Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT ANTAGONIST PROTOCOLS ON REPETITION PERFORMANCE AND MUSCLE ACTIVATION

Objective: To investigate the acute effects of different antagonist manipulation protocols on maximal repetition performance and muscle activation during seated row (SR) exercise. Methods: Fifteen men (22.4 ± 1.1 years old, height 175 cm ± 5.5, weight 76.6 kg ± 7, and 12.3 ± 2.1 of body fat percentage) with previous resistance training experience (3.5 ± 1.2 years) performed four experimental protocols: (TP) one set to repetition failure of SR exercise; (AS) Antagonist static stretching for the pectoralis major (PM) followed by one set of SR; (PNFA) Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation for PM followed by one set of the SR; (APS) One set of the bench press with a 10 RM loads followed by one set of the SR. The maximal repetitions and the electromyographic (EMG) signal were recorded for the latissimus dorsi (LD), biceps brachii (BB), triceps brachii lateral head (TL), and PM during the SR. Results: A significant increase in SR repetition performance was noted for the APS (14 ± 1) versus the TP (9 ± 1.2, P = 0.0001), PNFA (10 ± 1.5, P = 0.001), and AS (12 ± 1.5, P = 0.004) protocols. A significant increase in SR repetitions was also noted for the AS versus the TP (P = 0.001) and PNFA (P = 0.002) protocols. The muscle activation of the BB and LD were significantly higher during the APS and AS versus the PNFA and TP sessions. Conclusions: These results suggest that either using the APS or AS approaches can facilitate an increase in SR repetition performance versus traditional resistance exercise sets.
Exploring the Roles of Tour Guides in Trekking Tourism

Trekking is a popular form of ecotourism in the Himalayas. Tour guides has very important roles in trekking tourism as they help not only to make the travel experience enjoyable but also to educate the visitors through interpretation that contribute to sustainability of local environment. The purpose of this study was to explore the roles of tour guides in trekking tourism to develop a role structure model. Field data were collected from Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal using survey method. Results indicated that group leader, tour leader, teacher, organizer, interpreter, and organizer were the six major roles of tour guides. The roles of trekking guides can be organized into a 3X2 matrix where the rows represent the types of roles (social, instrumental, and educational) and the column represents the orientation of roles (inside the group or outside the group).
Bacterial Decay of Wooden River Moorings After 75 Years in Service

This study provides some information about the degree of bacterial degradation in pine waterside structures that have been in service for 75 years in running fresh water. It was revealed that 71% of pine heartwood samples were damaged to a weak or moderate degree and 5% were degraded severely and, therefore bacterial degradation of wood in anoxic conditions was underestimated before. The results proved the idea that water movement in the waterlogged structures is a key factor that stimulates bacterial wood degradation. The obtained patterns of bacterial degradation throughout the whole length of a mooring beam showed that head beams can be regarded as a representative of the whole element. It was concluded that the mooring beams under consideration can serve for at least 50 years more.
AN INVESTIGATION OF THE FACTORS INFLUENCING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLANS IN THE NAIROBI CITY WATER AND SEWERAGE COMPANY

Vll CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION. 1 1.1Background. 1 1.2Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company. 3 1.3Statement of the Problem 6 1.4Research objectives 7 1.5Research questions. 8 1.6Significance of the study 8 1.7Limitations of the study 9 1.8Scope of the study 9 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE.REVIEW 10 -. 2.
Laboratory stydies on air-hydrate crystals

Experimental studies on air-hydrate crystals from both ice cores and those grown in the laboratory are reviewed to summarize the present knowledge of their properties, nucleation, growth, and dissociation. The physical properties of air-hydrate crystals have been determined mainly through spectroscopic techniques. The main objective of these studies is determining the type and number of air molecules located in the hydrate cages. The formation and growth processes of air hydrates have been studied directly by observing them embedded in ice crystals. But, because formation and growth is too slow to study in laboratory, knowledge of the diffusion of gas molecules through both ice and hydrate are needed to understand hydrates in ice cores. Lastly, we discuss the stability conditions and the dissociation process of air hydrates to predict the optimal storage conditions of ice cores without their serious damages.
Hanging basket oyster farming: assessing effects on seagrass using aerial photography

