizer (50%) + vegetable ash (50%); C = control (without fertilization). The variables analyzed were as follows: number of fruits per plant (NFP), average fruit mass (AFM), fruit length (FL), fruit diameter (FD), fruit skin thickness (FST), and yield (Y). Therefore, the use of bovine biofertilizer in isolation or supplemented with mineral fertilization enhances the production of okra and improves the quality of the fruits, reveling as promising alternatives for growing okra.
NBER WORKING PAPER SERIES CAPITAL ACCOUNT LIBERALIZATION, INSTITUTIONAL QUALITY AND ECONOMIC GROWTH: THEORY AND EVIDENCE

This paper shows that the effect of capital account liberalization on growth depends upon the environment in which that policy occurs. A theoretical model demonstrates the possibility of an inverted-U shaped relationship between the responsiveness of growth to capital account liberalization and institutional quality. Three empirical specifications based on the model are estimated using a panel of 71 countries. Estimates of all three specifications support the hypothesis of a non-monotonic interaction between the responsiveness of growth to capital account liberalization and institutional quality, with about one-quarter of the countries, those with better (but not the best) institutions exhibiting a statistically significant and economically meaningful effect of capital account openness on economic growth. Michael W. Klein The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy Tufts University Medford, MA 02155 and NBER michael.klein@tufts.edu
Damage detection with the fundamental mode of edge waves

Detection of mechanical damage using Lamb or Rayleigh waves is limited to relatively simple geometries, yet real structures often incorporate features such as free or clamped edges, welds, rivets, ribs and holes. All these features are potential sources of wave reflections and scattering, which make the application of these types of guided waves for damage detection difficult. However, these features can themselves generate so-called ‘feature-guided’ waves. This article details the first application of the fundamental mode of transient edge waves for detection of mechanical damage. The fundamental edge wave mode (ES0) – a natural analogue to Rayleigh waves – is weakly dispersive and may decay with propagation distance. The phase and group velocities of the ES0 wave mode are close to the fundamental shear horizontal (SH0) and symmetric Lamb (S0) wave modes, at low and high frequencies, respectively. It is therefore quite challenging to excite a single ES0 mode and avoid wave coupling. However, it was found experimentally that at medium range frequencies the ES0 mode can be decoupled from SH0 and S0 modes, and its decay is small, allowing for distant detection of defects and damage along free edges of slender structural components. This article provides a brief theory of edge waves, excitation methodology and successful examples of distant detection of crack-like and corrosion damage in I-beam sections, which are widely applied in engineering and construction.
Nanoscale silicon-on-insulator deformation induced by stressed liner structures

Rotation and strain fields were mapped across silicon-on-insulator (SOI) regions induced by overlying stressed Si3N4 features using x-ray nanobeam diffraction. The distribution in SOI tilt exhibited an antisymmetric distribution with a maximum magnitude of 7.9 milliradians, representing one of the first direct measurements of the lattice tilt conducted in situ within buried layers using a spot size of less than 100 nm. The measured rotation distribution corresponds to simulated values generated by boundary element method modeling, indicating that the strain transfer into the underlying SOI primarily induces elastic deformation.
Peer Firms in Audit Pricing: Evidence Under High Uncertainty Settings

Drawing on prior studies regarding the use of peers for investment decisions and compensation practices and the recent reports which suggest that firms use peer information for audit pricing, we examine the effect of peer groups on the audit pricing process under high information asymmetry environment. Using observations from the emerging markets of China, we find that peer group information is used in audit pricing with peer groups defined as the Industry, Industry/Region, Industry/Big4, Industry/Size, and Industry/Region/Big4. This is consistent with above complementary theories. We also find evidence that peer group information is more likely to be used by firms from low-technology industries, less developed regions, and firms audited by non-Big 4 CPA firms than those from high-technology industries, more developed regions, and firms audited by Big 4 CPA firms. Also, peer group information is more likely to be used in clients firms with shorter auditor tenure and with lower analyst following compared with their counterparts. Finally, we find that clients with lower audit fees than their peer groups in the previous period are more likely to increase audit fees in the current period. Our results are qualitatively the same regardless of whether we use an overall sample across different industries or for each industry separately. These results are consistent with the peer group literature and also indicate that peer group information is more likely to be used in conditions when information asymmetry is high.
Technology and the sustainable tourist in the new age of disruption

