Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A comparative analysis of road safety across the provinces of Iran from 2005 to 2015

Abstract During the most recent decade, Iran has invested in road safety improvement programs and has experienced a reduction in road fatalities, with rates of improvement differing across provinces. Knowing which road safety investments are performing well across provinces is essential for wisely investing in future road safety improvements. This firstly requires identification of successful provinces. Accordingly, the aim of this study is to evaluate the relative performance of Iranian provinces in improving their safety, while accounting for a variety of factors that influence road safety outcomes. To achieve this aim, traffic fatality rates recorded in each province during 2005–2015 were analyzed. The analysis framework involved first estimating a panel data model to control for random variations as well as exogenous factors—in effect providing a safety performance function for provinces. Then, the “expected provincial safety performance” was compared to actual provincial safety performance, to identify “outlying” provinces with respect to safety performance. The results reveal that the fatality rates are positively associated with exposure as captured by per capita fuel consumption, and percentage of undivided two-lane, two-way rural roads, and negatively related to urban to rural population ratio, population density, and hospital beds per 100,000 residents. Moreover, the number of speed cameras per 100 km rural roads is associated with reduced fatality rates. A comparative assessment of provinces over the 11 year period revealed significant differences among the provinces in terms of safety performance in each year as well as safety improvement rates over time.
The Effect of Family-Centered Empowerment Model on the Quality of Life of Patients with Leukemia

Background: Leukemia is a common cancer among adults with growing prevalence in Iran. This disease aﬀects diﬀerent aspects of the patient, especially their quality of life. One of the methods to promote hygiene and health and, consequently, quality of life is to empower the family of the patient. Objectives: The eﬀect of family-based empowerment on quality of life in patients with leukemia was studied in this research. Methods: This study was a clinical trial conducted on 46 adult patients with leukemia together with 46 of their family members in 2015. Eligible patients were selected by the available method and randomly placed in two groups of test and control. Tools for gathering data included a demographic questionnaire about the patient and their family member and a speciﬁed questionnaire about the quality of life of patients with cancer. Family-based empowerment intervention was held for research samples in the test group based on its quadruple steps (perceived threat, self-eﬃciency promotion, increase of self-esteem through educational participation, and assessment) in six 90-minute sessions and a second test was conducted a month and half after the intervention. Data were analyzed using the SPSS 20 statistical software. Results: Resultsof chi-squaretestreﬂectedthatbothgroupsof testandcontrolweresimilarintermsof demographicinformation (P> 0.5). Moreover,statisticalindependentT-testdidnotshowasigniﬁcantdiﬀerenceinaspectsof qualityof lifeintestandcontrol groups before the intervention (P = 0.98) while this test showed a signiﬁcant diﬀerence in both groups after the intervention (P = 0.00), except for the spiritual aspect (p=0.2). Paired T-test indicated a signiﬁcant increase in aspects of quality of life in the test group after the intervention (p=0.00) while this test reﬂected a reverse signiﬁcant diﬀerence in general aspect of quality of life in the control group (P = 0.006). Conclusions: Ingeneral,resultsof thisresearchshowedthatimplementingfamily-basedempowermentpatternhasbeeneﬀective for increasing quality of life in patients with leukemia.
Predators and Peace: Explaining the Failure of the Pakistani Conflict Settlement Process in 2013-4

ABSTRACT Did US drone strikes cause the unravelling of the Pakistani conflict settlement process between the government and the TTP in 2013-14? In answering this question, we present strong, fieldwork-based evidence that the effects of leadership decapitation, civilian casualties, and loss of legitimacy and credibility as a negotiation partner by both the government and the TTP interacted in the context of specific social, political and cultural characteristics of a tribal society. We find that drone strikes ‘produced’ some of these factors, but not all, which allows us to conclude with four concrete policy recommendations for rethinking the use of drones.
Marketing Strategy, Social Responsibility, and Value Chain in the Agri-food System

The agri-food sector has changed significantly over the years, moving from a simple production system to a more and more industrialized one. For agents/operators involved in this sector, ensuring product quality and environmental externalities has become the key point to gaining a competitive advantage. In this context, corporate social responsibility (CSR) fits perfectly. This study analyzes the influence of CSR practices on the economic performance of a random sample of 130 agri-food companies in Italy. The results of an analysis of multiple linear regression models show that the economic performance (measured through value added and income) of agri-food enterprises seems to be influenced statistically by workplace CSR practices. Analysis of another model, during which we studied the relationship between income and the CSR practices (independent variables), highlights that operating results (economic performance) can be improved by CSR practices regarding the workplace, environment, and local community. Thus, empirical evidence shows that some CSR practices have positive effects on economic performance, with several implications for theory and practice.
Comparative assessment of heavy metal contents in organs and flesh of marketed cane rat ( Thryonomys swinderianus Temminck, 1827) along five highways in south-western Nigeria

