Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessing the Links among Maternal Nonstandard Work Schedules, Early Learning Environments and Young Children’s Academic Achievement

Social scientists have well established that the proximal and distal environments children experience at a young age have lasting effects on their later development. In contemporary U.S. society, child care serves as a focal environment for children aged birth to five [1]. In contrast to prior decades, a majority of children today spend substantial amounts of time in early care and education settings before school entry, often beginning in infancy. In 2002, approximately 10 million children under the age of five were in child care for an average of 32 hours per week. These trends have been largely shaped by the changing economic landscape, particularly for women. For example, in 1975, approximately 20 percent of mothers with children under the age of 6 held a paid job [2]. Three decades later, this number had more than tripled, to a rate of 64 % [3]. While young children with employed mothers spend roughly twice as much time in child care as those whose mothers are not employed, it is notable that children in the latter group still spend an average of 18 hours per week in a care setting [4]. These findings emphasize the important role that child care plays in the daily lives of many American families. Questions about the long-term effects of child care on children’s later academic and social outcomes are of great interest to researchers, practitioners, and policymakers and have been the focus of considerable research in recent decades. Initial research on child care was driven by the increase in women’s paid labor force participation. The original line of inquiry was whether time away from mothers would be harmful to children. Given no evidence that child care per se is positive or negative for children’s development, more recent lines of inquiry have focused on the type and quality of care that children experience and the extent to which different arrangements meet the needs of children and their families. One central focus of this literature has been parental employment (particularly maternal employment) and its role in shaping the child care decision of families with young children. In recent years, societal-level changes in the timing and scheduling of work have created new demands for families, raising questions about the implications of nonstandard work schedules for children and family life. A small, emerging body of research on maternal nonstandard work suggests that there may be varying patterns of child care utilization among mothers who work nonstandard schedules compared to those working standard schedules, with Volume 8 Issue 2 2017
Title: Developing an understanding of managerial capability: A pilot study of top SME managers in the healthcare sector

The focus of this paper is upon how management is executed by top managers of community pharmacy SME’s in Australia, during times of unprecedented business environment change. Using a qualitative interpretive methodology, the aim of this paper is to serve as a pilot study for a continuing project directed toward the research question: How can we understand managerial capability in relation to effective community pharmacy management? A preliminary conceptual framework is presented which suggests several managerial process interactions which indicate how the participants continue to make sense of and learn within their changing business environment. The framework is a guide for the continuing research. The discussion suggests linkages to the literature and relevant extant theory, which will be developed further in the ongoing research.
Design of Tunable Equalizers Using Multilayered Half Mode Substrate Integrated Waveguide Structures Added Absorbing Pillars

An equalizer based on multilayered half mode substrate integrated waveguide (HMSIW) structures with high -factor, low loss, and compact size is proposed for the first time. Resonant cavities distributing in the upper substrate and the bottom substrate, with the middle substrate layer which works as the transmission line together, constitute a multilayer structure. The design method and theoretical analysis are summarized first. The mode analysis, simulated results, and measured results are all provided. The measured results show a good performance and are in agreement with the simulated results, and the maximum attenuation slope reaches −16 dB over 12.5 GHz~14.5 GHz. With the use of absorbing pillars, the attenuation and value can be tuned more easily than the other planar equalizers. Compared with the SIW equalizer, the size of this structure reduces by 50%. Furthermore, this structure is suitable for the miniaturization development of equalizers.
Effect of Surge Current Testing on Reliability of Solid Tantalum Capacitors

Tantalum capacitors manufactured per military specifications are established reliability components and have less than 0.001% of failures per 1000 hours for grades D or S, thus positioning these parts among electronic components with the highest reliability characteristics. Still, failures of tantalum capacitors do happen and when it occurs it might have catastrophic consequences for the system. To reduce this risk, further development of a screening and qualification system with special attention to the possible deficiencies in the existing procedures is necessary. The purpose of this work is evaluation of the effect of surge current stress testing on reliability of the parts at both steady-state and multiple surge current stress conditions. In order to reveal possible degradation and precipitate more failures, various part types were tested and stressed in the range of voltage and temperature conditions exceeding the specified limits. A model to estimate the probability of post-surge current testing-screening failures and measures to improve the effectiveness of the screening process has been suggested.
INVESTIGATING THE IMPACT OF FDI ON ECONOMIC GROWTH IN ZAMBIA: 1980 - 2012

