Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Investigating the Impact of Organization Structure on the Performance of the Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission (NSEC)

Studies abound on the determinants of corporate performance including the impact organisation structure. However, such research have been rarely extended to supervisory / regulatory authorities that referee the conduct of business in some critical sectors of the Nigerian national economy. Many of these agencies have weak structures which account for their poor performance but research in this area is hard to come across. In particular, most studies on the Nigeria Securities and Exchange Commission (NSEC) either focused on the intermittent crisis in the capital market or the challenges that NSEC faces with other institutions. A review of the organisation design literature was conducted, as a result of which a conceptual model and a set of hypotheses were justified. The management staff of the NSEC headquarters office constitute the study population. A census survey was carried out through a self-designed multi-item questionnaire that was duly validated. The software package SPSS 16.0 for Windows was used for data analysis. A number of organization design variables were found to impact positively and negatively on NSEC performance. Specifically, regression test of the effects of structure on (1) the effectiveness of sanctions on defaulters and (2) the NSEC overall performance returned adjusted R 2 values of 0.889 and 0.768 at p=0.000 as well as F-values of 57.623 and 23.756 respectively. Regression coefficients ( ᵦ) of the impact of information flows, employee commitment, and innovation and creativity were 0.976, -0.226 and -0.210 respectively. This and similar studies could provide insights on reorganisation as a means of enhancing the performance of agencies like the NNPC, CBN and the NUC; which are often saddled with huge national responsibilities in a dynamically changing global environment.
Spectroscopic confirmation of hydrogen alpha-selected satellite galaxies

We present a spectroscopic test confirming the potential of narrow-band optical imaging as a method for detecting star-forming satellites around nearby galaxies. To date the efficiency of such methods, and particularly the fraction of false detections resulting from its use, has not been tested. In this paper we use optical spectroscopy to verify the nature of objects that are apparently emission-line satellites, taken from imaging presented elsewhere. Observations of 12 probable satellites around 11 host galaxies are presented and used to compare the recession velocities of the host and satellite. This test confirms, in all cases, that there is genuine line emission, that the detected line is hydrogen alpha, and that the satellites have similar recession velocities to their hosts with a maximum difference of ~ 250 km/s, consistent with their being gravitationally bound companions. We conclude that the spectroscopy has confirmed that narrow-band imaging through H alpha filters is a reliable method for detecting genuine, star-forming satellites with low contamination from galaxies seen in projection along the line-of-sight.
THE EFFECT OF ADDITION HIGH RAPE CAKE AND PHYTASE ON NUTRITIVE VALUE OF DIETS FOR BROILER CHICKENS

diet denoted RC LP+ Phy was supplemented with an enzyme preparation containing phytase at a quantity of 875 FYT.kg -1 . Application of 15% of rape cake into starter and 20% into grower diets (RC HP) allowed for similar body weights and feed conversion ratio as the control group, whereas reduction of phosphorus and calcium content in the starter diet (RC LP) significantly decreased body weight at day 21. The addition of phytase to the starter diet with low level of phosphorus and calcium showed the tendency to improve body weight in this period. Application of rape cake into starter and grower diets had poor effects on fat digestibility in all groups, whereas supplementation of grower diets with a low level of phytase phosphorus and calcium improved the digestibility of total phosphorus in comparison to the control and RC HP diets. A tendency to improve the performance results for diets with rape cake (RC HP) in comparison to the control diet in the second period of fattening (grower diets) was observed. Application of rape cake into the diets had a significantly beneficial effect on slaughter yield, fleshiness and fatty acid composition of meat, but not so on the heart muscle, whereas phytase did not have an
Blood flow in microvascular networks

Simulation of blood presents a very complex haemodynamics problem especially in relation to the understanding of atherogenesis. In many simulations, blood has been treated as a single-phase homogeneous fluid, a classical approach that does not account for the presence of red blood cells (RBCs). Although this approach provides satisfactory tools to describe certain aspects of blood flow in large arteries, it fails to give an adequate representation of the flow field in the vessels of smaller diameter where the size of the RBC becomes significant relative to vessel diameter. So, this article is concerned with the study of non-Newtonian blood flow in microvascular networks with the intention of developing a new cell depletion layer model to represent the behaviour of RBCs through bifurcating networks. The model is tested in a microvascular network constructed possessing realistic bifurcation features, with controlled dimensions and angles. The RBC depletion model treats blood as two continuum layers, with a central, non-Newtonian core region of concentrated red cell suspension that is surrounded by a layer of plasma (Newtonian fluid) adjacent to the vessel wall. In the central core region, blood is described by Quemada's non-Newtonian rheological model. Geometry differences are shown to significantly affect flow rates, haematocrit distributions and the corresponding cell depletion layers.
The Body Dances: Carnival Dance and Organization

