Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Post-Colonial Critic : Interviews, Strategies, Dialogues

Gayatri Spivak, one of our best known cultural and literary theorists, addresses a vast range of political questions with both pen and voice in this unique book. The Post-Colonial Critic brings together a selection of interviews and discussions in which she has taken part over the past five years; together they articulate some of the most compelling politico-theoretical issues of the present. In these lively texts, students of Spivak's work will identify her unmistakeable voice as she speaks on questions of representation and self-representation, the politicization of deconstruction; the situations of post-colonial critics; pedagogical responsibility; and political strategies.
Dynamic UCO Controllers and Semiglobal Stabilization of Uncertain N o n m i n i m u m Phase Systems by Output Feedback

1Department of Systems Science and Mathematics, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130 and Dipart imento di Informatica e Sistemistica, UniversitA di Roma "La Sapienza", 00184 Rome, ITALY. 2Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA. aCentre Automatique et Syst~mes, t~cole des Mines de Paris, 35 rue St. Honor6, 77305 Fontainebleau c6dex, FRANCE.
Plant responses to global change: next generation biogeography

Abstract Global change has become a major ecological concern that has the potential to dramatically alter plant distributions and assemblages worldwide. The specific response of plants to global change will depend on their ability to move, evolve, or adjust through phenotypic plasticity. Advances in biogeographic research are on the verge of a giant leap forward if we can take advantage of emerging tools in genetics and genomics. In this review, we appraise how new, post-Sanger, high-throughput sequencing and associated technologies can be used by next generation biogeographers to assess plant responses to global change. First, we briefly review the recent advances in genome sequencing and available approaches of genomic analysis. Secondly, we discuss the three main plant responses to global change: migration, adaptation, and phenotypic plasticity. This review is intended to spark the interest of biogeographers who do not traditionally use genetics but could benefit from including genetic and genomic tools into their research. Our goal is to illustrate that their use can contribute to new perspective and add an additional level of resolution into future biogeographic research.
Influence of Planting Density and Nitrogen Dose on Root and Sugar Yeild of Beet (Beta vulgaris L.) Under Sub-tropical Semi-Arid Conditions of Punjab

A field trial was conducted at Ladhowal, Ludhiana during 2002–03 and 2003–04 to study the effects of planting density and nitrogen on sugar beet. Three planting densities – 83,333 plants (rows spaced at 60cm and plants at 20cm), 1, 00,000 plants (50 cm x 20 cm) and 1, 11,111 plants (60 cm x 15 cm) ha−1 and five nitrogen levels i.e. 120, 150 and 180 kg N ha−1 alone, 90 kg N ha−1 + 20 t farm yard manure (FYM) ha−1 and 120 kg N ha−1 + 20 t FYM ha−1 were evaluated in RBD with three replications. A basal dose of 60 kg ha−1 each of P and K was applied to all the treatments. On an average, planting density of 1, 00,000 plants ha−1 produced the highest beet root and sugar yield. Among nitrogen levels, the response was significant up to 150 Kg N ha−1. Addition of 20 t FYM ha−1 along with 90 kg N ha−1 produced similar root and sugar yield to 120 kg N ha−1 alone. The yields were also similar with 150 kg N ha−1 alone and, 120 kg N ha−1 + 20 t FYM ha−1. Sucrose content in beet roots did not vary statistically among plant densities and nitrogen levels, rather addition of FYM revealed higher sucrose content in roots as compared to without FYM.
Inhibition by Nicotine of Emergence of Apanteles congregatus from Its Host, the Tobacco Hornworm.

