Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
STIMULANT LEVELS TO BE USED WITH TWO LOW INTENSITY HARVESTING (LIH) SYSTEMS OF RUBBER UNDER WET AND INTERMEDIATE ZONES OF SRI LANKA

Low frequency harvesting (LFH) systems of rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) result in reduction in labour use and cost. However, yield stimulants (viz. Ethephon) are to be applied to enhance the yield in each harvest as a compromise for the yield reduction due to less number of harvesting days. A system of harvesting the tree once in four days (S/2 d4) has recently been introduced and a weekly harvesting system (S/2 d7) is presently under investigation. In S/2 d4 and S/2 d7, the required doze of Ethephon has exactly not known and that would vary with the climatic condition. Therefore, the present study was aimed to identify the suitable concentrations of Ethephon required for S/2 d4 and S/2 d7 systems under two climatic regions, wet and intermediate zones of Sri Lanka. Ethephon was applied in four concentrations (i.e. 2%, 3%, 4% and 5%) and yield performance in each system was evaluated against that of the traditional harvesting systems of S/2 d2 (tapping the tree once in two days). In the Intermediate zone, S/2 d4 and S/2 d7 systems showed a yield increase of 7 and 14 grams per harvest per 1% increase in Ethephon concentration, respectively. In the Wet zone, respective increases were recorded as 4 and 7 grams. The S/2 d4 system required ca. 3.7 % and 3.2 % concentrations of Ethephon in the Intermediate and Wet zones, respectively, to achieve the yields given by S/2 d2 system. In S/2 d7, 5% Ethephon was sufficient for both zones. Ethephon concentrations tested had no adverse effects on tree health. Needs for commercial scale studies with financial analyses are discussed.
Changes in plant community composition, not diversity, during a decade of nitrogen and phosphorus additions drive above‐ground productivity in a tallgrass prairie

Nutrient additions typically increase terrestrial ecosystem productivity, reduce plant diversity and alter plant community composition; however, the effects of P additions and interactions between N and P are understudied. We added both N (10 g m−2) and three levels of P (2.5, 5 and 10 g m−2) to a native, ungrazed tallgrass prairie burned biennially in northeastern Kansas, USA, to determine the independent and interactive effects of N and P on plant community composition and above‐ground net primary productivity (ANPP). After a decade of nutrient additions, we found few effects of P alone on plant community composition, N alone had stronger effects, and N and P additions combined resulted in much larger effects than either alone. The changes in the plant community were driven by decreased abundance of C4 grasses, perhaps in response to altered interactions with mycorrhizal fungi, concurrent with increased abundance of non‐N‐fixing perennial and annual forbs. Surprisingly, this large shift in plant community composition had little effect on plant community richness, evenness and diversity. The shift in plant composition with N and P combined had large but variable effects on ANPP over time. Initially, N and N and P combined increased above‐ground productivity of C4 grasses, but after 4 years, productivity returned to ambient levels as grasses declined in abundance and the community shifted to dominance by non‐N‐fixing and annual forbs. Once these forbs increased in abundance and became dominant, ANPP was more variable, with pulses in forb production only in years when the site was burned. Synthesis. We found that a decade of N and P additions interacted to drive changes in plant community composition, which had large effects on ecosystem productivity but minimal effects on plant community diversity. The large shift in species composition increased variability in ANPP over time as a consequence of the effects of burning. Thus, increased inputs of N and P to terrestrial ecosystems have the potential to alter stability of ecosystem function over time, particularly within the context of natural disturbance regimes.
The Influence of Trust and Attitudes on the Purchase Frequency of Organic Produce

ABSTRACT Growth in organic food sales is mainly due to consumers becoming more aware of health issues and environmental concerns. Understanding the drivers of organic consumption is crucial to predict future market outcomes. In this analysis, the authors expand previous research by including general and institutional trust variables in addition to consumer attitudes to examine organic food purchases. Food production is unobservable and hence, consumers need to exhibit trust with respect to organic production and certification. A bivariate ordered probit model applied to U.S. survey data confirms that organic purchases are determined by health, nutrition, and taste. In some cases, general trust and trust in media are statistically significant. Trust in institutions that are involved in the organic certification process is not statistically significant. A hierarchical cluster analysis grouping consumers based on trust and attitudes shows that (dis)trust in the organic certification and supply chain does not hinder organic food market growth.
Cardiovascular risk management in general practice