Building on the work of Pierre Bourdieu and Maurice Merleau-Ponty we seek to open up traditional categories of thought surrounding the relation `body-organization' and elicit a thought experiment: What happens if we move the body from the periphery to the centre? We pass the interlocking theoretical concepts of object-body/subject-body and habitus through the theoretically constructed empirical case of `carnival dance' in order to re-evaluate such key organizational concepts as knowledge and learning. In doing so, we connect with an emerging body of literature on `sensible knowledge'; knowledge that is produced and preserved within bodily practices. The investigation of habitual appropriation in carnival dance also allows us to make links between repetition and experimentation, and reflect on the mechanism through which the principles of social organization, whilst internalized and experienced as natural, are embodied so that humans are capable of spontaneously generating an infinite array of appropriate actions. This perspective on social and organizational life, where change and permanence are intricately interwoven, contrasts sharply with the dominant view in organization studies which juxtaposes change/ creativity and stability.
"NOVICE AND EXPERIENCED TEACHERS' PERCEPTIONS TOWARDS SELF-INITIATED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES AND POSSIBLE HINDERING FACTORS"

This study aims to determine the perceptions of the English language teachers in Turkey towards selfinitiated professional development, professional development activities and some possible factors that can hinder professional development of them as well as comparing the perceptions of novice and experienced teachers towards these three issues. With this aim, a survey research which is a quantitative research method was employed. A questionnaire was adopted and administered to 70 English language instructors. Among them, 34 teachers are experienced and 36 are novice teachers having experience of teaching less than 3 years. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and independent samples t-test. The findings of this study revealed that most of the teachers agreed on the aspects of self-initiated professional development. However, there are few differences between the perceptions of novice and experienced teachers towards this issue like teachers‟ taking the action for their own professional development and keeping themselves updated with changes in ELT. As for the professional activities, most of them nearly agreed on the importance of these activities except for some differences between the novice and experienced teachers in terms of observation of classroom events by heads and administrators and following research literature on own field and peer observation. Lastly, as to the possible factors which may hinder their professional development, these teachers were found mostly agree on these factors‟ importance. However, the perceptions of novice and experienced teachers in this issue differed in some factors like personal financial problems, excessive work load. It is suggested that another study could be conducted through interviews to get a wider picture of the issue.
Effects of JNJ-54452840, an Anti-ÃÂ²1 Receptor Antibody Cyclopeptidein Heart Failure Patients: A Randomized, Double-blind, Parallel-group,Phase-2 Pilot Study

Aim: JNJ-54452840 (COR-1) is a novel investigational cyclopeptide with proposed mechanism of action that decreases circulating anti-β1-adrenergic receptor antibodies (anti-β1-Abs) in heart failure patients. In a phase-2, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study, effects of JNJ-54452840 were investigated on cardiac function at rest in patients with Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) when administered in addition to guideline-recommended heart failure therapy versus 6-months of guideline-recommended therapy alone. Methods: Patients with DCM and circulating anti-β1-Abs received treatment with placebo or JNJ-54452840 (6 doses of 20, 80 or 160 mg administered intravenously every 4 weeks) in addition to guideline-recommended heart failure therapy. Results: Thirty-six patients (Caucasian, mean age 59.6 years, mean LVEF 32%) were enrolled. An increase (+5.4%) in centrally-assessed Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF) was observed in 80 mg JNJ-54452840 group compared to a decrease (-1.6%) in the placebo group (primary efficacy endpoint). Among secondary efficacy endpoints, locally-assessed LVEF values were similar to primary results, suggesting lack of treatment effect from baseline to month 9. NT-proBNP values varied considerably between patients but were not significantly improved in JNJ-54452840-treated groups versus placebo. Compared to baseline, both JNJ-54452840 and placebo groups demonstrated a numerical increase in 6-minute walk test from baseline to month 6. The most common adverse events reported among JNJ-54452840-treated patients were cardiac failure and nasopharyngitis (n=4 each), and cough, sinusitis, increased heart rate (n=3 each). Conclusion: Considering that this phase 2 trial, originally planned to recruit 160 patients was amended to a pilot study for strategic reasons, no definitive statements on the efficacy of JNJ-5445280 in DCM patients with circulating anti-β1-Abs can be made, although centrally-assessed LVEF appeared to improve in the 80 mg dose group. No compound-related safety or tolerability signals were observed.
Factors predetermining the abundance of fungi and mycotoxins in grain from organic and conventional farms

DON and ZEN were most frequent in grain from different farms. 100% of wheat samples from organic and conventional farms contain DON and ZEN. Small amounts of aflatoxins and ochratoxins, up to 0.8 and 0.3 µg kg -1 respectively, were found in samples of wheat from organic farms.
Speech Inversion with Acoustic Classification

