Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
After 1989: The New Wave of Chinese Science Fiction

This paper examines the new wave of Chinese science fiction as both a subversion and variation of the genre’s utopianism of the earlier age. Wang Jinkang’s Ant Life (2007), Liu Cixin’s China 2185 (1989), the Three-Body Trilogy (2006-2010), and the short story “The Micro-Era” (1999) are the main texts this paper studies. Their reflections on utopianism speak to the post-1989 changing intellectual culture and political economy. This paper argues that the new wave of Chinese science fiction contains a self-conscious effort to energise the utopian/dystopian variations rather than a simple denial of utopianism or a total embrace of dystopian disillusionment, and this is particularly represented in Liu Cixin’s novels. The paper also provides some preliminary thoughts on the vision of a post-human future depicted in Liu Cixin’s science fiction.
Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of the Western Rhodopes Mountain (Bulgaria and Greece)

A very high species diversity of bats was found in the Western Rhodopes Mountains, a border mountain between Bulgaria and Greece. Of the 35 bat species known from continental Europe, 30 species were found in the study areaRhinolophidae, 5 species; Vespertilionidae, 23 species; Miniopteridae, 1 species; Molossidae, 1 species. Twenty seven of these species occur in Bulgarian part (all except Pipistrellus nathusii, Myotis alcathoe and Rhinolophus mehelyi) and 28 species in the Greek part of the mountains (all except Plecotus auritus and Myotis brandtii). Myotis mystacinus s.l. and Nyctalus leisleri are reported for the first time for the Bulgarian part and Rhinolophus hipposideros, Rh. euryale, Rh. blasii, Plecotus austriacus, Nyctalus noctula, Pipistrellus pygmaeus and Barbastella barbastellus for the Greek part of the mountain. Occurrence of Myotis aurascens needs further support with genetic data. Altogether bats were found in 164 localities128 in Bulgaria (of which 83 are caves and galleries) and 36 in Greece (of which 6 are caves and galleries). Sixty five percent of the Bulgarian bat records come from underground roosts, while less than 16% come from caves and galleries in Greece. The most common species belong to the cave-dwelling groupRhinolophus hipposideros, Rh. ferrumequinum, Myotis myotis, M. blythii and Miniopterus shreibersii. Much rarely detected are the forest-dwelling species such as Myotis bechsteinii, M. nattereri, Barbastella barbastellus and Nyctalus spp. Seven areas are pointed to hold greatest species diversity – Trigrad-Yagodina (19 species), Peshtera (13 species), Gorna Arda (12 species) and Dobrostan (10 species) in Bulgaria and Kompsatos valley between Medousa and Kotani, Arkoudorrema River near Dipotama and ToxotesGalani (with 12 species each) in Greece. Five caves in Bulgaria are classified as Important Bat Underground Habitats, of which Dyavolskoto Garlo cave is the most noteworthy regional hibernaculum, sheltering up to 40 800 bats, most of which Miniopterus schreibersii. External measurements of 55 individuals belonging to 15 species, ringing/recapture data and a map of all studied 89 caves and galleries are presented in Appendices.
Chapter 25-Patent Statistics as an Innovation Indicator

This chapter summarizes the basic characteristics of patent data as an innovation indicator and reviews some of the recent research using patent data, focusing on major developments since Griliches in 1990 [Griliches, Z. (1990). “Patent statistics as economic indicators: A survey”. Journal of Economic Literature 28, 1661–1707]. The first notable development is the availability of patent data on an increasingly global scale and the accompanying global spread of research using patent data. The availability of global patent data has increased the value of patent information in a number of ways. The second notable development is the significant expansion of research using citation information as well as better understanding of its nature. Citation information has been found to provide very useful information on the value of patents, although backward citation as a measure of information flow is found to be more controversial. The third major development is the extensive implementation of surveys such as the “innovation survey” of firms and the inventor survey. They have deepened our understanding of the usefulness and the constraints of bibliographic indicators based on patent. The forth development is better understanding of the nature of the patent system and the reformulation of patent data, a good example of which is the development of patent family data, based on priority information.
Agent assisted paper collection for recycling

Recycling has been gaining ground, thanks to the recent progress made in the related technology. However, a limiting factor to its wide adoption, is the lack of modern tools for managing the collection of recyclable resources. In this paper, we present EcoTruck, a management system for the collection of recyclable paper products. EcoTruck is modelled as a multi-agent system and its implementation employs Erlang, a distribution-oriented declarative language. The system aims to automate communication and cooperation of parties involved in the collection process, as well as optimise vehicle routing. The latter have the effect of minimising vehicle travel distances and subsequently lowering transportation costs. By speeding up the overall recycling process, the system could increase the service throughput, eventually introducing recycling methods to a larger audience.
Idling of the youth without jobs and its implications in the Wa municipality of the upper west region of Ghana

