Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A preliminary investigation of the water use efficiency of sweet sorghum for biofuel in South Africa

Sweet sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) has been recognized globally as a potential biofuel crop for ethanol production. Sweet sorghum is a drought-tolerant crop that is widely adapted to different environmental growing conditions. The aim of this study was to determine the water use efficiency (utilisable yield per unit amount of water used) of drip-irrigated sweet sorghum (variety Sugargraze) under two different climatic conditions in South Africa. The sweet sorghum trials were conducted at Ukulinga research farm (University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg) and Hatfield experimental farm (University of Pretoria, Pretoria), South Africa. Field trials were conducted in two successive seasons, viz., 2010/11 and 2011/12. Seasonal water use was estimated using eddy covariance and surface renewal methods. Fresh and dry aboveground biomass yield, stalk yield and stalk Brix % were measured at final harvest. Theoretical ethanol yield was calculated from fresh stalk yield and Brix %. Water use for the two growing seasons was 415 mm at Ukulinga and 398 mm at Hatfield. The ethanol water use efficiency (WUE) values for the sweet sorghum at Ukulinga were 0.27 and 0.60 L∙m -3 for 2010/11 and 2011/12 growing seasons, respectively. The ethanol WUE estimate of the sweet sorghum at Hatfield was 0.53 L∙m -3 for the 2010/11 season and 0.70 L∙m -3 for the 2011/12 growing season. WUE estimates of the sweet sorghum crop were higher for Hatfield compared to Ukulinga research farm. The results from this study showed that the WUE of sweet sorghum was sensitive to plant density. The WUE values confirm that sweet sorghum has high WUE under different climatic conditions. Keywords: water use efficiency; ethanol yield; biofuel crop; plant density, sweet sorghum, South Africa
Changing societal and executives' values: their impact on corporate governance

Scandals, top management misbehaviour and company failures resulting in a loss of investment and public trust in companies is well documented. Why has this corporate governance crisis happened, will it continue and what are implications for the board? A theoretical and empirical approach is taken to understand the changing nature of values in society reflected in executives to reveal the cause of the recent corporate governance crisis and implications for the board. Data from executives was collected from 163 owner/managers, senior managers and middle managers and combined with UK and US longitudinal population data. Results of the current research found empirical support for changing social values with the implication that the consensus of 'playing by the rules' has broken down and replaced by the need to outperform expectations even if that means bending or breaking the rules. This paper concludes with an action plan for the board agenda.
Risk exposure and financial policy: an empirical analysis of emerging markets

Purpose - This paper aims to evaluate the effect of risk on the financial policy of emerging market firms. Design/methodology/approach - Using data from 34 emerging markets during a 17-year period, 1990-2006, a panel data model is employed for the analysis. Findings - The results of this study indicate that firms with high probability of survival are likely to employ more debt. The level of risk exposure, particularly business risk is important in influencing the financial decisions of firms in emerging market economies. It is argued that since the use of debt increases firms' exposure to financial risk, firms with high business risk would shy away from using more debt. Also, finance providers in the financial market may not be interested in lending to firms with high business risk. This study also identified profitability, dividend, asset tangibility, growth opportunities, and GDP per capita as important determinants of the financial policy of emerging market firms. Originality/value - This study contributes to the extant literature by providing empirical evidence regarding the effect of risk on the financial policy of emerging market firms.
Tracking of rigid-bodies for autonomous surveillance

For robotic surveillance systems, real-time knowledge of the motion of objects in the surrounding environment allows greater autonomy and interactivity. In some applications, orientation is of just as much interest as the position of an object. This paper presents a novel 3D model based method for tracking the full 3D pose of a rigid body. The proposed method projects a texture-mapped model of the target object back onto the camera's image plane at the target's current predicted pose. Optical-flow is used to correct the error between the predicted pose and the real pose. Finally, the pose in the next time-step is estimated using a motion predictor such as a Kalman filter (KF). The proposed tracking algorithm was tested using both synthetic and real video sequences of a 50/spl times/50/spl times/50 mm textured cube. This cube's pose was successfully tracked to within 2.5 mm positionally and 0.6/spl deg/ angularly. The cube was approximately 600-840 mm away from the camera.
UNDERSTANDING THE MIXTURE OF GOVERNANCE MODES IN KOREAN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS: AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS

Governance research in Korea has been limited to literature reviews or case studies, and little quantitative analysis has been performed to examine varying patterns of governance mixture and their underlying variation. This article provides an important addition to governance research by mapping the terrain of governance mixture using quantitative data. The data were drawn from 96 departments in eight comparable district governments in Seoul, Korea. The results showed: first, all three governance modes – hierarchy, market, and network – existed in a combined form across all 96 departments; second, although all three governance modes were present, hierarchy remained the dominant governance mode across all 96 departments; and finally, the three governance modes were situationally mixed contingent upon the distinct departmental tasks. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Molecular profiling of embryonal carcinoma cells following retinoic acid or histone deacetylase inhibitor treatment