Comparative heavy metal pollution in organs and flesh of marketed cane rat along five highways in southwestern Nigeria was studied. Twenty-three wildlife markets were visited and there, samples were taken randomly on quarterly basis. Visceral organs of raw kidney, liver, lung, flesh and roasted flesh of Thryonomys swinderianus (cane rat) as the most sourced wild animal were taken and screened using Wet Digestion Method for heavy metals including lead, cadmium, chromium, astatine, copper, manganese and cobalt. Results showed that lung had the least contamination, followed by kidney, then liver; raw flesh and lastly roasted meat as the highest. Chromium and Astatine were significantly different in distribution (0.017 and 0.049 respectively) at P˃ 0.05. Follow-up procedures showed that at P˃0.05, for Astatine, the descending order was concentration was Roads,5 4, 2, 3 and1 . For chromium the distribution order was Roads 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 also in descending order. Average values in all the samples pooled together showed lead falling within the permissible range of 0.5mg/kg for offals and 0.1 mg/kg for meat, Copper exceeded the values of 0.01 mg/kg flat along all market Roads for both categories, chromium was within the safe limit of 1.00mg/kg for both meat and offals; cadmium was within the safe range of 0.5 mg/kg for both offals and meat throughout the study areas. Cobalt exceeded the value of 0.08mg/kg for offals and 0.03 mg/kg for meat along Road 3 only. Manganese and astatine fell within safe range of 0.5 mg/kg for both samples classes limit. Expansion of environmental conservation strategies was recommended. It was concluded that the marketed wildlife in the study area are partially safe for consumption. Keywords: analysis, contamination, Heavy Metal, highways, markets, Wildlife
A Survey of Sanitation and Hygiene Facilities in Public and Private Primary Schools for Effective Implementation of Ube Programme In Onitsha, Anambra State

This paper surveyed the availability of sanitation and hygiene facilities as well as the sanitation and hygiene practices among public and private primary schools in Onitsha, Anambra State. Two research questions guided the study. The study adopted descriptive survey research design. The population of the study comprised 97 and 71 public and private primary schools in the Area respectively. A sample of 48 primary schools consisting 27 public and 21 private was used. The proportionate stratified random sampling technique was used for sampling. A checklist was used to obtain data for question 1 while a researcher developed questionnaire adapted from Implementation Guidelines on National School Health Programme 2006 of the Federal Ministry of Education was used to gather data for research question two. The instrument was validated by three experts. Percentage score and statistical Mean score were used to answer research question one and two respectively. It was found that sanitation and hygiene facilities such as waste bins, water supply, toilet etc are lacking among public and private primary schools in Onitsha Area and that the primary schools are yet to embrace sanitation and hygiene practices hence pupils still defecate in the bush among others. It was recommended among others that Government, proprietors and teachers should take urgent steps to provide sanitation facilities to the schools and pupils should be taught rhymes, poems and plays that promote sanitation and hygiene.
Sensory Integration: Exploring The Benefits For Students With Autism At The Secondary Level.

Without glaring signs or signals of sensory diagnoses, sensory deficits pose a significant challenge for students and for teachers. Historically, medical doctors have lacked a welldeveloped understanding of sensory integrative disorders, which makes them more difficult to diagnose at a young age. Sensory integration is an excellent way to mitigate sensory overload to best meet the needs of learners with sensory deficits. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive case study was to understand the experiences of secondary general educators with respect to sensory integration in the inclusion secondary classroom; specifically, how general education secondary teachers integrate sensory experiences into the curriculum for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or High Functioning Autism (HFA) and how teachers describe the benefits of Sensory Integration (SI) for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder ASD or High Functioning Autism (HFA) in relationship to classroom behavior, social experiences and academic performance in the classroom. The research took place at a public high school in the Mid-Atlantic in the U.S. Study participants included educators diverse in age, gender, ethnicity, content, and teaching experience. A qualitative case study was used to interpret the true meaning and understanding of teacher and student interaction involving sensory integration. The results of this study found teachers integrated sensory integration techniques categorized as: Academic, Academic/Personal, Sensory, Awareness, Interaction, and Behavior with a preference for selfregulation and organization strategies. A recommendation for practice include teachers at the secondary level receiving training on how to use, implement, and understand sensory integration to reach all learners successfully.
Educating Pre-Service Teachers about World Englishes: Instructional Activities and Teachers' Perceptions.