Hanging baskets are rapidly being adopted in many parts of the world to grow shell- fish, especially oysters. The adoption of this method is opening up new areas for aquaculture development. However, expansion into areas that have previously been unusable has been con- troversial, due to concerns about farms being established in areas with particularly high ecologi- cal values and sensitivity. This study investigated the impact of establishing a hanging basket oys- ter farm in the Kaipara Harbour in northern New Zealand on seagrass. Aerial photographs were analysed with a geographical imaging software in combination with field sampling to detect potential impacts. The hanging basket oyster farm technology was found to have no significant overall impact on seagrass beneath the farm. However, field sampling found a narrow band directly beneath the oyster farm growout lines of less than 5% of the farm area that had lower seagrass densities and abundance compared to adjacent control zones sampled within the farm. This area was obscured in aerial photographs by farm structures. This highly localised impact is likely due to shading or scour caused by farm structures. Overall, the results indicate that hanging basket technology for shellfish aquaculture has minimal environmental impact on underlying seagrass, representing an improvement over traditional culture technologies. Furthermore, the results confirm that remote sensing methods are useful tools for examining aquaculture impacts on seagrass communities, but only when combined with field sampling.
Altruism as a Handicap: The Limitations of Kin Selection and Reciprocity

The phenomenon of "helping at the nest" has exposed ornithologists to the problem of the evolution of altruism, i.e. why should a non-breeder invest in the fitness of breeders rather than trying itself to breed. Until the 1960s altruism was explained by many biologists through models of "group selection" (GS), i.e. the investment of the non-breeders in the breeding of their group members was justified by its contribution to the group. GS was later rejected by most evolutionary biologists (Maynard Smith 1964, Lack 1966, Williams 1966), and another model, that of "kin-selection" (KS) (Hamilton 1964) was suggested as an alternative solution to the problem of altruism. In KS models the investment of the altruist is justified by the benefit to its relatives. However, the many studies on group living birds which have resulted from the growing interest in the dilemma of altruism, have revealed that the helpers are in fact often not related to the breeders (Ligon and Ligon 1990, Reyer 1990, Zahavi 1990). Trivers (1971) suggested an additional model "reciprocal altruism" (RA) to interpret altruistic adaptations among non-relatives. This latter model suggests that the investment of the altruist is compensated by a gain from a reciprocal investment by other group members. However, data from several field studies have indicated that in many cases the act of the non-related altruist was not reciprocated. In these cases neither KS nor RA could explain helping at the nest. It was evident, however, in some of these studies (Ligon and Ligon 1990, Reyer 1990, Zahavi 1990) that many of the helpers were enhancing their own chances to breed. Helping by nonrelated birds, which is not reciprocated, can therefore only be interpreted as a simple selfish investment. However, these findings did not stimulate further research into the possibility that "helpers" in general gain direct advantages by their apparently altruistic investment.
Factors that Contribute to Green Neighbourhood: A Review

Human activities such as deforestation, urbanisation and industrialisation have contributed to the increasing amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) deposited in the atmosphere which has become a major issue in this century. CO2 gives a huge impact on greenhouse gasses that lead to climate change, global warming and other environmental disaster. These impacts are very severe, and need to be properly examined in designing a city. A city should move towards a comprehensive green and sustainable development. For the past 10 years, various studies emphasising on green neighbourhood have been published in urban planning research. This paper presents a review of literature prior to 2014 and its current issues based on factors that contribute to green neighbourhood. The review highlighted that green infrastructure, walkability and connectivity, mixed use development and safe neighbourhood as the most prominent factors in a green neighbourhood planning concept. It is also found that these factors contribute towards a more liveable city.
Characterization of the Relationship Between Firms and Universities and Innovation Performance: The Case of Colombian Firms