Emergence of larvae of Apanteles congregatus (Say) from its host, Manduca sexta (L.) was inhibited by the incorporation of nicotine in the host's diet or by topical application of nicotine to the host. The nicotine affected the larval parasites at the time of emergence from their host but it had no apparent effect on development of the parasite prior to this. Contrary to earlier reports, dark tobacco grown in the field had no effect on the development or emergence of parasites in hosts feeding on this type of tobacco.
Evaluating postoperative pain and satisfaction among women treated by robotic surgery for gynecologic cancer

Background: Postoperative pain is frequently undermanaged in spite of advancements in pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic therapies for pain. Minimally invasive surgery is a promising surgical technique associated with reduced postoperative pain. The current study evaluates satisfaction following robotically-assisted surgery and its impact on short-term and long-term patient-rated pain. Methods: Prospective study on all consecutive patients (n=367) undergoing robotic surgery in the division of gynecologic oncology from December 2009 to December 2012. Patients were invited to complete questionnaires before surgery and at 1 week, 3 weeks, 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery. The brief pain inventory (BPI) was used to evaluate patient-rated pain severity, interference of pain with daily life, and treatments taken for pain. Results: After controlling for preoperative factors, both pain severity and pain interference with daily life returned to pre-surgery levels within three weeks of surgery. Patients using opioids for pain relief remained very low, varying from 2% at baseline to 11% during the first week, returning to 5% by the third week. By the first week post-surgery, the vast majority of patients expressed high satisfaction with an average score of 91%. Conclusions: Robotic surgery for the treatment of gynecologic cancers results in a minimal impact on short- and long-term patient-rated pain. The majority of patients (~90%) did not require the use of opioids and were very satisfied with their surgery.
Risk of Osteoporosis Due To Liver Disease- A Case Control Study

Osteoporosis has become an increasingly recognized complication among patients with chronic liver disease (CLD). The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence and risk factors of osteoporosis in patients with CLD (primary biliary cholangitis and chronic viral hepatitis B or C patients) in comparison with a group of ageand sex-matched controls. Sixty-four patients with CLD (mean age 51.66 ± 11.54 years), 48 females and 16 males were included. Ageand sex-matched individuals from the general population served as controls. Osteoporosis was evaluated by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (bone mineral density below -2.5 T score) at the lumbar spine (LS) and total hip (TH). Vertebral fractures were established by densitometric morphometry (vertebral fracture assessment). Bone turnover was assessed by intact parathyroid hormone, osteocalcin and C-telopeptides of type I collagen in the serum. Prevalence of osteoporosis in either the LS or the TH was 45.3%, twice as high as in the controls (19.6%) (RR 2.31, 95% CI 1.42–3.75, P\0.001). Age, menopausal status, cirrhosis and advanced histological stage are not determinant factors for developing osteoporosis in patients with CLD. However, female sex, cholestasis, lower weight and height but not body mass index seem to play predominant role. Three (5.3%) patients had dorsal and LS fractures. It was concluded that osteoporosis is effectively a complication of CLD. Cholestasis in addition to female sex and lower weight and height are risk factors of osteoporosis in CLD.
Mutation in hprt1 Gene or HPRT Deficiency May be a Restricting Progeny of Favipiravir in Covid-19

Favipiravir (FPV), a pyrazine carboxamide derivative (6-fluoro-3-hydroxy-2-pyrazinecarboxamide) is a broad-spectrum anti-viral drug which acts against many species of Arenaviridae, Bunyaviridae, Caliciviridae, Filoviridae, Flaviviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, Paramyxoviridae, Picornaviridae, Rhabdoviridae, Togaviridae groups. According to the WHO, FPV may be a new hope for the treatment severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections and for this it has undergone for a number of clinical trials. However, human hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) is believed to play a key role in its physiological activation process, therefore, the patients having KelleySeegmiller syndrome, Lesch–Nyhan syndrome, myocardial ischemia, hyperuricemia, anemia, and phosphoribosyl diphosphate (PRPP) synthetase superactivity due to deficiency to this enzyme might be a limiting factor for the effectiveness of this drug in these types of patients.
SERVICE QUALITY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, INDUSTRY COMPETITION AND PERFORMANCE OF INSURANCE COMPANIES IN KENYA

