Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Environmental and spatial effects on the size distribution of sailfish in the Atlantic Ocean

Generalized regression analysis and spatial prediction (GRASP) was applied to size data for sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus) to better describe its preferential habitats in relation to juveniles and adults, based on environmental and spatial factors in the equatorial and southwestern Atlantic. We analyzed a total of 9954 lower jaw fork length size data (7541 fish caught by longline and 2413 by gillnet) from the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas database for 1998 to 2007. Four main environmental variables were considered: sea surface temperature (SST), mixed layer depth, chlorophyll concentration, and bathymetry. Results indicated that adults were more frequent to the east of 25oW in areas with a shallow mixed layer ( 50 m) on the western side, particularly between 10-20oS and 25-35oW.
Capital Goods Trade, Relative Prices, and Economic Development

International trade in capital goods has quantitatively important effects on economic development through capital formation and aggregate TFP. Capital goods trade enables poor countries to access more efficient technologies, leading to lower relative prices of capital goods and higher capital-output ratios. Moreover, poor countries can use their comparative advantage—non-capital goods production—and increase their TFP. We quantify these channels using a multisector, multicountry, Ricardian model of trade with capital accumulation. The model matches several trade and development facts within a unified framework. Frictionless trade in capital goods reduces the income gap between rich and poor countries by 40 percent. More than half of the reduction in the income gap is due to the TFP channel.
Mother's Age and Physical Abuse of Children.

Young, poorly educated, single mothers from lower socioeconomic groups are commonly identified as being at high risk of engaging in physical abuse. However, the seemingly obvious relationship between adolescent parenting and child maltreatment is not clearly supported by previous empirical research. This study, based on an ecological framework, reexamined the issue using a nationally representative sample of mothers (N=1,997). All analyses controlled for family income, race, number of minor children in the home, ago of abused child, mother's education, and whether mother was a single parent. Physical abuse was measured with the Conflict Tactics Scale. Using mothers' age at time of birth of the abused child, the younger the mother, the greater the rate of child abuse. However, there was not a significant relationship when mother's age was measured as age at time of abuse. Large families and minority children were also found to be at greater risk of abuse. The findings have implications for prevention of physical abuse at both the macrosystem and macrosystem level. At the micro level, the findings confirm the importance of making contraceptives and abortion widely available so that motherhood can be postponed and family size can be controlled. At the macro level, the findings suggest that steps to reduce the poverty that is so often associated with minority group status can lower the rate of child abuse. (Author/ABL) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EARS are the best that can be made from the original document. **********************************f****%**AA*************************** U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Othce of Educational Research and improvement ED CATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document NIS been reproduced as received from the oortiOn or organiialion Originating it r Minor changes have Peen made to improve reproduction quakily Points of view or opinions st ated In this docu men) do not necessarily represent official OEM position or policy MOTHER'S AGE AND PHYSICAL ABUSE OF CHILDREN* Cynthia D. Connelly and Murray A. Straus Family Research Laboratory, University of New Hampshire Durham, NH 03824 (603) 862-2594 Content:, "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THII MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED B' /12/, $74, e/. 5 TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE( INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC). " THE ECOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE 2 Ontogenic Development 2 Microsystem 3 Exosystem 3 MOTHER'S AGE AND CHILD ABUSE 4 SAMPLE AND METHOD 4 Measurement of Physical Abuse 4 Independent And Control Variables 5 Sample and Procedure for Obtaining Data 5 Hypotheses And Data Analysis 5 RESULTS 6 Mother's Age 6 Other Risk Factors 6 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 7 REFERENCES, FIGURES, TABLES
Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies Global Governance Programme The European Union Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and Africa ’ s Exports

Changes in tastes and preferences in importing countries as well as the need to keep the environment safe, especially in developed markets, has contributed to a rising trend in the demand for sanitary and phytosanitary measures for quality products. However, the stringency and the preponderance of these measures have effects on trade, particularly for the developing and least developed countries in Africa. The effects often influence the attainment of the development aspirations of these Africa countries, especially employment, poverty reduction and sustainable growth. To this end, this study investigates the export effects of the EU standards for Africa. It uses the two-step Helpman et al. (2008) extensive and intensive trade margins model for two high-value foods and two traditional products. The EU standard requirements for each product are called the ‘hurdle to pass’ before the product can gain access to the EU market. In all, 52 African countries are considered in an empirical analysis covering the period 1995 to 2012. The study finds that product standards for fish and cocoa are trade-enhancing at the extensive margins, but this is not the case at the intensive margins. However, the standards are trade-inhibiting at both the extensive and intensive margins of exports for vegetables, while the standards are trade-restrictive at the extensive margins and trade-enhancing at the intensive margins for coffee. Thus, the findings suggest that the impacts of standards on exports are commodity-specific due to the significant differences in the costs of compliance, the size of the exporting firms or countries, access to development assistance and the commodity-specific interests of countries. The study recommends development partnerships and alliance policies on the part of Africa, with the development of institutions that can improve the level of standard-compliance in all African exporting markets.
Impact of Maternal Iron Deficiency and Anaemia on Pregnancy and its outcomes in a Nigerian Population