Within the National Innovation System, universities play a key role as the main source of knowledge that supports national productivity and as a system that seeks to improve the competitiveness of firms competitiveness and to find answers concerning market needs in today’s fast-changing and globalized economy. Innovation, as a source of competitiveness, is normally supported by a firm’s technological capabilities: internal R&D, external collaborative agreements, and relationships with universities. This study uses a cluster analysis to identify three clusters that represent respectively those firms that interact closely with universities for technology development (which include R&D projects) and technological learning activities, those firms that interact with universities for technological learning only, and those that do not have any kind of relationship with universities. We also analyze the innovation performance of each cluster. Data here come from the Second Colombian Innovation Survey, which was applied in 2005 to a sample of 6,222 firms. Among the main results, this study shows a higher innovation performance for those firms with relevant linkages for technology learning activities.
Knowledge Capital Accumulation and Value Creation: Based on Learning and Relationship Network Theories

This study proposes an easy-to-use model for firms to create their own values. It explores the importance of learning activities, collaborative networks, knowledge value creation and their interrelationships. This paper also identifies the interactive process between capital accumulation and value creation. It explains how utilizing flexible human capital and integrated social capital through collaborative relationship networks, learning activities can accumulate intellectual capital and bring important knowledge value to an enterprise above its financial book value. A firm with the model will create its competitive values, by identifying the learning activities for critical knowledge and utilizing its relationship networks to enhance the learning effectiveness.
Analysing labor market flexibility using a semiparametric panel data model

Given the constrains imposed by European Monetary Union membership, flexibility in the labor market is crucial for countries and regions belonging to it. The paper adresses this issue empirically and analyses the real wage flexibility in Spain over the 1985-1999 period. Previous studies have examined wage flexibility by means of parametric methods. However, this paper analyses it within the framework of a semiparametric panel data model. The results point to a high degree of wage rigidity in Spain , because national and regional wage setting are closely linked. However, semiparametric estimation allows us to find some signs of flexibility; first, wages responds to regional unemployment rate growth for high levels of regional productivity growth; second, productivity increases at regional level have positive effects on wage growth, especially when regional unemployment growth is negative.
Skorpionite , Ca 3 Zn 2 ( PO 4 ) 2 CO 3 ( OH ) 2 · H 2 O , a new mineral from Namibia : description and crystal structure

Skorpionite, Ca3Zn2(PO4)2CO3(OH)2·H2O, is a new secondary mineral from the Skorpion zinc deposit in south-western Namibia. Associated minerals are tarbuttite, hydrozincite and gypsum. Skorpionite forms colourless needle-like crystals of monoclinic symmetry that are elongated parallel to [001] with dominant {100} and {110}; additional forms are {111}, {221}, {131} and {–101}. D (meas.) = 3.15(3) g/cm3; D (calc.) = 3.17 g/cm3. Skorpionite is optically biaxial negative, α = 1.5884(10), β = 1.6445 (calc.), γ = 1.6455(10), 2V = 15.0◦(5) (589 nm); no dispersion. Optical orientation is Y ˆ c = 26◦ (in acute β); Z = b. Means of 17 sets of microprobe analyses gave CaO 30.89, ZnO 28.83, P2O5 25.49, CO2 (calc.) 7.96, H2O (calc.) 6.52, total 99.69 wt. %. The empirical formula (based on 14 oxygen atoms pfu) is Ca3.05Zn1. 96(PO4)1.99(CO3)1.00(OH)2.06·0.98H2O. Single-crystal X-ray investigations gave space group C2/c, with unit-cell parameters a = 19.045(3), b = 9.320(2), c = 6.525(1) Å, β = 92.73(2)◦, V = 1156.9(4) Å3, Z = 4. ZnO4 and PO4 tetrahedra are corner linked to corrugated sheets. The crystal structure forms a threedimensional network of [Ca22Zn2(OH)2(PO4)2] and [Ca1(CO3)(H2O)] layers that are linked by hydrogen bonds and by Ca–O bonds. Key-words: skorpionite, new mineral, Skorpion mine, Namibia, microprobe analysis, crystal structure, calcium zinc carbonatephosphate hydroxyhydrate.
Sexual Networks, Partnership Mixing, and the Female-to-Male Ratio of HIV Infections in Generalized Epidemics: An Agent-Based Simulation Study