Regulation of tissue homeostasis is crucial to disease prevention; cell division, cell cycle arrest, differentiation and apoptosis have to be tightly controlled in order to maintain this homeostasis. Retinoic acid (RA) and the histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs) have profound effects on these processes and thus may be critical regulators of homeostasis. Consequently, RA and/or histone deacetylase inhibitors are currently being tested in clinical trials for a variety of cancers. Unfortunately, little is known of the Regulation of tissue homeostasis is crucial to disease prevention; cell division, cell cycle arrest, differentiation and apoptosis have to be tightly controlled in order to maintain this homeostasis. Retinoic acid (RA) and the histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs) have profound effects on these processes and thus may be critical regulators of homeostasis. Consequently, RA and/or histone deacetylase inhibitors are currently being tested in clinical trials for a variety of cancers. Unfortunately, little is known of the overall affect of these compounds on cellular gene expression. Therefore, we decided to compare the effects of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and a particular HDACI – Trichostatin A (TSA) - on an embryonal carcinoma (EC) cell line (F9) using gene chip analysis. We have focused particular attention on those genes that may be differentially affected by these compounds. Within the parameters established for this study, only 116 of the 12,488 genes examined were similarly regulated by ATRA and TSA: 75 positively and 41 negatively. An additional 70 genes were affected by only one of the compounds and 19 genes were actually inversely regulated. The gene set inversely regulated by ATRA and TSA includes several important patterning genes as well as the crucial tumor suppressor/promoter, transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF? 1). Promoter analysis suggests a motif that may regulate one set of these genes. This study provides the first comprehensive comparison of global gene expression on EC cells as affected by ATRA and a HDAC inhibitor (TSA); reveals new targets for ATRA and HDAC inhibitors; identifies a new regulatory motif; demonstrates that ATRA and HDAC inhibitors do not always act synergistically on gene expression; and examines particular questions regarding their concurrent clinical application.ral important patterning genes as well as the crucial tumor suppressor/promoter, transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF? 1). Promoter analysis suggests a motif that may regulate one set of these genes. This study provides the first comprehensive comparison of global gene expression on EC cells as affected by ATRA and a HDAC inhibitor (TSA); reveals new targets for ATRA and HDAC inhibitors; identifies a new regulatory motif; demonstrates that ATRA and HDAC inhibitors do not always act synergistically on gene expression; and examines particular questions regarding their concurrent clinical application.
Notes on state and peasantry: the Tanzanian case

This paper is complementary to the author's previous ‘Notes on Capital and Peasantry’ (Review10). In that article, the role of the state in promoting the commoditisation of peasant agriculture was alluded to, a theme which is pursued further here. This is done through a number of provisional hypotheses which ‘map out’ three connected areas of contradictions: contradictions in the circuits of peasant economy, in the apparatuses and practices of the state, and in the sphere of state‐peasant relations. These schematic hypotheses are presented with the intention of contributing to current debates about the nature of the agrarian question, and of the state, in contemporary Africa.
Cognitive impairment in relation to depression, anxiety and virological response in hepatitis C patients in Egypt

Abstract Objective. Cognitive impairment commonly occurs in hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence and sociodemographic and clinical correlates of cognitive impairment in HCV patients before and after 12 weeks of interferon treatment in comparison with a control group. Methods. Hundred and sixteen consecutive HCV patients were included in the study and divided into treated and untreated groups. All patients were assessed using sociodemographic and clinical questionnaire, Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MOCA) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) before and after 12 weeks of treatment or observation. Results. Thirty-eight percent of treated patients showed cognitive impairment at baseline, which increased to 69% after 12 weeks of interferon treatment. This cognitive impairment was reflected in the total MOCA score and in visuo-constructional skills, attention, concentration, working memory, language, and short-term memory, which was not shown by untreated group after 12 weeks of observation. Cognitive impairment was associated with low education, but not with depression, anxiety, or virological response. Conclusions. Cognitive impairment is common in HCV patients and increases significantly after interferon treatment. It is not related to depression or anxiety in HCV patients. Future research should focus on prevention, treatment and outcome of cognitive impairment in HCV patients, particularly those receiving interferon therapy.
Is EMU a viable model for monetary integration in the Arabian Gulf?