BACKGROUND: Iron deficiency and anaemia during pregnancy, two nutritional disorders of public health importance, are common in developing countries. This study was conducted to investigate the possible contribution and impact of anaemia and iron status on pregnancy and its outcomes in a Nigerian population.METHODS: Three hundred and forty nine (349) pregnant women aged 15-40 years (mean; 27. 04 � 4. 75 years) at gestational age = 25 week (mean 21.77 � 3.14 wks) were analysed for plasma iron and haemoglobin using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer and Cyanmethaemoglobin method, respectively. The women were followed-up weekly till delivery after which neonatal anthropometrics and other birth outcomes were recorded. RESULTS: Anaemia and iron deficiency were recorded in 252 (72.2%) and 222 (63.6%) of the women, respectively, with 0.3% severely anaemic while 38.4% and 33.5% were moderately and mildly anaemic respectively. An inverse relationship was observed between anaemia and iron deficiency with lower prevalence of iron deficiency found among groups with high prevalence of anaemia. Parity and antenatal attendance have significant (p < 0.05) effect on maternal haemoglobin with multiparous women having higher prevalence of anaemia and more than 10 antenatal attendance being associated with lower anaemia prevalence. On the pregnancy outcomes, neither maternal iron status nor anaemia was related to birth weight. However, higher foetal head circumferences (34.09 � 2.61 vs. 33.41� 2. 68cm, p < 0.05) and more preterm deliveries (< 37wk) were found in anaemic than non-anaemic women (19 vs. 3, p = 0.001). Although no significant difference in maternal concomitant illnesses during pregnancy was found either in the iron or the anaemia groups, surgically delivered babies were significantly (p < 0.05) more in iron deficient than in the iron adequate group (16 vs. 1, p = 0.021). CONCLUSSION: Maternal anaemia was associated with premature delivery, delivery through caesarean section, and infants with lower head circumference. Thus, there is indication that apart from iron deficiency, other factors that predispose pregnant women to the development of anaemia may play important role in determining pregnancy outcomes.
Chronic and unexplained cough

Cough is a frequent symptom reported in general practice consults. Even though most of the cases concern acute and self limiting episodes, if cough persists a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation should be started. Patients that scarcely respond to empiric therapy or whose symptoms are not clearly referable to one of the most common causes of cough may receive the diagnosis of unexplained cough. These patients frequently develop depression or social retirement. Recent studies have suggested that hypersensitivity of the cough reflex could be the pathogenic mechanism underlying unexplained cough. However hypersensitivity syndrome should not be used as an easy way out for patients with a complicated history of cough. Through our paper we will briefly review the most common causes of cough and how they could be involved in the development of hypersensitivity cough syndrome.
Leaf senescence and carbon isotope discrimination in durum wheat ( Triticum durum Desf.) under severe drought conditions

The relationships between leaf senescence, carbon isotope discrimination and yield performance were examined in durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.), in the high plains of Setif, eastern Algeria. Ten CIMMYT high-yielding cultivars were grown during two cropping seasons characterized by low rainfall (217 and 162 mm, respectively), freezing temperatures at heading stage and terminal heat stress. Senescence was assessed using numerical image analysis (NIA). Carbon isotope discrimination was analyzed in flag leaves at anthesis and grain at maturity. Senescence was significantly negatively correlated to grain yield in season 1, but not in season 2. There was no relationship between Δ and grain yield in both seasons. The absence of association between Δ and grain yield is likely to be due to a strong contribution of pre-anthesis assimilates to yield together with a sink limitation of yield.
On a Hadoop-based Analytics Service System

In this study, we discuss the development of an analysis service that uses Hadoop for improving the performance of a database management system (DBMS)-based analysis service system that processes big data. DBMS-based systems are not suitable for processing big data and providing service because of their disadvantage in consuming more time for processing and analyzing. We introduced a distributed parallel platform, Hadoop ecosystem, for improving the performance of the system by minimizing the processing time in analyzing big data. In addition, we also carried out a method of optimizing an existing analysis module to minimize the processing time. SPARK and Hive were implemented in the Hadoop platform to optimize the distributed parallel infrastructure. The developed analysis service system showed 127.87 times higher performance than that of other existing systems.
The Emotional Content of Faces Interferes with Inhibitory Processing: An Event Related Potential Study