The growth of English worldwide has brought about myriad variations of the language, but many teachers in the United States are still relatively unfamiliar with these World Englishes (WE). Pre-service teachers must be made aware of the legitimacy of WE to become culturally responsive educators. We will describe six different activities designed to promote understanding of WE and English as an International Language (EIL) that pre-service teachers completed during one undergraduate course. The effectiveness of these activities was examined based on written reflections and preand postintervention assessments. The data indicated that all activities were beneficial for raising participant’s awareness, tolerance, and respect of WE, especially activity six. Results emphasize the importance of using experiential approaches for the promotion of culturally and linguistically responsive teaching. EIL pedagogy and instructional activities used in this study provides practices that promote the awareness and competence of preservice teachers to use skills necessary to meet the needs of diverse users of English language in their future teaching. Such transformative approaches will foster multilingual appreciation in preservice teachers and provide them with the competences necessary to effectively meet the challenges of the changing demographics of schools.
Characteristic of monosymptomatic and nonmonosymptomatic childhood nocturnal enuresis in Benin City, Nigeria

Background. In recent years, nocturnal enuresis (NE) has been classified into monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (MNE) and nonmonosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (NMNE) on the basis of the absence or presence of daytime voiding symptoms. Identifying clinical features that differentiate MNE from NMNE would aid in quick diagnosis, which would foster the introduction of early and appropriate therapeutic care options. Objective. To identify distinguishing characteristics of MNE and NMNE in Nigerian children. Methods. The parents of children in public primary and secondary schools in Egor local government area, Edo State, were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Results. The total studied population included 1 221 parent/child pairs. Of the children studied, 228 were enuretic. There were 149 (65.4%) MNE and 79 (34.6%) NMNE children. Enuretic children with a history of multiple wetting per night or whose parents observed difficulty awakening them from sleep were significantly more likely to be in the NMNE group. Conclusion. MNE is twice as common as NMNE and the main distinguishing features between the two groups of enuretic children are multiple wetting at night and difficulty awakening the child from sleep. These were significantly more commonly observed among the NMNE group of children.
Hard and soft medicine: Doctors’ framing and application of the disability category in their assessments of grant claimants’ fitness to work in South Africa

Using the framework of street-level bureaucracy theory, this paper examines the work of medical doctors in assessing eligibility for disability grants (DGs) in South Africa. Observations of doctor-patient encounters showed that, despite the state’s attempts to standardise disability assessment, significant variation remains in doctors’ decision-making. I argue that doctors’ divergence from rules and guidelines is driven by differences between the government’s bureaucratic framing of disability and the alternative frames used by doctors for making sense of cases and thinking about disability, illness and employability in the South African context. Doctors’ framing of DG cases was shaped by their social and cultural backgrounds and dispositions, their professional knowledge and values, and their broader discursive framings of rights and social justice. This paper makes an original empirical contribution to the study of conceptions of disability as a category of the ‘deserving’ poor in a context of high poverty. It also highlights the relationship and potential conflicts between professional expertise, social norms and values, and bureaucratic rules at the street-level, and shows how this shapes policy implementation and the ensuing ‘gap’ between policy and practice.
Valoración periodontal de los pacientes especiales con discapacidad psiquica

El presente estudio refleja la enfermedad periodontal y las necesidades de tratamiento entre 182 ciscapacitados psiquicos adultos residentes en una institucion. Los resultados indicaban que este grupo especial tenia una elevada prevalencia de bolsas moderadas y profundas (40%). Solo el 10% de los pacientes presentaban salud periodontal. La relacion entre severidad de la periodontitis y sexo era significativa, mostrando que las mujeres tenian mayor destruccion periodontal que los hombres. La proporcion de salud periodontal (codigo 0) y gingivitis (codigo1) descendia con la edad, mientras que el numero medio de sextantes excluidos aumentaba con ella. La prevalencia de bolsas moderadas y profundas era mas elevada en los pacientes con mayor retraso mental. Era esencial la promocion de la higiene oral y tratamiento periodontal practicamente en el 90% de los pacientes.
Effects of a Multi-Faceted Education Program on Enrollment, Equity, Learning, and School Management: Evidence from India