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) intends to form a monetary union using the EMU process as a blueprint, including a set of Maastricht‐style convergence criteria. Yet, as the 2010 deadline approaches, few of the necessary institutional preparations have been made. This paper argues that while GCC leaders considered the economic case (on the whole beneficial) they neglected to fully consider the political implications of monetary union. It concludes that devolving decision‐making powers to pan‐GCC institutions, the need for greater levels of budgetary transparency and fiscal discipline may presently be considered too costly for the region’s ruling elites.
Twin Deficits and Feldstein-Horioka Puzzle in the Case Iran

The main purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between budget deficit and current account deficit in Iran's economy through twin deficits and Feldstein-Horioka puzzle. To achieve this goal, Engel-Granger and seemingly unrelated regressions are used during "1971-2007". The results indicate that there exists a long run equilibrium link between budget deficit and current account deficit. There is a oneâ€“way causality relationship from the budget deficit toward the current account deficit . Testing the validity of the Feldstein-Horioka puzzle indicates a low level of international capital mobility for Iran.
Self-initiating MUSIC-based direction finding in underwater acoustic particle velocity-field beamspace

This paper introduces a novel blind MUSIC-based (MUltiple SIgnal Classification) source localization algorithm applicable to an arbitrarily spaced three-dimensional array of vector hydrophones, each of which comprises two or more co-located and orthogonally oriented velocity hydrophones plus an optional pressure hydrophone. This proposed algorithm: (1) exploits the incident sources' angular diversity in the underwater acoustic particle velocity field; (2) adaptively forms velocity-field beams at each vector-hydrophone; (3) uses ESPRIT to self-generate coarse estimates of the sources' arrival angles to start off its MUSIC-based iterative search with no a priori source information; and (4) automatically pairs the x-axis direction-cosine estimates with the y-axis direction-cosine estimates. Simulation results verify the efficacy of this proposed scheme.
Searches for dark matter subhaloes with wide-field Cherenkov telescope surveys

The presence of substructures in dark matter haloes is an unavoidable consequence of the cold dark matter paradigm. Indirect signals from these objects have been extensively searched for with cosmic rays and {gamma} rays. At first sight, Cherenkov telescopes seem not very well suited for such searches, due to their small fields of view and the random nature of the possible dark matter substructure positions in the sky. However, with long enough exposure and an adequate observation strategy, the very good sensitivity of this experimental technique allows us to constrain particle dark matter models. We confront here the sensitivity map of the HESS experiment built out of their Galactic scan survey to the state-of-the-art cosmological N-body simulation Via Lactea II. We obtain competitive constraints on the annihilation cross section, at the level of 10{sup -24}-10{sup -23} cm{sup 3} s{sup -1}. The results are extrapolated to the future Cherenkov Telescope Array, in the cases of a Galactic plane survey and of an even wider extragalactic survey. In the latter case, it is shown that the sensitivity of the Cherenkov Telescope Array will be sufficient to reach the most natural particle dark matter models.
The Official Senate Report on CIA Torture: Committee Study of the Central Intelligence Agency?s Detention and Interrogation Program

Now available to the public for the first time, the Senate's landmark torture report delivers a damning indictment on CIA interrogation practices. Finally declassified and released after five years in the making, the Senate Intelligence Committee's report on the CIA's torture program, which describes in excruciating detail what Obama has called "harsh methods . inconsistent with our values as a nation," is now available to the American public--citizens who have a right to know the truth. Considered one of the most important government documents ever to be published, the torture report compiles the Senate committee's findings of the CIA's program to detain and interrogate terrorist threats in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, from 2001 to 2006 during the Bush administration. Among other controversial conclusions, the report has found that the CIA's "enhanced interrogation techniques" were not effective in acquiring intelligence to avert terrorist threats. The study also shows that the CIA misled the public, Congress, the Department of Justice, and even the White House on the effectiveness and the scope and severity of their interrogation techniques. The exhaustive and disturbing account also provides grisly accounts on horrific practices that occurred in CIA black sites: prisoners experienced sleep deprivation in stressful positions for up to 180 hours; being stripped and shackled, hooded and dragged down a long corridor while being punched; waterboarding; and "rectal feeding. " Based on six million CIA documents and requiring $40 million to complete, the entire 6,000-page report still remains classified. Only 525 pages of summary have been published, with 7 percent of its content redacted, and it is now at the disposal of American readers who have the opportunity to learn what occurred during this dark chapter in modern American history. The Senate report delivers a scathing, shocking, and controversial judgment, and gives us much to think about in terms of our longstanding position on freedom, democracy, dignity, and human rights.
Positive Self-Image over Time?