Abstract We are in the midst of a transition into a new age of travel and tourism based on the convergence of several key disruptive influences in the form of new technologies, periodic chaos in markets and economies, health and safety concerns, and environmental crises. How we navigate these disruptive influences is important for the enjoyment of tourists, the success of tourism service providers and other local people, and the integrity of the natural world. The purpose of this research note is to discuss a surrogate ecotour experience that allows tourists to remain home while employing local guides to facilitate personalised, interactive, real-time tours (PIRTs). It is argued that there is a market for this type of experience for persons with disabilities and the elderly who have accessibility needs, and for the sustainable citizen who wishes to minimise his/her impact on the planet.
Ashesi University College Effect of Corporate Governance on the Outcome of Corporate Investment Decisions in Ghana By Eugenia Oforiwaa Asante Undergraduate thesis submitted to the Department of Business Administration, Ashesi University College. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements f

This study examines the effects that Corporate Governance has on the outcome of Corporate Investment Decisions of Ghanaian Companies. This research is conducted on 19 Ghanaian companies sub-divided into Multinational and local Companies. Multiple regression analysis is used in this study in estimating the relationship between corporate governance characteristics and the outcome of investing decisions. The independent variables used which are Firm Size, Board Size, Board Independence, CEO Duality, Size of Audit Committee and the Independence of Audit Committee; represent the measure of corporate governance for this study. The results of this study show that for all 19 Ghanaian Firms, the Board Size, Board Independence and Size of Audit Committee are variables relevant in making sound investing decisions whose benefits companies can enjoy over a number of years. For multinationals, Board Independence, the Size of Audit Committee and the Independence of Audit Committee have positive relationships with investing decisions while for local companies the Board Size, Board Independence and the Independence of the Audit Committee are the variables having a positive relationship with the outcome of investment decisions. This paper adds to the limited evidence on the governance-performance relationship that exists in Ghana but approaches the topic by focusing mainly on the outcome of investing decisions (capital budgeting decisions). This study can inform governance policy making in Ghana.
Contextual Prejudice: How Occupational Context and Stereotypes Shape Bias against Gay and Lesbian Employees

While much research provides evidence that gay men and lesbians are discriminated against in the U.S. labor force, the contexts in which such bias is enhanced or reduced, or the mechanisms behind it, are harder to pinpoint. This article puts forth that occupational context—and specifically, the stereotypes about gay men and lesbians evoked by certain occupational contexts—plays an important role in shaping bias against gay men and lesbians in the labor force. I argue that people are implicitly guided by cultural stereotypes about gay men and lesbians, which affects perceptions about whether they are suitable for specific occupations. This leads to penalties for being openly gay or lesbian in some occupational scenarios, but may lead to less or no penalties in others. This theory is tested empirically using a list experiment, a methodological technique designed to reduce or eliminate social desirability bias in responses. Results suggest that bias against gay men and lesbians is not standard across all occupations or subgroups of gay employees, but rather, is shaped by important contextual factors that can activate certain stereotypes about gay and lesbian individuals.
Effect of Food Environment Interventions on Anthropometric Outcomes in School-Aged Children and Adolescents in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

ABSTRACT Food environments may promote access to unhealthy foods, contributing to noncommunicable diseases in low- and middle- income countries (LMICs). This review assessed published evidence on the effects of food environment interventions on anthropometric (BMI and weight status) outcomes in school-aged children (5–9 y) and adolescents (10–19 y) (SACA) in LMICs. We summarized randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental studies (QES) published since 2000 to August 2019 in the peer-reviewed and gray literature that assessed the effects of food-related behavioral and environmental interventions on diet-related health outcomes in SACA in LMICs. Electronic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library) were searched using appropriate keywords, Medical Subject Headings, and free text terms. Eleven RCTs and 6 QES met the inclusion criteria, testing multicomponent behavioral and environmental interventions in schools. Analysis of 6 RCTs (n = 17,054) suggested an overall effect on change in BMI [mean difference (MD): −0.11, 95% CI: −0.19 , −0.03], whereas there was no observed effect in 5 studies using endline BMI (n = 17,371) (MD: 0.05, 95% CI: −0.32, 0.21). There was no significant pooled effect among the 3 QES (n = 5,023) that reported differences in change in BMI or endline (MD: −0.37, 95% CI: −0.95, 0.22). There is limited evidence to support the modification of diet-related health outcomes through school-based food environment interventions in SACA in LMICs. Further studies are needed to understand the impact of school and community-based food environment interventions on nutritional status in this population.
Multi-Scale Context-Guided Deep Network for Automated Lesion Segmentation With Endoscopy Images of Gastrointestinal Tract