The general objective of this study was to establish the effect of service quality management practices and industry competition on performance of insurance companies in Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional survey with primary data collected through semi-structured questionnaires. The Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficient ranged from 0.783 to 0.853 showing the reliability of all the scales used in the study. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, factor analysis and regression analysis. The results of the study revealed a statistically significant relationship between service quality management practices and performance of insurance companies in Kenya. The results further revealed that industry competition has no statistically significant moderating effect on the relationship between service quality management practices and performance of insurance companies. The results of the study extends the frontiers of Service Quality Theory which contends that service quality depends on the nature of the discrepancy between expected service and what is perceived. Adoptions of service quality management practices appear to render the influence of industry competition on the relationship between service quality management practices and performance irrelevant. The implementation of service quality management practices by the policy makers assist in meeting the dual responsibility of insurance companies which are risk mitigation measures and national economic growth. GSJ: Volume 6, Issue 11, November 2018 ISSN 2320-9186 25 GSJ© 2018 www.globalscientificjournal. com
The Politics of Property Taxation: Fiscal Infrastructure and Electoral Incentives in Brazil

Property titling enables tax collection and encourages private investment. Yet, governments across the developing world often fail to invest in land registration systems, such as cadastral maps, that record land ownership and values. In this paper, we describe and estimate the fiscal benefits and political costs that elected officials face when deciding whether to invest in this critical fiscal infrastructure. Focusing on Brazilian municipalities, we find that property tax revenue increases by over 10% following cadastre updates. Officials covet this revenue, but they simultaneously seek to secure their reelection, and investing in the cadastre can generate political costs by angering tax-averse voters or undermining clientelism. When these political costs are large, officials who do not face reelection pressures have greater incentives to invest in the cadastre. Using a close-election regression discontinuity, we find that term-limited incumbents are around 15 percentage points more likely to update the cadastre.
Health and Gender: What is the Situation with Older Persons and How Do We Address Healthcare Needs?

Objective: To examine the influence of gender on the health-status of older Jamaicans and to identify key health-related determinants. Methods: Nationally representative data were used to quantify gender differences for 10 chronic diseases and key determinants of health (ie lifestyle, social, financial, biological, and healthcare utilization). Results: Women generally had higher age adjusted odds of chronic diseases: arthritis (aOR = 3.46), hypertension (aOR = 2.70), depression (aOR = 2.23) and heart disease (aOR = 2.01) showed the greatest gender gradients (p < 0.01). Cancer was the only condition for which women had reduced odds (aOR= 0.38) while asthma showed no difference (p > 0.05). In terms of determinants, women were more likely to be obese (OR = 4.4), inactive (OR = 1.51), have high cholesterol (OR = 1.8) and to be more financially and socially dependent than men. Conclusion: The excess disease burden experienced by women places unnecessary strain on families, the health sector and the economy. Measures to reduce modifiable risk factors in older cohorts is critical, especially for older women and warrants gender specific approaches in health promotion and disease prevention.
Use of Social Media in Formal Higher Education: Students' Perspective of Facebook as a Learning Tool

In the modern era, social media such as Facebook can be used as a new technique of educational learning. Contemporary higher education students grew up surrounded by digital technologies and therefore have the expectation that technology should be a fundamental part of their learning process. However, technology merely offers an opportunity for these “digital native” students; how they choose to utilize this opportunity is a more complex decision as previous studies have raised concerns of distraction, abuse of use
Macro-effectiveness of Unconventional Monetary Policy: A Structural VAR Analysis in an Economic and Monetary Union

During the 2008 Global Economic Crisis Central Banks could not be able to abate the financial tensions and expand the real economy with conventional monetary policyinterest rate. Thus, central banks had to implement new monetary policy measures: liquidity injections, asset purchases and forward guidance which are called unconventional monetary policies. Major central banks pursued unconventional monetary policy measures and expanded their balance sheets’ accordingly. ECB – like its counterpartsalso used these policies in order to calm financial markets and stimulate aggregate demand. In this study, we are aiming to analyze the effectiveness of these unconventional monetary policy measures. We built our analysis on Structural VAR methodology and use the size of the balance sheet of the ECB as an indicator of unconventional monetary policy. Our results suggest that, ECB’s unconventional monetary policy is effective on reviving the real economy but not on relieving the financial market stress.
Predicting ATM Bank Customers Satisfaction and Continued Usage in Developing Countries Using Expectation Confirmation Model