Background: Empirical estimates of the female-to-male ratio of infections in generalized HIV epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa range from 1.31 in Zambia to 2.21 in Ivory Coast. Inequalities in the gender ratio of infections can arise because of differences in exposure (to HIV-positive partners), susceptibility (given exposure), and survival (once infected). Differences in susceptibility have to date received most attention, but neither the relatively high gender ratio of infections nor the heterogeneity in empirical estimates is fully understood. Objective: Demonstrate the relevance of partnership network attributes and sexual mixing patterns to gender differences in the exposure to HIV-positive partners and the gender ratio of infections. Methods: Agent-based simulation model built in NetLogo. Results: The female-to-male ratio of infections predicted by our model ranges from 1.13 to 1.75. Gender-asymmetric partnership concurrency, rapid partnership turnover, elevated partnership dissolution in female-positive serodiscordant couples, and lower partnership re-entry rates among HIV-positive women can produce (substantial) differences in the gender ratio of infections. Coital dilution and serosorting have modest moderating effects. Conclusions: Partnership network attributes and sexual mixing patterns can have a considerable effect on the gender ratio of HIV infections. We need to look beyond individual behavior and gender differences in biological susceptibility if we are to fully understand, and remedy, gender inequalities in HIV infection in generalized epidemics.
First principle calculation of NOx adsorption on ATiO3 perovskites surfaces

A promising solution to control NOx-emissions in lean-burn engines is combined NOx- trap and NH3-SCR catalysis, where NOx is trapped in a storage material at low temperatures and then released and reduced by ammonia at temperatures around 150-200 C. Here, adsorption of NOx on perovskites with the structural formula ATiO3, A = Ca, Sr, Ba, have been studied within the Density Functional Theory, to investigate the compounds' capability of storing NOx at desired temperatures. Comparisons are made with adsorption on alkali-earth metal oxide surfaces. DFT is employed with local basis functions using the PBE-functional and the perovskite-surfaces are modelled by the supercell periodic slab approach. The adsorption of NO is found to be a weak physorption process, with desorption temperatures at around 250 K for AO-terminated Ba- and SrTiO3. The interaction with NO2 is stronger, and depends on the electropositivety of A (Ba>Sr>Ca). Dramatic cooperative effects are observed for pairwise adsorption of NO and NO2. Negative charge is transferred from surface anion to NO2 upon pairadsorption, creating nitrite-like structures for both NO2 and O-NO. The cooperative effect holds also for NO and O2, with slightly lower adsorption energies.
Building an Intelligent Knowledgebase of Brachiopod Paleontology

Science advances not only because of new discoveries, but also due to revolutionary ideas drawn from accumulated data. The quality of studies in paleontology, in particular, depends on accessibility of fossil data. This research builds an intelligent system based on brachiopod fossil images and their descriptions published in Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology. The project is still on going and some significant developments will be discussed here. This thesis has two major parts. The first part describes the digitization, organization and integration of information extracted from the Treatise. The Treatise is in PDF format and it is non-trivial to convert large volumes into a structured, easily accessible digital library. Three important topics will be discussed: (1) how to extract data entries from the text, and save them in a structured manner; (2) how to crop individual specimen images from figures automatically, and associate each image with text entries; (3) how to build a search engine to perform both keyword search and natural language search. The search engine already has a web interface and many useful tasks can be done with ease. Verbal descriptions are second-hand information of fossil images and thus have limitations. The second part of the thesis develops an algorithm to compare fossil images directly, without referring to textual information. After similarities between fossil images are calculated, we can use the results in image search, fossil classification, and so on. The algorithm is based on deformable templates, and utilizes expectation propagation to find the optimal deformation. Specifically, I superimpose a “warp” on each image. Each node of the warp encapsulates a vector of local texture features, and comparing two images involves two steps: (1) deform the warp to the optimal configuration, so the energy function is minimized; and (2) based on the optimal configuration, compute the distance of two images. Experiment results confirmed that the method is reasonable and robust.
Three successive waves of Neolithisation: LBK development in Transdanubia