Youth unemployment is one of the biting problems bedevilling many countries including Ghana and majority of the youth around the world are actively searching for jobs without any success ILO (2012). Wa Municipality and according to Ghana Statistical Service (2012)) about eighty percent of the unemployed youth find themselves in prison for misdemeanours. The paper examines the reasons and implications of youth idling without jobs in the Wa Municipality. A cross-sectional design was used with some descriptive data and triangulated with qualitative data. Sampling was purposive and in many cases simple random sampling was used. An interview guide and questionnaires were also used for data and analysed concurrently. The study showed that youth impatience, corruption, low level of education, refusal of employers to pay employees what is due them, financial constraints were reasons why youth idle in the Wa municipality. Also, motorbike thefts, livestock stealing and electrical appliances are the most predominant repercussions of youth idling without jobs in the municipality. It is therefore obvious that eighty five percent of all crime perpetrators are committed by those youth who idle without jobs for which many find themselves imprisoned in Wa Municipality. Developing a conscious economic policy by the government to rekindle growth in the private sector so as to provide more job opportunities for the youth as well as integration of entrepreneurial skills into the school curriculum by the government would help minimise this menace.
Learning to Teach in a Digital Age: ICT Integration and EFL Student Teachers' Teaching Practices.

This study examined the ICT integration used by stu dent teachers from a public university during their teaching practices in four high school s in Indonesia. This qualitative inquiry with a case study approach focused on video-based observ ations and focus group discussions as techniques of data collection. We utilized random s ampling for the video-based observation and purposive sampling for the focus group discussi on with 60 participants in the discussion and 10 classes in the observation. We organized our analysis and discussion around the field facts and participants’ perceptions on the contexts whether or not the integration of ICT was carried out in their pre-teaching practices. Despit the fact that most participants who were student teachers informed that they had good compet ency levels and experience in the use of technology and believed that technology would have many benefits in improving their teaching performance, the findings of this study sh owed that they did not integrate ICT in their teaching practices. The major reason for this lack of technology use was the school condition. The findings can be a reference for the importance of a systematic and comprehensive development of method of the teaching practice in the 21 st century to help the appropriate transition of student teachers, as they will become professional teachers in the future.
A reflective analysis of student learning with computer algebra from instrumental and onto-semiotic perspectives

A deep understanding of students' learning processes is one of the core challenges of research in mathematics education. To achieve this, different theoretical lenses are available. The question is how these different lenses compare and contrast, and how they can be coordinated and combined to provide a more comprehensive view on the topic of study. To investigate this, one single episode is analyzed with two theoretical lenses, the instrumental genesis perspective and the onto-semiotic approach. The results from this joint analysis provide a rich view on the observed phenomena and help to identify the affordances and constraints of each of the two theoretical approaches and to articulate them. This way, the networking of theories proves to affect theoretical advancements.
Childhood sleep-disordered breathing – dentofacial and pharyngeal characteristics

The aim of this work was to examine distinct dentofacial and pharyngeal features in children with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). A further aim was to test the validity of the conventional methods used in orthodontics for recognition of obstructed airways. Seventy children (36 girls, 34 boys, age range 4.2–11.9 years), who were diagnosed as having SDB during the years 2000–2002, constituted the source of subjects for four separate studies. The study protocol included otorhinolaryngological and orthodontic examinations. Dental impressions and lateral cephalograms were taken. In addition, upper airway was imaged in 36 children in different head postures by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Ageand gender-matched healthy children were used as controls. The results showed that children with SDB had increased overjet, smaller overbite, narrower upper and shorter lower dental arches and higher incidence of anterior open bite and distal molar relationship when compared with control children. The severity of the obstruction correlated with larger deviations from normal in the dental characteristics. There were more children with crowding and with anterior open bite with increased severity of the disorder. Children with SDB displayed an increased sagittal jaw relationship, a more vertical growth pattern of the mandible, a longer and thicker soft palate, a lower hyoid bone position, larger craniocervical angles and narrower pharyngeal airway measured at multiple levels, when compared with the controls. Deviation in pharyngeal variables showed highest correlation with the severity of SDB. MRI indicated a smaller than normal oropharyngeal airway in children with SDB. The effect of head posture on pharyngeal airway dimensions differed in children with SDB when compared with the controls. These findings verify that the developmental course of occlusal characteristics and craniofacial structures may be modulated by breathing pattern, and, on the other hand, that certain features may predispose to the development of the disorder. It is important to recognize these signs in order to guide further development in a more favorable direction. The results confirmed that cephalometry is a valid screening tool when assessing nasopharyngeal and retropalatal airway dimensions. Clinical examination of tonsillar size was found reliable when retroglossal airway size was evaluated.
Acute Stroke in Diabetes Mellitus: A Prospective Observational Study Evaluating the Course and Short-Term Outcome in Basrah, Southern Iraq