The advent of internet technology has brought significant changes to the way services are rendered especially in the banking sector. From the barter trading system to cash then cheques, the card technology has proved its onions beyond doubt. Consequently, most financial transactions in developed economies of the world are card driven. Unfortunately, despite deliberate efforts by financial institutions to open up access through these innovative channels, constant resistance and high patronage of older payments methods is still being witnessed in Nigerian banks. This study sought to understand bank customer’s satisfaction and continuous usage of Automated Teller Machine (ATM) technology using the Expectation Confirmation Model (ECM). 190 responses were obtained using an online questionnaire. Structural Equation Model (SEM) was used to analyze the ECM variables. The result showed a significant correlation between customer satisfaction and continued usage as well as perceived usefulness to confirmation. It concluded that bank customers would continue to patronize ATM services if after evaluation (confirmation), the performances of the technologies are found to be satisfactory. The study provides financial institutions, bank customers and researchers a clearer understanding of the underlying theory behind users continued usage of ATM technologies in developing countries.
Antibacterial Efficacy of Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles against Escherichia coli in Minced Meat

Antibacterial nanoparticles are a new approach to control the safety of meat and meat products. This work aimed to investigate the antibacterial effect of zinc oxide (ZnO) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles, alone or together, against Escherichia coli. Antibacterial activity of these nanomaterials was evaluated using the disc diffusion method. In this regard, minced meat samples were inoculated with E. coli and treated with different concentrations of two nanomaterials (approximately 20 nm), including 6 mM and 12 mM ZnO, 6 mM and 12 mM TiO2, and a combination of 6 mM ZnO and 6 mM TiO2, then stored at 4°C for 17 days. The results indicated that ZnO (12 mM) had a significant reduction effect on E. coli count in minced meat, followed by the combination of ZnO and TiO2, and 12 mM TiO2 alone. The antibacterial activity of ZnO, TiO2, and combination of ZnO and TiO2 was also examined using a transmission electron microscope and it was found that 12Mm ZnO had a higher destructive effect on bacterial cell than the mixture of ZnO + TiO2, and 12Mm TiO2 alone. The disc diffusion method showed that ZnO (12 mM) was the most effective concentration used against E. coli. It is concluded that 12 mM ZnO nanoparticles have the best antibacterial effect against E. coli in minced meat stored at 4 °C for 17 days.
A Review of Methods Used to Reduce the Effects of High Temperature Associated with Polyamide 12 and Polypropylene Laser Sintering

The polymer laser sintering (PLS) process is one of the most promising additive manufacturing (AM) technologies for polymeric materials. However, the technique has challenges because the physical, mechanical, and chemical properties of the polymeric powder deteriorate due to the high temperatures prevailing in the build chamber during manufacture. These high temperatures cause agglomeration of powder, which leads to a decrease in the flowability of powder. There is also a related drop in the coalescence of the powder granules during PLS, which results in porosity that undermines the mechanical integrity of printed parts. Moreover, the viscosity of the melt increases due to cross-linking of molecular chains. This, in turn, increases the tensile strength of the printed components at the expense of the percentage elongation at break. Thus, high prolonged processing temperatures decrease the reusability of polymeric materials used in PLS. In this paper, a review of the studies conducted to investigate ways of reducing the effects of high temperature on polymeric powders is presented.
Regression Toward Mediocrity in Economic Stature