Hart- en vaatziekten vormen een belangrijk gezondheidsprobleem en risicofactoren komen veel voor. Voor dit proefschrift zijn de opsporing en behandeling van risicofactoren onderzocht in Nederlandse huisartsenpraktijken. Allereerst is een persoonsgerichte screeningsmethode onderzocht in Oude Pekela, een gebied met een lage sociaaleconomische status, wat is gerelateerd aan het hebben van meer risicofactoren en een lagere deelname aan preventie-activiteiten. Deze aanpak gaf een veel hogere opkomst en opbrengst dan het landelijk gepropageerde “PreventieConsult” en kan daarom bijdragen aan het verbeteren van de huidige preventieprogramma’s. Daarnaast is onderzocht of de ”AGE-reader”, een apparaat dat via UV-licht versuikerde eiwitten in de huid meet, kan bijdragen aan de opsporing van risicopatienten. AGE-waarden bleken na drie jaar verhoogd bij mensen die reeds hart- en vaatziekten hadden doorgemaakt. De bruikbaarheid hiervan in de praktijk wordt nog verder onderzocht. Verder is gekeken naar de behandeling van risicofactoren door praktijkondersteuners in de huisartsenpraktijk. Deze behandeling bleek duidelijk effect te hebben op het risico na een jaar. Er was geen extra effect waarneembaar bij de behandelgroep waarbij na loting aanvullende thuismeting van bloeddruk, gewicht en/of lichaamsbeweging was ingezet. De kosten van risicobehandeling in de huisartsenpraktijk waren relatief laag en werden grotendeels veroorzaakt door werkverzuim ten gevolge van praktijkbezoek. De kosten van aangepaste medicatie vielen mee, terwijl dit wel gerelateerd was aan een groter eindeffect. Omdat mensen steeds jonger met risicofactoren kampen en er bezuinigd moet worden op zorgkosten, kunnen deze resultaten eraan bijdragen dat de politiek en zorgverzekeraars hierin verstandige beleidsbeslissingen nemen.
Social Relationships Mediate the Relation Between Emotional Intelligence and Meaning in Life

Copyright 2009 by Psi Chi, The International Honor Society in Psychology (Vol. 14, No. 2/ISSN 1089-4136) Emotional intelligence has been defi ned as the ability to accurately perceive emotions and emotional content, to use emotions to facilitate intellectual processing, to understand emotions and emotional knowledge, and to regulate and manage emotions (Mayer & Salovey, 1997). Research has suggested a relationship between emotional intelligence and meaning in life (Brackett & Mayer, 2003; David, 2002). Emotional intelligence was related to five dimensions of Ryff’s (1989) psychological well-being measure, including the “purpose in life” dimension, which focuses on an individual’s sense of direction and meaning in life (Brackett & Mayer, 2003). A specific branch of emotional intelligence, emotion management (branch 4), may be especially important for constructs like meaning and purpose in life. This branch of emotional intelligence has been described as “the conscious regulation of emotions to enhance emotional and intellectual growth” (Mayer & Salovey, 1997, p.14). Emotion literature corroborates the proposed benefi ts of emotion management and regulation, demonstrating that the use of positive emotional states can act as a buffer against stress (Folkman & Moskowitz, 2000) and can lead to psychological resilience (Tugade & Fredrickson, 2004). The present research attempts to elucidate the potential relationship between emotional intelligence and meaning in life by introducing a third variable: social relationships. Quality social relationships may play an important role in this link, given their strong correlations with emotional intelligence (Brackett, Warner, & Bosco, 2005) and meaning in life (DeBats, 1999; Krause, 2007; Setterson, 2002). Consequently, it is necessary to delineate the role of emotional intelligence in social relationships and subsequently the role of social relationships in a meaningful and purposeful life. JOSEPH J. DONOHOE
The Credibility of Fiscal Rules Policy and Business Cycle Volatility