This paper incorporates egocentric comparisons into a human capital accumulation model and studies the evolution of positive self image over time. The paper shows that the process of human capital accumulation together with egocentric comparisons imply that positive self image of a cohort is first increasing and then decreasing over time. Additionally, the paper finds that positive self image: (1) peaks earlier in activities where skill depreciation is higher, (2) is smaller in activities where the distribution of income is more dispersed, (3) is not a stable characteristic of an individual, and (4) is higher for more patient individuals.
Extended Detection for MIMO Systems with Partial Incremental Redundancy Based Hybrid ARQ

In this paper, an extended detection scheme is proposed for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems which employ partial incremental redundancy (IR) based hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ). Based on the extended MIMO system model that interprets multiple retransmissions as a single transmission, the extended detection scheme estimates the entire transmitted symbols utilizing all information obtained up to the current retransmission. Compared with the conventional zero-forcing (ZF) detection scheme, the extended ZF detection scheme improves the post-processing signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) of the newly transmitted symbols in every retransmission, as well as the repeatedly transmitted symbols. Simulation results verify that the extended detection scheme outperforms the conventional detection scheme. Simulation results also show that the extended minimum mean-square-error (MMSE) detection scheme can achieve a better error performance than the conventional maximum-likelihood (ML) detection scheme, and even the extended ZF detection scheme shows a comparable error performance to the conventional ML detection scheme.
Multi-antenna assisted virtual full-duplex relaying with reliability-aware iterative decoding

In this paper, a multi-antenna assisted virtual full-duplex (FD) relaying with reliability-aware iterative decoding at destination node is proposed to improve system spectral efficiency and reliability. This scheme enables two half-duplex relay nodes, mimicked as FD relaying, to alternatively serve as transmitter and receiver to forward their received signals regardless of the decoding errors. Meanwhile, the inter-relay interference is cancelled with QR-decomposition. Then, by deploying the proposed reliability-aware iterative detection/decoding process at destination node, the inter-frame interference and error propagation effect can be simultaneously mitigated. Simulation results show that, without extra cost of time delay and signalling overhead, our proposed scheme outperforms the conventional selective decode-and-forward (S-DF) relaying schemes, such as cyclic redundancy check based S-DF relaying and threshold based S-DF relaying, by up to 8 dB in terms of bit-error-rate.
Internal Knowledge Development and External Knowledge Access in Venture Capital Investment Performance

We examine the performance effects of two knowledge-driven strategies - internal knowledge development and external knowledge access through inter-firm relationships - in the context of venture capital investing. Using longitudinal data on the investments, syndication, and performance of 200 US-based venture capital firms, we find that investing in industries in which a firm has more knowledge and investing with more or familiar external partners enhances investment performance. In addition, we reveal important interactions between the two strategies, such that access to external knowledge is particularly beneficial when the investment exposes gaps in the firm's own expertise. Thus, access to external knowledge is more effective when an incongruity exists between what the firm knows and what it intends to do. We discuss the study's implications for organizational knowledge and learning, strategic alliance, and venture capital literature. Copyright (c) Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2007.
Biodegradation of Tetrahydrofuran and 1,4-Dioxane by Soluble Diiron Monooxygenase in Pseudonocardia sp. Strain ENV478

1,4-Dioxane is an important groundwater contaminant. Pseudonocardia sp. strain ENV478 degrades 1,4-dioxane via cometabolism after the growth on tetrahydrofuran (THF) and other carbon sources. Here, we have identified a THF monooxygenase (thm) in ENV478. The thm genes are transcribed constitutively and are induced to higher levels by THF. Decreased translation of the thmB gene encoding one of the monooxygenase subunits by antisense RNA resulted in the loss of its ability to degrade THF and 1,4-dioxane. This is the first study to link thm genes to THF degradation, as well as the cometabolic oxidation of 1,4-dioxane.
Early Career Wage Growth of White and Black Women

The wage differential between white and black women has been widening in the last two decades. This trend has been attributed to the race-based gap in schooling. However, a substantial wage differential still remains unaccounted for in crosssectional wage studies comparing black and white female workers of similar educational levels. This "unexplained" white-black wage gap may result from both unmeasured earnings-enhancing attributes favoring whites, as well as market discrimination against blacks. To disentangle these two effects, we estimate a withincohort fixed-effect model that assesses the race-based gap in wage growth within four educational levels: high school dropout, high school graduates, those with some college, and college graduates. Using data from the NLSY Work History file we depict the diverging wage trajectories of women's first post-schooling decade. The results indicate that while wage growth of black women who attend college is similar to that of whites, the less-educated black women, i.e. high school graduates and high school dropouts, do not experience similar rates of wage growth as their white counterparts. Since we control for group differences in time-invariant unmeasured attributes these estimates capture, either (or both) the effects of time-variant unmeasured attributes, or the degree to which labor market treatment (i.e., discrimination) contributes to the growing wage disparities between less educated black and white young women. Possible explanations for our results are discussed.