This study was conceived to investigate the impact of foreign direct investment on economic growth in Zambia. Data used was obtained from the World Bank’s world development indicators for the period 1980 to 2012. A unit root test was used to determine whether or not the data was stationary. The Johansen cointegration test was then used to test for cointegration. Additionally the Granger causality procedure was used to test the direction of causality between foreign direct investment and economic growth. It was revealed that all the independent variables were non-stationary in level form but were all found to be stationary after first differencing them. Further, the variables were integrated of order one, I (1) and also that there existed a long run relationship among the variables for the period 1980 to 2012. In the same manner, the results showed that FDI does not granger cause economic growth in Zambia . Therefore, unless the Government of the Republic of Zambia considers reforming its existing policies, foreign direct investments will not serve as the prelude for desired economic growth.
A model of chemical association in binary mixtures

A general model of chemical association is presented for the correlation of activities of components of a binary mixture A + B with negative deviation from Raoult's law. The model takes into account the coexistence in solution of the species A, B, AB and AB2. The model is applied to the mixture of propanonetrichloromethane, resulting in a satisfactory correlation of the activities. For this system the deviation from ideality can be explained simply by the formation of the AB complex, with H° = (-1.2±0.4) kJ mol-1 and as the standard enthalpy and entropy of association S° = (-34±1) J K-1 mol-1, for the hydrogen bond formation in this system.
Marine boundary layer aerosol in the eastern North Atlantic: seasonal variations and key controlling processes

Abstract. The response of marine low cloud systems to changes in aerosol concentration represents one of the largest uncertainties in climate simulations. Major contributions to this uncertainty are derived from poor understanding of aerosol under natural conditions and the perturbation by anthropogenic emissions. The eastern North Atlantic (ENA) is a region of persistent but diverse marine boundary layer (MBL) clouds, whose albedo and precipitation are highly susceptible to perturbations in aerosol properties. In this study, we examine MBL aerosol properties, trace gas mixing ratios, and meteorological parameters measured at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Climate Research Facility's ENA site on Graciosa Island, Azores, Portugal, during a 3-year period from 2015 to 2017. Measurements impacted by local pollution on Graciosa Island and during occasional intense biomass burning and dust events are excluded from this study. Submicron aerosol size distribution typically consists of three modes: Aitken (At, diameter Dp<∼100 nm), accumulation (Ac, Dp within ∼100 to ∼300 nm), and larger accumulation (LA, Dp>∼300 nm) modes, with average number concentrations (denoted as NAt, NAc, and NLA below) of 330, 114, and 14 cm−3, respectively. NAt, NAc, and NLA show contrasting seasonal variations, suggesting different sources and removal processes. NLA is dominated by sea spray aerosol (SSA) and is higher in winter and lower in summer. This is due to the seasonal variations of SSA production, in-cloud coalescence scavenging, and dilution by entrained free troposphere (FT) air. In comparison, SSA typically contributes a relatively minor fraction to NAt (10 %) and NAc (21 %) on an annual basis. In addition to SSA, sources of Ac-mode particles include entrainment of FT aerosols and condensation growth of Aitken-mode particles inside the MBL, while in-cloud coalescence scavenging is the major sink of NAc. The observed seasonal variation of NAc, being higher in summer and lower in winter, generally agrees with the steady-state concentration estimated from major sources and sinks. NAt is mainly controlled by entrainment of FT aerosol, coagulation loss, and growth of Aitken-mode particles into the Ac-mode size range. Our calculation suggests that besides the direct contribution from entrained FT Ac-mode particles, growth of entrained FT Aitken-mode particles in the MBL also represent a substantial source of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), with the highest contribution potentially reaching 60 % during summer. The growth of Aitken-mode particles to CCN size is an expected result of the condensation of sulfuric acid, a product from dimethyl sulfide oxidation, suggesting that ocean ecosystems may have a substantial influence on MBL CCN populations in the ENA.
TM mode analysis in a metamaterial based dielectric waveguide

A TM mode analysis in a metamaterial based dielectric waveguide is proposed and introduced. Rigorously derived from Maxwell’s equations, the dispersion properties are focussed on the fundamental properties of bound, surface and leaky modes of metamaterial based dielectric waveguide. Comparing with the conventional right handed material based waveguide, typical backward wave characteristic of volume and surface wave modes are found from the distribution of Poynting power to the transverse direction of waveguide.
Visualization of eye gaze data using heat maps

Usability testing is widely used today to determine, among other things, the quality of web site designs. To help the researchers, a number of techniques have been suggested for visualizing the eye tracker’s data. Using one of the most popular techniques, gaze fixations are plotted in 2-D against the stimulus image in the background. However, there is an alternative visualization technique, based on the heat map paradigm, which offers additional benefits by better separating the different levels of observation intensity. We present a modified version of this technique to facilitate visualizations by allowing the transparency of the heat map to depend on the gaze data itself. In our version, transparency is presented in either the gray scale, or employing some color scheme. The intensity is proportional to the duration of the observation. Thus, longer fixations add more transparency than shorter ones. Conversely, the least observed areas are hidden by a shadow or fog. We also propose three alternative forms for the function of the transparency distribution. One of these is a simple linear relationship, whereas the other two are nonlinear (a sum of linear and sine wave, and a Gaussian). Ill. 7, bibl. 6 (in English; summaries in English, Russian and Lithuanian).
Individualism and the Cultural Roots of Management Practices