Abstract The aim of this paper is two-fold; first, it studies the impact of the credibility of fiscal rule policy on the stability of output growth; second, it compares the effectiveness of fiscal rule policy to discretionary and automatic stabilizer fiscal policies to address the fluctuation of output growth. Employing quarterly data over the period 2001-2013 in the case of Indonesia, we obtain that the credible debt rule leads to a decrease in the volatility of output growth while the non-credible deficit rule does not have any effect. Both unsystematic and systematic components of discretionary fiscal policy have a stabilizing function. Interestingly, the automatic stabilization tends to induce the volatility of output growth. Given those results, we infer that government spending is not a good automatic stabilizer. It seems that the lower ratio of government expenditure to GDP along with improving credibility of deficit rule policy has a smoother effect on the economy. Therefore, they implicitly support expenditure cuts when implementing fiscal adjustment with the purpose of reaching fiscal sustainability in the short-run and a stable economic growth in the long-run.
The Effect of Reference Price and Loss Aversion on Consumer Brand Choice, Category Purchase and Quantity Decisions

In this study I investigate the effects of reference price on three consumer purchase decisions: consumer brand choice, purchase incidence, and purchase quantity. First, I compare the impact of internal reference price (IRP) and external reference price (ERP) on the three consumer purchase decisions. I hypothesize that (a) consumers rely more on ERP (vs. IRP) in brand choice and purchase quantity decisions, and more on IRP (vs. ERP) in purchase incidence decision; and (b) consumers use both IRP and ERP simultaneously to evaluate shelf price in all three consumer purchase decisions. Second, I examine the impact of consumers’ loss aversion tendencies on the three consumer purchase decisions. I hypothesize that loss aversion affects all three consumer purchase decisions; that is, consumers respond more sensitively to a loss than to a corresponding gain. I estimate models of brand choice, purchase incidence and purchase quantity using multinomial logistic regression, binary logistic regression, and Poisson regression, respectively. Hypotheses are generally supported based on empirical analyses of scanner data for a battery product category. This study contributes to the literature in two ways. First, it is the first study to test the direct impact of reference price on purchase incidence decisions. Second, it is the first study to incorporate both IRP and ERP variables into purchase incidence and purchase quantity decisions. Overall, this study contributes an understanding of the influence of reference price on three consumer purchase decisions, which provides both manufactures and retailers with valuable knowledge to formulate optimal pricing and promotion strategies.
Portfolio Optimization Using a Combined Model of Fuzzy Network Analytic Process: An Approach Based on Similarity and Genetic Algorithm

Portfolio management has always been an issue of high importance in financial markets.This paper is an attempt to introduce a new technique of portfolio selection. After presenting a review of literature on factors influencing portfolio selection, the importance of each factor is determined in regards to experts’ opinions and a weight is assigned to each factor using fuzzy network analytic process technique. Consequently, using an approach based on TOPSIS and similarity, selected stocks were ranked. After depicting efficient frontiers of the top ranks obtained from both approaches, using genetic algorithm, Sharpe ratio was used in order to examine model’s performance.
CONVERGENCE AND REGIONAL MOBILITY IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

The paper begins with a conventional analysis of regional convergence in the European Union, during the period 1977-94. It can be observed that, although a certain convergence took place, it practically came to a halt over the last few years (1986-94). In any case, it clearly stands out that this convergence is “conditioned” and that, in the analysis of fixed effects, regions show quite different positions. The paper is then centred on studying the “mobility” which occurred within the European Union regional ranking during that period. Markov systems offer the possibility of analysing the principal changes in the positions of the regions and, in particular, of defining the transition towards a stationary state. In addition to describing the shifts followed by regions, this paper also shows some common patterns which help to distinguish among the factors determining this mobility. The data base essentially comes from Eurostat official series, although other auxiliary sources have also been used in order to overcome some deficiencies of the Eurostat series.
Energetic Relationships of a Very Small Passerine Bird