Emotional stimuli interfere with other kinds of stimuli processing because they capture attentional resources in accordance with their adaptive importance. This suggests that it would be more difficult to inhibit emotional faces than neutral ones or objects. The present study evaluates the effects of facial emotional expressions on inhibitory processing using event-related brain potentials in a Go/NoGo paradigm. Event-related potentials were obtained in healthy subjects during emotional inhibition tasks involving anger and happiness, compared to non-emotional tasks based on simple objects and gender. Emotional tasks exhibited poorer performance than non-emotional ones. P3 latencies were longer during response inhibition to emotional faces than those obtained while inhibiting non-emotional stimuli. This study provides evidence that facial emotional content interferes with response inhibition since it may elicit additional neural resource demands.
Investor Overconfidence and Stock Returns: Evidence from Pakistan

The study investigates investor overconfidence in Pakistan stock market. By taking daily stock prices of 27 leading companies representing all sectors of Karachi stock exchange we found that return of the securities have impact on securities' trading volumes. While trading volumes failed to impact returns in short term horizon. Further returns volatility had impact on the returns but failed to impact trading volume. This indicates that despite return volatility, overconfident Pakistani investor continue to trade in the security. Impulse response analysis exhibits that trading are impacted by one standard deviation of security return but they still remain positive and mostly stay above zero. The study was conducted in vector auto regressive environment.
SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF TOLUENE SULFONIC ACID (TSA)-DOPED POLYPYRROLE NANOPARTICLES: EFFECTS OF DOPANT CONCENTRATIONS

Nanoparticles of the conducting polymer polypyrrole in toluene sulfonic acid (PPy/TSA) were synthesized and characterized. The polymerization was process carried out in situ using ammonium persulfate (APS) as an oxidant. The particles were synthesized by varying the dopant concentration of para -toluene sulfonic acid over five sulphonic acid concentrations. The main objective of this study was to examine the effect of TSA dopant concentrations on the properties of polypyrrole nanoparticles. Understanding nature and characteristics of polypyrrole/TSA nanoparticles are important in determining whether the nanoparticles have the potential to be a component in the manufacture of fuel cells. The conducting polymer particles synthesized in this study were characterized using a particle analyzer, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), spectroscopy UV-visible (UV-vis), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and electrical conductivity measurement. XRD shows that the particles generated possessed an amorphous structure, as also indicated by SEM images revealing the formation of aggregated and granular composite particles. Furthermore, the FTIR peak between 1273 and 1283cm -1 indicated that sulfonic acids (SO 3 - ) groups were present in the structure of PPy. The size of the PPy/TSA nanoparticles was determined to be approximately 24-51 nm, and their conductivity measured to be 1.3 x 10 -1 S/cm.
Influence of Housing Density and Grazing on Heat Shock Protein 27 Expression in Skeletal Muscle of Beef Cattle

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are used as a stress biomarker in several studies as well as other stress biomarker, but the influence of different rearing environment on HSPs expression with other stress biomarker in cattle is unclear. To clear this point, two experiments were conducted to investigate the influence of rearing environment on HSP 27 in steer muscle. In experiment 1, 10 Japanese black steers were divided into 2 groups for a housing density stress experiment: a high-density (HD) group and freedom (FR) group. IgG levels and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte (N/L) ratio in blood was analyzed as a stress marker. IgG levels and N/L ratios in the HD group were higher than those in the FR group. HSP 27 expression in the semitendinosus (ST) muscle of the HD group was higher than that of the FR group. These results suggest that HSP 27 expression may reflect the influence of the stress response with IgG levels and N/L ratios. In experiment 2, 8 Japanese Black steers were divided into 2 groups for a feeding experiment: a grazing (GR) group and concentrate-fed (CT) group. Blood IgG levels in the GR group after grazing were lower than those in the CT group. Expressions of the HSP 27 gene and its protein in the GR group were decreased in the longissimus lumborum and ST muscles compared with those in the CT group at the end of grazing. HSP 27 gene expression in the ST muscle of the GR group was lower after grazing than before grazing, but there was no significant difference in its expression in the CT group before and after grazing. The present study suggests that HSP 27 probably reflects not only differences in the rearing systems, but also the influence of the stress reaction.
Ethno-Medicinal Plants Used by Bantar of Bhaudaha, Morang, Nepal

Bantar, one of the dominant ethnic groups of Morang district is ethno botanically very rich. 98 species of plants belonging to 89 genera and 45 families used by Bantar as traditional medicines for human and domestic animals have been documented here. Ethno medication in most instances involves mantras alongside herbal application. Most diseases are treated by the use of more than one plant species while a single plant species is found to be used in curing more than one disease. Key words: Bantar, Ethno-medicinal plants, Morang doi:10.3126/on.v4i1. 508 Our Nature Vol. 4(1) 2006 pp96-103
Microstructure and Damping Property of Polyurethane Composites Hybridized with Ultraviolet Absorbents