The Sustainable Development Goals set a triple educational objective: improve access to, quality of, and gender equity in education. This paper documents the effectiveness of a multifaceted educational program, pursuing these three objectives simultaneously, in rural India. Using an experiment in 230 schools, the paper measures the effects of the program on students' school participation and academic performance over two years, while also examining heterogeneous impacts and sustainability. The findings show that the program increased enrollment, especially among girls (8.1 percent in the first year, 11.7 percent in the second), reducing gender gaps in school retention. The findings show large learning gains of 0.323 standard deviation due to the program in the first year and 0.156 standard deviation at the end of the second year, which did not vary by gender. There were also large effects on school management outcomes, increasing the number of meetings by 16 percent and the number of improvement plans completed by 25 percent.
Factors Influencing Nurses’ Implementation of Evidence-based Restraint Use in Long-term Care Hospitals

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to identify nurses' attitude toward use of physical restraints, competence and organizational culture of evidence based practice (EBP) and implementation of evidence based restraint use in long-term care hospitals and to explore associated factors. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional descriptive study in which self-administered questionnaires were collected from 210 nurses from 21 long-term care hospitals. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, and standard multiple regression. Results: Nursing staff showed moderate level in their attitudes toward restraints use, competence and organizational culture of EBP. Standard multiple regression analysis showed that the significant factors affecting implementation of evidence based restraint use were organizational culture of EBP, nurses' competence and their work position. These factors explained 34.0% of variance. Conclusion: The findings from this study suggest that organizational culture toward EBP and nursing staff competence are the important attributes which need to be enhanced by systematic support at the organizational level and educational programs at the individual level.
Essays on the impact of information communication technologies on human capital

This thesis consists of three essays on the impact of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) on cognitive, noncognitive and educational outcomes. Based on large social survey datasets, I find evidence of positive impacts of ICT use on subsequent developmental outcomes. Chapter Two draws on the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England (LSYPE) data where I estimate the causal effect of personal computer usage by teenagers on their university attendance. A variety of matching methods aimed at minimising the differences of covariates between treated and control teenagers are applied, and show that access to personal laptop or computer increases the likelihood of university attendance, but these effects are heterogeneous. Chapter Three uses the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) to examine the impact of electronic games on cognitive and noncognitive skills in early childhood between the age of three and five. In the sample, around one-third of children did not play electronic games before the age of five. Using mothers’ computer usage at home and new household internet access as instrumental variables, I find no evidence of a detrimental impact of playing electronic games but some evidence of cognitive benefits. Chapter Four exploits the data from Survey data of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), to examine the effect of internet use on the cognitive decline of retirees. The casual impact is identified by instrumenting current internet use with the past career and occupational information of the retirees who, in these surveys, started their working life before the large-scale computerisation at the workplace after the 1980s. The results demonstrate that ICT usage slows the rate of cognitive decline among retirees, and the decline is not primarily driven by advantaged groups.
Dietary L-arginine supplementation reduces fat mass in diet-induced obese rats

Dietary L-arginine Supplementation Reduces Fat Mass in Diet-Induced Obese Rats. (August 2007) Wenjuan Shi Jobgen, B.S., University of Science and Technology of China; M.S., Virginia Tech Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Guoyao Wu This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that dietary arginine supplementation reduces fat mass in diet-induced obese rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed either lowor high-fat diets for 15 wks (16 rats/diet). Thereafter, lean or obese rats continued to be fed their same respective diets and received drinking water containing either 1.51% L-arginine-HCl or 2.55% alanine (isonitrogenous control) (n=8/treatment group). Twelve weeks after the initiation of the arginine treatment, rats were euthanized to obtain tissues for biochemical analyses. Results were statistically analyzed as a 2x2 factorial experimental design using ANOVA. High-fat diet increased the mass of white adipose tissues at different anatomical locations by 49-96% compared to the low-fat diet. Concentrations of serum cholesterol as well as lipids in skeletal muscle and liver were higher in obese rats than in lean rats. L-Arginine supplementation reduced white adipose tissue mass by 20-40% while increasing brown adipose tissue mass by 15-20%. In addition, arginine treatment decreased adipocyte size, serum concentrations of glucose, triglycerides and leptin, improved glucose tolerance, and enhanced glucose and oleic