The paucity of information on the energetic relationships of smaller homeotherms and the recent examination of the weight-metabolism relationships of birds (King and Farner, 1961) indicate the need of additional information concerning the energy metabolism of small birds. Accordingly, this study was undertaken to investigate the effects of environmental temperature on the oxygen consumption and evaporative water loss of the Black-rumped Waxbill (Estrildu troglodytes), which weighs only 6 or 7 grams. The Black-rumped Waxbill is found over a wide area in Africa, ranging from Senegal to Ethiopia. Apparently, this ploceid occurs in a variety of habitats. MackworthPraed and Grant (1955: 1022) state it to be “locally common in swampy places at low levels and along the banks of streams. ” On the other hand, Bannerman ( 1949 :339) notes that “it is the only Waxbill which is found in the dry country nearing the desert, but even there it has a very restricted range. ” Note. -While this manuscript was being prepared, we learned that Cade, Tobin, and Gold of Syracuse University had also completed a study on the physiology of Estrilda troglodytes. However, since the two parallel studies stress different aspects of the physiology of these small birds, and differ in methodology, both teams decided jointly to proceed with their respective plans for publication.
PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS AND PARTHENOLIDE PRODUCTION FROM in vitro CULTURES OF Tanacetum parthenium PRODUCCIÓN DE COMPUESTOS FENÓLICOS Y PARTENOLIDA EN CULTIVOS in vitro DE Tanacetum parthenium

Tanacetum parthenium has gained attention for drug development due to its production of bioactive secondary metabolites, such as phenolic compounds (PHEC) and parthenolide (PTN). This work investigated the differences in the production of those compounds among in vitro cultures (organs from plantlets and roots cultures) of T. parthenium. Results showed that the in vitro cultures produced PHEC and PTN, which depended on the type of culture and the incubation time. The content of secondary metabolites was higher in shoots of plantlets (S-ivPL), followed by ro t cultures (R-ivC) and roots of plantlets (R-ivPL). The PHEC and PTN production was enhanced in plantlets by applying a combination of plant growth regulators (PGRs: α-naphtalenacetic acid [NAA] at 0.27 μM with kinetin [KIN] at 2.32 μM). The highest content of secondary metabolites (62.54 mg gallic acid equivalents g−1; 4.261 and 4.973 mg chlorogenic acid g−1; 0.858 and 1.015 mg caffeic acid g−1; 1.931 mg salicylic acid g−1; 0.071 mg PTN g−1) was found in the PGRs-treated S-ivPL samples. Also, morphogenesis and growth of plantlets was enhanced by these PGRs.
SIFTING UNDESIRABLE SUBSTANCE IN ONLINE INTERPERSONAL ORGANIZATION IN LIGHT OF MLSOFT CLASSIFIER

In Online Informal communities the customers have quite recently less access to control the unessential commands posted on their dividers. So as to spare the client dividers from undesirable substance by a framework permitting OLO shoppers to possess an immediate get to manage over the messages announce on their dividers. This can be access to through Associate in Nursing variable guideline based mostly framework that allows purchasers to regulate the separating conditions to be connected to their dividers, System Learning-based delicate classifier naturally recognize messages considering substance and channels those messages. When compile that rejects the undesirable messages from dividers and give a cautioning message to the individuals who posted on the other client dividers. The ability of the work relating to separation selections is upgraded through the administration of BLs. The greater bit of these recommendations fundamentally to give clients an arrangement system to keep away from they are overpowered by useless information.
Sensitivity of Extended X-Ray-Absorption Fine Structure to Thermal Expansion