Introduction Stroke and diabetes mellitus (DM) are distinct conditions with many aspects in common. Both conditions are prevalent and associated with various vascular risk factors such as dyslipidemia and hypertension. This study was conducted to evaluate the association between stroke and DM regarding the course (i.e., type, recurrence, aspirin failure, and degree of disability) of stroke and short-term outcomes in patients with diabetes who suffer an acute stroke. Patients and methods We conducted a prospective observational study of 210 acute stroke patients admitted to the Neurology Unit of Al-Basrah Teaching Hospital in Basrah City in Southern Iraq from May 2014 to September 2015. Our study included 124 men (59%) and 86 (41%) women, and our study population had a mean age of 64 ± 11 years. The study participants were separated into two groups of 105 patients according to their diabetes status, and we evaluated each patient’s type of stroke, recurrence, aspirin failure, and degree of neurological disability according to the National Institutes of Health stroke scale. We assessed short-term outcomes (i.e., four weeks' mortality) following acute stroke. Results Ischemic stroke was the primary stroke experienced by patients with diabetes (94.3%), which is highly significant and associated with an increased risk of previous recurrent ischemic stroke (55.2%; P=0.003, <0.001, respectively). We noted a higher rate of loss of antiplatelet activity from aspirin in patients with DM rather than those without DM (p<0.001), and we noted more severe disability in outcomes in patients with DM. In the group of stroke patients with diabetes, 46 patients (59%) died, while 32 patients (41%) without diabetes died (p=0.046). Conclusion DM is associated with a heavier burden for acute stroke along with poorer outcomes than patients without DM. Our findings suggest acute stroke in patients with diabetes may be considered a distinct entity separate from acute stroke in patients without diabetes. The treatment of acute stroke in patients with diabetes warrants further investigation.
Preferences for government assistance to forced migrants in developing countries: The role of perceived disadvantage and integration

This paper contributes to better understanding the associations between perceived disadvantage and integration of refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and preferences for increased government assistance to these groups in developing countries, using unique data from three postSoviet countries in the South Caucasus. We document consistently strong positive associations between perceived refugee/IDP disadvantage and support for increased government assistance. We also show that the association between perceived refugee/IDP integration and support for government assistance varies with country context. The outcomes of this study may inform policy efforts to respond to the increasing inflow of refugees and IDPs in developing countries.
Variations in the Course of Musculocutaneous Nerve in Relation with Coracobrachialis & Median Nerve with Its Surgical Importance.

Introduction: Musculocutaneous nerve is nerve of anterior compartment of arm branches out from the lateral cord of brachial plexus, supplies coracobrachialis, biceps & brachialis. After piercing coracobrachialis later it pierces deep fascia to continue as lateral cutaneous nerve of forearm without exhibiting any communication with any other nerve Aim: The aim of this study was to a study in the course of MCN which could be important for clinical investigation and the surgical treatment of peripheral nerve injury. Material & methods: The 50 upper extremities of both male & female cadavers of aged between 50 yrs to 80yrs were taken for this study from the department of anatomy VIMS& RC Bangalore. During the routine dissection of both the upper limb, Musculocutaneous nerve was dissected carefully from the brachial plexus, its origin, course, branches, termination & communication with other nerves in the arm was looked & recorded. Results: out of 50 dissected upper limb we found two bilateral variation in the course of MCN not piercing the coracobrachialis muscle, in 2 cases musculocutaneous joined with median nerve without piercing coracobrachialis & in 3 cases with piercing coracobrachialis, giving branch to coracobrachialis muscle, Biceps, Brachioradialis muscle & passing between Biceps & Brachioradialis muscle, later piercing deep fascia to become lateral cutaneous nerve of forearm. Conclusions: These variations have clinical significance during surgical procedures, in brachial plexus block and in diagnostic clinical neurophysiology. Knowledge of such variations helps in the management of shoulder and arm traumas, nerve grafting and diagnosing peripheral neuropathies.
Characterisation of T cells induced by candidate conserved region HIV-1 vaccines in healthy HIV-1/2 negative volunteers