This paper provides estimates of the correlation in lifetime earnings between fathers and sons. Intergenerational data from the National Longitudinal Survey are used. Earlier studies, conducted for the United States, report elasticities of children's earnings with respect to parent's earnings of 0.2 or less, suggesting extensive intergenerational mobility. These estimates, however, are biased.downward by error-contaminated measures of lifetime economic status. Estimates presented in this paper correct for the problem of measurement error and find the intergenerational correlation in income to be on the order of 0.4. This suggests considerably less intergenerational mobility than previously believed. Copyright 1992 by American Economic Association.
Wintering of honey bee colonies in cylindrical nest cavities versus oblong box-hives in a North European climate

We compared the efficacy of wintering honey bee colonies in wooden cylinders and wooden oblong box hives. Five colonies in “cylinders” and three colonies in “box-hives” were compared over two winters. The cylinders were 450 mm high with an internal diameter of 280 mm. The oblong box hives were Estonian standard one-box long hives with a frame size of 414 × 277 mm. Eight vertical rows of thermistors were fixed along the inner walls of both cylinders and hives and temperatures were measured at about weekly intervals. Food consumption and bee mortality of colonies were also assessed. In the cylinders, the winter clusters remained close to their front walls and away from the back wall, especially in cold weather. It was considerably warmer by the inner walls of the cylinders than in the hives, especially in the lower part. The surface of warm area decreased with cold weather and increased at around 0 °C indicating contraction and expansion of the cluster, respectively. In the second half of winter, there was a larger warm area in the cylinders than in the hives indicating that the clusters touched the walls of the cylinder more, thereby reducing heat losses further. Considerably, less food (13.5%) was consumed in the cylinders than in the hives. The numbers of dead bees on the floor was significantly lower in the cylinders than in the hives, but total bee mortality (dead bees on the floor + bees flown out in winter) differed little between cylinders and hives.
A Mixed-Effects Heterogeneous Negative Binomial Model for Postfire Conifer Regeneration in Northeastern California, USA

Many western USA ﬁre regimes are typiﬁed by mixed-severity ﬁre, which compounds the variability inherent to natural regeneration densities in associated forests. Tree regeneration data are often discrete and nonnegative; accordingly, we ﬁt a series of Poisson and negative binomial variation models to conifer seedling counts across four distinct burn severities and three forest types 10 years after the 23,000-ha Storrie Fire, a large mixed-severity ﬁre in northern California. Despite the accessibility and power of the zero-inﬂated negative binomial mixture model, a ﬂexible heterogeneous negative binomial model offered a superior ﬁt. Incorporation of a random stand effect further improved model performance. A parametric bootstrap analysis was conducted to examine seedling distributions and stand stocking. Mean simulated seedling densities had an expansive range (272–29,257 ha (cid:2) 1 ). Stocking analyses suggest a high probability of deﬁcient conifer coverage in the majority of lower-elevation high-severity burn stands. In addition, models were ﬁt to ﬁr and pine seedling counts. Only a minority of postﬁre stands were likely to be stocked in the pine-only analysis. These models will help land managers prioritize limited resources for artiﬁcial reforestation in mixed-severity burned landscapes.
Is Ability Grouping Equitable

"Curriculum tracking" and "ability grouping" are sometimes used interchangeably. I use "tracking" to mean broad, programmatic divisions that separate students for all academic subjects. I use "ability grouping" to refer to divisions among students for particular subjects. Ability, however, is not usually the criterion for grouping: Students are typically divided according to measured or perceived performance in school.
Estimation of Potential Tiller Production and Site Usage During Tall Fescue Canopy Development

Tiller appearance in tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) occurs in an orderly, predictable manner with the potential for a high degree of synchronization among tillers on a given plant. Estimates of potential cumulative tiller production (Tmax) are made for synchronous (Tmax 1x =2 Lx+1 -1, where Lx is the axil number of the youngest leaf on the main stem which bears an emerged tiller) and non-synchronous (Tmax 1 =2 L.NLAT -1, where L is the number of leaves on the main stem and NLAT the number of leaves above the youngest primary tiller at its appearance) conditions