The sensitivity of extended x-ray-absorption fine structure (EXAFS) to thermal expansion has been studied by temperature-dependent measurements on germanium. The first cumulant does not reproduce the thermal expansion owing to vibrations normal to the bond. The perpendicular relative displacement $〈\ensuremath{\Delta}{u}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}^{2}〉$ has been for the first time experimentally obtained; the ratio $〈\ensuremath{\Delta}{u}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}^{2}〉/〈\ensuremath{\Delta}{u}_{\ensuremath{\Vert}}^{2}〉$ is in agreement with vibrational model calculations. Low-temperature quantum effects on the 3rd cumulant have been for the first time observed. The possibility of measuring thermal expansion from the 3rd cumulant is demonstrated, provided that quantum effects are taken into account.
Learning to Teach Mathematics in Urban High Schools: Untangling the Threads of Interwoven Narratives

In this article, the authors explore learning about equity pedagogy in mathematics by focusing on the experiences of a teacher and teacher educator within the Centering the Teaching of Mathematics on Urban Youth project. One teacher’s story is interwoven as a counterpoint and specific trajectory within the broader narrative provided by the teacher educator. Key themes addressed include the nature of teaching mathematics, identity and position, and developing culturally relevant mathematics pedagogy. The authors’ goal is not to report on the effects of a mathematics teacher professional development program per se, but rather to open the conversation, between teacher and teacher educator, to a broader audience.
Research on the Assembly Building Integrated Construction System Based on BIM

At present, the assembly architecture has become the focus of the construction industry. This paper summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of the assembled buildings and points out the problems in the management of the assembled buildings. The BIM technology is introduced into the assembly building integrated construction system, and the application of BIM technology in the integrated building construction system is described in detail, and the concrete case is analyzed. The results show that BIM technology has a great application prospect in design, production, construction and operation and maintenance of assembly building integrated construction system.
Estrogen and Mitochondrial Function in Disease

Anecdotal and scientific evidence suggest that the sex hormone estrogen provides signifi - cant health benefits in women. Women have higher estrogen levels than men. Circulating estrogen reaches its highest level during the reproductive period and steadily declines with the onset of menopause. The role of estrogen and estrogen receptors in both cellular physiology and pathophysiology has been controversial. Estrogen has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects, which preserve cell viability during cardiovascular incidents, but it enhances disease progression in the context of breast cancer. Estrogen mediates these responses via activation of estrogen receptor subtypes located in the cell mem -brane, nucleus, and mitochondrion. Further, transcription of nuclear and mitochondrial genes by estrogen yields products that play an important role in regulating mitochon drial function. Mitochondria are part of a highly dynamic network and undergo fission and fusion, produce cellular energy, adenosine 5′ triphosphate (ATP), and regulate cell death. Herein, we review the cell and receptor specific effects of estrogen on mitochon - drial structure, function, and cell death under normal physiological conditions and in the context of cardiovascular disease, inflammation, neurodegeneration, and cancer. Further research is needed to elucidate the specific role of estrogenic control of mitochondria in health and disease.
Image Denoising using Curevelet Transform

In this paper we propose a new method to reduce noise in digital image. Images corrupted by Gaussian Noise are still a classical problem. To reduce the noise or to improve the quality of image we have used two parameters i.e. quantitative and qualitative. For quantity we will compare peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR). Higher the PSNR better the quality of the image. The Curvelet transform is a higher dimensional generalization of the Wavelet transform designed to represent images at different scales and different angles . In this paper we proposed a Curvelet Transformation based image denoising, which is combined with weiner filter in place of the low pass filtering in the transform domain. We demonstrated through simulations with images contaminated by three different noise i.e. Gaussian, salt and peeper and speckle. Experimental results show that our proposed method gives comparatively higher peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR) value, are much more efficient and also have less visual artifacts compared to other existing methods.
An Alternating Direction Method for Convex Quadratic Second-Order Cone Programming with Bounded Constraints

An alternating direction method is proposed for convex quadratic second-order cone programming problems with bounded constraints. In the algorithm, the primal problem is equivalent to a separate structure convex quadratic programming over second-order cones and a bounded set. At each iteration, we only need to compute the metric projection onto the second-order cones and the projection onto the bound set. The result of convergence is given. Numerical results demonstrate that our method is efficient for the convex quadratic second-order cone programming problems with bounded constraints.