We study the cultural foundations of management practices, which are increasingly recognized as important determinants of firm performance. This research closes the loop on two developing literatures, one seeking cultural explanations for economic development and the other seeking to account for differences in firm performance from differences in how firms are managed. Theoretically, we expect individualist culture to improve management practices because it formalizes the labor relation. Results show that higher individualism is strongly associated with more sophisticated management practices. Several robustness checks confirm our findings. In a direct test, culture is a much more important determinant of management practices than are key formal institutions. Moreover, a formal test shows that management practices are indeed an important mediator in the empirical link between culture and per-capita income. The evidence presented in this paper moves us forward in opening up the black box of culture-performance linkages, helping us to understand better the channels through which culture can affect economic prosperity.
Predictors of PGSI: A Study of Pakistan Stock Exchange

This study used PGSI to measure the motives of online stock exchange gamblers according to their responses about their online gambling. The main aim of the current study is to holistically explore the impact of motivational factors that motivate more usage of online gambling in Pakistan and behavioral factors that investigate the level of implementation of responsible gambling practices on PGSI in Pakistan’s online stock exchange gamblers. We collected data through questionnaires and for analysis we used SEM, multiple regression and multinomial logistic regression. Results indicated that motivational factors that significantly impact PGSI are excitement, financial motivation, escape and relaxation and in terms of responsible gambling practices, game design and transparent terms and conditions are the key elements of behavioral factors while self-exclusion and self-help (SE and SH) are not considered as significant factors.
Growth curve of Nellore calves reared on natural pasture in the Pantanal

Weight-age and hip height-age relations of Nellore calves, from birth to 10 months old were fitted using a logistic model including sex and year of birth as fixed effects. Calves and their dams were reared on natural pasture using continuous grazing system. The crude protein content and total digestible nutrients were analyzed for pasture selected by the animals. The weights of the calves were adjusted to 205 days and 365 days. There were no significant effects of sex and birth year on the growth curve parameters, but there were significant effects of sex on hip height. The average weight (a parameter) at 10 months of age was 170 kg and the inflection point was observed at 93.5 days old. When weight-age and hip height-age curves were combined in the same graph, the intersection occurred at 142 days. The number of days to gain 160 kg from birth to 205 days of age (adjusted) and number of days to gain 240 kg from 205 days to slaughter was different between the birth years, which were probably due to the quality of the natural pastures. It is necessary to implement nutritional management strategies such as high quality pasture and/or feeding supplementation for calves once they reach three months of age.
Measuring the pollution terms of trade with technique effects

The pollution terms of trade (PTT) index first introduced and estimated by Antweiler (1996) allows to identify if trade-embodied emissions are on average larger in exports than in imports. His empirical results were based on the tradecomposition (between-sector) part of the PTT and revealed rather paradoxically that exports of rich countries were on average dirtier than their imports. Using a new database on SO2 manufacturing emissions that includes variation of emission intensities across countries, sectors and over time, this paper extends the earlier work by identifying two additional effects: the between-country and the technique effect. As it turns out, these two effects run opposite to the between-sector effect, and more than compensate it. Hence, the overall pattern is that high income countries tend to have lower PTT indices, meaning that their exports are cleaner than their imports, while in low income countries the reverse is observed.
Inflation Risk, Wealth Expropriation and Governance Implications

With its often unperceived impact, interest rates and inflation volatility strongly affect long term stability within the firm, surreptitiously reshaping equilibria among different stakeholders and so raising key corporate governance concerns. Whereas the impact of interest rates and inflation on capital budgeting issues had been extensively analyzed, little attention has been paid to corporate governance implications, concerning key issues such as “optimal” (indexed) contracting, effective corporate ownership (messed up by wealth expropriation and redistribution), asset substitution or information asymmetries (embedded in hidden impacts on interest/inflation sensitive assets and liabilities). The topic is so theoretically and practically captivating, filling a gap in the existing literature and addressing real value protection targets, unassumingly crucial even for corporate ownership and control issues.
High‐Performance Solution‐Processable Poly(p‐phenylene vinylene)s for Air‐Stable Organic Field‐Effect Transistors