Inferring the shape of the vocal tract from speech acoustics is a complex machine learning problem that has been explored by many researchers over the past decades using various methodologies [1-3]. This problem is central for several domains of research. It has been argued that something akin to a `motor simulation' is an important component of human speech perception, and therefore speech inversion may be an intrinsic component of humans' ability to parse speech [4]. Modeling such behavior accurately is an important part of this line of research in human perception. It has also been demonstrated that the inclusion of articulatory data improves automatic speech recognition, and improvements in speech inversion may translate into improvements in automatic speech recognition [5]. This paper presents a novel method for improving speech-inversion with Mixture Density Networks (MDNs) [6] by classifying acoustic space into distinct aerodynamically defined classes using a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) [7], and training a separate speech inverter for each acoustic class.
NUOVE METOLOGIE PER DETERMINARE LE CURVE DI RESISTENZA A FRATTURA DI LAMIERINI IN LEGA AL-LI

Questa memoria riguarda le metodologie sperimentali circa il comportamento a frattura di lastre sottili di Al-Li. Lo studio della resistenza a frattura e basato sulla determinazione delle curve di resistenza relative alle caratteristiche del materiale in esame in stato di tensione piano. Sono stati seguiti due metodi sperimentali: uno standardizzato con provini M(T) ed uno modificato con provini CDCB; si forniscono i risultati delle procedure sperimentali e le considerazioni sulla validita e l’utilita di queste metodologie.
Big data and supply chain management: A marriage of convenience

Big data is the new “guy about town. ” Indeed, the buzz about Big Data and business intelligence (BI) as drivers of business information data collection and analysis continues to build steam. But it seems not everyone is taking notice. Whilst scholars in main are excited about the “fields of possibilities” big data and related analytics offer, in terms of optimising firm capabilities, supply chain scholars have been surprisingly quiet. In this work we hope to break this silence and we achieve this through a comprehensive survey of the literature with the aim of exposing the dynamics of big data analytics in the supply chain context. Our findings suggest that the benefits of a big data driven supply chain are many on the proviso that organisations can overcome their own myopic understanding of this socio-technical phenomenon. However, this is not to suggest a one-size fits all approach, our findings also reveal that adopting a big data strategy in the supply chain is a strategic decision and as such, given the idiosyncrasies of industries, firms should leverage these technologies in congruence with their core capabilities. Strategic fit between a firm core competences and its big data strategy creates causal ambiguity which can in turn lead to sustainable competitive advantage.
Towards improved parameterization of a macroscale hydrologic model in a discontinuous permafrost boreal forest ecosystem

Abstract. Modeling hydrological processes in the Alaskan sub-arctic is challenging because of the extreme spatial heterogeneity in soil properties and vegetation communities. Nevertheless, modeling and predicting hydrological processes is critical in this region due to its vulnerability to the effects of climate change. Coarse-spatial-resolution datasets used in land surface modeling pose a new challenge in simulating the spatially distributed and basin-integrated processes since these datasets do not adequately represent the small-scale hydrological, thermal, and ecological heterogeneity. The goal of this study is to improve the prediction capacity of mesoscale to large-scale hydrological models by introducing a small-scale parameterization scheme, which better represents the spatial heterogeneity of soil properties and vegetation cover in the Alaskan sub-arctic. The small-scale parameterization schemes are derived from observations and a sub-grid parameterization method in the two contrasting sub-basins of the Caribou Poker Creek Research Watershed (CPCRW) in Interior Alaska: one nearly permafrost-free (LowP) sub-basin and one permafrost-dominated (HighP) sub-basin. The sub-grid parameterization method used in the small-scale parameterization scheme is derived from the watershed topography. We found that observed soil thermal and hydraulic properties – including the distribution of permafrost and vegetation cover heterogeneity – are better represented in the sub-grid parameterization method than the coarse-resolution datasets. Parameters derived from the coarse-resolution datasets and from the sub-grid parameterization method are implemented into the variable infiltration capacity (VIC) mesoscale hydrological model to simulate runoff, evapotranspiration (ET), and soil moisture in the two sub-basins of the CPCRW. Simulated hydrographs based on the small-scale parameterization capture most of the peak and low flows, with similar accuracy in both sub-basins, compared to simulated hydrographs based on the coarse-resolution datasets. On average, the small-scale parameterization scheme improves the total runoff simulation by up to 50 % in the LowP sub-basin and by up to 10 % in the HighP sub-basin from the large-scale parameterization. This study shows that the proposed sub-grid parameterization method can be used to improve the performance of mesoscale hydrological models in the Alaskan sub-arctic watersheds.
Reflecting on the Primary Phonetic Learning Based on the Critical Period Hypothesis in Language Acquisition