This article investigated the microstructure and damping property of TPU composites with different contents of ultraviolet absorbents. It can be found that the ultraviolet absorbents formed fiber-shaped precipitations in the TPU matrix. The UV-328 was randomly distributed in the matrix and exhibited a weak interfacial bonding with the matrix. In comparison, the UV-329 was well embedded in the matrix and formed a relatively better interfacial bonding and compatibility with the TPU matrix. The damping factor tanδ of both 328-composites and 329-composites had been reduced gradually with increasing content of ultraviolet absorbents at the glass transition temperature range due to the fact that the ultraviolet absorbents were in the crystalline state which decreased the volume content of the viscoelastic TPU matrix. But the tanδ increased at the temperature range of higher than the glass transition temperature, which should be related to the dominance of interfacial frictions between the ultraviolet absorbents and the matrix on the energy absorption.
Electoral Incentives in Mixed-Member Systems: Party, Posts, and Zombie Politicians in Japan

How do electoral incentives affect legislative organization? Through an analysis of Japan's mixed-member electoral system, we demonstrate that legislative organization is strongly influenced not only by the individual legislators reelection incentives but also by their interest in their party gaining power and maintaining a strong party label. Electorally vulnerable legislators are given choice legislative positions to enhance their prospects at the polls, whereas (potential) party leaders disproportionately receive posts with greater influence on the party's overall reputation. Members of Parliament elected from proportional representation (PR) lists and in single member districts also receive different types of posts, reflecting their distinct electoral incentives. Even small variations in electoral rules can have important consequences for legislative organization. In contrast to Germany's compensatory mixed-member system, Japan's parallel system (combined with a “best loser” or “zombie” provision) generates incentives for the party to allocate posts relating to the distribution of particularistic goods to those elected in PR.
Effects of Dietary Oil Supplementation with Different Fatty Acid Profiles on Rumen Fibre Degrading Bacteria Population in Goats

Effects of dietary oil supplementation on the predominant rumen fibre-degrading bacteria population were investigated. In this experiment, rumen fibre-degrading bacteria population were evaluated on 16 fistulated male goats that were randomly assigned to four treatment groups: T1: control/basal diet (CNT); T2: basal diet + olive oil (OL); T3: basal diet + palm olein oil (PO); and T4: basal diet + sunflower oil (SF). The oil content was supplemented at 6% of DM bases. Rumen content was collected from each individual animal and the DNA was extracted accordingly. The number of rumen fibre-degrading bacteria was enumerated via real-time PCR method. Significant difference (P<0.05) were observed for Ruminococcus albus in supplemented diet as compared to T1. The other two fibre-degrading bacteria, Fibrobacter succinogenes and R. flavefaciens were not highly affected by the supplementation of the dietary oils. This study has demonstrated that supplementation of dietary oils with differing fatty acid components has no impact on the predominant rumen fibre-degrading bacteria which benefit the animals by providing extra energy from the dietary oil supplementation without compromising the ability of rumen fibre digestion process.
The Impact of Management Control Systems on Limiting Fraudulent Practices in Manufacturing Companies

This paper aims to explore the impact of management control systems to limit the fraudulent practices from the auditee perspective at the Jordanian Industrial Sector. To realize the research goal, a questionnaire was developed and distributed to 250 individuals, whom they formed the study sampling unit, out of which, 228 were returned, and only 213 were statistically valid, hence, they were subjected to the statistical analysis using the statistical package of social science (SPSS), the researcher’s adopted the descriptive analytical approach to analyze the gathered data, the following results were approached: 1) There is a statistically significant at (? =0.05) impact of the internal audit on fraudulent practices at the Jordanian Industrial Sector as perceived by auditees”. 2) There is a statistically significant at (? =0.05) impact for the internal control on fraudulent practices at the Jordanian Industrial Sector as perceived by auditees. 3) There is a significant statistical differences at (? =0.05) between the internal control and the internal audit attributed to the auditee demographical characteristics (age, experience, position, academic qualification, income). As those characteristics plays a great deal in enhancing the skills and knowledge and motivating the perpetrator to weave a fraudulent scheme. 4) it was concluded that the management attitude towards the fraudulent practices is not with the acceptable level, 5) It was conclude that the Jordanian industrial companies can be viewed as a shallow market for fraudsters due to the available opportunities inherent within the internal audit and control systems, nevertheless the management pressure to commit fraud was found to be low. Several recommendations were introduced among of which are: 1)The necessity to support the trend of having an independent internal auditor, in an attempt to empower them the authorizations needed to enhance their performance, thus being able to report any misleading actions freely. 2) Tightening the polices and procedure concerning the fraudulent practices at the Jordanian industrial companies, to an extent to reflect a strict tone at the top about any attempt to commit fraud. Keywords: Internal Audit, Internal Control, Management Pressure, Management Opportunities, management Attitude.