The influence of the substitution pattern (unsymmetrical or symmetrical), the nature of the side chain (linear or branched), and the processing of several solution processable alkoxy‐substituted poly(p‐phenylene vinylene)s (PPVs) on the charge‐carrier mobility in organic field‐effect transistors (OFETs) is investigated. We have found the highest mobilities in a class of symmetrically substituted PPVs with linear alkyl chains (e.g., R1, R2 = n‐C11H23, R3 = n‐C18H37). We have shown that the mobility of these PPVs can be improved significantly up to values of 10–2 cm2 V–1 s–1 by annealing at 110 °C. In addition, these devices display an excellent stability in air and dark conditions. No change in the electrical performance is observed, even after storage for thirty days in humid air.
IMF Staff Papers, Vol. 53, No. 1, 2006: Exchange Rate Pass-Through in the Euro Area by Hamid Faruqee

Exchange rate pass-through in a set of euro area prices along the pricing chain is examined in this paper. First, a vector autoregression (VAR) approach is used to analyze the joint time-series behavior of the euro exchange rate and a system of area-wide prices in response to an exchange rate shock. Second, the impulseresponse functions from the VAR estimates are used to identify—in a “new openeconomy macroeconomics model”—the key behavioral parameters that best replicate the pattern of exchange rate pass-through in the euro area. A key finding is that traded goods—both extra-area exports and imports—behave as though they are predominately priced in euros. The area-wide findings are compared with those for other major industrial economies. [JEL F41, F31, E31]
Seasonal and annual changes in the quality of native rangeland selected by grazing steers in northern Mexico

The objective of this study was to determine and compare seasonally the chemical composition, in vitro gas production, in situ degradability and ruminal fermentation of the diet selected by cattle grazing on native rangeland over two years. Diet samples were collected from four esophageal fistulated steers (350 ± 3 kg BW), and four ruminally fistulated steers (342 ± 1.5 kg BW) were used to evaluate degradation and ruminal fermentation. Data were analyzed using a repeated measurements design. The crude protein (CP), in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and metabolizable energy (ME) were higher in 2008 (P≤0.01) and in the summer (P≤0.05). The volatile fatty acids (VFA) and propionate concentrations were affected by season and year (P≤0.05). The gas produced by the soluble (a) and insoluble (b) fractions and the constant rate of gas production (c) were greater in the summer and fall (P≤0.05). The values of effective degradability of dry matter (EDDM) were greater in 2008 (P≤0.01) and during the summer (P≤0.05). Likewise, ruminal NH 3 N concentrations were greater in 2008 and during the summer (P≤0.05). The total concentrations of volatile fatty acids (VFA) and propionate were affected by year (P≤0.05) and season (P≤0.05). This study showed a reduction in the nutritive value of the diet selected by grazing cattle due to annual and seasonal changes. El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar y comparar las estaciones durante dos anos la composicion quimica, produccion de gas in vitro , degradabilidad in situ y fermentacion ruminal de la dieta seleccionada por ganado en un pastizal nativo. Muestras de la dieta fueron colectadas con cuatro novillos fistulados del esofago (350 ± 3 kg PV), cuyos novillos (342 ± 1.5 kg PV) fueron usados para evaluar la degradacion y fermentacion ruminal. Los datos fueron analizados con un diseno de mediciones repetidas. La proteina cruda (PC), digestibilidad in vitro de la materia seca (DIVMS) y energia metabolizable (EM) fueron mayores en 2008 (P≤0.05) y en el verano (P≤0.05). Los acidos grasos volatiles (AGV) y las concentraciones de propionato se vieron afectados por la temporada y el ano (P≤0.05). Las fracciones soluble (a) e insoluble (b) y la tasa constante de degradacion (c) de la produccion de gas fueron mayores en verano y otono (P≤0.05). Los valores de degradabilidad efectiva de la materia seca (DEMS) fueron mayores en 2008 (P≤0.01) y veranos (P≤0.05). Igualmente, las concentraciones de NNH 3 fueron mayores en 2008 y el verano (P≤0.05). La concentracion total de acidos grasos volatiles (AGV) y propionato fueron afectados por los anos (P≤0.05) y estaciones del ano (P≤0.05). En este estudio se observo una reduccion en el valor nutritivo de la dieta seleccionada por ganado en pastoreo debido a cambios estacionales y anuales.
Visualization of the difference between two triangle meshes

Visualization of the difference between two triangle meshes is useful in geometric morphometrics where the shapes of biological objects such as bones, facial symmetries and others are studied. Existing visualizations are mostly done by encoding various difference metrics into vertex color. However, this onedimensional information is not enough to display multiple metrics at the same time. To overcome this limitation, we implemented an algorithm which employs the techniques of vector field visualization and uses clustered 3D arrows to encode the metrics. Focusing on visual appearance, we applied it in several types of visualizations in an experimental application called MeshDiff. We also conducted a user study of both existing and new visualizations to compare their performance in various use cases and investigate the possibilities for future improvement.