Due to the latest research, the LBK formation in Transdanubia must have involved an essentially Mesolithic subsistence, complemented by certain elements of the Neolithic package brought here by migrant late Star≠evo groups. Many small sites were located in marshy areas, unsuitable for food production as a basis of livelihood. The currently available evidence suggests that there was a 4–5 generations long period, when it was not self-evident that the sedentary way of life would be fully accepted and adopted. During the ensuing earlier LBK period, the culture spread across the entire area of Transdanubia and a few settlements were even established on the left Danube bank, still, no substantial changes can be noted in the density of the settlement network and the layout of the settlements. In sharp contrast to the preceding period, the Keszthely and Notenkopf phases saw the settlement of larger communities on arable loess plateaus and the adoption an economy based exclusively on farming. New evidence from 53rd century BC sites such as Balatonszarszo-Kis-erdei-dűlő reflects fundamental changes in the size and layout of settlements, as well as in subsistence strategies.
What are the criteria for presuming native status

Decisions on native or alien status of British or Irish plants are based all too often on inappropriate criteria. on irrelevant emotions such as local patriotism, or misinterpretation of fossil data, or on an uncritical acceptance of earlier opinions. Neither abundance nor 'looking wild' can be accepted as firm evidence of native status. The frequent practice of treating long-established aliens as equivalent to natives gives rise to confusion in discussions of phytogeography or quaternary history; the former may be hard to distinguish from natives. but they are aliens none the less. Eight criteria are here suggested; very seldom will any one of them give a definite answer. but if s.everal provide circumstantial evidence pointing in the same direction it is reason~ to accept it as decisive. The criteria suggested are: fossil evidence; historical evidence; habitat; geographical distribution; ease of known naturalization elsewhere; genetic diversity; reproductive pattern; supposed means of introduction. A list is presented of species given without qualification as natives in the Flora of the British Isles (2nd ed.) by Clapham, Tutin and Warburg, whose status appears to the author to be subject to considerable doubt. The list is not exhaustive.
DISAGGREGATE BEHAVIORAL MODELS OF TRAVEL DECISIONS OTHER THAN MODE CHOICE: A REVIEW AND CONTRIBUTION TO SPATIAL CHOICE THEORY

In recent years, considerable effort has been spent on the disaggregate, behavioral modeling of travel dicisions. Much work has centered on intraurban mode-choice decisions and on home-based person trips for work purposes. Disaggregation has been accomplished by a focus on the travel behavior of individuals or of subgroups of the urban population; subgroups are defined by either socioeconomic characteristics or class of residential location. Preliminary attempts to incorporate more realistic assumptions about human behavior in traditional models have led to probabilistic approaches and to the a priori specification of perceived time, comfort, safety, convenience, and other variables as factors influencing mode choice. Attention is now being paid to the measurement of the disaggregate, behavioral modeling of intraurban travel by: (1) collating and reviewing literature to assist with decisions other than mode-choice applications in the trip generation, trip distribution, and route assignment phases of current transportation planning; (2) focusing attention on the importance and salient features of spatial choice models in these contexts, particularly destination choice models for shopping, recreational, and social trips; and (3) outlining research problems and strategies.