New English Curriculum Standards of Compulsory Education points out the following specific requirements of phonetic learning in the secondary target of language learning: reading out 26 letters of the alphabet; understanding simple spelling rules; knowing the word with accent, sentence with stress; learning English pronunciation including linking, rhythm, pauses, intonation and so on. And based on the critical period of language acquisition theory and the viewpoint that Children can get the pure pronunciation of second language at a critical period, phonetic learning is the principal task in the primary English learning. The author makes some suggestions through surveying and reflecting on primary phonetic learning problems. The author makes a survey about phonetic learning in Shanxi Normal University Experiment Primary School. The author found that the importance of the phonetic learning in primary school is not valued; students phonetic learning initiative is not high; the teachers’ professional quality of phonetic should be improved and so on. Some suggestions are put forward: establishing the correct concept of the phonetic learning for pupils; using multi-sensory learning and imitation to improve pupils’ language learning initiative; developing reading English skills; improving teacher’ professional quality of phonetic. It is hoped that we can pay more attention to phonetic learning in primary school and provide more valued proposals through this research.
Performance Analysis of Vehicle Number Plate Recognition System Using Template Matching Techniques

Vehicle number plate recognition (VNPR) system is a digital image processing techniques which is broadly used in vehicle transportation system to identify the vehicle by their number plate. Yet it’s a very challenging problem, due to the diversity of plate formats, different scales, and non-uniform illumination conditions during image acquisition. This research mainly focuses on Nepali vehicle number plate recognition system in which the vehicle plate image is received by the digital cameras and the image was then processed to obtain the number plate information. A real image of a vehicle is captured and processed using various algorithms. Morphological operations, and edge detection, smoothing, filtering, techniques for plate localization and characters segmentation for segment character and these segmented character was cut in to block of 70×70 size and calculate the correlation with the template of database using the template matching algorithm normalized cross correlation and phase correlation and compare this result in term of accuracy. The system was tested by 90 patterns under several conditions. It includes experiment of number plate recognition using phase correlation and normalized cross correlation methods. From the study and analysis of test after applying on number of images of database, the normalized cross correlation method was found more accurate to recognize the number plate then phase correlation method and recognition accuracy of normalized cross correlation was 67.98% and phase correlation was 63.46%.
Farm Management Strategies to Enhance the Farm Performance in Changing Climate: A Case Study in the Mid-hills of Nepal

Introduction The environmental and economic sustainability of farming systems depend on sustaining soil fertility, which is affected by agricultural practices (Davis and Abbott, 2006). Soil management is one of the main agricultural practices. In Nepal, soil degradation can be severe, especially in the hilly regions (Chalise and Khanal, 1997) and may be accelerated by increase in annual temperature and erratic rainfall. Annual temperature increase in Nepal between 1975 and 2006 amounted to 0.042 oC yr while rainfall is also becoming more erratic, which increases the risk of soil degradation (Malla, 2008). In this context Sustainable Soil Management (SSM) practices are becoming the cornerstone of local cropping systems since they can enhance inherent soil fertility (SSM-P, 2000). Moreover, these systems were shown to be more effective in sustaining food production and improving livelihood especially in the developing regions where climatic conditions are changing drastically (Jordan et al., 2009). The Nepalese mid-hill region is mostly dominated by upland agriculture. According to Bronson et al., (1997) soil organic matter (SOM) is the key support factor for maintenance of soil fertility and future production potential in the upland. This is due to the fact that in the absence of external inputs (other than common natural resources (CNRs) like chemical fertilizers), SOM provides the main source for most plant nutrients (Kayal et al., 2001). Though some farmers in the mid-hill region in Nepal are adopting improved and indigenous practices for soil conservation on their farms, most of them are unaware of the ecological benefits of improved SSMpractices. Moreover, this region is characterized by low productivity because of poor soil management and crop husbandry due to lack of knowledge on for instance the use of farm yard manure (FYM) and urine, the use of slash and burn, and shifting cultivation (Tiwari et al., 2004). On the other hand, nutrient losses from FYM/compost and urine, local resources for restoring soil fertility, can also be very high. These losses are largest when urine leaching is not being prevented, FYM/compost is stored in an open space, and/or FYM is applied to the field too long prior to incorporating into the soil. In addition to excess nutrient losses, poor FYM management practices also can greatly contribute to global warming (IFOAM, 2009). Therefore, improved awareness of the benefits of sound FYM/compost management practices is critical to enhance inherent soil fertility and to reduce negative impacts of agriculture on global warming and climate change. The objective of this study was to analyse and elaborate the potential impacts of different farming practices on farm performance, and soil organic carbon (SOC) and nitrogen (N) budgets.