Accurate lesion segmentation based on endoscopy images is a fundamental task for the automated diagnosis of gastrointestinal tract (GI Tract) diseases. Previous studies usually use hand-crafted features for representing endoscopy images, while feature definition and lesion segmentation are treated as two standalone tasks. Due to the possible heterogeneity between features and segmentation models, these methods often result in sub-optimal performance. Several fully convolutional networks have been recently developed to jointly perform feature learning and model training for GI Tract disease diagnosis. However, they generally ignore local spatial details of endoscopy images, as down-sampling operations (e.g., pooling and convolutional striding) may result in irreversible loss of image spatial information. To this end, we propose a multi-scale context-guided deep network (MCNet) for end-to-end lesion segmentation of endoscopy images in GI Tract, where both global and local contexts are captured as guidance for model training. Specifically, one global subnetwork is designed to extract the global structure and high-level semantic context of each input image. Then we further design two cascaded local subnetworks based on output feature maps of the global subnetwork, aiming to capture both local appearance information and relatively high-level semantic information in a multi-scale manner. Those feature maps learned by three subnetworks are further fused for the subsequent task of lesion segmentation. We have evaluated the proposed MCNet on 1,310 endoscopy images from the public EndoVis-Ab and CVC-ClinicDB datasets for abnormal segmentation and polyp segmentation, respectively. Experimental results demonstrate that MCNet achieves $\text{74}\%$ and $\text{85}\%$ mean intersection over union (mIoU) on two datasets, respectively, outperforming several state-of-the-art approaches in automated lesion segmentation with endoscopy images of GI Tract.
Competitiveness And Efficiency Analyses of The Hungarian Small Businesses

The analysis of the multidimensional connections between resources and capabilities,and the way organizations use them as competitive weaponshave become a central element of the strategic management literature. Drawing on the resource-based view and the configuration theory, this study proposes a competitiveness measure that incorporates system dynamics in the analysis. The empirical application considers a unique sample of 436Hungarian small and medium-sized firms.The results support the view that competitiveness is a multidimensional construct. Additionally, we show that businesses follow different pathways to enhance their competitiveness level. The findings tend to give ammunition to the argument that effective support policies should accommodate the profile of the targeted businesses
Factors affecting the performance of Pantaneiro horses

This study aimed to assess the physical performance of Pantaneiro horses with and without equine infectious anemia (EIA) under functional conditions of cattle management. The horses were subjected to a performance test and split into two groups according to a completely randomized design: animals were chosen from populations testing positive and negative for EIA. Performance was measured as a function of a data envelopment analysis (DEA) model considering four outputs and one unitary input. The output measures were the distance achieved in the performance test, hematocrit as a weighted average over the test duration, respiratory rate as weighted average over the test duration, and the level of lactic acid at the test termination. Weights for the hematocrit and the respiratory rate output variables were determined by means of factor analysis. The performance score was a weighted average of the output variables with the weights defined by the averages of the optimum individual multipliers in the DEA analysis. Contextual variables of interest were age, horse weight, room temperature, and corporal temperature. Only groups and room temperature were statistically significant effects, as indicated by a bootstrap analysis. The performance of group positive for EIA is significantly lower than that of the group negative for EIA and room temperature has a negative effect.
Instructor misbehavior and student outcomes: Replication and extension in the online classroom

Abstract As online courses gain popularity in higher education, researchers need to examine how problematic communication behaviors like instructor misbehaviors impact instructional learning goals (i.e., affect and perceived cognitive learning) in order to help provide positive affect and quality online instruction. This study relied particularly on 193 undergraduate online survey responses considering student experiences with online instruction and extends previous research examining student evaluations of instructor misbehavior, student forgiveness motivations, instructor credibility, course climate, and students’ affect and perceived learning into the online classroom. Model testing supports students’ unforgiveness motivations, instructor credibility, online learning climate, and student affect as mediators of student evaluations of misbehavior and perceived learning. The results provide several practical implications for effective online instruction.
Vocational Training in Chile: A Decentralized and Market Oriented System. Training Policy Study No. 8.