HIV-1 has claimed the lives of millions of people globally and continues to spread despite development of highly active antiretroviral therapy. In 2013, 2.1 million new infections occurred and over 35 million people were living with HIV-1 infection. A prophylactic HIV-1 vaccine that can prevent infection or reduce viremia and subsequent transmission will always be an important part of the solution to bring this epidemic under control. In this thesis, the first HIV-1 vaccine candidate to focus on conserved regions of the virus (HIVconsv) was assessed in a phase I clinical trial conducted in healthy HIV-1/2 negative volunteers in Oxford. The HIVconsv T-cell immunogen was delivered using three leading vaccine modalities (DNA (D), modified vaccinia virus Ankara (M) and chimpanzee adenovirus serotype 63 (C)), in several novel heterologous prime-boost regimens. The frequency of T cells elicited through HIVconsv vaccination in the CM and DDDCM regimens surpassed that of previous HIV-1 cell-mediated vaccines. A large proportion of these T cells produced multiple cytokines and proliferated in response to recall peptides. The breadth of T-cell responses were also greater than the non-efficacious STEP study vaccine, with an average of 10 T-cell epitopes per vaccine recipient recognised across CM and DDDCM regimens. In vitro HIV-1 control mediated by CD8 p T cells was demonstrated for all vaccinees receiving the CM regimen, mainly against clade A (U455) and clade B (IIIB) isolates. Two vaccinees, demonstrated superior control of 6/8 and 7/8 viruses from the panel. The CM regimen induced significantly higher magnitudes of viral inhibition compared to the DDDCM or DDDMC regimens, with this regimen showing potential to overcome the disadvantage for subjects of carrying non-protective HLA alleles. Investigation of T-cell specificities revealed that the frequencies of T cells specific for conserved Gag but more so Pol regions significantly correlated with in vitro virus control. Direct examination of peptide expanded T-cell lines showed that all Pol pool- and limited Gag pool-specific cell lines reduced HIV-1 replication in vitro . In most individuals, targeting multiple HIV-1 epitopes concomitantly resulted in higher levels of virus inhibition than targeting a single viral epitope and two T-cell specificities showed enhanced control of HIV-1; the first within Pol (TAFTIPSI) and second from Gag (TERQANFL). These data support further development of the conserved region strategy for T-cell vaccines against HIV-1.
STORE DYNAMICS, EMPLOYEE AND GENERATION Y IMPULSE PURCHASE

Prior studies on impulse purchasing behaviour have focused on general segments covering mostly Baby Boomers, and Generation X (Gen Y). This study attempts to examine how apparel store dynamics manifested in music, lighting, layout and employees’ behaviour influence impulse purchase of Gen Y. Using convenience sampling technique, data was collected via a survey questionnaire from 120 Gen Y from a large suburb outside Kuala Lumpur to analyse the impact of store environment and impulse buying. Findings found that music, lighting, and layout had significant impact on impulse purchase. Contrary to prior theory, employee behaviour, however had a significant negative relationship with impulse buying behaviour. Findings have implications for theory and retail management.
OPPORTUNISM IN PRINCIPAL-AGENT RELATIONSHIPS WITH SUBJECTIVE EVALUATION

We show in principal-agent model with subjective evaluation that the order of information revelation in such contracts has sharp predictions regarding both contract form and its efficiency. We explore two large classes of contracts – authority contracts where compensation is set by the Principal, and sales contracts where payment is set by the Agent. Sales contracts provide a way to model Williamson’s (1975) notion of opportunism (self-interest seeking with guile), where guile is interpreted as the combined risk of the agent shirking and lying. The approach also provides a way to precisely model “good faith” in contract.
Estimation of arsenic accumulation in irrigated soil and paddy plant

From intensive monitoring of one sub-area of a paddy field during the boro season of 2004, it is estimated that about 90% arsenic added to the paddy field with irrigation water is accumulated in the top 0-450 mm of soil at the end of the irrigation season; about 71% of added arsenic accumulated in the top 0-75 mm soil segment. After the rainy season and before the beginning of the next irrigation season, the arsenic level in the top soil layers, however, decreased significantly and came back to levels comparable to those at the beginning of the irrigation season. The arsenic taken up by paddy plants accounted for about 4.4% of total arsenic that is added to the paddy field with irrigation water. Roots of paddy plants accumulated the maximum level of arsenic, followed by leaf and stem. Paddy grain and husk accumulated the least amount of arsenic. Arsenic content of top 0-75 mm soil segment was found to be strongly correlated with arsenic concentration in roots; poor correlation was observed with arsenic concentrations in other parts of paddy plants. Since paddy straw is used as cattle feed, this may pose a risk to cattle health in the arsenic-affected areas. Since rice is the staple food for the people of Bangladesh, it appears that intake of arsenic from rice could constitute an important part of overall arsenic intake for people living in the arsenic affected areas. © 2005 Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh. All rights reserved.