The Chilean vocational training system is essentially different from the typical Latin American model where services are provided by an official, largely monopolistic, Vocational Training Institution (VTI), financed mainly by a payroll levy on firms. Instead, Chile has a legally established, market oriented system in which many private training agencies compete to sell their services to private firms and government-sponsored public training programmes.
Factors influencing the ovarian response in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)

BackgroundOvarian response to gonadotropin stimulation can predict the success rate of Assisted Reproductive Technology. The purpose of this study was not only to determine the ovarian response rate in patients on whom intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) did not successfully work but also to assess the influence of factors on ovarian response.MethodsIn a retrospective study, the medical records of 220 women undergoing their first cycle of ICSI from March 2012 to October 2016 were thoroughly examined. Special attention was paid to ovarian response with regards to age, body mass index, the history of menstrual cycle, the type of infertility, the duration of infertility, and the cause of infertility with respect to measures of women’s hormones. The ovarian response expressing the number of mature MII oocytes after oocyte retrieval was regarded as “poor response” representing a yield of 1–4 oocytes, and “appropriate response” representing a yield of 5 or more oocytes.ResultsOut of 220 infertile women, 45 subjects (20.5%) had poor response, 175 subjects (79.5%) had appropriate response to ovulation stimulation with gonadotropin. The results of indicated that lower female age (p=0.005) and lower female FSH (p=0.006) were consistent with appropriate ovarian response. After adjusting the variables, the age (age <30 years) (OR= 2.45, 95% CI= 1.19-5.07) and the female FSH (FSH <30 years) (OR= 2.59, 95% CI= 1.16-5.71) were found to be associated with an appropriate ovarian response.ConclusionIt can be concluded that entering the first cycle of ICSI with FSH test and considering the age of women seem to be acceptable strategies.
A review of governmental management accounting: research around the turn of the century

This paper shows that governmental management accounting research around the turn of the century, as published in FAM, MAR and EAR, is different from general management accounting research in some respects. Although there are variations related to topics, theories and research methods, a mainstream in governmental management accounting research seems to exist. Research is predominantly directed to the way in which technical management accounting innovations are used, including organizational and contextual factors that might influence the use of these new techniques. Qualitatively oriented case and field studies are the dominant research methods, and the research is inspired by various theoretical viewpoints, e.g. economics, organization theory and neo-institutional theory. NPM, regarded as a lower level economic theory, turns out to be highly influential. The paper gives recommendations for governmental management accounting research in the future: more attention has to be paid to quantitative research, impact studies on NPM must be promoted, and jointly conducted research projects by management accounting and public administration researchers are welcomed.
A theory of informational autocracy

Abstract We develop an informational theory of autocracy. Dictators survive not by means of force or ideology but because they convince the public—rightly or wrongly—that they are competent. Citizens do not observe the leader's type but infer it from signals in their living standards, state propaganda, and messages sent by an informed elite via independent media. If citizens conclude that the leader is incompetent, they overthrow him. The dictator can invest in making convincing state propaganda, censoring independent media, co-opting the elite, or equipping police to repress attempted uprisings—but he must finance such spending at the expense of the public's consumption. We show that informational autocracies prevail over old-style, overtly violent dictatorships when the informed elite is sufficiently large but are replaced by democracies when elites are too numerous to be bribed or censored. The theory provides insight into various soft authoritarian regimes around the world and suggests a logic of modernization behind recent global political trends.
The zoo of starspots

Abstract Starspots are being observed with many different techniques but not always with coherent results. In particular not if model-dependent data analysis must be employed, e.g. through two-dimensional spot modelling of one-dimensional photometric light curves. I review the zoo of currently available physical spot parameters, i.e. their size, temperature and variability time scales, and also compare results from different techniques. Most of the current values come from Doppler imaging and multi-color photometry. I also list a few cases where starspot detections turned out to be very different to the solar analog.